List of Minnesota state parks

Map of State Parks of Minnesota
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There are 64 state parks, nine state recreation areas, nine state waysides, and 23 state trails in the Minnesota state park system, totaling approximately Template:Convert.<ref name="DNR">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="VermNews">Template:Cite web</ref> 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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Minnesota's state park system is the second oldest in the United States, after New York's.<ref name="Meyer">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp

Minnesota's state parks are spread across the state in such a way that there is a state park within Template:Convert of every Minnesotan.<ref>Template:Cite web, p. 16.</ref> The most recent park created is Lake Vermilion State Park, created in 2010. The parks range in size from Franz Jevne State Park with Template:Convert to Saint Croix State Park with Template:Convert. Two parks include resources listed as National Natural Landmarks (Big Bog State Recreation Area and Itasca State Park) and six parks encompass National Historic Landmarks (Charles A. Lindbergh, Fort Snelling, Mille Lacs Kathio, St. Croix, Soudan Underground Mine, and Split Rock Lighthouse State Parks). 52 sites or districts across 34 Minnesota state parks are on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), including 22 parks with developments constructed by New Deal-era job creation programs in the 1930s.<ref name=MNRP>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a Template:Convert 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.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp

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 (CCC).<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1971, the department became the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

Park name	County or Counties	Size<ref name="Guide">Template:Citation</ref>		Year Established<ref name="Meyer" />	Water Body(s)	Coordinates	Remarks	Image
		acres	ha
Afton State Park	Washington	Template:Convert	1969	St. Croix River	Template:Coord	Lies on a glacial moraine with deep ravines that drop Template:Convert down to the St. Croix River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:AftonStateParkStCroixRiver.jpg
Banning State Park	Pine	Template:Convert	1963	Kettle River	Template:Coord	Contains Template:Convert of whitewater rapids and the remains of a historic quarry operation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:BanningStateParkWolfCreekFalls.jpg
Bear Head Lake State Park	St. Louis	Template:Convert	1961	Bear Head Lake	Template:Coord	Provides road access and modern camping facilities in an environment similar to the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>	File:Bear Head Lake State Park.JPG
Beaver Creek Valley State Park	Houston	Template:Convert	1937	East Beaver Creek	Template:Coord	Showcases the rugged topography of the Driftless Area in a narrow valley carved by a trout stream.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:BeaverCreekValleyStatePark1.jpg
Big Bog State Recreation Area	Beltrami	Template:Convert	2000<ref name="Guide" />	Red Lake, Tamarac River	Template:Coord	Encompasses part of the largest peatland in the Lower 48 states (a National Natural Landmark) and a prime walleye fishery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Big Bog State Recreation Area.jpg
Big Stone Lake State Park	Big Stone	Template:Convert	1961	Big Stone Lake	Template:Coord	Protects two sections of shoreline on Big Stone Lake, the source of the Minnesota River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Big Stone Lake fishing dock.JPG
Blue Mounds State Park	Rock	Template:Convert	1937	Mound Creek	Template:Coord	Protects an escarpment of Sioux Quartzite and Minnesota's only public bison herd.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:BlueMoundsStatePark.jpg
Buffalo River State Park	Clay	Template:Convert	1937	Buffalo River	Template:Coord	Preserves part of one of the state's largest and best tallgrass prairies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Buffalo River State Park MN.jpg
Camden State Park	Lyon	Template:Convert	1935	Redwood River	Template:Coord	Preserves a forested river valley in the midst of prairie and farm country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A district of VCC and WPA structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Redwood River Camden.jpg
Carley State Park	Wabasha	Template:Convert	1949	Whitewater River	Template:Coord	Donated by State Senator James A. Carley to protect a stand of white pines. Used as an overflow campground for nearby Whitewater State Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:CarleyStateParkMinnesota2006-08.JPG
Cascade River State Park	Cook	Template:Convert	1957	Lake Superior and Cascade River	Template:Coord	Stretches along Template:Convert of Lake Superior coastline in land rehabilitated after construction of Minnesota State Highway 61.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A WPA highway wayside is on the NRHP.<ref name=MNRP />	File:CascadeParkMN arf (2).JPG
