Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is our north-woods counterpoint to city life in the Twin Cities — the "first city on the Mississippi" up in lake country.
Our experience
We've been back six times since 2022, staying lakeside at Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge and around the shores of Lake Bemidji, including a long summer stretch out on Lake Beltrami in 2025 with family.
We come for the clean northern air, the pines, and the easy pace: swimming and boating in summer, crisp color in fall, and a cozy small-town feel anchored by the famous Paul Bunyan and Babe statues. It's the kind of place where the lake is the whole point, and we're more than happy to let it be.
Bemidji erected its towering Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues in 1937, making them among the oldest roadside "giants" in the United States — and the lakeside city bills itself as the legendary lumberjack's official hometown.
Must-sees and must-dos
- Paul Bunyan & Babe statues — the lakefront icons and the obligatory photo stop.
- Lake Bemidji — swimming, boating and shoreline walks; we've based ourselves right on the water.
- Ruttger's Birchmont Lodge — our return lakeside retreat for a classic Minnesota resort stay.
- Lake Bemidji State Park — bog boardwalk and northern forest trails.
- Headwaters of the Mississippi — nearby Itasca, where you can walk across the river's source.
- Paul Bunyan State Trail — miles of paved biking through the woods.
Our pro tip
We've learned Bemidji is a summer-and-early-fall destination above all — the lake season is short and glorious, and a lakefront cabin or resort like Ruttger's is the way to do it.
Book the water-facing rooms early. Winters are genuinely frigid this far north, so unless you're after ice fishing or snow, aim for July through September.
If a hotel makes more sense for your trip, compare Bemidji hotels on Klook before booking.