Is This Minnesota Destination Really The Most Beautiful Place In The State?

Whether you live in Minnesota or you've just visited the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it isn't a secret the state has a lot of beauty to enjoy.

With numerous pristine lakes and vast expanses of wilderness to really get away from it all, these areas strike awe into locals and draw visitors from far and wide.

When it comes to what the most beautiful place in Minnesota is, the travel website Condé Nast Traveler recently published its list of the most beautiful places in America. On that list is one Minnesota destination.

The list of 50 destinations isn't a one-place-per-state list, but rather just what the team at this travel website says are the most beautiful places in the country.

While I can appreciate the author's pick, I feel like they missed a few.

What Minnesota destination is among the most beautiful places in the country?

In the far northern reaches of Minnesota, you'll find a lot of beauty: stunning lakes, vast forests, and abundant wildlife. Among the lakes and wilderness is Minnesota's only national park, Voyageurs National Park.

Covering 218,000 acres, Voyageurs National Park's signature feature is the lakes and waterways within the park.

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Home to Kabetogama Lake, Ash River, and shoreline along portions of Rainy Lake, Namakan Lake, Sand Point Lake, and Crane Lake, there is a lot of water-oriented fun to be had at Voyageurs National Park.

That's what Condé Nast Traveler highlighted in their notes about the park. Among things to do, they mention canoeing, camping, Northern Lights viewing, and enjoying a houseboat stay. A lot of people also enjoy fishing on the lakes in the park. They don't highlight it, but I've been on many trips to the park to fish, and had a great time.

Here's where the travel publication loses a little bit of its credibility.

I got a chuckle from the author's blurb about the park. After their summertime suggestions of activities, they said "Come winter, rent a houseboat and cross your fingers for a Northern Lights sighting".

You'd probably want to consider a summertime houseboat trip, as you aren't getting very far in the winter in Northern Minnesota in a houseboat. Apparently they either don't know what a houseboat is, or that the lake freezes over in the winter.

Besides that uninformed statement, they're not wrong about the park. It is beautiful and does offer some great water-oriented activities on some gorgeous lakes. As the only location in Minnesota they named to their list, it suggests it is Minnesota's most beautiful place. Is it?

Is Voyageurs National Park really Minnesota's most beautiful spot?

Don't get me wrong, I love Voyageurs National Park. It is stunning and I have many great memories there. That said, I do feel like there's a different place that might beat out Voyageurs.

As a national park, it clearly deserves some serious consideration. That said, as a lifelong Minnesotan, I have a couple of other areas I'll let you in on.

The Driftless area in southeastern Minnesota is pretty beautiful, especially in the fall. The bluffs along the Mississippi River and quaint small towns in the area are pretty stunning.

How about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness? Untouched forests and lakes with no buildings or motorized watercraft on them at all make for a truly serene getaway with incredible wild beauty.

My top choice though is Minnesota's North Shore along Lake Superior. Rocky cliffs, numerous waterfalls, and panoramic Lake Superior views are really hard to beat. At least in my opinion. Even just inland with places like Bean & Bear Lake, various other lakes, and hiking trails with incredible views, I can't help but feel like this is the state's most beautiful area.