Onamia on Lake Onamia

Onamia combines its lakeside setting on Lake Onamia with a paved route for biking and hiking, a versatile city park, and an access point on the Rum River State Water Trail. The history of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is also among the themes that shape a stay here. You can choose what interests you most: Should your trip focus more on an outdoor route, local amenities, or cultural discoveries?

Lakeside Setting and Getting Your Bearings

Onamia is located on the shore of Lake Onamia. The town is also at the junction of Highways 169 and 27 and along the Lake Mille Lacs Scenic Byway. The lakeside setting, highway junction, and scenic byway provide three different reference points for getting your bearings. If you plan your trip along the byway, Onamia is on that route; the two highways help you locate the town on a road map.

Biking and Hiking on the Soo Line Trail

The Soo Line Trail is an 11-mile paved route between Onamia and Isle, offering opportunities for biking and hiking. Its length and surface give you a concrete basis for including an outdoor activity in your trip. The trail is a clearly defined option for anyone who would rather spend time on a route than at a single location.

In Onamia, the Onamia Depot Library is located along the Soo Line Trail. This brings together two different interests at one place: the trail itself and a historic public building. The library was established in 2009 in the renovated Soo-Line Depot. The Onamia Soo Line Railroad Depot currently serves as a public library. If you are interested in the building’s railroad history, you can connect that background with its present-day use as a library.

Places for Different Daytime Interests

Onamia City Park has a picnic shelter, a tennis court, a playground, and restrooms. For families with children, the playground is a concrete consideration when choosing an outing. If you would rather play tennis or use a picnic shelter, those options are also available in the park. These amenities help you choose the park based on what you want to do, without committing an entire day to just one activity.

At the Onamia Constructed Rock Rapids/Highway 27 Bridge on the Rum River State Water Trail, there is access for boat trailers below the dam. This specific access point may be important for travelers interested in the Rum River State Water Trail who plan to transport a boat. Its location at the named Highway 27 bridge structure and below the dam describes the site more precisely. This focus on the water offers a different experience from a day on the Soo Line Trail or in City Park.

Culture in the Nearby Community

The Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post presents the history of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in the nearby community. It does so through museum exhibits, objects, demonstrations, and guided tours. If you would like to include cultural topics in your trip alongside outdoor activities and time outside, this museum offers a separate opportunity to explore the history of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

To choose the focus of your trip, you can compare the options by what you want to do: the Soo Line Trail offers biking and hiking on a paved route, City Park brings together several specific amenities, and the access point on the Rum River State Water Trail is designated for boat trailers. The library and museum add public and cultural places to these options. More pages about nearby towns: Isle, Milaca.

For the broader travel overview: Mille Lacs.