With blustery winters and beautiful Midwest summers, the state of Minnesota is famous for being a year-round outdoor paradise. The Land of a Thousand Lakes boasts over 11,800 bodies of freshwater that are 10-acres or larger that are perfect for fishing and water sports.

With countless wooded forests, hilly terrain, and rugged trails, both hunters and backpackers alike will enjoy the natural splendor that’s abundant within the state. Although it can be miserably cold in the winter, you can still get out and cross-country ski, snowshoe, ice fish, or ice skate if you have the right gear.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes offers an abundance of water activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing in the summer months. There’s no end to the things you can enjoy in Minnesota’s great outdoors, and here are a few of the highlights.

Sport Fishing and Hunting

The North Star state is chock full of wildlife and big game to hunt all around the region. Here you’ll find seasonal hunting for black bears, elk, and deer. And although moose hunting is temporarily suspended, several types of birds and waterfowl are available to hunt and a few fur-bearing animals that are legal to trap as well.

With over 2.6 million acres of lakes, fishing in Minnesota is a year-round activity, even when the lakes are frozen over. Anglers will find a variety of pike, bass, perch, catfish, trout, sunfish, and perch in the region and can find plenty of ice fishing communities in the colder winter months.

Jump Into the Waters

Boating and water-skiing are popular activities in the many flowing rivers and lakes around the state, with numerous beautiful shores ideal for swimming. It’s interesting to note that the state has a recreational boat ratio of one for every six persons in the entire state population. That’s a lot of boats.

Canoeing and kayaking are favorite pastimes for Minnesotan residents. With so many lakes to choose from, you can enjoy a lovely crisp morning kayak along the serene waters. Or dive into more adventurous white waters located in the Kettle River.

Minnesota even offers some choice spots for scuba diving. The most popular is the Cuyuna Recreational Area, which is a few miles northwest of Minneapolis. It has over 50 unique dive sites created by abandoned mines that flooded over the years.

Explore Nature

Minnesota boasts 59 state forests that provide stunning natural scenery and camping opportunities. The Chippewa National Forest is located in the heart of Northern Minnesota and features nearly 100-backcountry campsites, 160-miles of camping trails, and plenty of archeological and historical sites to which you can hike.

The outdoorsman in you will also love the peaceful Voyageurs National Park that contains over 270-campsites, miles of off-road biking trails, and private lakeside access within the area. And with over 1,000 different rock climbing spots and plenty of indoor climbing gyms, Minnesota is the ultimate state for athletes of all types.

Winter Wonderland

With a large amount of snowfall and long winter seasons, Minnesota provides plenty of fun wintertime activities. There are over 20 areas to ski and snowboard within Minnesota, with several miles of well-groomed cross-country ski and snowshoeing trails.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes also has 17,000 miles of snowmobile trails with perfect flat runs over frozen lakes. Just don’t be over-eager to get an early start, as snowmobiling over early ice can be dangerous.

Relocating to Minnesota

Now that you’ve got a good idea of the great outdoors the North Star state has to offer; it’s time to make a few decisions about relocating. Moving has always been one of the most stressful events in life, and it hasn’t gotten much easier. But as long as you keep your eye on the prize – a wonderful world of nature to discover – then getting through it should be no problem.

Although there are only a few ways you can go about it, the most stress-free route is hiring professional moving crews to help you relocate. This is especially true if you’re moving cross-country, although long-distance moving is tough no matter the distance.

Asking friends and family is always the best option to get references and referrals for trusted movers. But if you don’t know anyone in Minnesota, there are some other options you can consider. Finding a licensed, insured, and reputable mover is easy on the Great Guys Moving website. Better yet, you can get multiple quotes at a click of a button to make it a whole lot easier. Some of their top recommendations in Minnesota include:

• Matt’s Moving – This Twin Cities mover has been in business since 2006 and has 4 locations in Minnesota that provide moving services in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• Two Men & a Truck – This nationwide mover operates across most of the US, Canada, and the UK, so it is well-equipped to handle long-distance moves to or from Minnesota.
• You Move Me – This moving franchise has several locations across the US and Canada, including two locations in the Twin Cities.
• Daymakers Moving & Storage – Though based in Hudson, WI, Daymakers provides moving services across Wisconsin and Minnesota.

No matter how you go about it, just make sure to do your research. Referral or not, sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. And it never hurts to have contingencies just in case, even if we never want to have to resort to a backup. It’s kind of like being outdoors – “always be prepared for anything.”