Much of Aitkin County could be optimistically referred to as rural. While this means there is a lot of habitat to explore, it also means that thought must be given to where you can find fuel, food, lodging and emergency services. Most small towns will have access to gas and a local café. Most of the larger towns have a hotel or campground. It is best to plan ahead by making lodging reservations, particularly on weekends. The good news is that you will rarely be far from a city, county, state or federal campground or hotel. Details on the availability of services, or the nearest services, are given at the bottom of each township section map.

Always ask permission before entering private land. Any entry onto the private property of another without permission is considered trespass. A person may not remain on private land for outdoor recreation purposes after being told to leave. Be respectful and do not block roads, accesses or encroach upon the privacy of others. Ask first.

Minnesota highway map – The familiar pocket map for Minnesota can be obtained through the Minnesota Department of Transportation, AAA Minnesota, tourist information booths around Minnesota and many other outlets. While inexpensive (often free), the large scale of these maps makes them less useful for much of Aitkin County, particularly the maze of township, forest and minimum maintenance roads that exist in the less populated areas of the county.

Minnesota Atlas and Gazetteer – Produced by the DeLorme company this excellent atlas covers the entire state of Minnesota—one reason they are more useful for information on areas bordering Aitkin County than as a reference map for Aitkin County alone. They are available in most bookstores in Minnesota as well as many outdoor specialty and convenience stores.

Aitkin County Official Highway Map – A larger scale map of Aitkin County that can be obtained through the Aitkin County Highway Department or the Aitkin County Land Department (See Contact Information). A good, all-purpose map, its most helpful feature is a complete index of named roads in Aitkin County. However, many forest roads and minimum maintenance roads are NOT shown—a serious drawback when exploring the more wild sections of the county.

Minnesota Department of Transportation county general highway map – These highly detailed maps are available in two sizes, 36” X 56” and 18” X 28”. For both size map sizes, two sheets are required to cover Aitkin County. The maps are inexpensive—36” X 56” are only $1.50 per sheet and the 18” X 28” are only $.50 per sheet. Maps, which are available for every county in Minnesota, can be viewed in color on-line at:. They can be purchased by completing an order form and mailing payment (checks only, credit cards are NOT accepted). You can download an order form at: www.dot.state.mn.us/mapsales/docs/CountyMap.pdf. You can also request an order form be mailed to you by calling or writing the MN DOT. If you are in St. Paul, maps are available for purchase over the counter. Contact the MN DOT, MS 260 Map Sales, 395 John Ireland Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155; telephone 651-366-3017.

Aitkin County Land Atlas and Plat Book – Wire bound plat books can be purchased through the Aitkin County Extension office (218-927-7321) or through the Aitkin County Recorder (218-927-7336). The most detailed, accurate and up-to-date map available for Aitkin County, it shows public lands and all forest and minimum maintenance roads. This is the most useful map for birding and exploring the back roads of Aitkin County.

Aitkin County recreation maps (Up North, snowmobile trails, etc) – A variety of specialty maps detailing water access, snowmobile and ATV trails, historic sites and outdoor recreation are available through various sources. Contact the Aitkin, McGregor, Hill City or Mille Lacs Lake Area Chambers (see Contact Information).

Minnesota state park maps – There are three state parks in the area covered by this guide: Savanna Portage, Mille Lacs Kathio and Father Hennepin. The Minnesota DNR Web site at: www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/index.html has detailed, seasonal maps for viewing or free downloading.