This Is the Quietest Part of This Minnesota State Park

In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we are fortunate to have so much in the way of public lands to enjoy—federal, state, and local—much of it right at our doorsteps. I could literally walk out of my house in the Twin Cities suburbs, get into my car, and be at a large regional park in about 5 minutes. This is true for many of us in Minnesota, where green space is held in high esteem. The tradeoff, however, is that the most accessible green spaces are often surrounded by the sounds of urbanity and enjoyed by many visitors. This is wonderful, from a societal standpoint—I am all for accessible green spaces—but from my occasionally selfish perspective, I sometimes prefer to take my nature with a healthy dollop of silence, which is increasingly hard to come by. Even some of the most "Northwoodsy" feeling parks, like those along the North Shore, are within earshot of busy highways, flyways, or even motorized watercraft. To experience nature sans human-made sound, you pretty much have to paddle off into the Boundary Waters, which is one of the quietest places in the Lower 48. If you don't have time—or the permit—for such an excursion, though, there's another place where you can find silence in nature. It's the quietest spot in a remote Minnesota state park; and whether you seek silence or not, it should be on your Bold North bucket list: Big Bog State Recreation Area.

Big Bog State Recreation Area is located in extreme north-central Minnesota and is comprised of two units. The southern unit includes a day use area with a beach along the eastern edge of Upper Red Lake, a campground and marina along the Tamarac River, and the park's visitor center. You'll also find a historic fish hatchery and fire tower in this part of the park, which is lovely but not particularly quiet.

For that, you'll have to travel 9 miles north of the visitor center to the park's northern unit, north of Upper Red Lake and carved out of the Red Lake Peatland Scientific and Natural Area. This SNA is a 500-square-mile peatland bog—the largest in the Lower 48—that surrounds the park and, as you probably surmised, gave the recreation area its name. University researchers have surmised that the most remote place in Minnesota—farthest from human structures or roads—is somewhere in the middle of this bog. It's also here that you'll find the Big Bog Boardwalk.

The boardwalk stretches for a mile out into the peatland, through stands of black spruce and other bog-specializing plants. On summer weekends, you may encounter other hikers, but the herd tends to thin as the boardwalk gets farther into the bog. On weekdays and during the non-peak seasons (when there are no bugs!), you very well may be alone.

When you reach the platform at the end of the boardwalk, you'll find yourself standing in the middle of a vast peatland wilderness, a mile out into one of the most remote places in Minnesota. You won't hear cars, you won't hear boats, and you won't hear planes. Often, you may not even hear other people. Here, you can sit on one of the benches, watch for the birds and animals that thrive in the bog, and soak in the silence at the quietest spot in one of the most remote parks in Minnesota.

The boardwalk is exposed and without amenities. So, you'll want sun protection and plenty of water. In the summer, bring bug protection, as well.

Have you walked to the end of the Big Bog Boardwalk? What did you hear? We'd love to hear about some of your favorite quiet places in Minnesota state parks.