At Minnesota Highway 47, turn right for the
trip south along the eastern shore of the lake
to the city of Isle on Mille Lacs’ southeastern
shore. Leave Minnesota Highway 47 and follow
Minnesota Highway 27 through Isle. Father
Hennepin State Park, just west of Isle, is known
for its picnic sites, sandy beach, and panoramic
view of the lake. The city of Wahkon is next
with access to Mille Lacs and walking trails.
The city of Isle is location on Mille Lacs’ southeastern shore
formed by abandoned open pit iron ore mines
with 25 miles of natural shoreline. The park
is open to camping, canoeing, biking, scuba
diving and trout fishing.
This trip continues south on Minnesota
Highway 6 through Deerwood and then on
to Minnesota Highway 18 which runs from
Brainerd to Garrison. Turning left onto 18
heads to Mille Lacs Lake and Garrison on the
northwest shore. No trip to Garrison would be
complete without taking a few photos in front
of the giant walleye in the Garrison Concourse
6 destinationupnorth.com
Wayside Park. Mille Lacs Lake is 207 square miles
of clear blue water with some of the best fishing
and recreation opportunities in the state.
To leave the park, turn right onto U.S. Highway
169 which joins with Minnesota Highway 18 for
5 miles. During the summer months, travelers
can see sail boarders taking advantage of the
wind and wide open waters to glide along the
north shoe of Mille Lacs. Highway 18 splits from
169 approximately 5 miles from Garrison and
takes you along the northern shore of Mille Lacs
for 13 miles.
Moving along, follow Minnesota Highway 27
west until it joins with U.S. Highway 169. Turn
left and drive south on 169 to where Highway
27 splits off just north of Onamia to the right
for a drive through farms and marshy lowland.
Just to the west and north of Onamia is Kathio
State Park. Those who have the energy, can
climb the 100-foot tall observation tower at
Kathio State Park for a breathtaking view of the
surrounding area.
Continue on Minnesota Highway 27 until
reaching Minnesota Highway 25, and turn left
to continue following Highway 27 through the
city of Pierz, which is the hometown of Thielen
Meats and boasts a nine-hole scenic golf
course, campgrounds and park.
To get back to Little Falls, follow Highway 27 by
turning right just south of Pierz. Once in Little
Falls, a turn left onto U.S. Highway 10 south
heads back to the starting point in Royalton.