Clearwater County: Nature, Trails and History

Trout fishing, diving and forest trails sit alongside historic buildings, collections and birdwatching. Clearwater County can be explored through a wide range of interests: nature by the water, trails in Itasca State Park and history at places such as Gran Church. You can plan your trip around the topics that matter most to you.

Water, Forest and Trails

Long Lake Park offers opportunities to fish for rainbow trout and go diving. A walking trail is 1 mile long and passes through a 53-acre wooded area. The park thus features different activities in the same place: things to do on the water and a trail through the forest.

Itasca State Park is five miles from Long Lake Park. The Mississippi River begins in Itasca State Park. An 8.5-mile paved trail also begins there, at the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center. The section at the Mississippi headwaters includes a 0.5-mile accessible loop trail. The North Country Trail is part of the 49-mile trail network in Itasca State Park.

These lengths describe different scales: a loop trail, a paved trail and an entire trail network. This makes it possible to choose whether you want to focus on a single loop, a longer route or the trail network as a whole. The Mary Gibbs Café serves coffee, baked goods, ice cream and sandwiches.

Two named routes also begin in Itasca State Park: the Mississippi River State Water Trail and the Great River Road. This means the park offers both a water trail and a road route as distinct starting points.

Birdlife and Shoreline

A total of 111 bird species have been recorded at Iron Springs Bog Scientific and Natural Area, including nesting Gray Jays.

Itasca Wilderness Sanctuary Scientific and Natural Area protects approximately two miles of undeveloped shoreline on Lake Itasca.

Buildings and History

The Clearwater County Historical Society Museum is located in the former Shevlin School. The two-story brick building dates from 1911. A small historic village at the Clearwater County Historical Society History Center includes a log cabin, a depot, a log schoolhouse, a gas station and several other buildings.

The Clearwater County Museum has more than 15,000 historic photos from the county. The Clearwater County Historical Society also offers free research assistance year-round. Visiting the museum and doing your own research are different ways to learn about the county’s history.

Gran Church in Popple Township also has a clearly dated history: it was completed in 1897. A plaque installed in 1973 identified it as the first church built in Clearwater County. In 1988, it was added to the National Registry of Historic Places. The construction date, plaque and registry listing mark three different points in its history.

Discover more destinations: Shevlin, Lake County, Roseau, Lake Of The Woods County, Marquette, Martin County, Hubbard County, Houston County.

For the main travel overview: Minnesota.