Headwaters of the Mississippi

When we started learning more about the Mississippi while we were in the Dubuque area, we decided that we would like to visit the headwaters area, in northwestern Minnesota. We really didn't have specific plans yet, so adding a couple of days in the Lake Itasca area was certainly doable. We left Grant River Recreation Area in Wisconsin just north of Dubuque on Friday, and arrived in the Lake Itasca area (Park Rapids) on Saturday - staying overnight at the Walmart in Park Rapids and driving on up to the park on Sunday. We could not get a reservation for a campsite for two nights in the park, so I was going to make two one-night reservations (and have to move the bus), but then I noticed a state recreation area just north of Lake Itasca (about 10 miles away), where I could get not only 2 nights, but full hookups too! I waited until this morning (the check-in day) to make the reservation as I did not have to pay the $8.50 reservation fee for same day check in. We arrived at La Salle Lake State Recreation Area this morning, and the site we had reserved was already available so we were able to get parked and then headed out to Lake Itasca State Park.

One of the first things we wanted to do is to see the headwaters of the Mississippi.

As we were heading back from La Salle Lake to Lake Itasca, we crossed the Mississippi (we are north of the headwaters) -

The river is little more than a "creek" at this point.

We drove in to Lake Itasca State Park and made our way to the headwaters area:

An information plaque about the search for Mississippi's source - note the comment about "voracious, long-billed, and dyspeptic musketoes" - their descendants are still in the area!

The marker says: "Here 1475 ft above the ocean the mighty Mississippi begins to flow on its winding way 2552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico"

Walking across the boundary between Lake Itasca (on the right) and the headwaters of the Mississippi (on the left).

A log bridge a little ways down from the headwaters.

 While we were at the headwaters, we noticed another family with one person on their cellphone and the others appearing to be waving at someone, but the someone was not there... looking very odd... then we realized that there was a webcam at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/Itasca/headwaters.html 
so I called my brother and Jimmy and Regina got to watch us waving from the headwaters of the Mississippi!

Some interesting information boards...

How is your world river knowledge?

I was confused by what would constitute the "headwaters" of a river - for example, there are streams that feed in to Lake Itasca - why aren't they the headwaters?

This display at the Visitor Center identified that I am not the only one confused...

I guess there is no "right" answer! So... maybe we took pictures at the headwaters today (if you agree with option B), and maybe we didn't!

Finally - one thing that I found odd was that the Mississippi flows north out of Lake Itasca - the text here indicates that "The elevation of the land south and west of Lake Itasca is hither than land at the lake. This high ground, called a morasse, is composed of many huge long hills of rock and soil which were deposited by powerful glaciers over 10,000 years ago (Patti comment: so someone theorizes). Rain falling on this high ground flows downhill into the Mississippi River drainage. Although we think of the Mississippi River as flowing southward, when the river leaves Lake Itasca, it meanders in a northward direction for over 80 miles before it finally turns east and then south to the Gulf of Mexico."