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park	Morrison	Template:Convert	1931	Mississippi River	Template:Coord	Contains the restored home of Congressman Charles August Lindbergh and his son Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The house is a National Historic Landmark, and a district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:CharlesLindberghHouse.jpg
Crow Wing State Park	Crow Wing, Cass, and Morrison	Template:Convert	1959	Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers	Template:Coord	Interprets the site of Old Crow Wing, an important town and trading center in the mid-19th century. The town site and a section of the Red River Trails are both on the NRHP.<ref name=MNRP /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:CrowWingStateParkBeaulieauHouse.jpg
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area	Crow Wing	Template:Convert	1993	Chain of small lakes and streams, filled pit mines	Template:Coord	In development as the land is rehabilitated from open-pit iron mining. Includes Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake, the state's deepest lake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area Switchback Trail.jpg
Father Hennepin State Park	Mille Lacs	Template:Convert	1941	Mille Lacs Lake	Template:Coord	Provides lakeside recreation in the region visited by Father Louis Hennepin during a French expedition in 1680.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Father Hennepin MNSP Marsh.JPG
Flandrau State Park	Brown	Template:Convert	1937	Cottonwood River	Template:Coord	Created to provide water recreation near New Ulm.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Entire park is a district of CCC and WPA structures on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:FlandrauStateParkBeachHouse.jpg
Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park	Fillmore	Template:Convert	1963	South Branch Root River and tributaries	Template:Coord	Encompasses the historic townsite of Forestville, the state's longest explored cave, and three blue-ribbon trout streams.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:ForestvilleMNbridge.jpg
Fort Ridgely State Park	Nicollet and Renville	Template:Convert	1911	Fort Ridgely Creek	Template:Coord	Surrounds Fort Ridgely, site of the Battle of Fort Ridgely during the Dakota War of 1862. The fort and a large district of CCC structures are both on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:FortRidgely1.jpg
Fort Snelling State Park	Ramsey, Hennepin, and Dakota	Template:Convert	1961	Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers	Template:Coord	Contains historic Fort Snelling, built in 1819, and floodplain forest in the heart of Minneapolis – Saint Paul. The fort is a National Historic Landmark and the entire park is part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Fort Snelling Round Tower.JPG
Franz Jevne State Park	Koochiching	Template:Convert	1967	Rainy River	Template:Coord	Features scenic property on the Canada–United States border, donated by the sons of Franz Jevne, a lawyer, on the condition that the park be named after their father.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Franz Jevne State Park - Rainy River, Minnesota US-Canada Border.jpg
Frontenac State Park	Goodhue	Template:Convert	1957	Lake Pepin on Mississippi River	Template:Coord	Attracts 260 species of year-round and migrant birds with its variety of habitats. Includes a natural arch atop a Template:Convert bluff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Mississippi River w Lake Pepin in background at Frontenac State Park.jpg
Garden Island State Recreation Area	Lake of the Woods	Template:Convert	1998<ref name="Guide" />	Lake of the Woods	Template:Coord	Comprises a nearly undeveloped island, Template:Convert from the closest mainland marinas, that once bore Native American gardens.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
George H. Crosby Manitou State Park	Lake	Template:Convert	1955	Manitou River	Template:Coord	Contains undeveloped North Woods wilderness geared towards backpackers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:George H. Crosby-Manitou State Park WMRT.jpg
Glacial Lakes State Park	Pope	Template:Convert	1963	Several kettle lakes	Template:Coord	Preserves rolling tallgrass prairie amidst the glacial landforms of the Leaf Hills Moraines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:GlacialLakesStatePark.jpg
Glendalough State Park	Otter Tail	Template:Convert	1991<ref name="Guide" />	Six kettle lakes	Template:Coord	Developed from the former private retreat and game farm of the owners of the Star Tribune newspaper, with a heritage fishery of large game fish.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:GlendaloughStatePark.jpg
Gooseberry Falls State Park	Lake	Template:Convert	1937	Lake Superior, Gooseberry River	Template:Coord	Serves as the gateway to the scenic North Shore. Features five waterfalls, an agate beach, and a large district of CCC structures on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Gooseberry Falls State Park 2.JPG
