Bemidji

Bemidji sits on the southwest shore of Lake Bemidji in the north woods, county seat of Beltrami County, with a 2020 population of 14,574. There are roughly 400 lakes within 25 miles of the city, 500 miles of snowmobile trails and 99 miles of cross-country ski trails, which tells you what kind of town this is. Bemidji State University is one of the city’s largest employers, with 555 employees as of 2021; the university's D-I men's hockey team plays a full CCHA schedule.

The Paul Bunyan and Babe statues are the point of a first visit. They were unveiled as mascots for a winter carnival that opened on January 14, 1937. The Minnesota Historical Society’s MNopedia says the builders used Bemidji Mayor Earl Bucklen and an ox from Headwaters Camp as models for Paul and Babe, and the National Register nomination says Babe was mounted on a Model T Ford for carnival parades before being placed on permanent display beside Paul in 1938. Bemidji is not the only town in the Midwest with Paul Bunyan statues, but it is the one that put its pair on the National Register and built the whole waterfront around them. The Bemidji Convention & Visitors Bureau claims the pair is the second-most-photographed set of statues in America.

The headwaters of the Mississippi River are about thirty minutes south of town in Itasca State Park — the first Minnesota state park (established April 20, 1891) and the second-oldest state park in the country. Visitors walk across the rocks connecting the sides of the Mississippi at its outlet from Lake Itasca, or cross by a small bridge if they'd rather not get wet. It is remarkable in the flat, plain way real landmarks are: a river you can step across, in ankle-deep water, that becomes the great river of North America a couple of thousand miles later.

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are the anchor, and everything is free. The pair sit on the lakeshore at Bemidji Avenue and Third Street, unveiled January 15, 1937 as part of a winter carnival and never taken down. The Bemidji Tourist Information Center right behind them holds the collection of ‘Fireplace of States’ and Paul-and-Babe memorabilia inside. Then walk along the lake — the Lake Bemidji waterfront trail loops the shoreline, and the summer views across the water are the reason people move here.

Bemidji's food lives on the downtown grid and along the lakeshore. Visit Bemidji’s dining page describes meals in the historic downtown and cocktails along the shoreline of Lake Bemidji, and its directory lists local restaurants and bars by category; check each business’s own site for current hours and menus.

The Minnesota Historical Society’s MNopedia describes wild rice, called manoomin in the Ojibwe language, as a food of great historical, spiritual, and cultural importance for Ojibwe people. Which Bemidji restaurants currently serve it could not be confirmed; check menus before planning a meal around it.

One brewpub within 10 miles of Bemidji. In a small town that is often the kitchen still serving when everywhere else has stopped.

Brewpub locations from Open Brewery DB (MIT)

No pro team of any major sport plays in Bemidji or anywhere close. On a Beavers hockey Friday night, the college game is the biggest thing in the region.

3 more Highway Heads places lie within about 180 miles of Bemidji in a straight line — far enough that most are a night away rather than an afternoon.

• FargoNorth Dakotaabout 100 mi
• Grand ForksNorth Dakotaabout 100 mi
• DuluthMinnesotaabout 140 mi

Two hours covers the statues, the tourist center and a lake walk; a day covers Itasca in addition. Two days do the town, Itasca, and Lake Bemidji State Park unhurried.

Best season is late June through September for the northwoods side. In winter, Visit Bemidji’s winter page lists snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding, ice fishing, snow tubing, snowshoeing and BSU hockey among the activities.

Itasca State Park requires a Minnesota state parks vehicle permit. The DNR lists a one-day vehicle permit at $7^* and a year-round permit at $35^*; check the DNR vehicle permit page for the current price before you go.

Downtown parking follows posted signs. Visit Bemidji says free parking and maps are available at the Tourist Information Center, where the Sculpture Walk begins. The City of Bemidji says street parking can be limited by posted zones and that the Bemidji Downtown Alliance manages permits for the downtown lots; which downtown lots are free and how full the lakeshore lots get on summer weekends could not be confirmed, so check the posted signs.

6 public campgrounds within 25 miles of Bemidji, all bookable ahead. Public campgrounds run by federal agencies. State-park and private campgrounds are not included.

*Fees subject to change, please check dnr.state.mn.us for updated information.

Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox statues (Bemidji lakefront)

Address

300 Bemidji Ave N, Bemidji, MN 56601

Hours

Open air, year-round

Price

Free

Link

visitbemidji.com

We checked operating status, seasonal opening, opening hours, fees and closures on 2026-10-15. These change without notice — confirm with bsubeavers.com, dnr.state.mn.us, visitbemidji.com, thesanfordcenter.com, ci.bemidji.mn.us and concordialanguagevillages.org the week you travel.

Straight-line distance from Bemidji, not drive time.

• Bemidji Regional (BJI) — 4 miles
• Thief River Falls Regional (TVF) — 73 miles
• Brainerd Lakes Regional (BRD) — 82 miles