LIST OF MINNESOTA STATE PARKS

Map of State Parks of Minnesota
''Hold cursor over locations to display park name,
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A 'Minnesota state park' is an area of land in the U.S. state of Minnesota preserved by the state for its natural, historic, or other resources. Minnesota currently has 72 state parks, covering more than 260,000 acres (1,052.18 km²). Welcome to Minnesota State Parks Each was created by an act of the Minnesota Legislature and is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Minnesota Historical Society operates sites within some of them. The park system began in 1891 with Itasca State Park when a state law was adopted to "maintain intact, forever, a limited quantity of the domain of this commonwealth...in a state of nature."^[1] Minnesota's state park system is the second oldest in the United States, after New York's.^[2]
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Contents

History

Facts

List of Minnesota state parks

Gallery

Former parks

See also

References

Further reading

External links

History

Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a 173 acre park was authorized to preserve Minnehaha Falls. The effort was delayed by legal appeals from the various landowners of the desired parkland, and by the time those were settled in favor of the state in 1889, Minnesota no longer had the money to purchase the land. Instead the city of Minneapolis fronted the cash. Owned and operated by Minneapolis, Minnehaha State Park was ultimately absorbed as a city park.²
Minnesota tried again in 1891, authorizing a state park around Lake Itasca both for its recreational opportunities and to protect the source of the Mississippi River which ran through Minneapolis-St. Paul. Interstate Park was created in 1895. Other sites were added over the next two decades, but with an inconsistent vision. Modest tracts of scenic land were acquired in Minneopa and Jay Cooke State Parks, but much effort was also expended on creating historical monuments relating to the Dakota War of 1862 and the Great Hinckley Fire. Moreover most of the sites were being administered by the state auditor, who had many other duties. Itasca State Park, meanwhile, was being administered as a state forest. In 1923 state auditor Ray Chase excoriated this situation, calling for wiser selection of park lands and a dedicated commissioner. Chase's comments had an impact, and two years later the Department of Conservation was created to manage the state's natural resources, including the state parks. Originally part of the forestry division, the state parks received their own division in 1935 to take advantage of federal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps.²

Facts

★ The first park was Itasca State Park (1891), the latest park is Big Bog State Recreation Area (2006).^[3]

★ Parks range in size from Franz Jevne State Park with 118 acres (0.48 km²) to Saint Croix State Park with 34,037 acres (137.74 km²).

★ Six of the parks are classified as "recreation areas".

★ As of 2007 a new park on Lake Vermilion is under consideration.^[4]

★ There is a state park within 50 miles (80.5 km) of every Minnesotan.^[5]