Grand Portage State Park	Cook	Template:Convert	1989	Pigeon River	Template:Coord	Features a Template:Convert waterfall, Minnesota's tallest, on the Canada–United States border. Co-managed with the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, the only state – tribal collaboration of a U.S. state park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:HighFallsPigeonRiver.jpg
Great River Bluffs State Park	Winona	Template:Convert	1963<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Mississippi River	Template:Coord	Features Template:Convert bluffs and steep goat prairies. Formerly named O.L. Kipp State Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:KingsAndQueensBluffs.jpg
Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area	Meeker	Template:Convert	2004	Greenleaf and Sioux Lakes	Template:Coord	In development and open for limited day-use recreation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area.jpg
Hayes Lake State Park	Roseau	Template:Convert	1967	Hayes Lake, North Fork Roseau River	Template:Coord	Provides fishing and swimming opportunities in an exclusively recreational reservoir free of agricultural runoff or water level fluctuations for irrigation or power generation.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:Hayes Lake Bog Boardwalk Hayes Lake State Park Minnesota (36305896241).jpg
Interstate State Park	Chisago	Template:Convert	1895	St. Croix River	Template:Coord	Created in conjunction with a state park in Wisconsin to protect a basalt gorge and glacial potholes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two districts of CCC and WPA structures are on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Dalles Of St Croix.jpg
Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area	St. Louis	Template:Convert	2002	Lake Ore-be-gone	Template:Coord	Provides Template:Convert of trails for off highway vehicles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation Area, Minnesota (28064197648).jpg
Itasca State Park	Hubbard, Clearwater, and Becker	Template:Convert	1891	Lake Itasca	Template:Coord	Minnesota's oldest state park, which preserves the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The entire park and an individual archaeological site are on the NRHP, and a subsection is a National Natural Landmark.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Mississippi River at Itasca.jpg
Jay Cooke State Park	Carlton	Template:Convert	1915	Saint Louis River	Template:Coord	Showcases a rocky, whitewater-strewn river churning through the North Woods.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Three districts of CCC and WPA structures and a long-used portage route are on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:JayCookeStatePark1.jpg
John A. Latsch State Park	Winona	Template:Convert	1925	Mississippi River	Template:Coord	Features three steep river bluffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:John A. Latsch State Park overlook.jpg
Judge C. R. Magney State Park	Cook	Template:Convert	1957	Lake Superior, Brule River	Template:Coord	Contains the Devil's Kettle, a large glacial kettle into which half of the Brule River disappears.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:JudgeCRMagneyStateParkDevilsKettleFalls.jpg,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Kilen Woods State Park	Jackson	Template:Convert	1945	Des Moines River	Template:Coord	Preserves a riverside parcel of forested hills on the Coteau des Prairies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Kilen Woods State Park overlook.JPG
La Salle Lake State Recreation Area	Hubbard	Template:Convert	2011	Mississippi River, La Salle Lake	Template:Coord	In development around the second-deepest lake in Minnesota.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:La Salle Lake State Recreation Area.JPG
Lac qui Parle State Park	Lac qui Parle and Chippewa	Template:Convert	1959	Lac qui Parle, Minnesota and Lac qui Parle Rivers	Template:Coord	Attracts thousands of migrating waterfowl, earning it the name "Lake that Speaks."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A district of WPA buildings is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Lac qui Parle.jpg
Lake Bemidji State Park	Beltrami	Template:Convert	1923	Lake Bemidji	Template:Coord	Features a recreational lakeshore and a spruce-tamarack bog.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A district of CCC and National Youth Administration structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:BemidjiStatePark-HiddenLake.jpg
Lake Bronson State Park	Kittson	Template:Convert	1937	Lake Bronson, South Branch Two Rivers	Template:Coord	Features a reservoir created during a drought in the 1930s. A district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:LakeBronsonStateParkTower.jpg
Lake Carlos State Park	Douglas	Template:Convert	1937	Lake Carlos	Template:Coord	Preserves diverse habitats from prairie to hardwood forest to tamarack bog in a transition zone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two districts of WPA structures are on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:LakeCarlosStatePark.jpg
