The spur of land called the Northwest Angle is a chunk of Minnesota that, geographically, seems as if it should belong to Canada. It's on the northern shore of Lake of the Woods and has no land border with the U.S. Unless visitors arrive by boat, they have to enter through the Canadian province of Manitoba, passing through the town of Sprague and the Northwest Angle Provincial Forest along the way. After a long-standing border dispute between the two nations, the Northwest Angle finally became part of the U.S. in 1842. There are the remnants of a Canadian fur-trading village and a replica of a Canadian fort in the area. The region will appeal mainly to nature enthusiasts, as most of the Northwest Angle is within Northwest Angle State Forest. 295 mi/475 km northwest of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
