We went on our first backpacking trip to Itasca State Park last weekend. If I had to pick one word to describe the trip it would be bugs. The mosquitoes and wood ticks were so bad that we spent the second night in the regular campground.
The first night, we stayed at one of the three backpack sites on Myrtle Lake. After parking by Douglas Lodge, we headed out on Deer Park Trail towards our site. The mosquitoes were on us pretty much immediately. We had to reapply bug spray a couple times on the mile hike.
There were some steep hills that made the backpacks feel like they weighed 100 pounds. The trail was pretty good except for some muddy areas and one area that was underwater from a pond that had overflowed. Beyond the mosquitoes, the only other wildlife were frogs and these geese and their cute little babies.
The side trail for the backpack sites (B07, B08, B09) were marked but the sites themselves weren’t numbered so it was hard to know which was actually ours. The first site was a short walk to the right off the main trail and was small and overgrown on a slight hill. It didn’t look like it gets much use but it had a nice view of the lake. The other two sites were further down the trail on a peninsula. The first one had 2 tent pads and more shade. The second one was smaller, more overgrown and in full sun. We took the first one on the peninsula because it was nicer.
Myrtle Lake from our campsite
I should add that the side trail is very narrow with high grass and brush on both sides and full of ticks. They were all over our campsite, too. Large ticks, small ticks and everything in between.
It was late so we made dinner and put up the tent. While I cleaned up, Jason filtered water from the lake. The water tasted really good, better than our St. Paul city water and the Culligan filtered water we buy. Hanging the bear bag was frustrating due to the availability of trees.
After we ate, cleaned and hung the bear bag, we headed to the toilet which is a short walk from the campsites. The rusty open-air toilet paled in comparison to the number of mosquitoes. It was an experience I don’t want to repeat.
By this point, we were exhausted from dealing with the mosquitoes and ticks. When we got back to our tent, we stripped down, checked each other for ticks and spent the rest of the evening watching the mosquitoes swarm the outside of the tent. It’s like they knew we had to come out eventually and they were going to be waiting.
It was so nice to fall asleep to the sound of frogs and crickets and wake up to the sound of chirping birds and this view:
That morning, we decided to head back to the truck and see the Mississippi River headwaters and the other sites. We didn’t get too far down the trail before we decided to abandon our lovely mosquito and tick filled camp and figure something else out for the night. We went back, packed up and hiked back to the truck. Fortunately there were open sites in the regular campground. We ended up at site 246. I don’t have a picture of it, but it’s your standard state park campsite.
On the way back, we saw a turtle.
We did some very light hiking and sightseeing after lunch. We saw the largest white pine in the state, which is so large that it didn’t even fit into the picture frame.
Click on picture to read the description.
And we saw the former red pine record holder, nowhere near as impressive but still cool.
Lake Itasca
We went to the Mississippi headwaters during the afternoon but it was packed with kids playing in the water. We went back after dinner and there were only a few other people there. It was so peaceful and beautiful.
The water was really high so most of the rocks that you see in pictures were under water.
Overall, it was a good trip. A bit stressful but I hope our next backpacking trip is better. The main lessons I learned are:
1. Wear light colored clothes so you can spot wood ticks easier. I had black sweatpants and they were so hard to see.
2. Wear solid hiking boots or shoes instead of ones with mesh. Water gets through mesh and it’s not fun walking in wet shoes and socks.
3. Simple one pot meals are easier to deal with than multi-step meals when you’re cooking on the ground.
Minnesota Camping & Hiking 
June 20, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Thanks so much for the detailed overview. My friends and I heading there this weekend to a BP site on I believe McKay lake. In regards to the insects, what time of year did you go? Thanks so much.
June 28, 2012 at 1:41 pm
We would have gone the first week of June. It would have been wonderful without the mosquitoes and ticks. It was so peaceful and quiet!
June 20, 2013 at 11:01 am
I realize this post is over two years old but…
Have you tried treating your clothes in Permetherin? I buy it from REI and it lasts for six+ washings and I’ve watched many a squito land and instantly rethink their strategy.
I use Ben’s 30% Deet formula (also REI) on my face, ears, and hands (I wear long sleeve shirts) with great results. For it’s high Deet concentration it’s remarkably gentle and while the smell isn’t all that pleasant, it doesn’t feel as toxic as others that I’ve used.
I once walked through Mille Lacs Kathio SP and was swarmed by hundreds of mosquitos and after a 3.5 mile hike I hadn’t been bitten one time. I was amazed. Even more amazing, the results weren’t a fluke and it also seems to work even during the devastating bug months on the Superior Hiking Trail. The only reason to go to the bug suit now is if they are so bad around my face that it becomes irritating.
As far as the Permetherin goes, I also treat my socks with it and on one occasion while changing into sneakers back at the car I picked out 12+ dead or dying ticks. Needless to say, I now swear by the stuff.
Being an outdoor enthusiast you may already know all of this, but if not, here’s hoping that it might make future up north trips more tolerable.
August 12, 2013 at 2:09 pm
That is really helpful info! Thanks so much.
September 25, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Very helpful info!!!! Thanks so much.
May 14, 2013 at 9:29 pm
Haha funny, I went camping with a few friends in the exact same spot you were in on Myrtle Lake. We didn’t really have any problems with bugs, though. We went in early August last year.