이타스카 카운티 주변 최고의 가족 하이킹 & 워킹 코스

The Mesabi Trail hugs a segment of the Prairie River, boasting views of red iron-rich hills around it. The river looks great today, considering that in 1991, Enbridge Line 3 pipeline burst and resulted in the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history, releasing about 1.7 million gallons of oil into the area, including the Prairie River.

The western terminus of the Mesabi Trail in Grand Rapids marks the beginning of a popular paved multi-use path. From here, the trail stretches northeast for over 160 miles, eventually reaching the town of Ely near the Boundary Waters.

This is the western terminus of the Mesabi Trail that eventually. will run all the way from Grand Rapids to Ely.

Spruce Island Lake is one of a few lakes in the area sometimes frequented by bald eagles. Keep an eye out for osprey, loons, beavers, otters, and other wildlife.

Like much of Minnesota, the Suomi Hills were the site of extensive logging. This region was logged for pine between 1905 and 1910, and today the forest has transitioned to deciduous maple, oak, and basswood that makes the region beautiful to visit in the fall. Beaver, loons, and many other birds make the Suomi Hills a great place to experience wildlife.

The Suomi Hills include 19 miles of hiking and biking trails. The name comes from the nearby town of Suomi, which was founded by Finnish immigrants in the early 1900s. Less than a half mile up the road from the trailhead lies the Day Lake CCC camp, one of 20 such camps in Minnesota erected during the Great Depression to offer jobs surveying land replanting pine forests after Minnesota's logging boom. The history of this camp is unique in that a segregated African American company worked here in the 30's, and the camp housed German prisoners of war during WWII. More details on the history of the Day Lake CCC camp can be read from the sign at the Suomi Hills trailhead and at the camp itself up the road.

Trout Lake is well known for the Joyce Estate, its remarkably blue waters, and good fishing. It has strong lake trout, splake (a cross between brook trout and lake trout), northern pike, panfish (a collective term any freshwater fish small enough to fit in a pan), and bass populations.

The trail to the Joyce Estate passes an old powerhouse building that was a part of the caretaker's complex. The complex also included places to store vehicles -- planes, boats, and cars -- and 17 different buildings for staff lodging.