List of Minnesota state parks
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This is a list of Minnesota state parks in the Minnesota state park system. 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. The Minnesota State Park system consists of 72 state parks, eight state waysides, one state trail, and 54 state forest campgrounds and day use areas, totaling approximately 267,000 acres (1,052.18 km²).[1][2] The 72 state parks are 66 state parks and six state recreation areas. 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."[3] Minnesota's state park system is the second oldest in the United States, after New York's.[4]
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[edit] Overview
Minnesota's state parks are spread across the state in such a way that there is a state park within 50 miles (80.5 km) of every Minnesotan.[5] The most recent park created is Big Bog State Recreation Area in 2006.[6] A new park on Lake Vermilion is under consideration as of 2008.[7][2] Currently the 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).
 birthplace of the Mississippi River |
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[edit] History
Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a 173-acre (0.70 km²) 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.[4]
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. Interstate Park on the St. Croix River 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.[4] In 1971 the department became the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
 the Round Tower |
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 Charles Lindbergh House |
[edit] List of Minnesota state parks
| Park Name | Site | County or Counties | Area in acres (km²)[8] | Year founded[4] |
Body of Water | Coordinates | Remarks[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afton State Park | [1] | Washington | 1,695 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 | [2] | Pine | 6,201 acres (25.09 km²) | 1963 | Kettle River | Park contains of 1.5 miles (2.41 km) of whitewater rapids and an historic quarry. | |
| Bear Head Lake State Park | [3] | St. Louis | 4,523 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 | [4] | Houston | 1,187 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 | [5] | Beltrami | 9,459 acres (38.28 km²) | 2006 | Red Lake | The Big Bog, the largest peatland in the Lower U.S.[6], sits on the southeast side of glacial Lake Agassiz. | |
| Big Stone Lake State Park | [7] | 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 | [8] | Rock | 1,826 acres (7.39 km²) | 1937 | Mound Creek | The park is named after a linear escarpment of Precambrian quartzite bedrock. | |
| Buffalo River State Park | [9] | Clay | 1,322 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 | [10] | Lyon | 2,245 acres (9.09 km²) | 1935 | Redwood River | Thirteen buildings and structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. | |
| Carley State Park | [11] | 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 | [12] | Cook | 5,050 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 | [13] | 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 | [14] | Crow Wing, Cass, and Morrison | 3,119 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 | [15] | Crow Wing | 2,773 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 | [16] | 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 | [17] | Brown | 1,006 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 | [18] | Fillmore | 3,170 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 | [19] | Nicollet and Renville | 1,040 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 | [20] | Ramsey, Hennepin, and Dakota | 2,931 acres (11.86 km²) | 1961 | Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers | Park contains historic Fort Snelling, which was built in 1819. | |
| Franz Jevne State Park | [21] | 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 | [22] | Goodhue | 2,300 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 | [23] | Lake of the Woods | 734 acres (2.97 km²) | 1998[9] | 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 | [24] | Lake | 6,682 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 | [25] | Pope | 2,423 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 | [26] | Otter Tail | 1,931 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 | [27] | Lake | 1,687 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 | [28] | 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 | [29] | Winona | 3,067 acres (12.4 km²) | 1971 | Mississippi River | Features 500-foot (150 m) high bluffs and steep "goat prairies" Formerly named O.L. Kipp State Park. | |
| Hayes Lake State Park | [30] | Roseau | 2,958 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 | [31] | 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 | [32] | 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 | [33] | Hubbard, Clearwater, and Becker | 32,690 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 | [34] | Carlton | 8,781 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 | [35] | Winona | 1,871 acres (7.57 km²) | 1925 | Mississippi River | Features three steep river bluffs named Faith, Hope, and Charity. | |
| Judge C. R. Magney State Park | [36] | Cook | 4,643 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 | [37] | Jackson | 548 acres (2.21 km²) | 1945 | Des Moines River | Park is on the Coteau des Prairies. | |
| Lac qui Parle State Park | [38] | Lac qui Parle and Chippewa | 1,055 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 | [39] | Beltrami | 1,726 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 | [40] | Kittson | 2,808 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 | [41] | Douglas | 1,236 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 | [42] | Mower | 1,147 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 | [43] | Wright | 1,614 acres (6.53 km²) | 1963 | Several kettle lakes | Lightly developed to provide a wilderness area near Minneapolis-Saint Paul. | |
| Lake Shetek State Park | [44] | Murray County | 1,108 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 | [45] | Otter Tail | 9,264 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 | [46] | St. Louis | 2,471 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 | [47] | Mille Lacs | 10,554 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. The Kathio site is a National Historic Landmark. | |
| Minneopa State Park | [48] | Blue Earth | 2,691 acres (10.89 km²) | 1905 | Minnesota River, Minneopa Creek | Contains Seppmann windmill which is on the NRHP. Minneopa Creek and its waterfalls are the major features that attract visitors. | |
| Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area | [49] | Hennepin, Dakota, Scott, Carver, Sibley, and Le Sueur | 5,501 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 formed by Glacial River Warren. | |
