Palisade MinnesotaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Palisade, Minnesota.
1. Palisade Head
DRAMATIC LAKESIDE CLIFF VIEWS
Palisade Head is an enormous rock formation rising over 300 feet above Lake Superior, offering optimal scenic lookouts within Tettegouche State Park. Visitors can follow several short paths to different vantage points along this huge rock formation, providing panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. On clear days, travelers can see as far as Split Rock Lighthouse and the Sawtooth Mountains, making it a must-stop destination along the scenic Highway 61 on the North Shore.
2. Jaques Art Center
LOCAL ART GALLERY SHOWCASE
The Jaques Art Center serves as a cultural hub in the Palisade area, showcasing works from local and regional artists throughout the year. The gallery features rotating exhibits that highlight various artistic styles, mediums, and themes relevant to Minnesota's rich cultural heritage. Visitors can immerse themselves in the artistic atmosphere while appreciating the high-quality exhibitions that have earned the center its excellent 4.9 rating from travelers.
3. Aitkin County Historical Society
REGIONAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION CENTER
The Aitkin County Historical Society preserves and celebrates the rich history of the region surrounding Palisade through its extensive collection of artifacts and exhibits. Visitors can explore displays showcasing pioneer life, logging history, and the development of communities in this part of Minnesota over the centuries. With its impressive 4.9 rating, the museum offers an educational journey through time that appeals to history enthusiasts and curious travelers alike.
4. Savanna Portage State Park
HISTORIC WILDERNESS TRAILS
Savanna Portage State Park encompasses a historically significant area where travelers can hike the same challenging six-mile trail that voyageurs and Native Americans used to travel between the Mississippi River and Lake Superior watersheds. The park features diverse ecosystems including forests, meadows, and wetlands that support abundant wildlife viewing opportunities throughout its extensive trail network. Visitors can also enjoy recreational activities including camping, fishing, swimming, and boating across the park's five lakes, making it a comprehensive outdoor destination near Palisade.
5. Paul Bunyan Land Amusement Park & Campground
NOSTALGIC FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
Paul Bunyan Land Amusement Park & Campground offers a charming, family-oriented entertainment experience featuring a talking Paul Bunyan statue that greets visitors by name. The park combines nostalgic rides and attractions with Pioneer Village, which houses over 30 historic buildings filled with antiques and artifacts from the late 1800s to early 1900s. Visitors can extend their experience by staying at the adjacent campground, creating a complete family vacation destination in the greater Palisade region.
6. Crow Wing County Fair
ANNUAL REGIONAL CELEBRATION
The Crow Wing County Fair is a beloved annual event near Palisade that brings together agricultural exhibits, carnival rides, live entertainment, and food vendors for a traditional county fair experience. Visitors can explore livestock competitions, craft displays, and commercial exhibits while enjoying the festive atmosphere that has made it a regional tradition. The fair typically runs for several days in late summer, providing a quintessential Minnesota experience that celebrates the area's rural heritage and community spirit.
7. Sky Zone Trampoline Park
INDOOR BOUNCING ADVENTURE
Sky Zone Trampoline Park offers an exhilarating indoor activity destination featuring wall-to-wall interconnected trampolines where visitors can jump, flip, and bounce to their heart's content. The facility includes specialized zones for freestyle jumping, dodgeball competitions, slam dunk zones, and fitness classes catering to different age groups and activity preferences. It provides a perfect all-weather entertainment option for families and thrill-seekers visiting the Palisade area, especially during Minnesota's colder months.
8. Split Rock Lighthouse
ICONIC NORTH SHORE BEACON
Split Rock Lighthouse stands majestically on a 130-foot cliff overlooking Lake Superior, serving as one of Minnesota's most recognizable and photographed landmarks. The historic lighthouse, constructed in 1910 following a series of devastating shipwrecks, has been meticulously preserved to showcase its original lens, machinery, and keeper's quarters. Visitors can tour the lighthouse and surrounding buildings while learning about Great Lakes maritime history and enjoying spectacular panoramic views of the shoreline that can be seen from Palisade Head.
9. Tettegouche State Park
RUGGED NORTH SHORE WILDERNESS
Tettegouche State Park encompasses over 9,000 acres of dramatic North Shore landscape featuring cascading waterfalls, towering cliffs, and pristine inland lakes. Hikers can explore more than 23 miles of trails that lead to spectacular viewpoints including Shovel Point and High Falls, the highest waterfall entirely within Minnesota. The park offers year-round recreational opportunities including camping, rock climbing, fishing, and cross-country skiing, making it a premier natural destination that complements a visit to nearby Palisade Head.
10. Mississippi River Headwaters
AMERICA'S GREAT RIVER SOURCE
The Mississippi River Headwaters in Itasca State Park marks the humble beginning of America's most iconic river, where visitors can walk across the mighty Mississippi as it starts its 2,552-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. The headwaters area features interpretive displays explaining the geological and cultural significance of this natural landmark that eventually flows past the Palisade region. Travelers can enjoy the serene setting surrounded by old-growth pine forests while participating in the tradition of stepping across the stones that span the river's first few feet.
11. Mille Lacs Indian Museum
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post offers visitors an immersive experience into the history, traditions, and contemporary life of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. The museum features extensive exhibits showcasing traditional crafts, including a renowned collection of beadwork and birch bark items, alongside multimedia presentations that tell the story of Ojibwe culture through the seasons. Adjacent to the museum, the restored 1930s trading post sells authentic Native American crafts and educational materials, creating a comprehensive cultural destination within driving distance of Palisade.
12. Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area
PREMIER MOUNTAIN BIKING DESTINATION
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area transformed former iron ore mining pits into a world-class outdoor recreation destination featuring over 30 lakes and more than 30 miles of purpose-built mountain biking trails. The vibrant red earth trails wind through a unique landscape of regenerated forests and crystal-clear mine pit lakes, earning the area international recognition as a mountain biking mecca. Visitors from Palisade can enjoy not only mountain biking but also paddling, fishing, scuba diving, and bird watching in this reclaimed industrial landscape that showcases nature's resilience.
13. Lake Mille Lacs
PREMIER FISHING AND RECREATION
Lake Mille Lacs stands as one of Minnesota's largest and most popular fishing destinations, covering over 132,000 acres with excellent walleye, northern pike, muskie, and smallmouth bass populations. The lake's extensive shoreline features numerous resorts, marinas, and public access points that serve anglers and recreational boaters throughout the year, including the unique experience of ice fishing in winter. Beyond fishing, visitors from Palisade can enjoy water sports, wildlife viewing, and exploring the charming lakeside communities that surround this iconic Minnesota lake.
14. Grand Rapids Forest History Center
LOGGING ERA LIVING HISTORY
The Forest History Center transports visitors back to 1900 through a recreated logging camp complete with authentic buildings, equipment, and costumed interpreters who demonstrate the daily life of Minnesota lumberjacks. Visitors can climb aboard a fire tower, take a river trail hike, or enjoy a naturalist program highlighting the ecological and economic importance of forests to the region that includes Palisade. The center's immersive approach to history brings to life the era when white pine logging dominated the economy and shaped the development of northern Minnesota communities.
15. North West Company Fur Post
HISTORIC TRADING ESTABLISHMENT
The North West Company Fur Post recreates a winter fur trading post from 1804, where costumed interpreters demonstrate the cultural exchanges and commercial activities that shaped Minnesota's early development. Visitors can explore the reconstructed post including the main building, Ojibwe encampment, and voyageur winter camp while learning about the interactions between European traders and Native Americans. The site offers a glimpse into the fur trade era that established economic patterns and cultural connections throughout the region that would later include communities like Palisade.