List of Minnesota state parks

'Park Name'	'County or Counties'	'Area' in acres (km²)[6]	'Year founded'2	'Body of Water'	'Coordinates	'Remarks'3
Afton State Park [3]	Washington	1695 acres (6.86 km²)	1969	St. Croix River		Park lies on a glacial moraine with deep ravines that drop 300 feet (91.44 m) down to the St. Croix River.
Banning State Park [4]	Pine	6201 acres (25.09 km²)	1963	Kettle River		Park contains of 1.5 miles (2.41 km) of whitewater rapids and a historic quarry.
Bear Head Lake State Park [5]	St. Louis	4523 acres (18.30 km²)	1961	Bear Head Lake		Park is located just south of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park [6]	Houston	1187 acres (4.80 km²)	1937	East Beaver Creek		The narrow valley carved by a trout stream showcases the rugged topography of the Driftless Area.
Big Bog State Recreation Area [7]	Beltrami	9459 acres (38.28 km²)	2006	Red Lake		The Big Bog, the largest peatland in the Lower U.S.[8], sits on the southeast side of glacial Lake Agassiz.
Big Stone Lake State Park [9]	Big Stone	986 acres (3.99 km²)	1961	Big Stone Lake		The park is located on the south end of glacial Lake Agassiz.
Blue Mounds State Park [10]	Rock	1826 acres (7.39 km²)	1937	Mound Creek		The park is named after a linear escarpment of Precambrian quartzite bedrock.
Buffalo River State Park [11]	Clay	1322 acres (5.35 km²)	1937	Buffalo River		The prairie within the park is judged to be one of the largest and best of the state's prairie preserves.
Camden State Park [12]	Lyon	2245 acres (9.09 km²)	1935	Redwood River		Thirteen buildings and structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Carley State Park [13]	Wabasha	209 acres (0.85 km²)	1949	Whitewater River		Park is named after State Senator James A. Carley, who donated the land.
Cascade River State Park [14]	Cook	5050 acres (20.43 km²)	1957	Lake Superior and Cascade River		Park is connected to the Superior Hiking Trail and North Shore State Trail.
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park [15]	Morrison	569 acres (2.3 km²)	1931	Mississippi River		Contains the restored home of Charles August Lindbergh, Congressman and the father of the famous aviator, Charles Lindbergh.
Crow Wing State Park [16]	Crow Wing, Cass, and Morrison	3119 acres (12.62 km²)	1959	Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers		Interprets the site of Old Crow Wing, an important trading settlement.
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area [17]	Crow Wing	2773 acres (11.22 km²)	1993	Chain of small lakes and streams, filled pit mines		The Cuyuna Range was the last of Minnesota's three major iron ranges to be discovered and mined.
Father Hennepin State Park [18]	Mille Lacs	320 acres (1.29 km²)	1941	Mille Lacs Lake		Park is named after Father Louis Hennepin, a priest who visited the area with a French expedition in 1680.
Flandrau State Park [19]	Brown	1006 acres (4.07 km²)	1937	Cottonwood River		Park is named after Charles Eugene Flandrau, an important figure in the Battles of New Ulm during the Dakota War of 1862.
Forestville Mystery Cave State Park [20]	Fillmore	3170 acres (12.83 km²)	1963	South Branch Root River and tributaries		Park contains Mystery Cave, the longest cave in the state that is open to the public.
Fort Ridgely State Park [21]	Nicollet and Renville	1040 acres (4.21 km²)	1911	Fort Ridgely Creek		Park preserves Fort Ridgely, which is notable for its use during the Dakota War of 1862.
Fort Snelling State Park [22]	Ramsey, Hennepin, and Dakota	2931 acres (11.86 km²)	1961	Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers		Park contains historic Fort Snelling, which was built in 1819.
Franz Jevne State Park [23]	Koochiching	118 acres (0.48 km²)	1967	Rainy River		The sons of Franz Jevne, a lawyer, offered to donate land to the state for use as a park on the condition that it be named after their father.
Frontenac State Park [24]	Goodhue	2300 acres (9.3 km²)	1957	Lake Pepin on Mississippi River		Park is home to 260 species of birds for part or all of the year.
Garden Island State Recreation Area [25]	Lake of the Woods	734 acres (2.97 km²)	1998[7]	Lake of the Woods		Formerly the site of a large garden created by Native Americans taught by La Vérendrye who explored the area.
George H. Crosby Manitou State Park [27]	Lake	6682 acres (27 km²)	1955	Manitou River		Park contains many undisturbed miles of fir, cedar, spruce, and northern hardwoods. Park is geared towards backpackers.
Glacial Lakes State Park [28]	Pope	2423 acres (9.8 km²)	1963	Several kettle lakes		Park contains many glacial landforms, including rolling glacial hills unlike others in the state, created by the Wisconsonian glaciation.
Glendalough State Park [29]	Otter Tail	1931 acres (7.81 km²)	1992	Six kettle lakes		During the 1950s, when it was a resort, former presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon were guests at Glendalough.
