Five things to do in the spring (and reasons to do them)
After the snow melts, the ice recedes and you begin to smell the mud and earth again, we know Spring has arrived at True North. And what a time to get active, get back outside, and plan for your big events ahead.
Spring in Nisswa and the surrounding Brainerd Lakes Area introduces some of the most popular recreational activities Minnesota has to offer. Whether you’re getting back in the boat, out in nature, or back on the links – Spring is the perfect time to (finally!) get back to better-weather walks of life. It’s also a great time to plan ahead for those special events – like reunions, retreats and weddings – since great properties (like True North) often book their best dates a year in advance.
So the Travel Star has listed some of our favorite Spring activities you can access during your time at True North. And, as usual, we reference some of our favorite movies and TV shows to watch in our theater if the weather isn’t quite right juuuuust yet.
Either way, let’s say goodbye to Winter, and hello to Spring!
Oh -- and we love us some pop culture, too. So checkout some of our favorite movies and TV shows that feature some genuine, cold weather fun.
Fishing
Of all the Spring activities at True North, we had to start with fishing! Minnesota, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” offers some of the country's best freshwater fishing, including a wide range of huge lakes, scenic streams, and the mighty Mississippi.
True North sits directly on the Gull Lake Chain – a 13,000-acre chain of 10 connected lakes with endless world-class opportunities to catch walleye, muskie, bass, panfish and pike. Beyond being a fun sport for pros and amateurs alike, fishing has benefits beyond the thrill of actually catching a fish. Physical exercise, getting sun/Vitamin D, combatting stress and anxiety, improving concentration and patience, increasing self-esteem and resilience, and building strong bonds among family and friends are all linked to fishing.
So visit True North…and get hooked on fishing.
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How to Fish: Learn the basics
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The Social & Community Benefits of Fishing and helping with PTSD
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Fishing in Movies & TV: A River Runs Through It, Jaws, On Golden Pond, FishingTV, Deadliest Catch
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Read our article on How to Catch (and eat) a Walleye
Golf
Did you know that Minnesota leads the nation in the number of golfers per capita? That’s right, welcome to the great green north!
Dating back to 1887 and the state’s first club at the Town & Country Club in St. Paul, getting back on the links has been a rite of passage during Spring in Minnesota for almost 140 years. There are almost 500 golf courses statewide, with some of the best located around True North, Nisswa and the Brainerd Lakes Area.
In fact, within 30 minutes of True North are more than 450 holes at dozens of distinctive golf courses. Robert Trent Jones Jr., Arnold Palmer, Joel Goldstrand and Dye Designs are among the famous names who have had a hand in designing these outstanding courses. Several area courses have been nationally recognized by Golf Digest, Golfweek and Golf.
Tennis & Pickleball
Spring in Minnesota ushers in a lot of interest in outdoor activities that need fairly nice weather to play – sports like tennis and pickleball. Sure, both are regularly played for month on indoor courts during the winter, but there’s nothing like that first day back on an outdoor court.
While tennis is one of the oldest sports -- origins of which can be traced back to the 12th century in medieval Europe – pickleball is one of the newest. In fact, with an estimated 19.8 million players in 2024, a 311% increase over the previous three years, pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the country. And now there’s some pretty intense competition between these two racket sports as they compete for attention and court time across the region.
Regardless, both tennis and pickleball are fantastic and boast benefits to mental health, physical health and mobility over time. And both sports can be played on throughout Nisswa, the Brainerd Lakes Area, and right here on our private court at True North.
Running and Jogging
Many Minnesotans get a thrill from running or jogging outside year-round -- regardless of the snow, icy streets and cold wind of those dark winter months. But with the warmer, sunnier days of Spring, northern trails come alive with people on the move.
As Explore Minnesota notes, Minnesota has “thousands of miles of picturesque trails through woods, along lakeshores, up and down hills, and across prairies.” So it’s no surprise that Olympians like marathoner Dakotah Lindwurm and middle-distance runner Carrie Tollefson have chosen to live and train here. And for regular folks, the health benefits of going for a run are well-known and fairly self-evident.
There are hundreds of miles of trail runs surrounding True North and across the Brainerd Lakes Area like the Paul Bunyan Trail or more secluded routes like those in Pillsbury State Forest. And if bigger, organized road races are your jam, you can sign-up for the Jaycees Run for the Lakes in May, or the Nisswa Firecracker Run in July.
So many trails, so little time. Let’s go for a run!
Weddings, Reunions & Retreats
Spring is about new beginnings and fresh starts. Spring is also one of the best times to plan for special occasions with families, friends and other relationships -- like weddings, reunions or retreats. But these plans should not be for this summer, but for next!
The best venues, including True North, often book-up more than a year in advance. And with inclement weather limiting outdoor events during the Minnesota winter, Spring begins the competitive rush for outdoor events in a shrinking amount of time.
But alas! There are many wonderful settings available for indoor or outdoor events across the Brainerd Lakes Area and the rest of Northern Minnesota when you use Spring to plan ahead. Think everything from historic lodges and lakeside resorts, to quaint churches and cliffside parks. At True North, we focus on hosting smaller indoor or outdoor lakeside gatherings – from 10-15 people for powerful and productive retreats, to 30-50 people for very intimate and memorable weddings and reunions.