2025's 8 Most Scenic Minnesota Towns
Minnesota, also known as the "Land of Ten Thousand Lakes," divides the United States along part of its border with Canada. The state is a quintessential part of the American Midwest. And the mighty Mississippi River — which originates in Minnesota's Lake Itasca — marks the state's eastern limit.
While Minnesota is known as a natural wonderland, some of its nature-focused towns are underappreciated, especially if they lie a long way from major cities like the state capital, Minneapolis, or the neighboring St. Paul; the pair are often called the Twin Cities. For a Minnesota beyond the ordinary and the urban, these small-town treasures offer access to the state's most scenic natural draws.
Bemidji
Billing itself as the 'first city on the Mississippi,' this northwest Minnesota hamlet derives its name from the language of the Ojibwe tribe of Native American peoples. Bemidji translates to "lake with crossing waters." And indeed, the Mississippi moves southwest across Lake Bemidji on its route south as far as the Gulf of America.
Formerly a logging and mill town, Bemidji now provides top-notch outdoor fun, including fishing, camping, swimming and — when the weather turns cold — ice skating. Bemidji is home to the Beltrami County History Center, which displays relics and stories of Native and European patterns of local life, which were intimately connected to the surrounding lands and waters. The town hosts a multi-day Dragon Boat Festival each summer, which draws competitors, families, and friends to the town's singular outdoor setting.
Ely
Ely, which sounds like "Ee-lee" in the local pronunciation, lies in far northeast Minnesota. The town once attracted miners and entrepreneurs to the abundant local supplies of copper and other minerals. Today, Ely is among Minnesota's leading centers of campers and canoe-trippers looking to relax in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The region, its name a reference to the nearby Canadian border, stretches over one million acres of lakes and forests.
Nature lovers in Ely will enjoy the International Wolf Center, open since 1993, which works to protect local wolf populations. Similarly, the North American Bear Center, also in Ely, opened its door in 2007.
Grand Marais
Like Ely, Grand Marais welcomes visitors to the state's northeast corner. This town sits on the shore of Lake Superior, fewer than forty miles from the Canadian border. Grand Marais has a free-spirited atmosphere, expressed through its art festival that takes place each July. The town focuses on nature-based tourism, in tune with the seasons, with events around each year's summer and winter solstices. Each October, Grand Marais throws its locally popular Moose Fest to honor the large indigenous animal here.
For more of the outdoors, Grand Marais has five beaches as well as the Devil Track River Canyon, a great spot for fly-fishing and ice climbing in winter. Grand Marais makes a great jumping-off point for the Superior National Forest — the largest US national forest east of the Mississippi River.
Owatonna
In southeast Minnesota, just an hour south of the Twin Cities, the small town of Owatonna celebrates its Native American legacies. In Mineral Springs Park, the Native American legend of Owatonna, a tribal princess and the town name's inspiration, is said to have bathed and received healing from ailments in the surrounding natural springs.
In other histories, Owatonna hosts the Steele County Historical Society, founded in 1949. The group operates the Village of Yesteryear, a pioneer village, which sits not far from the Steele County History Center. The site shows how Minnesotan peoples, including Native Americans, French-Canadians, and other Europeans all depended on the land for their livelihoods. And just this summer, Owatonna's Lake Kohlmier, a popular relaxation spot, reopened for swimmers after an environmental clean-up program.
Pipestone
The southwest town of Pipestone is miles away from Minnesota's boundary lakes, but close to neighboring South Dakota. The town takes its name from local bright-red rock deposits, from which Native Americans used to quarry materials for pipes and other items. Visitors can absorb this history and the beautiful views at the Pipestone National Monument. The area includes a Circle Trail, actually a 3/4-mile path. In winter, Circle Trail welcomes snowshoe enthusiasts.
Downtown Pipestone likewise offers the chance to enjoy numerous outdoor sites. Local parks include Westview Park, Leon H. Moore Park, and the Pipestone Family Campground. The Pipestone County Museum illuminates the town's past, with 19 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Red Wing
The town of Red Wing, rising above the Mississippi River, lies across from Wisconsin and just south of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River. Established in 1858, Red Wing is famous for its scenic, walkable bluffs that overlook the Mississippi. The town's name comes from a Dakota Sioux chief of the early 19th century.
Red Wing prides itself on offering a wealth of outdoor options for locals and visitors alike. The town maintains a dozen parks, including those with bluffs above the Mssissippi, while a network of City Trails' allow runners and cyclists to work out without leaving town. For a genteel moment outside, head to the Anderson Center Sculpture Garden, just west of Red Wing's downtown.
Walker
The small, north-central town of Walker, next to Leech Lake, is popular among water-sports fans. Leech Lake is for many one of Minnesota's prettiest bodies of water, and offers fishing, boating, and swimming. Golf fans will enjoy the 18-hole course at Tianna Country Club, for what some call the best "up north" golf facility in the state.
Walker has also distinguished itself for its unusual, but popular celebration of a local natural species of fish. Each winter, the town puts on the Eelpout Festival, in honor of the namesake fish. Outside of town, the Chippewa National Forest awaits, a great spot for bird-watching, hiking, walking, and nature photography.
Winona
Like Owatonna, Winona takes its name from a Native American princess. This Mississippi River town, established in 1851, calls itself "the Midwest's best autumn playground," with abundant options for leaf-peeping, or a fall getaway, as the leaves of the surrounding forests erupt in color. A college town twice over, Winona State University and St. Mary's University of Minnesota both call this place home.
For outdoors enthusiasts, Winona's nature-focused attractions include the Prairie Island Campground, found along the Mississippi's banks, with activities like yoga, canoeing, and rock climbing. Lake Winona stretches out south of town, and next to it are green lawns, a nine-hole disc golf course, and lakeside walking trails. Fun fact: this place was the inspiration for the first name of Hollywood actress Winona Ryder. A Minnesota native, she was born in Winona County in 1971.
Nature Is One of Minnesota's Best Features
As these small towns show, some of Minnesota's best natural draws require a drive out from the city. Bemidji and Ely showcase some of the best scenery in the state's north country and have inspired lakeside leisure for generations. Owatonna, Pipestone, and Winona all suggest a legacy and a respect for the Native American stories that have shaped their regions in the past and into the present. And Minnesota's place along the Mississippi River puts the state at the center of American history; towns like Red Wing, with its majestic river bluffs, make these scenic features plain to see. Minnesota's small-town gems prove that Minnesota is best at its most natural.
