Wonderful Activities in the Northland of Lake of the Woods
Wonderful Winter Wonderland Activities is what Lake of the Woods is known for this time of year. Air has been somewhat frigid the past week or so, but that never dampens spirits in this beautiful northland.
I have quite a list here of sensational activities happening start this weekend. Zippel Bay State Park has its own group of admirers called Friends of Zippel Bay. This Friends Group would like to invite you to come enjoy an evening outdoors at their annual Candlelight Ski and Snowshoe Events, held on January 15th, February 19, and March 19 from 4-8 p.m.
Zippel Bay State Park is located on County Hwy 8, northwest of Baudette approximately 22 miles. It borders beautiful Lake of the Woods and has a beautiful beach area and gorgeous roads lined with birch and aspen and pine trees. This makes for a winter paradise as friends of the Friends Group enjoy these beautiful moonlit evenings.
To participate in the activity, please meet outside the residence, located just behind the park office. A limited number of skis and snowshoes will be available for free checkout. Due to current restrictions, this will be an outdoors only events. There will be a fire to warm up around with picnic tables to rest on.
What a beautiful way to spend an evening. Come join the Friends and become a friend!!
Another great activity for some, but not those who are avid sportsmen and women. One way is to travel to the Northwest Angle by road, traveling through Canada and then back into the United States, visiting the chimney on the top of Minnesota…the northernmost point of the contiguous United States. (Please see qualifications to enter Canada in another article).
Northernmost Point in the Contiguous United States is at the Northwest Angle, Angle Inlet, MN
Another adventurous way to get to Flag Island is to snowmobile across the lake on a 35 mile trip. Yes, there are trails and even roads that are marked and well-traveled for you to get to this location. The Northwest Angle Edge Riders Snowmobile Club sponsors this great Snow Rally each year. You might say that just a few people might show up for this event, but that is not the case. Approximately 80 riders join together for activities of riding, fun, fellowship and food. Of course, no event would be complete without awesome prizes. This year’s Grand Prize is a 2022 Polaris Snowmobile! Raffle Tickets are available at a number of locations. See the poster included with this article.
Another great activity in this area is ice skating. Lake of the Woods Arena www.lwarena.com has a complete schedule of times for free skating mixed in with many youth and high school hockey games. The area also brags of two other arenas. One is located in Williams, MN about 16 miles to the west of Baudette and the other is in Roosevelt, another 9 miles to the west. Plenty of room for the beginning and more advanced skater.
Did you also know that Minnesotans are able to fish free with kids on the weekend of January 15-17? Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have founded this Take a Kid Ice Fishing Weekend as part of their program to introduce the younger generation to this great life-time sport. During the weekend, Minnesota residents can go ice fishing for free if they are fishing with a child 15 years old or younger. This age group does not need fishing licenses any time of the year.
Ice fishing is lots of fun for kids and adults alike. There’s nothing quite like making your way onto a frozen lake, drilling a hole through the ice and catching fish, says a volunteer mentor program coordinator with the MN DNR. If you would like more information, check the DNR’s learn to ice fishing page (dnr.state.mn.us/gofishing
Better yet, contact one of our 50+ resorts at Lake of the Woods who are professionals when it comes to ice fishing activities. There you will find any size fish house you might need whether it’s a day house or a sleeper with many conveniences you will need to make your time more than enjoyable. Many have ranges, microwaves and even bathrooms for the ladies to be completely comfortable while fishing these great waters.
See our website at www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging to stay in a wonderful location after fishing on the lake or lakeofthewoodsmn.com/ice-fishing to find great availabilities for your experience.