Gooseberry Falls State Park [30]	Lake	1687 acres (6.82 km²)	1937	Lake Superior, Gooseberry River		The park includes Lake Superior shoreline, five waterfalls, Gooseberry River and gorge, an agate Beach and the Picnic Lava Flow.
Grand Portage State Park [31]	Cook	278 acres (1.12 km²)	1989	Pigeon River		Park contains a 120 foot (37 meter) waterfall, the tallest in the state shared on a border.
Great River Bluffs State Park [32]	Winona	3067 acres (12.4 km²)	1971	Mississippi River		Features 500 foot high bluffs and steep "goat prairies" Formerly named O.L. Kipp State Park.
Hayes Lake State Park [33]	Roseau	2958 acres (11.97 km²)	1967	Hayes Lake, North Fork Roseau River		Hayes Lake was created for the park by damming the Roseau River. In the Glacial Lake Agassiz lake bed.
Hill-Annex Mine State Park [34]	Itasca	635 acres (2.57 km²)	1988	Filled pit mine		Well preserved historic mine buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places
Interstate Park [35]	Chisago	298 acres (1.2 km²)	1895	St. Croix River		This was the first park in the United States to span two states (Minnesota and Wisconsin)
Itasca State Park [36]	Hubbard, Clearwater, and Becker	32690 acres (132.29 km²)	1891	Lake Itasca		Minnesota's oldest state park. Lake Itasca is the source of the Mississippi River
Jay Cooke State Park [37]	Carlton	8781 acres (35.53 km²)	1915	Saint Louis River		Features rustic style historical structures and swinging bridge built by the CCC between 1933 and 1942.
John A. Latsch State Park [38]	Winona	1871 acres (7.57 km²)	1925	Mississippi River		Features three steep river bluffs named Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Judge C. R. Magney State Park [39]	Cook	4643 acres (18.78 km²)	1957	Lake Superior, Brule River		Contains "Devil's Kettle" a large glacial kettle into which half of the Brule River disappears.
Kilen Woods State Park [40]	Jackson	548 acres (2.21 km²)	1945	Des Moines River		Park is on the Coteau des Prairies.
Lac qui Parle State Park [41]	Lac qui Parle and Chippewa	1055 acres (4.26 km²)	1959	Lac qui Parle, Minnesota and Lac qui Parle Rivers		Lac qui Parle is a widening in the Minnesota River, stopover for thousands of migrating waterfowl. Park contains 3 buildings on the NRHP.
Lake Bemidji State Park [42]	Beltrami	1726 acres (6.98 km²)	1923	Lake Bemidji		In addition to recreational lakeshore, the park features a boardwalk trail out into a spruce-tamarack bog.
Lake Bronson State Park [43]	Kittson	2808 acres (11.36 km²)	1937	Lake Bronson, South Branch Two Rivers		Hayes lake was created for the park, by damming the Two Rivers. In the Glacial Lake Agassiz lake bed. Park is on the NRHP.
Lake Carlos State Park [44]	Douglas	1236 acres (5.00 km²)	1937	Lake Carlos		Five buildings on the NRHP. In a hardwood transition zone between prairies and coniferous forest.
Lake Louise State Park [45]	Mower	1147 acres (4.64 km²)	1963	Lake Louise, Little Iowa River		Minnesota's oldest continuous recreation area. Lake Louise was created by damming the Little Iowa River.
Lake Maria State Park [46]	Wright	1614 acres (6.53 km²)	1963	Several kettle lakes		Lightly developed to provide a wilderness area near Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
Lake Shetek State Park [47]	Murray County	1108 acres (4.48 km²)	1937	Lake Shetek		Eight historic resources within the state park are on the NRHP. Located on the Coteau des Prairies, the park was once treeless prairie.
Maplewood State Park [48]	Otter Tail	9264 acres (37.49 km²)	1963	Several kettle lakes		The park preserves a pre-contact habitation site that was occupied in two different periods (650-900 CE and 1450-1650) in a forest/prairie transition zone.
McCarthy Beach State Park [49]	St. Louis	2471 acres (9.99 km²)	1945	Sturgeon and Side Lakes		''Highways' Magazine'' rated the beach on Sturgeon Lake one of the top 17 beaches in North America.
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park [50]	Mille Lacs	10554 acres (42.71 km²)	1957	Mille Lacs Lake, Rum River		Park contains 19 identified archaeological sites, the earliest site shows evidence of copper tool manufacture.
Minneopa State Park [51]	Blue Earth	2691 acres (10.89 km²)	1905	Minnesota River, Minneopa Creek		Contains Seppmann windmill which is on the NRHP. Minneopa Creek and its waterfalls are the the major features that attract visitors.
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area [52]	Hennepin, Dakota, Scott, Carver, Sibley, and Le Sueur	5501 acres (22.2 km²)	1969	Minnesota River		The sections of this non-contiguous park are interspersed with units of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the valley was formed by Glacial River Warren.
Monson Lake State Park [53]	Swift County	187 acres (0.75 km²)	1937	Monson and West Sunberg Lakes		Established as a memorial to settlers who died in the Dakota War of 1862.
Moose Lake State Park [54]	Carlton	1199 acres (4.85 km²)	1971	Moosehead and Echo Lakes		The Moose Lake Agate and Geological Interpretive Center is located in the park. Contains an exibition of Minnesota's state gemstone, the Lake Superior agate, and contains displays on rocks, minerals and geology of Minnesota.
