Itasca State Park
| Itasca State Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 | |
| Location | Minnesota, USA |
| Nearest city | Park Rapids, Minnesota |
| Area | 32,000 acres (130 km²) |
| Established | April 20, 1891 |
| Visitors | 496,651 (in 2006) |
| Governing body | Minnesota DNR |
Itasca State Park is a state park in Minnesota, United States, and contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The park spans 32,690 acres (132 km²) of northern Minnesota, and is located at 47° N. latitude and 95°W. longitude, about 21 miles (34 km) north of Park Rapids, Minnesota and 25 miles (48 km) from Bagley, Minnesota. The park is part of Minnesota's Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains Ecological Subsection and is contained within Clearwater, Hubbard, and Becker counties.[1] Itasca State Park was established by the Minnesota Legislature on April 20, 1891, making it the first of Minnesota's state parks and second oldest in the United States, behind Niagara Falls. Henry Schoolcraft determined Lake Itasca as the river's source in 1832. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. An estimated 500,000 people visit Itasca State Park annually.
Landscape
Lake Itasca, the official source of the Mississippi River and a scenic area of northern Minnesota, has remained relatively unchanged from its natural state. Most of the area has a heavy growth of timber that includes virgin Red or Norway pine, some of which are over 200 years old. The Red pine is Minnesota's oldest and largest state tree.
The Itasca terrain is sometimes referred to as "knob and kettle." The knobs are mounds of debris deposited directly by the ice near the edge of glaciers or by melt-water streams flowing on or under the glacier's surface. The kettles are depressions, usually filled with water, formed by dormant ice masses buried or partially buried under glacial debris. The retreat of the ice around 10,000 years ago left behind 157 lakes of varying size that cover 3,000 acres (12 km²) of Itasca State Park. The glaciers deposited moraine, a combination of silt, clay, sand, and gravel that covers the landscape to a depth of around 680 feet (207 meters).[2] The park also includes 27,500 acres (111 km²) of upland and 1,500 acres (6 km²) of swamp.
History
Approximately 8,000 years ago, Native American hunters pursued wild animals for food in the Itasca State Park region. These early people ambushed bison, deer, and moose at watering sites and killed them with stone-tipped spears.[citation needed] The Bison Kill site along Wilderness Drive in the park gives visitors historical insight about this period.
A few thousand years later, a group of people of the Woodland Period arrived at Lake Itasca. They lived in larger, more permanent settlements and made a variety of stone, wood, and bone tools. Burial mounds from this era can be seen today at the Itasca Indian Cemetery.
In 1832, Anishinabe guide Ozawindib, led explorer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to the source of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca. It was on this journey that Schoolcraft, with the help of an educated missionary companion, created the name Itasca from the Latin words for "truth" and "head" (veritas caput). In the late 1800s, Jacob V. Brower, historian, anthropologist and land surveyor, came to the park region to settle the dispute of the actual location of the Mississippi headwaters. Brower saw this region being quickly transformed by logging, and was determined to protect some of the pine forests for future generations. It was Brower's tireless efforts to save the remaining pine forest surrounding Lake Itasca that led the state legislature to establish Itasca as a Minnesota State Park on April 20, 1891, by a margin of only one vote.[citation needed] Through his conservation work and the continuing efforts of others throughout the decades, the splendor of Itasca had been maintained. 1905 marked the construction of Douglas Lodge, which is the oldest building in Itasca State Park and the first example of Rustic Style design. Twelve other Rustic Style buildings were built in the following years.
