Essential road trips in Minnesota
By SHERYL JEAN • For the Minnesota Star Tribune
published on May 13, 2026:(https://replica.startribune.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=de178342-493b-4322-9bf1-abc4aeb395d4&share=true)
published on May 13, 2026:(https://replica.startribune.com/infinity/article_popover_share.aspx?guid=de178342-493b-4322-9bf1-abc4aeb395d4&share=true)
Road warriors need not head out of state: You will find plenty of five-star destinations within Minnesota's boundaries. "Road tripping is very popular in Minnesota," said Jake Juliot of Explore Minnesota. "Road trips are a great way to see the state and offer the flexibility to go wherever you want on your own time." A WalletHub report named Minnesota the No. 1 state for a road trip based on 32 benchmarks, including affordability, fun and safety.
Specifically, it ranked Minnesota third for per-capita spending on summer fairs and festivals and fifth for parks and recreation. Minnesota also was 12th lowest for camping costs and 15th lowest for hotel costs. So whether you plan to take a day trip or a longer road trip, consider these three Insta-worthy destinations within a few hours of the Twin Cities.
Bemidji
3 1/2 hours north of the Twin Cities
This North Woods city of 16,000 is the first major city along the Mississippi River as it flows from its source near Lake Itasca. But Bemidji is probably best known for its larger-than-life statues of mythical lumberjack Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox that stand outside the Bemidji Visitor Center. Created to promote tourism for a winter carnival in 1937, the statues are among the nation's oldest roadside attractions. And look no further than family-owned Bemidji Woolen Mills (established 1920) for authentic red-and-black Buffalo plaid clothing and other goods like wool blankets.
Outdoors: Minnesota has the second most extensive boglands in the U.S. (after Alaska). At Lake Bemidji State Park, a short bog walk may yield sightings of pitcher plants, lady's slippers and orchids in the summer. An hour north, Big Bog Recreation Area features the largest peat bog in the Lower 48 states. You can also bicycle the 115-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail, the nation's longest paved rail-to-trail, from Bemidji to Brainerd.
Arts and culture: See dozens of sculptures by well-known and upstart artists on the Bemidji Sculpture Walk, downtown and along Lake Bemidji. Some of the artwork changes each year. Get a free map at the Bemidji Tourist Information Center or download a self-guided digital map.
Curling capital: The city's self-proclaimed title of "Curling Capital of the USA" stems from the Bemidji Curling Club producing many champions and Olympians. In November, try your hand at the sport by taking lessons at the club through Bemidji Community Education.
Along the way: Stop at the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area near Crosby, Minn., to swim or enjoy water sports in clear, deep spring-fed lakes formed by old iron-mining pits. The area also has over 70 miles of certified singletrack mountainbiking trails.
Winona
2 1/2 hours southeast
Located in the Driftless Area, Winona owes its 500-foot limestone bluffs to the fact it was never been covered by ice and glacial debris during the last ice age. Its Gilded Age architecture evokes the city's 19th-century prowess as a major lumber and grain port.
Outdoors: For scenic blufftop views of the Mississippi River valley, access easy walking trails at Great River Bluffs State Park. For more of a challenge visit the iconic Sugar Loaf, the pinnacle of a 400-foot bluff that offers hiking trails and some of the area's best rock climbing.
Arts and culture: Use a digital or paper walking map to explore over 100 downtown sites on the National Register of Historic Places. The prize gem is the Prairie-style Merchants Bank, with exterior decorative sculptures, interior agricultural murals and walls of stained glass windows. The city's annual Great River Shakespeare Festival in June and July will perform "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" at the ARC, home of the Historic Masonic Theater. The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is also a must-see.
The Island City: Winona earned that nickname because historically it sat on a large sandbar surrounded by the Mississippi River and what's now Lake Winona.
Nearby: It's worth the half-hour drive to Houston, Minn., to visit the nonprofit International Owl Center, the nation's only all-owl education center. Visitors may see up to five owls, including a great horned.
Pipestone
3 1/2 hours southwest
This area is renowned for its soft red stone that's been quarried for over 3,000 years by Native American tribes to carve ceremonial and prayer pipes. While the free Pipestone National Monument is the big draw here, the area also offers open prairie and outdoor activities. Learn about the local history and culture through exhibits, guided tours and pipestone-carving demonstrations (April through October) at the Pipestone National Monument Visitor Center.
Arts and culture: In the town of Pipestone, follow a free walking tour guidebook (from the Pipestone County Museum or chamber of commerce), digital walking tour or mobile app to explore the Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, including the former Calumet Inn and Pipestone County Courthouse . Take an Insta-worthy picture with the world's largest Native American pipe in front of Keepers Gift Shop & Gallery.
Outdoors: Take an easy walk on the ¾-mile Circle Trail to Winnewissa Falls at Pipestone National Monument. Walk or cycle the 10-mile paved portion of Minnesota's first authorized state trail — the Casey Jones State Trail — to the town of Woodstock. Nearby Split Rock Creek State Park has a 2.5-mile lakeshore loop trail plus a beach.
Indian boarding school site: Thousands of Native American children from across the Midwest attended the federally-run Pipestone Indian Training School f rom 1893 to 1953. The boarding school in Pipestone was one of 23 in Minnesota and over 526 nationwide that sought to assimilate the children into American society by distancing them from their families and culture.
Along the way: For another historical Native American site, stop at Jeffers Petroglyphs near Windom. Amid the prairie grass are some 5,000 rock carvings — from animals to arrows — spanning over 7,000 years. Take a free self-guided walking tour or a staff-guided sunrise tour.