| Monson Lake State Park | [50] | 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 | [51] | Carlton | 1,199 acres (4.85 km²) | 1971 | Moosehead and Echo Lakes | The Moose Lake Agate and Geological Interpretive Center is located in the park. Contains an exhibition of Minnesota's state gemstone, the Lake Superior agate, and contains displays on rocks, minerals and geology of Minnesota. | |
| Myre-Big Island State Park | [52] | Freeborn | 2,028 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 | [53] | Rice | 2,882 acres (11.6 km²) | 1945 | Prairie Creek | Preserves a remnant stand of Big Woods. | |
| Old Mill State Park | [54] | 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 | [55] | Polk | 1,230 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 buildings 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 | [56] | Steele and Dodge | 1,071 acres (4.3 km²) | 1963 | Rice Lake | Shallow lake is a stopover for migrating waterfowl. | |
| Saint Croix State Park | [57] | Pine County | 33,895 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.[10] It is listed as a National Historic Landmark as the largest and one of the best examples of recreational demonstration area planning during the Depression.[11] | |
| Sakatah Lake State Park | [58] | 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 | [59] | Aitkin and St. Louis | 15,818 acres (64.01 km²) | 1961 | East and West Savanna Rivers, numerous kettle lakes | Established as a state park in 1961 to preserve the historic Savanna Portage, a difficult six-mile (10 km) 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 | [60] | Itasca | 3,360 acres (13.59 km²) | 1921 | Sandwick and Coon Lakes | First park with a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.[12] Contains 10 CCC buildings. | |
| Schoolcraft State Park | [61] | 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 | [62] | Kandiyohi | 2,509 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 | [63] | St. Louis | 1,250 acres (5.05 km²) | 1963 | Lake Vermilion | Minnesota's oldest, deepest, and richest iron mine. The tour of the mine goes 2,341 feet (714 m) below the earth's surface. Hosts the Soudan Underground Physics Laboratory High Energy Physics Lab which searches for Dark Matter. | |
| Split Rock Creek State Park | [64] | Pipestone | 1,303 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 | [65] | Lake | 2,200 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 | [66] | Cook | 5,059 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 | [67] | Lake | 9,562 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 | [68] | Yellow Medicine | 1,281 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 | [69] | Winona | 2,745 acres (11.1 km²) | 1919 | Whitewater River | Bald eagles remain year round. With adjacent Whitewater Wildlife Management Area the park forms a flood buffer. Park is in the Driftless area | |
| Wild River State Park | [70] | Chisago | 6,767 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 | [71] | Washington | 1,620 acres (6.55 km²) | 1947 | St. Croix River | Provides outdoor recreation opportunities near Minneapolis-Saint Paul. | |
| Zippel Bay State Park | [72] | Lake of the Woods | 2,906 acres (11.76 km²) | 1959 | Lake of the Woods | Moose and Timberwolves can be seen at the park, formerly the site of a village. |
[edit] 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.[4] A partial list follows:
| Name | Established | Redesignated | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Ramsey State Park | 1911 | 1957 | Transferred to Redwood Falls as a city park.[13] |
| Caribou Falls State Park | 1947 | 1969 | Redesignated a state scenic wayside.[4] |
| Horace Austin State Park | 1913 | 1949 | Transferred to Austin as a city park.[14] |
| Kaplan Woods State Park | 1935 | 1963 | Part demolished to build a highway, remainder transferred to Owatonna as a city park.[15] |
| Kodonce River State Park (also spelled Kadunce River) | 1947 | 1969 | Redesignated a state scenic wayside.[4] |
| Little Elbow Lake State Park | 1963 | 1989 | Transferred to White Earth Indian Reservation.[4] |
| Oronoco Park (later Oronoco State Scenic Reserve) | 1937 | 1965 | Transferred to Olmsted County.[16] |
| Pine Tree State Park | 1947 | 1965 | Transferred to Blackduck as a city park.[4] |
| Sleepy Eye State Park | 1921 | 1965 | Transferred to Sleepy Eye as a city park.[4] |
| Traverse des Sioux State Park | 1981 | Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society and city of Saint Peter.[4] |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Welcome to Minnesota State Parks. Minnesota DNR (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ a b Gov. Pawlenty announces plan to create a new state park on Lake Vermilion. News Releases. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (2007-07-17). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Itasca State Park National Register Listing. Minnesota Historical Society (May 1973; May 1992 update). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Meyer, Roy Willard (1991). Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks. Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87351-266-9.
- ^ Minnesota Traveler. Minnesota State Parks Newsletter. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Summer 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-22., p. 16.
- ^ a b All data come from respective DNR webpage unless otherwise noted.
- ^ Proposed Lake Vermilion State Park. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ "Minnesota State Parks Guide 2007 2008." State of Minnesota, Department of Natural Resources, 2007.
- ^ Garden Island State Recreation Area. Maps/ State Parks. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (March 2001). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Chapter 4: Up North: The Development of Recreation in the St. Croix Valley. St. Croix Riverway. Time and the River: A History of the Saint Croix. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (2002-10-17). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ National Historic Landmarks Program: St. Croix Recreational Demonstration Area. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ Scenic State Park. Rustic Style Resources in Minnesota State Parks. Minnesota Historical Society (2001). Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ 1957 Minn. Laws ch. 230. 2006 Minnesota Statutes sec. 810. Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ 1949 Minn. Laws ch. 425, sec. 1; 1959 Minn. Laws ch. 4, secs. 1,2. 2006 Minnesota Statutes sec. 812. Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ Kaplan Woods Parkway. Parks & Recreation. City of Owatonna. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
- ^ 1965 Minn. Laws ch. 810, sec. 9. 2006 Minnesota Statutes sec. 816. Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Retrieved on 2007-09-22.
[edit] 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
[edit] External links
- Minnesota State Parks on the Department of Natural Resources website
- 2006 Minnesota Statute sec. 85.012 State parks—statutory list
- Minnesota State Park System—Legislative Auditor Report
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