The Mississippi River

The second longest and second largest River in North America is The Mississippi. It is 3766 km long. Mississippi -Missouri water system is also the 4th longest water system in the world. This river flows across 10 states and there are at least 42 cities along its banks.

The origin of the name comes from the Native American name of the river Ojibwa-Misi-Sipi, The Great Waters. The river is said to have been formed some 70 million years old as per studies done on zircons found in the river. The river is supposed to have been formed from the Laurentide Ice Sheets (Large sheets of ice that covered parts of North America during the Ice Age). As it melted it formed lakes and surface springs. Today the river is fed by The Itasca Lake and the springs that form the lake.

Headwaters of the Mississippi are fed by this lake system

The Story of The Mississippi

We went on a camping trip to Itasca a few years back during the July 4th long weekend. Itasca Park is a state Park in Minnesota that is built around Lake Itasca. Lake Itasca is the source of North America's second-longest river, The Mississippi. Legend has it, that the lake was originally called Omashkoozo-zaaga’igan - The elk lake in the Native American language. Schoolkraft rechristened the lake as Itasca which meant 'True Head'! Other legends say, that the lake was formed by the tears of Hiawatha's daughter Iteska, hence the name Itasca.

Marker at the headwater

Headwaters

We, camping in the park

Fishing, boating, rafting, and multiple activities are allowed on the park premises. We rented a motor boat for a lake tour

110-foot tall Fire / Observation tower in the park. We climbed up to the top. The view is worth it. Shall look up the pics and update them here

A common whitetail male dragonfly / Long-tailed Skimmer. Though common all across North America, they are one of the oldest insects on this planet

The Mississippi Delta or Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Pillottown is the last town where the original pilots were built. After the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, the pilots were rebuilt in Venice, a town up north