Lake Louise State Park	Mower	Template:Convert	1963	Lake Louise, Upper and Little Iowa Rivers	Template:Coord	Features a reservoir surrounded by oak savanna and patches of hardwood forest. Minnesota's oldest continuous recreation area, formerly a town park since the 1860s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Lake Louise State Park.jpg
Lake Maria State Park	Wright	Template:Convert	1963	Several kettle lakes	Template:Coord	Provides a lightly developed wilderness area near Minneapolis – Saint Paul in a morainal landscape of Big Woods.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:LakeMariaStateParkBjorklandLake.jpg
Lake Shetek State Park	Murray County	Template:Convert	1937	Lake Shetek	Template:Coord	Features remnants of pioneer history around the largest lake in southwestern Minnesota.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Two districts of WPA structures are on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Lake Shetek causeway.JPG
Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park	St. Louis	Template:Convert<ref name="Guide" />	2010<ref name="Guide" />	Lake Vermilion	Template:Coord	Recently purchased and in development on the fifth-largest lake in Minnesota.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Lake Vermilion State Park Overlook.jpg
Maplewood State Park	Otter Tail	Template:Convert	1963	Several kettle lakes	Template:Coord	Preserves a forest/prairie transition zone in the Leaf Hills Moraines.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Native American archaeological site is on the NRHP.	File:Maplewoodstatepark.jpg
McCarthy Beach State Park	St. Louis	Template:Convert	1945	Sturgeon and Side Lakes	Template:Coord	Features a Template:Convert beach on an isthmus between two lakes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:McCarthyBeachStatePark.jpg
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park	Mille Lacs	Template:Convert	1957	Mille Lacs Lake, Rum River	Template:Coord	Preserves 19 identified archaeological sites dating back 9000 years. The entire park is a National Historic Landmark and four sites are individually listed on the NRHP.<ref name=MNRP /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Millelacs.jpg
Minneopa State Park	Blue Earth	Template:Convert	1905	Minnesota River, Minneopa Creek	Template:Coord	Showcases the largest waterfall in southern Minnesota. The 1864 Seppman Mill and a district of WPA structures are each on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:MinneopaFalls2010.jpg
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area	Hennepin, Dakota, Scott, Carver, Sibley, and Le Sueur	Template:Convert	1969	Minnesota River	Template:Coord	Comprises non-contiguous sections interspersed with units of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the valley formed by Glacial River Warren.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:MinnesotaRiver1.jpg
Monson Lake State Park	Swift	Template:Convert	1937	Monson and West Sunberg Lakes	Template:Coord	Established as a memorial to settlers who died in the Dakota War of 1862.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A district of CCC and WPA structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Broberg Cabin Cellar Hole.jpg
Moose Lake State Park	Carlton	Template:Convert	1971	Moosehead and Echo Lakes	Template:Coord	Provides water recreation and an exhibit hall on Lake Superior agates (the state gemstone) and the geology of Minnesota.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Moose Lake Agate and Geological Interpretive Center.jpg
Myre-Big Island State Park	Freeborn	Template:Convert	1947	Albert Lea Lake	Template:Coord	Features two islands with old growth hardwood forest since they were out of reach of prairie fires. Also houses one of the state's largest research collections of Native American artifacts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Myre-Big Island State Park.jpg
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park	Rice	Template:Convert	1945	Prairie Creek	Template:Coord	Preserves a remnant stand of Big Woods.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Nerstrand Big Woods SP-HiddenFalls.JPG
Old Mill State Park	Marshall	Template:Convert	1951	Middle River	Template:Coord	Features two mills and a log cabin from the late 19th Century.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Larson Mill and a district of WPA structures are each on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Larson Mill.jpg
Red River State Recreation Area	Polk	Template:Convert	1997	Red River of the North and Red Lake River	Template:Coord	Reclaims land devastated by the 1997 Red River flood as part of the Greater Grand Forks Greenway, which serves the dual purpose of holding back river waters during floods and providing recreational opportunities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Red River State Recreation Area.JPG
