Itasca State Park () is a state park of Minnesota, United States, and contains the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The park spans of northern Minnesota, and is located about north of Park Rapids, Minnesota and from Bagley, Minnesota. The park is part of Minnesota's Pine Moraines and Outwash Plains Ecological Subsection and is contained within Clearwater, Hubbard, and Becker counties. In the late 19th century, Jacob V. Brower, historian, anthropologist and land surveyor, came to the park region to settle the dispute of the actual location of the Mississippi's headwaters. Brower saw this region being quickly transformed by logging, and was determined to protect some of the pine forests for future generations. It was Brower's tireless efforts to save the remaining pine forest surrounding Lake Itasca that led the state legislature to establish Itasca as a Minnesota State Park on April 20, 1891, by a margin of only one vote. Through his conservation work and the continuing efforts of others throughout the decades, the grounds of Itasca had been maintained.
Established in 1909, Itasca Biological Station and Labs (IBSL) is one of the oldest and largest continuously operated inland field training centers in the United States. This site serves as a research facility and a site for summer-session undergraduate field biology courses for the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences. Each year new College of Biological Sciences students attend the "Nature of Life" orientation program which is held by the lake, allowing the study of a diverse, undisturbed environment from the organismal level to that of an entire ecosystem.
alt=A log bridge over a very small river on an autumnal, cloudy day with flurries of snow|thumb|The first bridge (and only [[log bridge) over the Mississippi, about 25 feet west of its source at Lake Itasca]]
Landscape
Lake Itasca, the official source of the Mississippi River and a scenic area of northern Minnesota, has remained relatively unchanged from its natural state. Most of the area has a heavy growth of timber that includes virgin red pine, which is also Minnesota's state tree. Some of the red pine in Itasca are over 200 years old. The park also integrates of upland and of swamp.
Biology and ecology
Plant life
thumb|right|Old-growth red pine, Itasca State Park
The Itasca area's old-growth pine forests are almost as famous as the Mississippi headwaters. The area is currently one of the few places in state that has preserved these ancient pines from destruction. These pine forests were the main concern of Brower when he pushed to preserve the area as a state park. Logging operations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries depleted the large pine forests found in the park. Logging ended around 1920.
Pine restoration has been attempted dating back to 1902, but with limited success. Fire suppression in the area has eliminated wildfires in the park since the 1920s. Fire is necessary to the regeneration of white, red, and jack pines in the area because it opens the forest floor and canopy for new trees to grow. An overpopulation of white-tailed deer also stunt the regeneration efforts of these pines, as deer browse young pine seedling and prevent them from maturing into trees.
National Natural Landmark designation
Under the name of Itasca Natural Area, the area was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service under the Historic Sites Act. It received this designation in November 1965 from the United States Secretary of the Interior, giving it recognition as an outstanding example of the nation's natural history. The designation describes its significance:
<blockquote>The area contains some of the finest remaining stands of virgin red pine, spruce-balsam fir, and maple-basswood-aspen forest, supporting 141 bird and 53 mammal species, including bald eagles. This cold weather is accompanied with snowfall amounts averaging around annually. A combination of the Arctic air with heavy snowfall and wind can create severe blizzard conditions in the area.
Recreation
thumb|right|Tourists wade the Mississippi near Lake Itasca in 2007
Itasca State Park's recreational activities cover all four seasons of the year. Within the restored log building headquarters is a 31-bed youth hostel operated by Hostelling International USA, open to travelers of all ages.
Spring reels in the fishermen for the May fishing openers of walleye, northern pike, bass, and panfish. The park is in full bloom including a vast array of wildflowers. Birding is also a popular spring activity as the varying species return from migration.
thumb|Aiton Heights Fire Tower
Lake Itasca is a popular location for summer activities in Minnesota, with 496,651 visitors in 2006. Log construction was generally used because timber was easily available in the area.
Rustic style design
Itasca's rustic style design is the largest collection of log–constructed buildings in the state park system. It provides a uniform appearance to the park, setting it apart from all others. Douglas Lodge, built in 1905, is the oldest surviving building and the first to be constructed in the Rustic Style. At the time, very few governments were setting aside land for conservation, which shows the significance of this encounter. Douglas Lodge has provided tourist facilities since 1911 and remains functional today after undergoing renovations in the years following its grand opening. The Lodge is used as a hotel for guests to stay in, and the main lobby for the "Douglas Lodge Cabins" around it. There is also a restaurant famous for wild rice soup.
The Clubhouse, assembled in 1911, overlooks Lake Itasca. The interior contains ten dormitories placed around a two–story Rustic Style lobby. The Clubhouse contains a very large fireplace, couches, and a very great staircase. Over the years, the Clubhouse encountered few problems in the maintenance department other than minor deterioration in the lower logs, which were replaced in 1984. Today, guests may stay in the ten rooms.
right|thumb|A monument marking the origin of the Mississippi River.The Old Timer's Cabin is also found on the shores of Lake Itasca, located north of the Clubhouse. This was the first CCC–constructed building to appear in the park. The CCC originally referred to the Old Timer's Cabin as the "Honeymooner's Cabin" because of its small size and relative isolation .