“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.

Within the park, people enjoy walking or floating on inner tubes the first half mile of the river, which meanders at a slow 1.2 miles per hour during the warm summer months. In the winter, you can still see the water flowing over the rocks, as warmer spring water keeps the area ice free.

The river's channel appears much as it did when Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was led to the source by Ojibwe guide Ozawindib in 1832. Water ripples across a sandy gravel bottom through a channel lined with cattails, tamarack trees, and sedge. Wildflowers bloom throughout the summer, including the tiny blossoms of sweet bedstraw, the pinkish-purple clusters of Joe-Pye weed, and the orange trumpet-shaped flowers of Spotted-touch-me-not. A variety of birds such as warblers, kingfishers, and waterfowl can be seen and heard as you follow a wooden boardwalk along the first section of the river.” - From the Minnesota DNR Headwaters Website

This shot is within the first mile of the river. The water here will travel 2,552 miles before discharging into the Gulf of Mexico.Taken in the summer of 2024.