Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I went camping in Minnesota's Mille Lacs Kathio State Park with our dog, Izzy. Located two hours north of the Twin Cities and about thirty minutes outside of Brainerd, Kathio is conveniently located for a weekend excursion. We were there for a Thursday and Friday night in early May, when it can still be cold and rainy, so there weren't as many people as there might normally be in the full summer camping season, but the park has sizable campgrounds with numerous group and individual sites and has a large network of trails, so it can absorb a lot of people for its comparatively small size. However, if you, like us, want a more secluded experience, you definitely need to make reservations. There are only four hike-in "primitive" sites (pit toilet, fire grate, picnic table, and sand tent pad provided, so not the most primitive by the standards of other MN parks) and reservations are necessary to get the one you want. We wanted the Black Bass Lake site, which can be reached by trail or canoe, but it was not available both nights so we opted for the Glacial Ridge site, very pretty and on its own side loop trail unconnected to any other, so there was little chance of people wandering by.
The entire park stretches from the shore of Mille Lacs Lake, along a chain of smaller lakes, toward Onamie Lake, and is largely made up of marsh, bog, and other wetlands. it has upland trails, as well as paved trails for biking. Horses are also allowed in some areas and there is a designated lot for horse trailers. In the winter there is skiing and snowshoeing. We learned the hard way that trails marked for skiers but not labeled on the "summer" trail map are impassable when not covered with snow. We did see some beautiful wetland plants but were unable to get through to our destination and had to turn around. Fortunately the entire trail system in the park consists of interconnected loops and rings so it isn't hard to find a new path. Numbered intersection markers make it easy to navigate for those with less experience handling a map.
There are also a handful of historical and natural interpretive sites in the park. The historical ones trace human occupation from the first recorded inhabitants all the way through squatters in the 1920s. It is common to see Native American artifacts and sites (the area was an important source of wild rice) treated as important archeological data, including trash piles. It takes some mental adjustment to view evidence of more recent occupation such as foundations (some with concrete), evidence of gardens (lilacs), and modern trash (discarded steel and car parts), with the same amount of historical importance. As a former history major I a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I still found it odd at first. I completely understand, after all, we want to understand an area's entire history and all people's relationship with it (a relationship that is constant and ongoing and continues to be shaped even by the visitors and parks department that manages the sites), but even for someone trained in historical thought it takes a bit of prodding to recall that we are all still participants in, as well as observers of, both the historical and natural record. So, while it is odd being asked not to disturb old mufflers and cans you may encounter (please do disturb and dispose of modern ones), it serves as a reminder of our place and continuing role in the construction, meaning, and value of these places.
The park also has an observation tower that can be climbed in good weather. This is definitely worthwhile, but is not for those who have a fear of heights. It is about a hundred feet high and leads to an enclosed (with windows) observation platform big enough for a handful of people at a time. It allows for a survey of the entire park landscape, enabling the viewer to see the drainage of Mille Lacs Lake through the Rum River and the chain of lakes. In fall or early spring I imagine it is particularly stunning. Unfortunately it is possible to see the nearby casino, but that is only in one direction.
While there aren't any stunning vistas in the park, there is lots of natural beauty as well as a large number of wild flowers and wetland species.
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| Jack-in-the-Pulpit |
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| Marsh Marigold |
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| Yellow Trillium |
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| Horsetail |
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| A beaver lodge (didn't see the beaver) |
