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Nearest Town: McGregor
Aitkin County is home to the third largest state park in Minnesota. Located in the northeastern part of the county about 17 miles from McGregor, Savanna Portage State Park is a highlight of any visit to Aitkin County.
Encompassing over 15,800 acres, this historically significant park is also one of the best recreational spots around. With 60 campsites – 20 have electric hook ups, 22 miles of hiking trails, 36 miles of snowmobile trails and 10 miles of groomed cross county ski trails there is plenty to do while visiting the Park. Fishing, mountain biking, picnicking and spending time enjoying the peace and quiet of the northwoods all occupy the hours of the almost 60,000 annual visitors. Wildlife, birds and wildflowers abound in the Park with sightings of many species of interest throughout the year.
Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Savanna Portage Trail had been the route traversed by Native Americans, fur traders, explorers and missionaries for hundreds of years. After the era of railroads and lumbermen, the trail fell out of use and was almost lost. Preserved by the Savanna Portage State Park, this trail can be used by hikers to follow in the footsteps of such men as Zebulon Pike, David Thompson, William Aitkin, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Lewis Cass, William T. Boutwell, Sir Du Lhut, and countless others. The route between the Lake Superior and Mississippi watersheds required this approximately six mile, five day portage, described by some who traversed its length as one of the worst. One account referred to the boggy area as a “perfect quagmire”.
The geology of the park includes a wealth of glacial features. It is possible to view the remains of glacial Lake Upham, part of the Tamarack Lowlands ecosystem found in the Park. Hike the Continental Divide trail to follow the watershed divide between the Mississippi River watershed to the south and the St. Louis River/Lake Superior watershed to the north, formed when the glacial lakes Aitkin and Upham divided. Eskers, the remnants of glacial rivers, with their steep hillsides are found throughout the Park. Kettle lakes, moraines and erratic rocks all placed here by the glaciers can be observed along the trails in Savanna Portage.
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