Big Bog State Recreation Area in northern Minnesota preserves part of a vast, largely unpopulated peatland formed on the flat former bed of glacial Lake Agassiz after the last ice age. Long used by the Anishinaabe for gathering, fishing, and hunting, the bog remained comparatively undisturbed through later logging, failed drainage schemes, peat harvesting attempts, and the relocation of remote farming settlements. A local campaign launched in 2002 led to the area's opening in 2006. Known for its wetland ecology, it supports rare carnivorous plants, diverse trees, and wildlife, while its raised Bog Walk allows access with limited harm to the fragile surface.