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Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
State Park Information
State Park Overview
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park has so much to offer and discover. Its 9000 years of human history and archaeological significance has made it a National Historic Landmark. You can learn about its rich history and all of Kathios other treasures at the Visitor Center located next to the picnic grounds.
Kathios visitors can experience several different styles of camping year-round or even "rough it" in one of our new heated Camper Cabins. You can climb the 100 ft. observation/fire tower and look across the majesty of Mille Lacs Lake. Take part in Kathios extensive interpretive/nature programs or get out by yourself and hike on the parks varied trail system. Kathio has a wonderful swimming beach plus canoes or rowboats you can rent for a trip on the historic Rum River and Ogechie and Shakopee lakes.
In the winter, visitors can cross-country ski on trails described as the best in Minnesota or take the family sledding on our popular sliding hill. You can ride on Kathios 19-mile statewide Grant-In-Aid snowmobile trail system or "take it down a couple of notches" and snowshoe on nearly 7 miles of pristine trail that will take you to places you cannot see in any other fashion.
Mille Lacs Lake is the source of the Rum River which flows through the park. It links three lakes - its headwaters on a trip down to the Mississippi River just over 140 miles away. Two of those lakes, Ogechie and Shakopee, fall within Kathios borders and provide good fishing and canoeing or boating opportunities. The river, lakes and park trails offer visitors excellent opportunities to watch waterfowl, bald eagles, osprey, otter, beaver, loons, deer, bear, coyotes and many others.
While youre at Mille Lacs Kathio, take some time to visit the Mille Lacs Indian Museum located just two miles north on US Hwy. 169. It is run by the Minnesota State Historical Society and exhibits the Mille Lacs area history from 1680 forward.
Nature of the Area
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park is in the Mille Lacs Landscape Region. The park is primarily a second-growth forest of aspen, birch, maple, oak and
other northern hardwoods. Wetlands are abundant in the eskers on which the park is located. A few isolated remnant stands of conifers provide diversity to the landscape and a hint of what the forest looked like a century ago.
The parks geological history is a story of immense natural forces at work over thousands of years. The rolling hills are actually a part of a terminal moraine. The small, but abrupt hills, were formed approximately 10,000 years ago when a major glacier stopped its advance south. As the glacier melted, it deposited gravel, rocks and
boulders that it had accumulated in its grinding passage over to the north and east. The resulting land form is referred to a terminal moraine. The glacial debris partially blocked the lands natural drainage patten and in effect became a huge dam, creating an extensive lake of meltwatera lake even larger than the present day Mille Lacs. This ancient lake had three outlets and a shoreline 15 feet higher than the present lake. A long period of geological and vegetational succession followed. The outlet streams cut deep channels. Ponds and small lakes drained away. Wave and ice action built up beach ridges. Drainage patterns and the shape of lakes altered. Silt and vegetation filled many of the depressions. The present parkits soil, vegetation and
wildlifeis the result of these thousands of years of constant natural progression.
The park is home to a variety of wildlife. Hawks, ospreys, owls and
eagles are common. The tracks of beaver, raccoon, mink and
deer are often seen on the trail or in the snow. Northern Pike, walleye, bluegills, sunfish and bass inhabit the lake. The aspen stands and small clearings are excellent for ruffed grouse. Squirrels and chipmunks thrive in maple and oak stands. The small ponds and streams provide homes for amphibians and insects, which in turn attract larger fish, birds and
mammals.
History of the Area
More Info
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park