Quiet Lessons from Crow Wing State Park
RUGGED CAMPING
STACY DAHL • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Brainerd Lakes area of Crow Wing County is home to numerous state parks and recreation areas where people can enjoy rugged camping experiences. Countywide, there are more than 160,000 acres of forested land.
Among the most popular public sites to camp are:
Gull Lake Recreation Area- Gull Lake Recreation Area offers something for everyone with boating, hiking, fishing and swimming at Minnesota’ s famous Gull Lake, the largest of the 10 lakes on the Gull Chain of Lakes. Visitors have the opportunity to see and hear an abundance of watchable wildlife like bald eagles, whitetailed deer, river otters and a variety of songbirds. Plus, they can hear the legendary call of the loon.
10 2025 | destinationupnorth. com
Father Hennepin State Park has one of the few sandy beaches on Lake Mille Lacs, making it a picturesque spot for camping near the shoreline. The park includes two campgrounds and hiking trails that wind through a hardwood forest.
Cross Lake Recreation Area – Also known as the Ronald L. Cloutier Recreation Area, the campground at the Cross Lake Recreation Area provides a menu of activities for camping enthusiasts. There are beautiful beaches, 121 well-maintained campsites, several playground areas and a beach for swimming and boating.
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area- Cuyuna is most famous for its mountain biking trails, ranked among the best in the Midwest. The area boasts over 70 miles of purposebuilt, singletrack trails that wind through forested ridges, rocky climbs, and scenic overlooks. Today, Cuyuna’ s former iron mining pits are filled with crystal-blue and make for a scenic swim.
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park – The park offers miles of hiking trails, camping, swimming, paddling and a 100 ft fire tower open to the public for climbing.
Crow Wing State Park Campground – Crow Wing State Park’ s campground is a slice of all that Minnesota represents— boating, miles and miles of biking and hiking trails and campsites along the Mississippi River.
BIKING IN JULY
During the first week of July, I was at the peak of my outdoor physical activity. By that point, I had been slowly making my way through