Lace up a trusty pair of boots and consult the field guide for a fulfilling day in the Kettle River backwoods. An extensive labyrinth of trails and wildlife tracks criss-crosses this imposing acreage of hardwood forest, native grasses and marshland. Travel back a few decades to a region that replaces vacation rentals and dollar stores with one-room churches and red-brick storefronts of Carlton County, and every backroad glimpse of the rushing Kettle River leaves goosebumps. Then lock the robust entry gate at the day’s end and and rest easy with nature.