CREATE FAMILY MEMORIES IN GRAND RAPIDS, MINNESOTA
Grand Rapids, MN is the perfect destination for a magical MEA Family getaway. Anyone that has children, knows it it is hard to getaway for a vacation when the kids are in school. MEA (Minnesota Educators Association) holiday break allows parents to take family getaway in the fall. In Grand Rapids you can reconnect with loved ones at cozy lodging, recharge in by getting outdoors, and relax in Minnesota’s nature. There are over 1,100 area lakes and over 2,000 miles of designated outdoors trails in the Grand Rapids, MN area. And there are kid-friendly museums, area attractions, places to eat, live performances, and fall festivals and events too.
Book Lodging Early
Grand Rapids, Minnesota is a sought after destination in the fall tie of the year because of the abundance of outdoor recreation, fall leaves, thousand grand lakes, area attractions and museums, theater performances, a wide variety of places to shop, eat and be entertained. Because of this, we suggest that you BOOK YOUR LODGING EARLY! You will find a wide variety of family-friendly lodging options to choose from. In town Hotels are close and convenient to shops, restaurants, and many have on-site amenities like pools, continental breakfast, and restaurants. And then in town are Bed and Breakfasts, Vacation Rentals and Motels as well. These properties offer close proximity to things to do, in town trails, shops and restaurants as well. Then there are Minnesota Lake Resorts and Vacation Lake Rentals that are off the beaten path, but close enough to town to be convenient to eat out, shop, attend a theater performance, and tour museums and other attractions. These will provide an entire cabin, lodge rooms, or vacation home rental with kitchenettes to full kitchens, living rooms, and many times outdoor patio and fire pit areas to gather together. There is lodging in Grand Rapids for every family.
ATV
Itasca County has over 300 miles of well-maintained ATV/UTV trails to ride. All of the trails are family friendly. Each trail is unique and connects with area businesses like bars/restaurants, gas stations, and more. The beauty of the hardwood trees in the fall adds another dimension to the ATV ride. Ride around yellow tamarack bogs that intertwine among beautiful clear lakes. This is perfect for all ages of riders. All Itasca County roads are open to ATV (except for County Rd 75 that leads into the Scenic State Park up in Bigfork). This allows you access to any ATV road using county roads and forest roads. Make sure you understand the rules of riding in the Chippewa National Forest and adhere to the MN DNR ATV regulations as well.
BIKING
There are several places to bike over MEA in the fall. Legion Trail located in the American Legion Memorial Park located at The Reif Center parking lot includes a single track mountain bike trail, hiking trail and 18 holes of disc golf. Then there is the Mesabi Trail which is over 100 miles of paved trail that run from the Mississippi River in Grand Rapids to the Boundary Waters in Ely, MN. Whether you prefer paved biking trails or off-road mountain biking, the choice is yours.
HIKING
With over 1 million acres of public accessible forest land, hiking over MEA is perfect for the entire family. You will find a hiking trail that is perfect for hiking with kids.
1. Golden Anniversary State Forest – (LEVEL: EASY TO INTERMEDIATE) Located 15 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids on the Great River Road. The terrain includes flat ground to gently rolling hills. The forest is made up of hardwoods and pines that are used to produce timber, create wildlife habitat and opportunities for hunting.
2. Simpson Creek – (LEVEL: EASY TO INTERMEDIATE) Located 40 minutes northwest of Grand Rapids on County Road 46. This forest was established in 1907 by Sam Simpson. Located in the Chippewa National Forest, this trail is located next to the Cut Foot Visitor’s Center. This 13-mile trail is all non-motorized.
3. Suomi Hills Trail – (LEVEL: EASY TO INTERMEDIATE) Located 14 miles north of Grand Rapids, in the Chippewa National Forest. The remote and stunning Suomi Hills has 19 miles of hiking, biking, and ski trails and is part of a semi-primitive non-motorized area.
KID FRIENDLY MUSEUMS & HISTORIC SITES
In Grand Rapids, MN you will find several kid friendly museums where the kids will be able to be kids. At the Children’s Discovery Museum there is wide open spaces for them to play on the Lake Life equipment and interact with the exhibits. The Museum is perfect for ages toddlers to tweens. The Judy Garland Museum, under the same roof as the Children’s Discovery Museum, you can step back in time to the early 1900’s to relive life through Judy Garland’s career. Tour her house, and view the hundreds of exhibits and artifacts from her life’s career as a singer and actress. The Itasca County Historical Museum offers a chance to also step back in time and view many interesting historic artifacts like the wholly mammoth tusk, Native American artifacts, and new displays like the River Room, Veterans Room and many more. The Historical Museum also offers an Escape Room that is for children age 9+.
PUMPKIN PATCH, FARM ANIMALS, HAYRIDES, AND APPLE ORCHARDS
Cowhorn Crossing Farm & Pumpkin Patch is open in the Fall starting September 20-October 31, 2025. This farm offers fun for all ages. It is a great place to go to let the kids run off some energy, pet the farm animals, run through the corn maze, take a hayride through the field and woods, and pick out the perfect pumpkin. They are open Thursday and Friday 4-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm, and open longer hours over MEA. Cost is $9/person, and groups of 10 or more are $8/person.
Apple picking is perfect for a crisp fall day. In Grand Rapids there are two family-owned and operated apple orchards where you can purchase pre-picked or you can pick your own MN Grown apples. These hearty northern Minnesota varieties are perfect for baking, cooking, and eating. Lavalier’s Berry Patch and Apple Orchard is located right off the Great River Road, the Mississippi River is just a stones throw away. They grow strawberries, blueberries, pumpkins, and have beautiful apple trees. Then there is TimberSweet Apple Orchard that is located in Cohasset. They offer blueberries, apples, honey, and award winning maple syrup. TimberSweet can be found selling their produce and products at the Grand Rapids, MN Farmers Market on Wednesday and Saturday through October.
KID FRIENDLY PLACES TO EAT & DRINK
While on your MEA Family Fun Weekend in Grand Rapids, MN you will want to find kid friendly places to eat & drink. Both of the craft breweries are locally owned and operated and are both family friendly, and pet friendly. Klockow Brewing Company specializes in their craft beer, and also sells Minnesota Soda. They have food trucks on the weekend, and they allow food deliveries or for you to bring in food from Grand Rapids area restaurants. Rapids Brewing Co has a full menu including wood fired pizza, an amazing smash burger, and speciality items likes carneta nachos and chips and queso. In addition to the craft breweries, Grand Rapids offers many other kid friendly places to eat & drink: Unwined Up North, Zorbaz on Pokegama, Pickled Loon Saloon, Pokegama Grill, Florio’s, Forest Lake Restaurant, Hotel Rapids Bistro, Timberlake Lodge Restaurant, ElPotro, Fuji, Boulder Tap House and so many more!
Come make memories with your family for a magical MEA Family Getaway to Grand Rapids, Minnesota this year. Trust us that there is a lot of things to do, an abundance of outdoor recreation to enjoy, and lots of opportunities to reconnect together in Minnesota’s nature.
