Overview
The Northwestern region of Minnesota is where the western prairies, the northern conifer forests, and the eastern hardwood forests converge. It includes Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens, Traverse, Wadena, and Wilkin counties.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 1°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May. (climate data from nearby Fargo)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BRD Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, Brainerd — 66 mi away. Directions
- FAR Hector International Airport, Fargo — 69 mi away. Directions
- MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis — 171 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Moorhead — Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, Hjemkomst Center.
- Day 2: Saint Cloud — Munsinger Clemens Gardens, Stearns History Museum, Marcus Parkwood Cinema.
- Day 3: Crosslake — explore the town.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in Northwestern Minnesota
Moorhead
City / town · 25 listings
Saint Cloud
City / town · 16 listings
Crosslake
City / town · 15 listings
Warroad
City / town · 14 listings
Angle Inlet
Rural area · 13 listings
Detroit Lakes
City / town · 13 listings
Little Falls
City / town · 13 listings
Sauk Centre
City / town · 12 listings
Bemidji
City / town · 11 listings
Brainerd
City / town · 10 listings
Cold Spring
City / town · 10 listings
Alexandria
City / town · 8 listings
Staples
City / town · 7 listings
East Grand Forks
City / town · 6 listings
Fergus Falls
City / town · 5 listings
Dilworth
City / town · 4 listings
Thief River Falls
City / town · 4 listings
Tenney
City / town · 3 listings
Wadena
City / town · 3 listings
Breckenridge
City / town · 2 listings
Itasca State Park
Park · 2 listings
Ottertail
City / town · 2 listings
Elk River
City / town · 2 listings
Crookston
City / town · 1 listings
Foley
City / town · 1 listings
Roseau
City / town · 1 listings
Baudette
City / town · 1 listings
Big Bog State Recreation Area
Park
Erskine
City / town
Morris
City / town
Walker
City / town
Cities
- Alexandria
- Angle Inlet
- Baudette
- Bemidji
- Brainerd
- Breckenridge
- Crookston
- Crosslake
- Detroit Lakes
- Dilworth
- East Grand Forks
- Erskine
- Fergus Falls
- Moorhead
- Morris
- Ottertail
- Roseau
- Tenney
- Thief River Falls
- Wadena
- Walker
- Warroad
Other destinations
- Big Bog State Recreation Area
- Buffalo River State Park
- Crow Wing State Park
- Glacial Lakes State Park
- Glendalough State Park
- Hayes Lake State Park
- Itasca State Park
- Lake Bemidji State Park
- Lake Bronson State Park
- Lake Carlos State Park
- Maplewood State Park
- Old Mill State Park
- Red River State Recreation Area
- Zippel Bay State Park
Nearby
My experience
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