Rice Lake State Park	Steele and Dodge	Template:Convert	1963	Rice Lake	Template:Coord	Surrounds a shallow lake which attracts migrating waterfowl.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:RiceLakeStateParkMN.jpg
St. Croix Islands State Recreation Area	Washington	Template:Convert	1935	St. Croix River	Template:Coord	Comprises five islands near the St. Croix Boom Site that came under state control but were never developed. Leased to the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:St. Croix Islands and Boom Site.JPG
St. Croix State Park	Pine	Template:Convert	1943	St. Croix River	Template:Coord	Developed as a Recreational Demonstration Area by the CCC and the WPA to repurpose land too poor to farm. The entire park is a National Historic Landmark.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Reflectionlake.jpg
Sakatah Lake State Park	Le Sueur and Rice	Template:Convert	1963	Sakatah Lake on the Cannon River	Template:Coord	Features a transitional zone between prairie and Big Woods on a natural widening of the Cannon River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:SakatahLakeStatePark.jpg
Savanna Portage State Park	Aitkin and St. Louis	Template:Convert	1961	East and West Savanna Rivers, numerous kettle lakes	Template:Coord	Preserves a historically important and legendarily difficult Template:Convert portage over a continental divide between the watersheds of the Mississippi River and Lake Superior.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The portage is on the NRHP.<ref name=MNRP />	File:Savanna Portage State Park.jpg
Scenic State Park	Itasca	Template:Convert	1921	Sandwick and Coon Lakes	Template:Coord	Features pristine lakes and old-growth pines. Two districts of structures built by the first CCC state park camp in Minnesota are on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Scenic State Park–Coon Lake.JPG
Schoolcraft State Park	Cass and Itasca	Template:Convert	1959	Mississippi River	Template:Coord	Honors Henry Schoolcraft, who charted the origins of the Mississippi River with the Ojibwe guide Ozawindib. Preserves virgin pine forest that includes a white pine over 300 years old.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Schoolcraft State Park kayakers.jpg
Sibley State Park	Kandiyohi	Template:Convert	1919	Lake Andrew and other kettle lakes	Template:Coord	Honors Henry Hastings Sibley, the first governor of Minnesota, with a popular recreational lakeshore and a morainal landscape.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A district of CCC structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Sibley State Park Mt Tom Tower.jpg
Split Rock Creek State Park	Pipestone	Template:Convert	1937	Split Rock Lake	Template:Coord	Features a recreational reservoir on the Coteau des Prairies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Split Rock Creek State Park in fog.jpg
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park	Lake	Template:Convert	1945	Lake Superior, Split Rock River	Template:Coord	Surrounds the clifftop Split Rock Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The lighthouse is a National Historic Landmark.	File:Splitrock lighthouse.jpg
Temperance River State Park	Cook	Template:Convert	1957	Lake Superior, Temperance and Cross Rivers	Template:Coord	Showcases the deep, narrow gorge of the Temperance River (so named for its lack of a "bar" at its mouth) and Carlton Peak, a rock climbing area.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>	File:Temperance River State Park SHT Bridge.jpg
Tettegouche State Park	Lake	Template:Convert	1979	Lake Superior and Baptism River	Template:Coord	Encompasses the tallest waterfall within the state's borders, the iconic headlands of Palisade Head and Shovel Point, and a historic fishing camp which is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Lake Superior North Shore(v2).jpg
Whitewater State Park	Winona	Template:Convert	1919	Whitewater River	Template:Coord	Showcases a popular steep-sided river valley in the Driftless Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A large district of CCC and WPA structures is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>	File:Whitewater State Park.jpg
Wild River State Park	Chisago	Template:Convert	1973	St. Croix River	Template:Coord	Follows Template:Convert of one of the first waterways designated a National Wild and Scenic River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A section of the Point Douglas to Superior Military Road is on the NRHP.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:WildRiverStatePark1.jpg
William O'Brien State Park	Washington	Template:Convert	1947	St. Croix River	Template:Coord	Provides outdoor recreation opportunities near Minneapolis – Saint Paul.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:William O'Brien State Park Riverside Trail.jpg
Zippel Bay State Park	Lake of the Woods	Template:Convert	1959	Lake of the Woods	Template:Coord	Provides water recreation and birdwatching opportunities on the shore of the country's sixth largest lake.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	File:Zippel Bay State Park, Minnesota - Sunset on Lake of the Woods.jpg

