List of Minnesota state parks





Map of State Parks of Minnesota
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This is a list of Minnesota state parks. There are 67 state parks, nine state recreation areas, nine state waysides, and 23 state trails in the Minnesota state park system, totaling approximately. 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. 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." Minnesota's state park system is the second oldest in the United States, after New York's.
Minnesota's state parks are spread across the state in such a way that there is a state park within of every Minnesotan. The most recent park created is Lake Vermilion State Park, created in 2010. The parks range in size from Franz Jevne State Park with to Saint Croix State Park with. Two parks include resources listed as National Natural Landmarks and six parks encompass National Historic Landmarks. 52 sites or districts across 34 Minnesota state parks are on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 parks with developments constructed by New Deal-era job creation programs in the 1930s.

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.
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 P. 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. In 1971, the department became the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The state parks were closed for almost three weeks in July 2011 due to a shutdown of the state government.

State parks and recreation areas

State waysides

The state park system includes nine waysides, most of them along Minnesota State Highway 61 on the North Shore. These are parcels of land too small to be full-fledged parks, but with cultural or natural resources greater than would be overseen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as highway waysides. Generally development is limited to a parking area and a short trail; sometimes there are sanitation facilities and picnic tables as well.
Wayside nameCountyDate establishedCoordinatesRemarksImage
Caribou Falls State WaysideLake1947Includes a waterfall on the Caribou River. Formerly Caribou Falls State Park.
Devils Track Falls State WaysideCook1961A nearly inaccessible gorge on the Devil Track River within Superior National Forest. Formerly Devils Track Falls State Park.
Flood Bay State WaysideLake1965A rocky Lake Superior beach just outside Two Harbors.
Inspiration Peak State WaysideOtter Tail1931The highest point of the Leaf Hills Moraines.
Joseph R. Brown State WaysideRenville1937The ruins of Joseph R. Brown's three-story mansion, destroyed during the Dakota War of 1862. The ruins are on the NRHP.
Kadunce River State WaysideCook1947Lake Superior shoreline around the mouth of the variably spelled Kadunce River. Formerly Kodonce River State Park.
Ray Berglund State WaysideCook1951A memorial at the mouth of the Onion River to a St. Paul businessman and conservationist, on land donated by his friends.
St. Croix Boom Site State WaysideWashington2016Commemorates the site of a log boom where timber was sorted. Became a state wayside in 2016 following a facelift of facilities formerly owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Sam Brown Memorial State WaysideTraverse1929Created to honor Joseph R. Brown's son Samuel J. Brown, "the Paul Revere of the West," who rode through a storm on April 19, 1866 to warn of an expected Dakota attack. Formerly Sam Brown State Park.

State trails

Future trails

Since Minnesota state parks and trails are authorized by the state legislature, some trails have been established in state statute, yet no usable mileage has been constructed.
Trail nameSouth/West terminusNorth/East terminusRemarks
Camp Ripley/Veterans State TrailLittle FallsCrow Wing State ParkA segment is planned to split to the west of Camp Ripley and serve Pillager. Planned to connect the Soo Line Off-Highway Vehicle Trail with the Paul Bunyan State Trail.
Des Moines River Valley State TrailIowa border in Jackson CountyCasey Jones State Trail in Murray CountyPlanned to connect with the Iowa Great Lakes regional trail in Mini-Wakan State Park. Also planned to go through Kilen Woods State Park.
Minnesota River State TrailBig Stone Lake State ParkLe SueurPlanned to connect with the Minnesota Valley State Trail in Le Sueur.
Mississippi Blufflands State TrailLake CityRed WingTo connect with the Cannon Valley Trail and the Rattlesnake Bluff Trail.
Prairie Wildflower State TrailAustinFaribaultTo follow an abandoned railroad grade.
Stagecoach State TrailOwatonnaRochesterTo pass through Rice Lake State Park on the historic Stagecoach Trail.
Superior Vista State TrailDuluthTwo HarborsTo follow the Lake Superior shoreline via abandoned railroad grades.

Former parks

Several units added to the Minnesota state park system over the years have since been redesignated or transferred to other agencies, including the system's very first unit, Camp Release State Memorial Wayside, created in 1889. In most cases these decisions were 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. Four of these units were redesignated as state waysides and are listed above. The other former units were:
Former nameDate
established		Date
redesignated		ResultImage
Alexander Ramsey State Park19111957Transferred to Redwood Falls as a city park.
Birch Cooley Battle Field State Memorial Park19291976Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society.
Camp Release State Memorial Wayside18891975Redesignated Camp Release State Monument.
Chippewa Mission State Memorial Wayside19311973Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society.
Horace Austin State Park19131949Transferred to Austin as a city park.
Garvin Heights State Park19221961Transferred to Winona as a city park.
Kaplan Woods State Park19351963Part demolished to build a highway, remainder transferred to Owatonna as a city park.
Little Elbow Lake State Park19631989Transferred to White Earth Indian Reservation.
Old Crossing Treaty Historic Wayside19311987Parts transferred to Red Lake County and University of Minnesota Crookston, remainder added to Huot Wildlife Management Area.
Oronoco Park 19371965Transferred to Olmsted County.
Pine Tree State Park19471965Transferred to Blackduck as a city park.
Pomme de Terre Recreational Reserve19371965Transferred to Morris as a city park.
Sleepy Eye State Park19211965Transferred to Sleepy Eye as a city park.
Toqua Lakes State Park19211965Transferred to Big Stone County as a county park.
Traverse des Sioux State Park19051981Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society and city of St. Peter.
Watson State Wayside19411959Transferred to Watson as a city park.