Myre-Big Island State Park [55]	Freeborn	2028 acres (8.2 km²)	1947	Albert Lea Lake		Two islands protected from prairie fires by the surrounding water bear old growth hardwood forest. Has one of the largest collections of native artifacts in the state and is available for research. Formerly named Helmer Myre State Park.
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park [56]	Rice	2882 acres (11.6 km²)	1945	Prairie Creek		Preserves a remnant stand of Big Woods.
Old Mill State Park [57]	Marshall	287 acres (1.16 km²)	1951	Middle River		Eight buildings and structures, built by the WPA, are listed on the NRHP. Contains a steam-powered flour mill that is started up to grind flour once a year.
Red River State Recreation Area [58]	Polk	1230 acres (4.97 km²)	1997	Red River of the North and Red Lake River		Part of the Greater Grand Forks Greenway. After the 1997 Red River Flood approximately 500 homes and building were removed to make way for the greenway. The Greenway serves the dual purpose of holding back river waters during floods and providing recreational opportunities.
Rice Lake State Park [59]	Steele and Dodge	1071 acres (4.3 km²)	1963	Rice Lake		Shallow lake is a stopover for migrating waterfowl.
Saint Croix State Park [60]	Pine County	33895 acres (137.16 km²)	1943	St. Croix River		Originally the St. Croix Recreational Demonstration Area, the park was created from land too poor to farm. [8]
Sakatah Lake State Park [62]	Le Sueur and Rice	842 acres (3.4 km²)	1963	Sakatah Lake on the Cannon River		This parcel of hardwoods along the transition zone from forest to oak savanna was never logged.
Savanna Portage State Park [63]	Aitkin and St. Louis	15818 acres (64.01 km²)	1961	East and West Savanna Rivers, numerous kettle lakes		Was established as a state park in 1961 to preserve the historic Savanna Portage, a difficult six-mile trail connecting the West Savanna River and upper Mississippi River with the East Savanna River, St. Louis River, and Lake Superior. A continental divide, visible in the park, separates the West Savanna and East Savanna rivers, which flow in opposite directions.
Scenic State Park [64]	Itasca	3360 acres (13.59 km²)	1921	Sandwick and Coon Lakes		First park with a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.[9] Contains 10 CCC buildings.
Schoolcraft State Park [66]	Cass and Itasca	225 acres (0.91 km²)	1959	Mississippi River		Named after Henry Rowe Schoolcraft who charted the origins of the Mississippi river with an indian guide, Ozawindib. Contains virgin pine forest with some trees over 300 years old.
Sibley State Park [67]	Kandiyohi	2509 acres (10.15 km²)	1919	Lake Andrew and other kettle lakes		Named for Henry Hastings Sibley, the first governor of the state.
Soudan Underground Mine State Park [68]	St. Louis	1250 acres (5.05 km²)	1963	Lake Vermilion		Hosts the Soudan Underground Physics Laboratory High Energy Physics Lab which searches for Dark Matter. Tour of mine goes 2,341 feet down.
Split Rock Creek State Park [69]	Pipestone	1303 acres (5.27 km²)	1937	Split Rock Lake		Split Rock Lake, a human-made lake, is the largest body of water in Pipestone County. This park is located on the Coteau des Prairies
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park [70]	Lake	2200 acres (8.9 km²)	1945	Lake Superior		Lighthouse was commissioned in 1910, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States. Lighthouse is built on anorthosite, a remnant of ancient lava flows.
Temperance River State Park [71]	Cook	5059 acres (20.47 km²)	1957	Lake Superior and Temperance River		Named the Temperance River because there was no sand "bar" at its mouth.
Tettegouche State Park [72]	Lake	9562 acres (38.69 km²)	1979	Lake Superior and Baptism River		Park contains a 60 ft (18 m) tall waterfall, the tallest entirely within the state. Shovel Point and Palisade Head cliffs are popular for rock climbing.
Upper Sioux Agency State Park [73]	Yellow Medicine	1281 acres (5.18 km²)	1963	Minnesota and Yellow Medicine Rivers		Preserves the site of the historic Yellow Medicine Agency which was destroyed in the Dakota War of 1862.
Whitewater State Park [74]	Winona	2745 acres (11.1 km²)	1919	Whitewater River		Bald eagles remain year round. With adjacent Whitewater Wildlife Management Area the the park forms a flood buffer. Park is in the Driftless area
Wild River State Park [75]	Chisago	6767 acres (27.38 km²)	1973	St. Croix River		Named after the St. Croix's status as a National Wild and Scenic River.
William O'Brien State Park [76]	Washington	1620 acres (6.55 km²)	1947	St. Croix River		Provides outdoor recreation opportunities near Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
Zippel Bay State Park [77]	Lake of the Woods	2906 acres (11.76 km²)	1959	Lake of the Woods		Moose and Timberwolves can be seen at the park, formerly the site of a village.

