Eric and I visited Bear Head Lake State Park from July 22-July 24, 2015. This has to be one of our favorite parks by far. The water was so beautiful, so serene. There are so many activities to do, so many things to see, that this park should be toward the top of your “Minnesota State Parks To Visit List,” as it has a little something for everyone.
This park is likely one of the most overnight visitor-friendly parks we have ever stayed at. It has ample camping options, from the traditional drive-in and electric sites, to RV sites, to group camps, to backpack and canoe sites. Also friendly for those who don’t camp in tents or have a camper or RV are the Camper Cabin (houses 5-6 people) and the Guesthouse (houses 10 people) options.
Being a part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area within the Superior National Forest, there are endless opportunities for recreational experiences.
Recreation
With 23 miles of lake shore, Bear Head Lake State Park offers lots of water recreational opportunities especially, including fishing, swimming, boating (max 10 mph), canoeing, and kayaking. On land, this park offers 15 miles of hiking trails, wildlife watching, camping, birding, snowmobiling (1 mile spur connects with the Taconite State Trail), cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and geocaching.
Wildlife
This park is so rich in wildlife you can’t help but sit back and listen to the songs of nature. Great for bird watching, you can find bald eagles, boreal chickadees, pine grosbeaks, red crossbills, and my personal favorite: the loon. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for other woodland creatures large and small, including squirrels, chipmunks, snowshoe hares, white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, and wolves.
Itinerary
Day 1: After checking in to site #73, we set up camp and went on a short hike along the Beach trail. Beach trail is approximately one half mile long (down and back), and is an easy and beautiful trail following the lakeshore. This was a great short walking introduction to the park on our first day here.
After our hike, we went in to check out the town of Ely and have dinner. Growing up, we’ve always heard about “Ely” when people traveled “up north.” Ely (pronounced eelee) is a bustling little outdoor adventure town with quaint shops and restaurants. A town within the Boundary Waters, there are many outfitters and places to rent equipment in the area as well. If you’re considering a visit, be sure to check out the Ten Reasons to Visit Ely, Minnesota.
Day 2: Water day! I feel like we spent all day on or in the water on day 2. The weather was around 81*, making the water the perfect place to be. We set out mid-morning, after breakfast, around 9:00am to set off to paddle the beautiful clear waters of Bear Head Lake.
In total, we maybe only kayaked around three or four miles, but we moseyed around the lake taking in all of the amazing views and unbelievable sounds. THE VIEWS here are just STUNNING. Minnesota may not have mountains or tropical beaches, but these beautiful, layered pine trees along the shore line and in the distance brought out the same excitement and calming affect as mountains or a tropical beach. I could have spent forever floating in my kayak staring at the trees, shoreline, and listening to the loons. Have I ever mentioned how loons are my favorite bird? Their calls are music to my ears.
The water temperature felt so nice that we decided to head back in and go swimming before taking the kayaks back out of the water. I’m not one to spend a lot of time in the water, but this was just what I needed after a hot few hours of kayaking. Bear Head Lake State Park has a nice beach area for folks to go swimming.
Day 3: Day three was spent with the bears! After our morning breakfast bars, we took our usual morning walk around the campground. We planned to leave a little earlier on the last day so we could visit the North American Bear Center, where a friend of Elissa’s was interning for the summer.
According to their website, the North American Bear Center is “dedicated to replacing old myths with facts, people learn from the bears themselves about bear behavior, ecology, and their relations with humans.” I learned so much about bears in the two hours we were there than I have in my entire life. There were even resident bears who were to live at the North American Bear Center due to being unable to survive back in the wild on their own. I would highly recommend visiting here if you’re in the area in the summer!
Cost Breakdown
Daily Park Admission: Free as we have a Minnesota State Parks annual pass
Tent site: $23/night
Bear Center visit: $13 per adult
Gas: $50 round trip
Food: $40.50 (approximate total)
- Hot Dogs + buns: $5
- Nature Valley breakfast bars: $3
- Spaghetti-O’s: $1.50
- S’mores! $6 for all ingredients
- Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)
- Meal at restaurant: $25
Gear Brought
- 2 Necky brand 17′ kayaks
- Suisse Sport Wyoming Tent
- Glowmaster Twin Burner camp stove
- Mess kit
- Coleman battery-operated lantern
- Sleeping bags & pillows
- 2 changes of clothes each, including swim suit
- Bug spray
- Sun block
- Tennis shoes & water shoes
- More packing tips from the MN DNR
This Park is Good for those who:
…want to hike by a lake
…want to go on a quick weekend getaway
…want to listen to nature
…want to partake in multiple water activities
…want a lot of variety in one park
Misc. Info
Year Established: 1961
Distance from Minneapolis: 244 miles
Temperature: High of 84* | Low of 57*
