Bemidji Has Much to Offer...
A Little History
Shawnowshkung (He Rattles) aka Chief Bemidji and other Cass and Leech Lake Ojibwe made their first permanent settlement on the south shore of Lake Bemidji. An elder and spokesman for the group, Shawnowshkung later welcomed the first white settlers. When Shaynowishkung shared the name of Lake Bemijigamaag (lake with cross waters), the settlers thought he was sharing his name, so they mistakenly named the new village Bemidji after him. Forced to remove to his allotment on the Cass Lake Reservation he died in 1904 of pneumonia. He had hoped that he would be buried on his land in Bemidji but was not.
Bemidji is a "golden city" along the river's bank, only miles from where the mighty Mississippi River begins its 2,552 mile journey to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico, a city at the center of the legends of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox.
Things to Do
No visit to Bemidji is complete without a visit to the Tourist Information Center located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. Here stand the famous statues of Paul and Babe. These statues were constructed in 1937 to portray the legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan and his pet ox Babe the Blue Ox. Also, the Bemidji Sculpture Walk starts at the Tourist Information Center and is a must for visitors and residents to enjoy. A short walk to north takes you to the Historic Carnegie Library which was built in 1910 and is the focus of a major fundraiser to restore and repurpose this beautiful building.
No visit to Bemidji is complete without a visit to the Tourist Information Center located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. Here stand the famous statues of Paul and Babe. These statues were constructed in 1937 to portray the legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan and his pet ox Babe the Blue Ox. Also, the Bemidji Sculpture Walk starts at the Tourist Information Center and is a must for visitors and residents to enjoy. A short walk to north takes you to the Historic Carnegie Library which was built in 1910 and is the focus of a major fundraiser to restore and repurpose this beautiful building.
Visitors to Bemidji have a variety of activities from which to choose. Stay one day or stay one month - the variety of activities will keep you busy! Without leaving the City you could--catch a lunker in the morning, enjoy a fine meal at one of our many eateries, then take in a movie or a theater performance at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse to complete your day! Or venture outside the City to explore the miles of trails winding through the forest - hiking, biking, walking, snowmobiling, groomed or ungroomed trails - the great outdoors awaits you.
Bemidji sits within a 35 mile radius of 400 fishing lakes including Lake Bemidji, Lake Plantaganet, Cass Lake, Lake Andrusia, Kitchie Lake, Blackduck Lake, Leech Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish and Wolf Lake. These lakes are home to northern pike, walleye, muskie, large mouth bass, panfish and even brook, brown and rainbow trout.
Your vacation is waiting for you in beautiful Bemidji! Check out the local links to learn more about Bemidji.