{|style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"

Gallery

Former parks

Several units added to the Minnesota state park system over the years have since been redesignated or transferred to other agencies. In most cases this decision was due to the unit being too small for a state park with little chance of expansion, or largely local use rather than attracting visitors from all over the state and beyond.² A partial list follows:
{| class="wikitable" width="70%"
|-
! Name !! Established !! Redesignated !! Result
|-
| Alexander Ramsey State Park
| 1911
| 1957
| Transferred to Redwood Falls as a city park.^[10]
|-
| Caribou Falls State Park
| 1947
| 1969
| Redesignated a state scenic wayside.²
|-
| Horace Austin State Park
| 1913
| 1949
| Transferred to Austin as a city park.^[11]
|-
| Kaplan Woods State Park
| 1935
| 1963
| Part demolished to build a highway, remainder transferred to Owatonna as a city park.^[12]
|-
| Kodonce River State Park (also spelled Kadunce River)
| 1947
| 1969
| Redesignated a state scenic wayside.²
|-
| Little Elbow Lake State Park
| 1963
| 1989
| Transferred to White Earth Indian Reservation.²
|-
| Oronoco Park (later Oronoco State Scenic Reserve)
| 1937
| 1965
| Transferred to Olmsted County.^[13]
|-
| Pine Tree State Park
| 1947
| 1965
| Transferred to Blackduck as a city park.²
|-
| Sleepy Eye State Park
| 1921
| 1965
| Transferred to Sleepy Eye as a city park.²
|}

See also

★ List of U.S. national parks

References

1.
Itasca State Park National Register Listing
2. Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks., , Roy Willard, Meyer, Minnesota Historical Society Press, ,
3. All data comes from respective DNR webpage unless otherwise noted
4. [1]
5. [2] page 16
6. "Minnesota State Parks Guide 2007 2008." State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources, 2007.
7. [26]
8. [61]
9. [65]
10. Minn. Stat. sec. 810
11. Minn. Stat. sec. 812
12. Kaplan Woods Parkway
13. Minn. Stat. sec. 816

Further reading

★ Arthur, Anne. ''Minnesota's State Parks''. Adventure Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-885061-51-X

★ Meyer, Roy Willard. ''Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks''. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1991. ISBN 0-87351-266-9

External links

★ Minnesota State Parks on the Department of Natural Resources website

★ Minnesota Statute 85.012 State parks - statutory list

★ Minnesota State Park System - Legislative Auditor Report