Dining
We may be in the "northwoods", but there is no shortage of GOOD FOOD up here! From down home cookin' to award winning gourmet and various ethnic stuff in between. Click here for our favorite local eatery picks.
Heartland Bicycle Trail
is less than 2 miles away. Bring your own bike or rollerblades, or rent one locally to enjoy this scenic, paved, bike trail system. (49 miles and connected to other systems.)
- Chase on the Lake (218-547-7777 Walker - 8 miles)
- Heartland Trail B & B, Bike Rentals- (218) 732-3252 (Dorset - 10 miles)
- Northern Cycle (218) 732-5971 (Park Rapids - 16 miles) open 7 days a week, group rates, car racks, skates, tandem, recumbents, etc.
- Mike's Bike Rental & Repair (218) 675-6818 (Hackensack - 20 miles) $4/hour, $20/24hour, $80/week (2011 rates)
- Soulshine Cyclery (218-209-2058) Hackensack- 20 miles. Will shuttle your luggage to drop off site. Group tours. Repairs & Service. Coffee shop.
Paul Bunyan State Forest
(72,000 acres) is less than a mile from our doors and hosts well-marked ATV and snow mobile trails. No need to trailer-up!
(1.6 million acres --located five miles away) hosts excellent bird watching opportunities including the largest BALD EAGLE nesting grounds in the lower 48 states! Miles and miles of hiking and cross country ski trails.
(25 minutes) Mississippi River Headwaters is the most visited park in the state. Wonderful facilities and educational opportunities!!! Walk across the mighty river at its origin . . .
Enjoy a unique narrated naturalist tour on the Chester Charles II.
Wild rice will dangle into your boat (bring your own canoe - resort canoes are not allowed beyond 11th Crow Wing Lake, sorry) . . . click here for link to DNR maps.
Pine River Riding Stable (30 miles south in Pine River just off Hwy 371) Open year round, 7 days week, free petting zoo www.pineriverstable.com (218) 587-5807
Giant Swing, 35' obstacle course April-October (218) 760-8442 (7 miles north of Park Rapids).
(8 miles) Learn to sail with Tom & Judy Beriou! They've been teaching families and individuals how to sail for 7 years on neighboring Leech Lake. $240 for a half-day trip, family of four. Meet at Walker City Park, or make arrangements to have them bring their smaller size sail boat to our resort here at Crow Wing Crest Lodge. And YES, you can also choose just to relax and not have to tax your brain in learning the rudiments of sailing. (You'll likely not be able to help yourself, believe us!) (218) 547-1188
(26 miles - just north of Park Rapids on Hwy 71 on the way to Itasca State Park 218-732-9609): Fine gifts, fine decor, wine accessories, wind chimes, soup mixes and hundreds of other items will have you in shopping heaven! Activities include Ultra Go Carts, Rookie Go Carts, Power Wheels, Batting Cages, Outdoor Maze, Bumper Boats, Mineral Mining, Climbing Wall, Extreme Air assisted jumping, Train Rides, Bouncy House, Laser Maze, Family Laser Tag, 18-holes of Mini Golf, and Water Wars. NEW - Escape Rooms!
(35 miles - Bemidji near the airport) Open 7 days a week from 11 am - 9 pm Giant Waterslide, Go Karts, bumper boats, miniature golf, batting cages, showers and changing rooms. (218) 751-7333
(30 miles - Hwy 2 E. between Bemidji & Cass Lake) Open Memorial Day - Labor Day, 10 am - 6 pm (218) 759-1533 The kids can feed the deer right our of their hands. See camels, tigers, bear cubs, cougar, bobcat, raccoons, fox and lots of baby critters.
Click here for our top GOLF COURSE picks
Click here for June & September discounts
(10 miles) Feelin' Lucky?
(24 miles to Hubbard, S of Park Rapids at south end of Long Lake) Summer stock theater -- fun plays all season. Example: Arsenic & Old Lace, Mark Twain, children's plays, Wizard of Oz, Nunsations, Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, etc. Very talented local actors and musicians, come see for yourselves! Crow Wing Crest Lodge is proud sponsor of this company. Click here for directions, performance details: www.longlaketheater.com
(5 miles to downtown Nevis) - eclectic bands and individuals playing Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Moody Blues and all kinds of original tunes here at a local soundstage. (Click on name to link to clips and schedule of performance.)
- Park Theater in Park Rapids (16 miles west) - click here for show times
- Bear Pause Theater in Hackensack (new! 20 miles SE) - click here for show times
- Amigo 9 in Bemidji (35 miles north) - click here for show times
(8 miles) Go wine tasting at a local winery
. . . . sit in the hand of the largest Paul Bunyan statue in the world! (Pull up and park for free - get out and click away!) Downtown Akeley (1 mile) Paul Bunyan Museum (hours of operation) (218) 652-2575
Learn about Akeley producing the 1st published Paul Bunyan story in the nation (part of an advertising campaign by the Red River Logging Company, the same company who built Crow Wing Crest's Lodge in 1898.)
(16 miles or 35 miles) If it's raining, this might be a good time to work on your split shot. Check out Lori Lea Lanes in Park Rapids (218) 732-4229 or . . . Bemidji Bowl (218) 751-2153
Attend local music festivals, flea markets, arts & crafts fairs and local summer community celebrations! Click our chamber links for current schedules . . . . .
Park Rapids Chamber of Commerce
Explore Minnesota State Tourism website
. . . more area attractions/links