Northern Minnesota Makes National Geographic's Best Of The World List

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- You won't have to travel far to get to one of National Geographic's 25 best places in the world.

The magazine released its list of 25 amazing journeys in 2022, also known as Best of the World, Thursday. Northern Minnesota made the cut.

"Thousands upon thousands of stars dazzle above northern Minnesota," the staff wrote. "This remote region bordering the Canadian province of Ontario has little to no light pollution, and residents are determined to keep it that way."

National Geographic specifically cites the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park as must-visit spots.

The magazine praised the Heart of the Continent Dark Sky Initiative, an organization dedicated to preserving the area as a "dark-sky destination."

The Best of the World list "celebrates a number of World Heritage sites in honor of UNESCO's 50 years of helping to safeguard cultural and natural treasures." It separates destinations into five categories -- nature, adventure, sustainability, culture and history, and family.

Northern Minnesota was honored under the nature category, along with Lake Baikal, Russia; Namibia; Victoria, Australia; and Belize.