As the song goes, Lady Slipper Scenic Byway goes 28 miles, “over the river and through the woods” of central-northern Minnesota. Over the Mississippi River that is, where it emerges out of Cass Lake as a tiny stream, and through Chippewa National Forest, thick with pines, aspen, and birches.
As so many National Forests, Chippewa hosts heritage from the Civilian Conversation Corps (CCC), which employed men in the depression building roads and bridges still in use today. Here, Camp Rabideau is the most intact camp in the country and now a National Historic Landmark.
By late June, you’ll be treated to the lovely pink and white petals of the Ladyslipper, the state flower of Minnesota. Nearby, you can also enjoy the Veterans Evergreen Memorial Scenic Byway, long known as the “scenic route to Duluth.” Views along the way include Banning State Park, the famous Hell’s Gate rapids on the Kettle River and a breathtaking view of the St. Louis River Valley.
