day hike!
🍄 big bog state rec area!
the key takeaway from this hike: bring snacks so you’re not tempted to eat the shiny red mushrooms found along the boardwalk!
big bog state recreation area is divided in two parts. the southern unit features a campground, camper cabins, visitor center, plus access to upper red lake. the northern unit’s highlight is a boardwalk that takes you into a 500-square-mile peat bog, past a plenitude of fascinating plants and animals.
those red mushrooms scattered throughout the bog are Russula emetica, which you shouldn’t be picking anyway, but if eaten would give you a very very unpleasant tummy ache.
so don’t forget to pack your own snacks! :)
big bog state rec area is located just north of upper red lake, off highway 72 in beltrami county, minnesota — home to indigenous speakers of the Southern Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe), Dakȟóta (Western Dakota), Dakhóta (Eastern Dakota), Lakȟótiyapi (Lakota), and Saulteaux languages.
hike visualization credits — music: L'etoile Du Nord by Shared Fable, used with express written consent of the artist; route data: gpx.studio; animation: mapdirector / support independent artists & developers!
my trail name’s mythic and in 2026 i continued my multi-year thru-hike (m.y.t.h.) of the pacific crest trail. as i plan my 2027 return to the pct, i'm going on day hikes & bikes to help keep in trail shape!
visit my “follow along” page to make sure you don’t miss any updates!
references:
