American Travel Journal: Paul Bunyan Park

Bemidji, Minnesota bills itself as the "First City on the Mississippi" as well as the birthplace of the legendary lumberjack, Paul Bunyan. We stopped at Paul Bunyan Park to check out both claims during our August 2017 visit to the state.

The headwaters of the Mississippi River are just a few miles out of town in Itasca State Park, but nearly 60 river miles upstream. The river flows through Lake Irving and Lake Bemidji before wandering over 400 miles to Minneapolis.

The park has a large parking area with over 100 spaces for passenger cars. Entry to the parking area is at Second Street and Bemidji Avenue. The exit is a block north at Third Street and Bemidji Avenue. Finding the park from the north was a bit of a challenge as I didn't see any informational signs along US-71. The easiest way to get to the park from out of town is to take the Division Street exit from US-2 / US-71. Follow Division Street east 1.7 miles as it becomes Fifth Street. Turn south on Bemidji Avenue and drive three blocks to the parking entrance on the left at Second Street.

With a population of over 14,000 people, Bemidji truly is the first city on the Mississippi River. With dozens of lakes, numerous bike paths and trails, a state park and a state forest, the Bemidji area should be on your list of stops in the North Woods of Minnesota.