Winter has come to the northland. Temperatures have stayed consistently at freezing temps and it is evidenced by ice forming on Baudette Bay at Baudette, MN and the Rainy River. Parks are the location of extra fun as Lake of the Woods looks forward to the winter season
inviting hundreds of people to come and enjoy experiences that only can be marked by cold, ice, snow and fun. Lake of the Woods houses hundreds of ice houses each winter marking the lake with ice roads the size of highways. While your family comes to enjoy that great activity, also consider the other possibilities for family fun.
Willie Walleye Park
The Baudette Bay has formed ice from shore to shore and it looks like a huge ice skating event waiting to happen. Caution is always advised at this time of the year for traveling on the ice but one can always look forward to the family fun this area brings.
Baudette proper has three great parks available. You might think of only using parks in the summer months, but that is not the case at Lake of the Woods. Willie Walleye Park on Baudette Bay is the home of the famous icon that resides there named Willie Walleye. He oversees this park and is the most popular walleye of the area to be photographed by visitors.
This park is where the July 4th fireworks are fired off over the Baudette Bay and hundreds of people visit during that season to enjoy the hillside and the view the event. Did you know that on December 5th this year that there will also be fireworks over the Baudette Bay? Yes, the annual Frost Fest features a parade, a tree lighting, Santa and fireworks to cap off the evening.
Willie Walleye was updated a few years ago and also oversees another great time as the snow falls on this beautiful area. This park provides one of the best sliding hills of the whole area. You’d have to travel nearly 50 miles to find a better hill. Numbers of parents and children alike find pleasure as early as Thanksgiving when the hill is snow covered. Visitors from many countries have experienced this winter wonderland.
This park is often a stopping place for snowmobilers who are traveling the Rainy River or the Bay. The park is right across the street from a StationStore where they can get a warm beverage or a snack. Often this park is also a starting point for special snowmobile rides happening in the area. A great sight to see the many machines parked there.
Peace Park is located right before the US/Canada border crossing. The boat landing there offers access to the Baudette Bay by snowmobile and also vehicles who plan to bring their portable ice houses onto the Bay for day fishing. Many anglers enjoy fishing the Rainy from there when the ice is thick enough.
East of the city on Highway 11 is Timbermill Park. This is a great summer location for visitors as they camp or just stop 
to use the great playground there. One of the greatest features of the park is the beautiful walking trail. Did you know that our city keeps that trail cleared all winter long for anyone who cares to travel that path can do so safely.
Another great park that is out of town near the resorts is Zippel Bay State Park. What a winter wonderland this area is with its pines and white birch lining the roads in the park. This park is the site of many great cross country skiing trails and “friends of the park” host quite a few skiing events throughout the winter season. Come fishing, bring the sleds, and bring the cross country skis for the best of winter adventure.
Last modified: 11/20/2020
