Planning begins now for traveling this summer.  Your favorite destination will be Lake of the Woods!!  Have you been to our beautiful northland? While today the lake is still frozen, spring is upon us!!! And the Rainy River is opening up!!!

Whether coming from the north, south, east or west, there are just the right roads to travel to get to Lake of the Woods. Why come to Lake of the Woods? First of all, it is at the very top of the contiguous United States. Yes, when you travel north to the Northwest Angle at Angle Inlet, you will have arrived at the northernmost point of the contiguous United States.  Have your picture taken by the monument for proof that you’ve been as far north as possible.

Lake of the Woods is the largest fresh-water lake next to the Great Lakes. I still believe it’s a well-kept secret. This pristine lake and beautiful land area can be reached from many directions.

The Lake of the Woods area is divided into three strategic areas. The Rainy River is home to many resorts along this beautiful river that divides the US from Canada. The South Shore is the home of all the resorts that border the big basin of the lake, named Big Traverse. As afore mentioned, the third strategic area is the Northwest Angle.

Highway 11 is the main highway at the very top of the state that reaches from Ranier, MN on Rainy Lake and follows the Rainy River that makes the border between the countries of the US and Canada which flows into Lake of the Woods. Waters of the Rainy travel from east to west and then north into the lake area along  #172.

Hwy 11 continues west to the very border of North Dakota. Explore Minnesota puts out a great Minnesota highway map each year with updated roads for folks to travel. Contact them for a free copy.

The main road going north to the border and reaching Hwy 11, Baudette and Lake of the Woods is Highway 71/72. At Blackduck, MN the road number changes from 71 to 72 north.

When traveling this road you will be going through the towns of Kelliher and Waskish on Upper Red Lake. After that you will be traveling through the largest bog area of the contiguous United States. The history here is astounding and trees and swamp land and wild life are precious sights instead of billboards. Smile. Stop and visit the Big Bog trail on your way north on Hwy 72.

Lake of the Woods is the home of more than 50+ resorts. Stay in a lodge with restaurants and music available at a lounge, use swimming pools and hot-tubs or rent an entire villa for your family. Motels in area offer beautiful rooms within the city limits also. You can be as remote as you desire or be in the middle of a convention center atmosphere. Travel to the Northwest Angle from Baudette takes about 2 hours. Go west on Hwy 11 and at Warroad, turn north to the border of Manitoba, Canada.

Yes, you must travel through Canada for a time and then cross back over into the US at the Angle. This requires that you have a US passport. When arriving at the Northwest Angle you will find a number of upscale resorts, a beautiful restaurant and access to two islands off of the mainland, also with great resorts.

Check in with Canadian customs at Jim’s Corner or at Jerry’s Bar and Restaurant at Angle Inlet. When returning to the US, you may also check in with customs back at Jim’s Corner via an IPad.  I will mention here that there is a passenger travel service available from the south shore of the lake, across 40 miles of water, taking you right to your destination both summer and winter.  This eliminates your travel through Canada and having to cross through customs.

To give you a further travel perspective, Lake of the Woods is 211 miles from Duluth, MN 232 miles from Fargo, ND, 308 miles from Minneapolis/St. Paul, 476 miles from Sioux Falls SD, 550 miles from Des Moines, IA, 608 miles from Milwaukee, WI, 656 miles from Omaha, NE, and 680 miles from Chicago, IL.  As you can see it takes many miles of roads to reach this awesome destination.

If you decide to travel by air, there are four commercial flights that come within traveling distance to the area.  70 miles from Baudette to the east is International Falls International Airport which has daily flights to and from MSP using Delta airlines. Rental car companies are available there such as Avis, Ford and GM. Their phone is 218-283-4461 or their website is:  www.internationalfallsairport.com. Then take the road to the east to Lake of the Woods.

Bemidji Regional Airport is located 102 miles from Baudette. This airport has daily flights to and from MSP using Delta Airlines also. Again, Rental car companies are anxious to get you on the road north using companies from Enterprise, Alamo, National, Hertz and Economy. Their number is 218-444-2438 and their website is: www.bemidjiairport.org.

Grand Forks International Airport is located in Grand Forks, ND which is 178 miles from Baudette and has flights with Delta Airlines and Allegiant Airlines. To get on the road, Avis, Hertz, National and Enterprise companies are available. There’s more information at 701-795-6981 or www.gfairport.com.

Another option for travelers is at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. Their information is at 204-987-9402 or at www.waa.ca/en/passengers/. This international airport in Manitoba, Canada is 131miles from Angle Inlet, MN and has flights with Delta, Sun Country, Air Canada and many other airlines. Rental car options are also available for this destination.

Speaking of air travel, if your destination is the island area of Lake of the Woods, the good news is that a group of private pilots are venturing out and flying up to Sunset Lodge where they are accommodating airplanes on the lake – either on hard water (ice) or soft (summer) water. Check this picture out.

A great tool these days to find the best and fastest roads or routes to Baudette/Lake of the Woods is a GPS or Google Maps. What a great way to travel when someone is telling you ahead of time where to turn and what turn to take on what road.

Ladies and gentlemen alike enjoy visiting this northern destination for its beauty and its quiet. Plan now to escape the busy schedule and rest along pristine waters and enjoy the clean air.

For more information see our website at: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com

For lodging: www.lakeofthewoodsmn.com/lodging

For info on Face Book see: www.facebook.com/lakeofthewoodsmn