Biology and ecology
Flora
The Itasca area's old-growth pine forests are almost as famous as the Mississippi headwaters. The area is currently one of the few places in state that has preserved these ancient pines from destruction. These pine forests were the main concern of Brower when he pushed to preserve the area as a state park. Logging operations in the late 1800s and early 1900s depleted the large pine forests found in the park. Logging ended around 1920.[3]
Pine restoration has been attempted dating back to 1902, but with limited success.[1] Fire suppression in the area has eliminated wildfires in the park since the 1920s. Fire is necessary to the regeneration of white, red and jack pines in the area because it opens the forest floor and canopy for new trees to grow. An overpopulation of white tail deer also stunt the regeneration efforts of these pines, as deer browse young pine seedling and prevent them from maturing into trees.[3]
A combination of jack pine and northern pin oak dominated the park area before the settlement of Europeans in the area. Other numerous varieties of trees in the area include: Quaking aspen, bigtooth aspen, paper birch, red pine, white pine as well as a mix of northern hardwoods. Current vegetation of the park now include: white pine, red pine, aspen-birch, mixed hardwoods, jack pine barrens and conifer bog. Logged areas of white and red pine are now home to a combination of aspen and birch trees, with aspen being the most dominant species of tree in the park today. The four most dominant forest communities in the area are: aspen-birch, red pine, white pine, and northern hardwoods.[3]
The park is home to fourteen plants placed on the state endangered species list, these include: ram's-head lady's slipper (Cypripedium arietinum), olivaceous spike-rush (Eleocharis olivacea), bog adder's-mouth (Malaxis paludosa), slender naiad (Najas gracillma) and sheathed pondweed (Potamogeton vaginatus).[4]
Fauna
Three geographical regions, coniferous forests, deciduous forest, and prairie all intersect in the Itasca region and allow habitat for numerous vegetation and animals.[1] Itasca is home to a over 200 bird species including: loons, grebes, cormorants, herons, ducks, owls, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, kinglets, vireos, tanagers, finches, and warblers. Residing among the many trails in the park are over 60 types of mammals. The park is home to six rare animal species including the bald eagle and gray wolf.[3]
White tail deer overpopulation has caused problems within the park. According to 1998 statistics it was estimated that the density of white tail deer is around 15 to 17 per square mile compared with the 4-10 per square mile in similar areas in Wisconsin. The cause of the deer boom was the addition of man-made open spaces and a deer protection zone put in place from the early 1900s until the 1940s. Annual deer hunts have been held since 1940 in an effort to curb white tail deer population.[3]
Climate
Itasca State Park lies in northern Minnesota; a location that can be affected by three major air masses. An arctic air stream extends south from Canada during the winter months; Pacific air that follows strong west winds move over the area and during the summer month a tropical air stream flows north from the Gulf of Mexico. These various air masses have a strong effect on the climate of the area around Itasca State Park.[3]
The winter climate produces extremely cold temperatures, with an average minimum temperature for Itasca being -4° F (-20° C).[5] This cold weather is accompanied with large amounts of snowfall, averaging around 54.6 inches (138 cm) annually. A combination of the arctic air with heavy snowfall and wind can create severe blizzard conditions in the area.[3]
In the summer, the pacific winds and tropical winds from the Gulf create warm to hot temperatures, with the highs during July averaging 78.4° F (25.8° C).[5] However, a clash of cool, dry polar air from Canada and the moisture from the southern tropical Gulf air can lead to showers and thunderstorms. The average rainfall annually for the Itasca area is 27 inches (68.6 cm)[5]. The area has a relatively short growing season, with the first frost usually occurring in late September to early October and the first frost-free days not occurring until mid-May or early June.[3]
Recreation
Itasca State Park's recreational activities cover all four seasons of the year.
Spring reels in the fishermen for the May fishing openers of Walleye, Northern Pike, Bass, and panfish. The park is in full bloom including a vast array of wildflowers. Birding is also a popular spring activity.
Lake Itasca is a popular location for summer activities in Minnesota, with 496,651 visitors in 2006.[4] Fishing, canoeing, boating, and kayaking are always available activities. On land recreation includes golfing, biking via the Heartland Trail, horseback riding, and ATVing. Numerous historical sites are available to view. The Headwaters of the Mississippi are one of the most visited sites available at the park. Tourists can visit the new Mary Gibbs Visitor Center and the exhibits at the Jacob V. Brower Visitor Center. The park also offers a 100' climb up the historic Aiton Heights Fire Tower.
Fall unveils the beautiful array of colors amidst the variety of trees throughout the park. This is another recommended season to bike, hike, or even take a leisurely walk through the available trails. The park offers 33 miles (53 km) worth of hiking trails.[3]
Winter lures in the ice fishermen, who gather in what seems like a little village in itself on Lake Itasca. The snowmobilers can travel hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails, while the skiers use 30 miles (48 km) of cross country skiing trails (both novice and skilled level) that are maintained regularly.
Footnotes
- ^ a b c Snow, Kristin. Management of Pine Regeneration in Itasca State Park. Minnesota, 1999.
- ^ Cholewa, Anita and David Biesboer. Common Plants of Itasca State Park. Minnesota: Bell Museum of Natural History,2005
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Itasca State Park Management Plan. Minnesota, 1998.
- ^ a b Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Itasca. 2007. 22 Apr. 2007 <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca/narrative.html>
- ^ a b c "Climatography of the United States". National Climatic Data Center. 1971 - 2000. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
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References
- Cholewa, Anita and David Biesboer. Common Plants of Itasca State Park. Minnesota: Bell Museum of Natural History, 2005
- Itasca. 2007. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 18 Apr. 2007.
- Itasca State Park. 2001. Minnesota Historical Society. 19 Apr. 2007. <http://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/stateparks/Itasca.html>
- Itasca State Park. 2004. Visit Bemidji. 18 Apr. 2007 <http://www.visitbemidji.com/itasca_state_park.html>.
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Itasca. 2007. 22 Apr. 2007 <http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/itasca/narrative.html>
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Itasca State Park Management Plan. Minnesota, 1998.
- Snow, Kristin. Management of Pine Regeneration in Itasca State Park. Minnesota, 1999.
- Welcome to Itasca Lakes Country. Itasca Area Lakes Tourism Association. 19 Apr. 2007. <http://www.itascaarea.com/>