Everything about List Of Minnesota State Parks totally explained
Map of State Parks of Minnesota
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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). Minnesota's state park system is the second oldest in the
United States, after
New York's.
Overview
Minnesota's state parks are spread across the state in such a way that there's a state park within 50 miles (80.5 km) of every Minnesotan. The most recent park created is
Big Bog State Recreation Area in 2006. A new park on
Lake Vermilion is under consideration
as of 2008.
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).
History
Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a 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.
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Year
founded||
Lake of the Woods|| || Formerly the site of a large garden created by Native Americans taught by
La Vérendrye who explored the area.
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||
George H. Crosby Manitou State Park||
(External Link
)||
Lake|| acres (27 km²)||1955||
Manitou River||||Park contains many undisturbed miles of
fir,
cedar,
spruce, and northern hardwoods. Park is geared towards
backpackers.
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||
Glacial Lakes State Park||
(External Link)||
Pope|| 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.
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||
Glendalough State Park||
(External Link)||
Otter Tail|| 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.
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||
Gooseberry Falls State Park||
(External Link)||
Lake|| 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.
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|
Grand Portage State Park||
(External Link)||
Cook || acres (1.12 km²)||1989||
Pigeon River||||Park contains a 120 foot (37 meter)
waterfall, the tallest in the state shared on a border.
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||
Great River Bluffs State Park ||
(External Link)||
Winona|| acres (12.4 km²)||1971||
Mississippi River||||Features high bluffs and steep "
goat prairies" Formerly named O.L. Kipp State Park.
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||
Hayes Lake State Park||
(External Link)||
Roseau|| 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.
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||
Hill-Annex Mine State Park||
(External Link)||
Itasca|| acres (2.57 km²)||1988||Filled pit mine|| || Well preserved historic mine buildings that are on the
National Register of Historic Places
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||
Interstate Park ||
(External Link)||
Chisago|| acres (1.2 km²)||1895||
St. Croix River||||This was the first park in the
United States to span two states (
Minnesota and
Wisconsin).
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||
Itasca State Park||
(External Link)||
Hubbard,
Clearwater, and
Becker || 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||
(External Link)||
Carlton|| acres (35.53 km²)||1915||
Saint Louis River ||||Features rustic style historical structures and swinging bridge built by the
CCC between 1933 and 1942.
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||
John A. Latsch State Park||
(External Link)||
Winona|| acres (7.57 km²) ||1925||
Mississippi River |||| Features three steep river bluffs named Faith, Hope, and Charity.
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||
Judge C. R. Magney State Park||
(External Link)||
Cook|| 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.
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||
Kilen Woods State Park ||
(External Link)||
Jackson|| acres (2.21 km²)||1945||
Des Moines River|||| Park is on the
Coteau des Prairies.
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||
Lac qui Parle State Park ||
(External Link)||
Lac qui Parle and
Chippewa|| 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.
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||
Lake Bemidji State Park||
(External Link)||
Beltrami|| 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 ||
(External Link)||
Kittson|| 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||
(External Link)||
Douglas || 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||
(External Link)||
Mower|| 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.
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||
Lake Maria State Park ||
(External Link) ||
Wright || acres (6.53 km²) || 1963 || Several
kettle lakes |||| Lightly developed to provide a wilderness area near
Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
|--
||
Lake Shetek State Park||
(External Link)||
Murray County|| 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 ||
(External Link)||
Otter Tail|| 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.
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||
McCarthy Beach State Park||
(External Link)||
St. Louis|| 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.
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||
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park||
(External Link)||
Mille Lacs|| 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.
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||
Minneopa State Park||
(External Link)||
Blue Earth || 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.
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||
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area ||
(External Link)||
Hennepin,
Dakota,
Scott,
Carver,
Sibley, and
Le Sueur|| 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.
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||
Monson Lake State Park||
(External Link)||
Swift County|| acres (0.75 km²) ||1937||Monson and West Sunberg Lakes||||Established as a memorial to settlers who died in the
Dakota War of 1862.
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||
Moose Lake State Park||
(External Link)||
Carlton || 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 ||
(External Link)||
Freeborn|| 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 ||
(External Link)||
Rice || acres (11.6 km²) ||1945|| Prairie Creek |||| Preserves a remnant stand of
Big Woods.
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||
Old Mill State Park||
(External Link)||
Marshall|| 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's started up to grind flour once a year.
|--
||
Red River State Recreation Area||
(External Link)||
Polk|| 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||
(External Link)||
Steele and
Dodge|| acres (4.3 km²) ||1963||Rice Lake||||Shallow lake is a stopover for migrating waterfowl.
|--
||
Saint Croix State Park||
(External Link)||
Pine County|| 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. 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.
|--
||
Sakatah Lake State Park||
(External Link)||
Le Sueur and
Rice|| 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||
(External Link)||
Aitkin and
St. Louis|| 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||
(External Link)||
Itasca|| acres (13.59 km²)||1921|| Sandwick and Coon Lakes ||||First park with a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Contains 10 CCC buildings.
|--
||
Schoolcraft State Park||
(External Link)||
Cass and
Itasca|| 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||
(External Link)||
Kandiyohi|| 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||
(External Link)||
St. Louis|| acres (5.05 km²)||1963||
Lake Vermilion ||||Minnesota's oldest, deepest, and richest iron mine. The tour of the mine goes 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||
(External Link)||
Pipestone|| 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||
(External Link)||
Lake|| 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||
(External Link)||
Cook|| 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||
(External Link)||
Lake|| 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||
(External Link)||
Yellow Medicine|| 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||
(External Link)||
Winona|| 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||
(External Link)||
Chisago|| 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||
(External Link)||
Washington|| acres (6.55 km²) ||1947||
St. Croix River |||| Provides outdoor recreation opportunities near
Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
|--
||
Zippel Bay State Park||
(External Link)||
Lake of the Woods|| acres (11.76 km²)||1959||
Lake of the Woods ||||
Moose and
Timberwolves can be seen at the park, formerly the site of a village.
|--
|}
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.
|-
| Caribou Falls State Park
| 1947
| 1969
| Redesignated a state scenic wayside.
|-
| Kaplan Woods State Park
| 1935
| 1963
| Part demolished to build a highway, remainder transferred to
Owatonna as a city park.
|-
| Kodonce River State Park (also spelled Kadunce River)
| 1947
| 1969
| Redesignated a state scenic wayside.
|-
| Pine Tree State Park
| 1947
| 1965
| Transferred to
Blackduck as a city park.
|-
| Sleepy Eye State Park
| 1921
| 1965
| Transferred to
Sleepy Eye as a city park.
|-
|
Traverse des Sioux State Park
|
| 1981
| Transferred to
Minnesota Historical Society and city of
Saint Peter.
|}
Further Information
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