In & Around Bemidji

General Resources

• Visit Bemidji - Link to the PDF travel guide for Bemidji.

• Explore Minnesota - Activity guide for Minnesota, including the Bemidji area.

Around Bemidji

• Watermark Art Center - Watermark Art Center (WAC) is a non-profit, member-supported organization dedicated to encouraging the growth and development of art in the community. Watermark provides gallery space for exhibitions, author readings and workshops. The displays include national, regional and local artists in group exhibits, solo shows and installations.  505 Bemidji Ave N, Bemidji, MN 56601

• Headwaters Science Center - HSC offers a variety of programs within the center.  Animals, collections, and exhibits fill the floors of HSC. Stop in for a visit with a blue-tongued skink, listen to the owl hoot, explore, and enjoy a day at HSC. 413 Beltrami Ave NW, Bemidji, MN 56601

• Bemidji Sculpture Walk - Discover public art in Bemidji.

Local Parks & Trails 

• Bike Bemidji

• Three Island Lake County Park - This day-use facility is located approximately 12 miles north of Bemidji on Three Island Lake and is 2,915 acres in size. The scenic Turtle River flows from the mouth of Three Island Lake providing spectacular views, rolling terrain, and a diverse plant ecology. 7015 3 Island Rd NE, Bemidji, MN 56601

• Movil Maze Recreation Area - Movil Maze, a 913 acre day-use recreation area, is located approximately 5 miles north of Bemidji. Off-season cross country ski trails are open to a number of other non-motorized activities. Horseback riding, hiking, running, hunter walking, sightseeing and mountain biking to name a few. 12285 Wildwood Rd NE, Bemidji, MN 56601

• Tioga Recreation Area - Tioga Recreation Area is a premier outdoor adventure destination on the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota. Five hundred wooded acres located on two of the region’s most unique lakes features 25 miles of world-class mountain biking, snowshoe trails, beaches, and access to hundreds of miles of waterways. 23946 Tioga Beach Rd, Cohasset, MN 55721

• Paul Bunyan Trail - The Paul Bunyan State Trail is 115 miles long, not including a couple of short on-road connections through the cities of Baxter and Bemidji. Extending all the the way from Crow Wing State Park to Lake Bemidji State Park, it is the longest of Minnesota's state trails and the longest continuously paved rail-trail in the country. It connects with the 8 mile Heartland State Trail, and at Lake Bemidji State Park, it connects to the Blue Ox Trail, an unpaved motorized trail for snowmobiling and off-highway vehicle riding that extends northeast to International Falls. 

• Itasca Headwaters of the Mississippi - The mighty Mississippi River begins its winding journey to the Gulf of Mexico as a mere 18-foot wide knee-deep river in Itasca State Park. From here the river flows north to Bemidji, where it turns east, and then south near Grand Rapids. It will flow a total of 694 miles before working its way out of Minnesota. 36750 Main Park Dr, Park Rapids, MN 56470

• Lost 40 - also, Forest Service site.  Experience the forest of yesteryear at the Lost 40. A one-mile, self-guided trail winds its way through towering pines. Minnesota was one of the largest timber-producing states in the country in the late 1800s, but 144 acres of red and white pines went untouched by loggers when a surveying error mapped the area as part of Coddington Lake. The survey crew's error in 1882 became one of Minnesota's greatest treasures. 

Adventure Rentals 

• Bike Rentals at the Bemidji Tourist Information Center - The tourism center has 10-15 bikes for rent. Likely $10/hour

• Kayak/Paddleboard Rentals at the Bemidji Tourist Information Center - $18/hour

• Bike Rentals at the Lake Bemidji State Park - The park has 6-8 bikes for rent. Likely $10/hour https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00205#homepage 

• Bemidji State Outdoor Program Center & Gillett Wellness Center - Diamond Point Park - Boat House - 1710 Birchmont Dr NE, Bemidji, MN 56601

• Bemidji State University Gillett Center - 1801 Birch Ln NE, Bemidji, MN 56601 https://www.bemidjistate.edu/services/campus-recreation/outdoor-program-center/rent/ 

• Ardent Bicycles Grand Rapids - 951 NW 4th St, Grand Rapids, MN 55744 https://www.ardentbicycles.com/ 

• Latitude 218 Outfitters - a variety of rentals https://www.latitude218outfitters.com/ 

Last Updated: August 23, 2023