State waysides

The state park system includes nine waysides, most of them along Minnesota State Highway 61 on the North Shore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Meyer" />

Wayside name	County	Date established<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	Coordinates	Remarks<ref name="MS85.013">Minnesota Statute § 85.013, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.</ref>	Image
Caribou Falls State Wayside	Lake	1947	Template:Coord	Includes a waterfall on the Caribou River. Formerly Caribou Falls State Park.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:Caribou Falls MN.jpg
Devils Track Falls State Wayside	Cook	1961	Template:Coord	A nearly inaccessible gorge on the Devil Track River within Superior National Forest. Formerly Devils Track Falls State Park.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:DevilsTrackFalls.jpg
Flood Bay State Wayside	Lake	1965	Template:Coord	A rocky Lake Superior beach just outside Two Harbors.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:Flood Bay State Wayside.jpg
Inspiration Peak State Wayside	Otter Tail	1931	Template:Coord	The highest point of the Leaf Hills Moraines.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:View from top of Inspiration Peak.jpg
Joseph R. Brown State Wayside	Renville	1937	Template:Coord	The ruins of Joseph R. Brown's three-story mansion, destroyed during the Dakota War of 1862.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp The ruins are on the NRHP.<ref name=MNRP />	File:Joseph R. Brown House Ruins 2.JPG
Kadunce River State Wayside	Cook	1947	Template:Coord	Lake Superior shoreline around the mouth of the variably spelled Kadunce River. Formerly Kodonce River State Park.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:Kadunce River at Lake Superior, Minnesota (23625023738).jpg
Ray Berglund State Wayside	Cook	1951	Template:Coord	A memorial at the mouth of the Onion River to a St. Paul businessman and conservationist, on land donated by his friends.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:Roy Berglund State Wayside.JPG
St. Croix Boom Site State Wayside	Washington	2016	Template:Coord	Commemorates 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	File:Boom site 3.jpg
Sam Brown Memorial State Wayside	Traverse	1929	Template:Coord	Created to honor Joseph R. Brown's son Samuel J. Brown, "the Paul Revere of the West," who rode Template:Convert through a storm on April 19, 1866, to warn of an expected Dakota attack. Formerly Sam Brown State Park.<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	File:Fort Wadsworth Agency & Scout Headquarters Building.JPG

