Suomi Hills Recreation Area rests along the Edge of the Wilderness National Scenic Byway in Itasca County.
Miles of wilderness invite you to immerse yourself in hiking, off-road biking, canoeing, and exploring.
Access into Suomi Hills semi-primitive non-motorized area is by foot and non-motorized travel only but totally worth it for the beautiful views and proximity to wildlife.
I was lucky enough to hike through the maple, basswood, and aspen and saw beaver, duck, osprey, and so many whitetail deer!
The remote area is northeast of Deer River, northwest of Grand Rapids, and south of Marcel in the Chippewa National Forest.
Established in 1908, the Chippewa National Forest was the first National Forest east of the Mississippi River.
It has more lakes and wetlands than any other National Forest.
Originally known as the Minnesota National Forest, the name was changed in 1928 to honor those who inhabited it.
It contains over 600,000 acres with more than 1,300 lakes, 900 miles of rivers and streams, and 400,000 acres of wetlands.
Interesting fact: The forest contains the Lost Forty. This 144 acre area was accidentally mapped as part of Coddington Lake when the original maps of the region were laid out in 1882.
As a result of the mapping error, the Lost Forty was never logged. It contains some of the oldest forest in the state, with some trees more than 350 years old!
This post was brought to you by Explore Minnesota, but opinions are all my own. #onlyinmn
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