Top Things to do in
Top Hotels in Brainerd Lakes Region
- 1. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Baxter, MN
- 2. Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake
- 3. AmericInn by Wyndham Pequot Lakes / Jenkins
- 4. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Little Falls, MN
- 5. Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Baxter Brainerd Area
- 6. Baymont by Wyndham Baxter/Brainerd Area
- 7. Arrowwood Lodge At Brainerd Lakes
- 8. AmericInn by Wyndham Baxter Brainerd
- 9. Super 8 by Wyndham Baxter/Brainerd Area
- 10. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Brainerd-Baxter, an IHG Hotel
Countries
Things to do in , Brainerd Lakes Region: The Best Nature & Parks
Discover the best top things to do in , United States including Bay Lake, Portage Lake Trail, Paul Bunyan State Trail, Gull Lake, Cuyuna Mine Pits, Pillsbury State Forest, Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, Nisswa City Park, Mille Lacs Lake, Northland Arboretum.
Restaurants in Brainerd Lakes Region
1. Bay Lake
2. Portage Lake Trail
3. Paul Bunyan State Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 126 reviews
Fifty miles of trails to bike, hike, rollerblade and snow-mobile, depending on the season.
Reviewed By pddjer - Minneapolis, United States
Fall is a nice time to relax on the bike trail. The leaves were great and the trail was nice. Relaxing trail worth the drive to get to. Enjoyed the Pine River Chamber of Commerce building, nice clean restrooms, great things to look at.
4. Gull Lake
5. Cuyuna Mine Pits
6. Pillsbury State Forest
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Norwegian-at-Heart
If you're looking for a "Sunday Drive" any day of the week, Pillsbury State Forest offers a great circle run using two forest roads and three regular highways. Driving slowly along the rolling, canopied gravel roads, I've encountered bald eagles, hawks, ducks, deer, squirrels as well as bicyclers, motorcyclists, horseback riders, hunters, hikers and other motorists, depending on the day and the weather. I'm a photographer, so I stop often. On October 8th, I basked under the colored canopies. I returned, November 5, and was amazed to see numerous waterbodies (usually hidden by leaves or snow) sparkling in the sunlight not far from the forest road. Pack a picnic. Hike one of numerous trails. Or just enjoy the drive!
7. Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 55 reviews
Reviewed By V40CWmaryp
Don't miss this one. We camped late August 2020 at the Portsmouth campground with easy access to trails by bike. The trails are beautiful and well groomed with vista views at many points. Even the "easy" ones can be a little rocky/challenging. The next level up is definitely challenging depending on your skill level. There are multiple lakes to choose from with very clear water and sand beaches. We brought kayaks and floated and explored. Ironton town is close with 2 bars and a brewery; grocery store for supplies. Purchase firewood in town; had 4 solid bars of Verizon coverage at all times. Definitely going back.
8. Nisswa City Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By billyb175 - Tulsa, United States
Early June my family and I visited the Nisswa City Park (the picture is outdated, merry-go-round thing has been replaced with new equipment, and to the left of the pictured area is a really great, multi-leveled playground) for a little outside celebration. We had a really great time enjoying playing and relaxing while being in a place that was large enough to encourage social distancing without being exclusive. Mostly surrounded by baseball fields, and a pickleball/basketball court, this park has a lot of things to offer for a variety of ages. I was there with 5 adult family members and 5 children family members and we all got to enjoy the park. One adult took a nap on a comfortable and shady bench, while the rest ate and watched from one of the three large and sheltered picnic areas. The 5 children (ages 7 to 7 months) all found activities that they loved. Three different age-appropriate swings, multiple slides, monkey bars, bridges, and that weird colorful prison-like thing that King Bob used to throw malcontents into on the show Recess; we had a blast! Two things that I thought could've been better both have to do with spacing. 1) the picnic shelters were all a fair distance from the playground. We had to have one adult on the playground to keep an eye on the kids because it was just too far and too many obstructions to be able to see the entire playground from the picnic area. I know some people probably want to be able to use the shelters without being so close to screaming children, but maybe one of the three should've been 30-50 feet closer. 2) My 2-year old is an avid climber and can easily climb the tall ladder-like things that lead up to the higher levels of the playground. The problem was that her short (but powerful!) legs couldn't reach across from the top level of the ladder to the platform, resulting in her learning a valuable lesson about gravity at a height that was much too high.
9. Mille Lacs Lake
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 47 reviews
Spanning more than 200 square miles in size, this is the second largest lake in Minnesota.
Reviewed By KusskeB - Peoria, United States
Stopped at sculpture of fish Paul Bunyan caught. Great photo op at paved/walled pullout . Enjoyed take-out lunch at pullout enjoying the vista of this huge lake.
10. Northland Arboretum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 29 reviews
In addition to its gardens, the Arboretum offers hiking and cross-country skiing, picnic areas, bird watching, environmental education, family events, geocaching, and many outdoor activities.