State trails

Trail name	Trailheads<ref name="Guide" />	Length in miles<ref name="Guide" />	Length in kilometers<ref name="Guide" />	Surface	Remarks
Arrowhead State Trail	Tower – International Falls	Template:Convert	Unpaved	Serves primarily as a winter snowmobile route, branching off the Taconite State Trail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Blazing Star State Trail	Albert Lea – Myre-Big Island State Park	Template:Convert	Paved	Planned to continue to Austin and connect with the Shooting Star State Trail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Blufflands State Trail: Harmony-Preston Valley Segment	Harmony – Preston	Template:Convert	Paved	Climbs out of the Root River Valley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Blufflands State Trail: Root River Segment	Fountain – Houston	Template:Convert	Paved	Extends along the Root River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Casey Jones State Trail	Pipestone – Murray County, Lake Shetek State Park – Currie	Template:Convert	Partly paved	Invokes legendary train engineer Casey Jones in three unconnected segments that reflect railroad and pioneer history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Central Lakes State Trail	Osakis – Fergus Falls	Template:Convert	Paved	Skirts a series of glacially formed lakes in Central Minnesota and connects to the Lake Wobegon Trails.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cuyuna Lakes State Trail	Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area	Template:Convert	Paved	Wends through a regenerating open-pit mining area and connects with several mountain biking trails.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Douglas State Trail	Pine Island – Rochester	Template:Convert	Parallel paved and unpaved	Stretches through the rural scenery of a rich agricultural region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Gateway State Trail	St. Paul – Pine Point Regional Park	Template:Convert	Paved with Template:Convert of parallel unpaved	Extends from an urban setting to a rural park near Stillwater.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Gitchi-Gami State Trail	Gooseberry Falls State Park – Beaver Bay, Schroeder – Tofte	Template:Convert	Paved	Runs along the shore of Lake Superior in multiple unconnected segments. Planned to run continuously from Two Harbors to Grand Marais.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Glacial Lakes State Trail	Hawick – Willmar	Template:Convert	Parallel paved and unpaved	Traverses gently rolling glacial landforms.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Goodhue Pioneer State Trail	Red Wing – Hay Creek Township, Zumbrota	Template:Convert	Paved with some parallel unpaved	Exists in two sections, but planned to run from Red Wing to Pine Island.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Great River Ridge State Trail	Plainview – Eyota	Template:Convert	Paved with some parallel unpaved	Wends past the river bluffs of the Driftless Area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Heartland State Trail	Park Rapids – Cass Lake	Template:Convert	Paved with some parallel unpaved	Passes through mixed northern forests, intersecting with the Paul Bunyan State Trail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Luce Line State Trail	Plymouth – Cosmos	Template:Convert	Partly paved with some parallel unpaved<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Stretches from the Minneapolis suburbs out to a rural landscape.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Mill Towns State Trail	Northfield – Dundas	Template:Convert	Paved	Planned to connect the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail in Faribault to the Cannon Valley Trail in Cannon Falls<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Minnesota Valley State Trail	Shakopee – Belle Plaine	Template:Convert	Mostly unpaved	Follows the Minnesota River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
North Shore State Trail	Duluth – Grand Marais	Template:Convert	Unpaved	Traverses the inland backcountry of the North Shore, primarily as a winter snowmobile route.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Paul Bunyan State Trail	Brainerd – Lake Bemidji State Park	Template:Convert	Paved	Comprises one of the country's longest continuously paved trails, with a planned extension to Crow Wing State Park. Intersects with the Heartland State Trail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail	Faribault – Mankato	Template:Convert	Paved with some parallel unpaved	Follows the Cannon River and passes through Sakatah Lake State Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Shooting Star State Trail	LeRoy – Adams	Template:Convert	Paved	Crosses open country and passes through Lake Louise State Park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Taconite State Trail	Grand Rapids – Ely	Template:Convert	Mostly unpaved	Serves primarily as a winter snowmobile route, intersecting with the Arrowhead State Trail.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Willard Munger State Trail	Hinckley – Duluth, Wrenshall – Carlton, Chengwatana State Forest – Holyoke	Template:Convert	Paved	Honors state legislator and trail advocate Willard Munger with a trail system of three segments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Trail name	South/West terminus	North/East terminus	Remarks
Camp Ripley/Veterans State Trail	Little Falls	Crow Wing State Park	A 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 Trail	Iowa border in Jackson County	Casey Jones State Trail in Murray County	Planned 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 Trail	Big Stone Lake State Park	Le Sueur	Planned to connect with the Minnesota Valley State Trail in Le Sueur.
Mississippi Blufflands State Trail	Lake City	Red Wing	To connect with the Cannon Valley Trail and the Rattlesnake Bluff Trail.
Prairie Wildflower State Trail	Austin	Faribault	To follow an abandoned railroad grade.
Stagecoach State Trail	Owatonna	Rochester	To pass through Rice Lake State Park on the historic Stagecoach Trail.
Superior Vista State Trail	Duluth	Two Harbors	To 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.<ref name="Meyer" /> Four of these units were redesignated as state waysides and are listed above.<ref name="Meyer" /><ref name="MS85.013" /> The other former units were:

