Mille Lacs Kathio State Park near Onamia in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Red Pine & Jack Pine Forest
8,000 B.C.5,800 B.C.
| | Kathio Landmark Trail: The Forest through Time | |
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
1. Red Pine & Jack Pine Forest Marker
By 10,000 years ago, the climate remained cool, but had become drier. Over the next several hundred years, the cool, dry climate gave rise to an open forest of red pine and jack pine.
This 9,000-year old spear point was found at an archaeological site on Ogechie Lake.
It was in this landscape that we see evidence of the first humans in the region. These early "Minnesotans" traveled the landscape of open pine stands, lakes and wetlands in small nomadic groups, hunting and gathering over a wide-ranging territory.
White Pine Forest
Northern Hardwood Forest
Oak Savanna
Red Pine Forest
Spruce Forest
Tundra
Erected 2013 by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Environment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. 46° 8.913′ N, 93° 46.148′ W. Marker is near Onamia, Minnesota, in Mille Lacs County. It is in Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. It can be reached from no nearby street. The marker is on the east loop of the Kathio Landmark Trail.
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Regionally, this marker is in Central Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Spruce Forest (within shouting distance of this marker); Oak Savanna (within shouting distance of this marker); The Ice Age (within shouting distance of this marker); Removal, Restoration, Reuse (within shouting distance of this marker); The Forest through Time (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Why Did the Ojibwe People Choose to Live Here? (about 300 feet away); Northern Hardwood Forest (about 400 feet away); Reading the Cultural Landscape (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Onamia.
Photographed by McGhiever
2. Red Pine & Jack Pine Forest Marker on the Kathio Landmark Trail
Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 40 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 1, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
