I'm going to be traveling to Thief River Falls, Minnesota at the end of June and was wondering if anyone has suggestions for what to do (hiking, swimming, sites etc). I'll have a car so destinations several days away are not a problem. Thanks for your help!

Hi Tracy! One suggestion I have right off the top of my head is to drive to Itasca State Park--that's where the headwaters of the Mississippi River are. I haven't been there in years, but it's a popular camping, hiking destination for many. I think it would be a 2-3 hour drive from TRF. (I'll give this more thought and post again.)

Andrea - Thanks for your advice. Look forward to any other ideas that you may have!

Hi again, Tracy. Sorry it took me so long to respond, but I just returned home from a 4-day trip to Crookston (about an hour away from TRF) and I had no computer access while there. I'm wondering how familiar you are with Minn. and TRF. Is this a visit to family and have you been there before? I grew up in Crookston but now live in central MN. With respect to my hometown area, it's not a big tourist destination. Summer activities in MN are usually focused around a lake and TRF, because of its agricultural focus, is not built around the water. The best bet for fun is boating, swimming etc., but any lake will be at least a half-hour drive. Golf is also a popular summer activity here. In the evenings, the most common entertainment is making s'mores over a campfire and listening to the loons.

For more exciting night life or culture you'd have to go to the Twin Cities (at least 5 hours away) where there's plenty to do, including the Mall of America.

For more specifics, check out exploreminnesota.com. This site is filled with resort, lake and park information. Good luck!!

Thanks Andrea,

I'm going to TRF for my husbands family reunion. I've looked into Itasca State Park, that looks pretty fun. Also, there's a national park, Voyaguers, about 3 hrs away as well. But if all else fails, smores and loons don't sound bad either.