Former name	Date established	Date redesignated	Result	Image
Alexander Ramsey State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1911	1957	Transferred to Redwood Falls as a city park.	File:Ramsey-falls.jpg
Birch Cooley Battle Field State Memorial Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1929	1976	Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society.	File:Birch Coulee Battlefield monument.JPG
Camp Release State Memorial Wayside<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1889	1975	Redesignated Camp Release State Monument.	File:Camp Release.JPG
Hill-Annex Mine State Park<ref name="AXE 2024-02-27">Template:Cite news</ref>	1931	2024	Mining Operations resumed	File:Hill-Annex Mine State Park.jpg
Horace Austin State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1913	1949	Transferred to Austin as a city park.	File:AustinStatePark.jpg
Garvin Heights State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1922	1961	Transferred to Winona as a city park.	File:GarvinHeightsWinonaMN.jpg
Kaplan Woods State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1935	1963	Part demolished to build a highway, remainder transferred to Owatonna as a city park.	File:KaplanParkOwatonnaMN.jpg
Lac qui Parle Mission Chippewa Mission State Memorial Wayside<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1931	1973	Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society.	File:Lac qui Parle Mission.JPG
Little Elbow Lake State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1963	1989	Transferred to White Earth Indian Reservation.
Old Crossing Treaty Historic Wayside<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1931	1987	Parts transferred to Red Lake County and University of Minnesota Crookston, remainder added to Huot Wildlife Management Area.	File:Old Crossing Treaty Monument.jpg
Oronoco Park (later Oronoco State Scenic Reserve)<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1937	1965	Transferred to Olmsted County.	File:Oronoco Park Pavilion.jpg
Pine Tree State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1947	1965	Transferred to Blackduck as a city park.
Pomme de Terre Recreational Reserve<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1937	1965	Transferred to Morris as a city park.	File:Fort Pomme de Terre site.jpg
Sleepy Eye State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1921	1965	Transferred to Sleepy Eye as a city park.
Toqua Lakes State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1921	1965	Transferred to Big Stone County as a county park.
Traverse des Sioux State Park<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1905	1981	Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society and city of St. Peter.	File:TraverseDesSioux.jpg
Upper Sioux Agency State Park<ref name="ST 2023-05-11">Template:Cite news</ref>	1963	2024	Transferred to Upper Sioux Community.	File:Upper Sioux Agency State Park.jpg
Watson State Wayside<ref name="Meyer" />Template:Rp	1941	1959	Transferred to Watson as a city park.

See also

• List of hiking trails in Minnesota
• List of Minnesota state forests
• List of U.S. national parks

Further reading

• Arthur, Anne. Minnesota's State Parks. Adventure Publications, 1998. Template:ISBN
• Meyer, Roy Willard. Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1991. Template:ISBN

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