Heartland Lakes
Heartland Lakes is a geographic region located in the Northwoods of Minnesota — from Osage to Akeley and Itasca State Park to Menahga, and including Park Rapids, Nevis, Dorset, Lake George and everywhere in between.
The term “Heartland” has been used to describe the area for many years but only recently (2017) was adopted as the official term for the identified region.[1] The area is well known for The Heartland State Trail, one of the first rail-to-trail projects in the country. The region is notable for it's pristine lakes.
In 2018 the Heartland Lakes official website was created.
Towns Included[edit]
- Akeley, MN
- Park Rapids, MN
- Menahga, MN
- Osage, MN
- Nevis, MN
- Dorset, MN
- Lake George, MN
Activities[edit]
WINTER[edit]
The primary winter activities for the area include ice fishing on one of hundreds of nearby lakes such as Spirit Lake in Menahga for the Ice Fishing Derby or Itasca Lake, and snowshoeing. Snowmobiling is a popular activity in the area and the USXC Snowmobile Race is held often held within Heartland Lakes in January each year.
SUMMER[edit]
Summer is one of the most popular times of the year as tourists more than double the size of the population. Within Heartland Lakes is the infamous Itasca State Park that is home to the “Headwaters of the Mississippi River”. Families and schools often adventure to Itasca State Park throughout the year to play in the headwaters and explore. Camping and fishings are popular activities within the summer for tourists and residents of Heartland Lakes. Music and Art play a large role in the community and 2nd Street Stage is an outdoor summer concert series in Park Rapids, Minnesota - the largest city in the Heartland Lake. Other popular summer activities include biking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, ATVing, and more!
GEOGRAPHY[edit]
Located in the Northwoods of Minnesota, Heartland Lakes is region that encompasses the towns of Akeley, Park Rapids, Menahga, Osage, Nevis, Dorset, Itasca State Park, and Lake George.
Heartland Lakes has a flat prairie topography, and the area features an abundance of lakes, such as Fish Hook Lake, Potato Lake, Long Lake, Big Sand Lake, Lower & Upper Bottle Lake, Lake Belle Taine, Big Mantrap Lake, Little Mantrap Lake, Crow Wing Lake Chain, Spider Lake, Little Sand Lake, Portage Lake, Island Lake, Eagle Lake, Kabekona Lake, Blue Lake, Lake Benedict, Big Stony Lake, Boulder Lake, Duck Lake, East Crooked Lake, Lake george, and more.
This area is home to the source of the Mississippi River which is located in Itasca State Park.
CLIMATE[edit]
The region has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Within Heartland Lakes all four seasons have their own very distinct characteristics. Cold season temperatures average a low of -0°F and an average high of 18°F while hot season temperatures average a low of 59°F and a high of 80°F.[2][3]
References[edit]
This article "Heartland Lakes" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Heartland Lakes. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
