Bemidji, MN Outdoor Activities

Tucked away in a grove of towering red and white pine trees, the Character Challenge Course pits teams of patrons against a series of obstacles, fostering confidence, teamwork, and communication skills. A collection of low-ropes activities challenges teams with trust falls, games, and role-playing exercises while remaining a short distance from the ground. High-ropes challenges, meanwhile, soar to heights of up to 35 feet, and include cloud-scraping ladders, wobbly bridges, and the Leap of Faith, in which patrons must scale a 25-foot pole and then leap to a trapeze bar five feet away before lowering themselves earthward. To further facilitate team unity, groups gather after completing each obstacle to discuss how the course's mental and physical trials can be applied to daily struggles in cooperating with others at work or while opening a pickle jar.

MN Surf Co. is intent on converting Minnesota's richest natural resource—water—into pure adrenaline. The company has two locations in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and both stock a wide variety of vessels and apparel to make days on the water exciting, stylish, and safe. First-timers can get their feet wet by renting a paddleboard, wake surfer, wakeboard, or kayak for up to seven days. MN Surf Co. also sells boards, plus wetsuits and tees suited for the beach.

Beyond supplying equipment, MN Surf Co. offers plenty of water-based instruction. Standup paddleboard lessons impart various techniques for mounting boards, paddling, and staying safe. Once students master the basics, instructors show them how to tone muscles with paddling workouts and test their knowledge of basic mathematical concepts by asking for a quick series of high-fives. With options for beginners and advanced water athletes, windsurfing lessons rely on a similar system of positive reinforcement as students learn to cut across the windswept surfaces of Lake Calhoun, Lake Minnetonka, and other Minnesota waterways.

When they aren't building students' self-esteem during group lessons, MN Surf Co.'s crew use the standup paddleboards for fishing expeditions and yoga classes to help fishermen work on their balance before being tugged around in circles by a disgruntled large-mouth bass.

Your Boat Club helps people enjoy the benefits of boat ownership without hassles such as towing, cleaning, and repairs. The club maintains a fleet of more than 70 boats, including leisurely pontoons, fishing boats up to 18 feet long, and runabouts with powerful engines that contain up to 300 tiny horses. Members need only make online reservations for one of these vessels, arrive at their dock of choice, and speed away with a fully fueled and clean boat. Seven different lakes set the stage for these aquatic excursions, giving members—based on the membership level they choose—many boating options. On any given day, Your Boat Club's vessels tow water skis across White Bear Lake and ferry anglers into Lake Minnetonka, where largemouth bass, bluegill, and goldfish crackers swim through 14,528 acres of water.