Explore This Secret Trail Around One Of The Only National Historic Sites In Minnesota
By Trent Jonas|Published August 26, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
There are only 25 National Historic Landmarks in Minnesota, ranging from massive, like the Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine, the largest open-pit mine in the world, to modest, like the boyhood home of Sinclair Lewis, who went on to win the Nobel Prize for literature. While all of these sites are worthy of a visit, there’s a particular historic site in Minnesota where you can stretch your legs on a short hike while you explore one of the best-preserved remaining examples of a Civilian Conservation Corps forestry camp: Rabideau CCC Camp, near Blackduck.
If you’re ever cruising Cass County 10 In north-central Minnesota, between the towns of Blackduck and Pennington, look for one of those iconic brown signs pointing down a narrow gravel track to Rabideau CCC Camp.
This is Camp Rabideau. It was built in 1935 to house members of the Civilian Conservation Corps who were working on forestry projects in the area.
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Ongoing restoration efforts have kept these temporary structures intact for nearly a century. This is what earned Camp Rabideau its National Historic Landmark designation in 2006.
Guided tours are available in the summer, but a one-mile trail runs through the camp, so you’re free to explore on your own. Posted placards are placed throughout the complex to offer facts about the camp and its history.
Rabideau CCC Camp is not the only attraction along this isolated county road.
There’s a rest area and a short trail where the road intersects with the river. It’s a great place to stop and marvel at what this narrow stream becomes as it flows toward the Gulf of Mexico.
I love visiting this part of the state – there’s much in the way of history and pristine natural beauty – and I try to drive the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway every June. Visit the Chippewa National Forest on the web to learn more about Rabideau CCC Camp. There are plenty of resorts and lodges in the area if you wish to stay nearby.
Have you visited Rabideau CCC Camp or driven the Lady Slipper Byway? Let us know in the comments!
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