Art of the State (Parks): Spring at Lake Itasca

Send us a text

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” —Margaret Atwood

Part one in the series highlights a night of near-solitude at Lake Itasca State Park. The moment is a reflection on spring’s renewal and the fragile, hard-won legacy of preservation that allows this landscape to remain alive and vibrant today.

1. Camping alone at Floating Bog Bay amid the rich smell of earth, Alison listens as frogs, birds, and insects erupt in raucous celebration.

2. The episode traces the long, uncertain journey to identify Lake Itasca as the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

3. And highlights how spring's return to this beautiful place depended on a single vote that preserved the land from logging and development.

Alison Young is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature; and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Support the show