Pine Tree State Park: 165
🏆🏆🏆 Northern Pine Forest — 165-acre park in the jack pine and aspen forests of northern Minnesota
Pine Tree State Park encompasses 165 acres of northern Minnesota forest on the shores of a small lake in Beltrami County. The park features jack pine, aspen, and birch forest typical of the boreal-transitional zone. Fishing, swimming, and camping are the primary activities. The surrounding area is part of Minnesota’s “Lake Country” — Beltrami County alone contains over 400 lakes.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Beltrami County, MN |
| Size | 165 acres |
| Entry Fee | MN State Park vehicle permit |
| Lakes | 400+ lakes in Beltrami County alone |
Frequently Asked Questions
What fish are in the lake?
Northern Minnesota lakes typically hold walleye, northern pike, panfish (sunfish, crappie), and largemouth bass. Walleye is Minnesota’s most prized game fish.
About Pine Tree State Park
Pine Tree State Park in Beltrami County near Bemidji protects a stand of mature pine forest on the shores of one of Minnesota’s 10,000+ lakes. The park preserves the pines that once covered vast areas of northern Minnesota before the great logging era of the late 1800s — when Minnesota’s white pine forests were cut to build the cities of the growing Midwest.
Things to Do
Walking through the mature pine forest, fishing, swimming, picnicking on the lakeshore, birdwatching, and imagining the vast pineries that once covered northern Minnesota.
Insider Tips
White pine heritage: Pine Tree preserves a tract of mature white and red pine forest — a reminder of the vast pine forests that once covered northern Minnesota. Pro tip: Minnesota’s logging era (1850s-1910s) was one of the most transformative periods in the state’s history — loggers cleared 70+ billion board feet of white pine. Logging legacy: The lumber that built Minneapolis, St. Paul, and cities across the Great Plains came from Minnesota’s forests.
Best Time to Visit
Year-round: Pine forests are beautiful in all seasons. Winter: Snow-covered pines are magical. Summer: Shaded trails and cool forest. Fall: Red pines stay green while hardwoods change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How important was Minnesota logging?
Minnesota produced more lumber than any other state in the late 1800s — the white pine forests seemed inexhaustible. Between 1850 and 1920, loggers cut 70+ billion board feet. The timber built homes, farms, and cities across the treeless Great Plains. The logging industry transformed Minnesota from wilderness to agricultural state in a single generation.
🎣 Visit Pine Tree SP
400-lake country — northern forest and fishing in Minnesota’s lake heartland.
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