State parks

State Parks Manage:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources State Park system includes 72 state parks and recreation areas (66 parks & 6 recreation areas), 8 waysides, 11 state trails, and 56 state forest campgrounds and day-use areas that total 267,251 acres.

Number of Visitors:

In 2008, Minnesota State Parks hosted 8,375,506 visitors. Day use accounts for most of the visits. Camping accounts for about 11 percent of park visits. Nearly 16 percent of park visitors come from other states and countries. Approximately 30 percent of Minnesotans visit a state park each year.

Number of Campers:

More than 979,000 people camped at state parks in 2008.

Most Visited Parks:

The most visited state parks in 2008 included:

• Fort Snelling – 820,184
• Gooseberry Falls –  569,097
• Itasca –  472,458
• Tettegouche –  387,221
• Split Rock Lighthouse – 298,011

State Park System Includes:

• 5,717 campsites
• 1,255 miles of trail
• 360 archaeological sites
• 7 scientific and natural areas
• 8 state waysides
• 11 state trails
• 293 horse camp sites
• 6,526 picnic sites
• 62 historic districts or landmarks
• 75 group camps
• 40 beaches
• 33 fishing piers (20 are handicapped accessible)
• 34 visitor centers
• 135 water access sites
• 332 miles of road
• 72 bridges and more than 1,600 buildings (620 buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places)

Park Fees:

• Annual permit - $25
• Second vehicle - $18
• Daily permit - $5
• Motorcycle annual permit - $20
• Camping fee - $12 to $20
  • Electricity - $4/night
  • Water and sewer hookup - $4/night
• Special Annual (for people with disabilities) - $12

Reservations:

Reservations can be made by phone at 1--866-85PARKS (1-866-857-2757) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or on online, 24 hours a day, at www.stayatmnparks.com. The
TDD number (telecom device for the deaf) is 1-866-672-8213.

Natural and Cultural Resources:

The state park system has an active resource management program to protect, preserve and restore cultural resources and natural areas. These include some of the finest state examples of prairie, northern forest, pinelands and Big Woods found in Minnesota. About 280 species of plants and animals found in 1600 locations in state parks are classified as endangered, threatened or special concern at either the state or federal level. Examples include Henslow's sparrow, four-toed salamanders, western prairie fringed orchids, Topeka shiner and the dwarf trout lily. Annually, the Division conducts resource management activities to restore wetlands, improve water quality, eradicate invasive plants, and enhance native vegetation and other resources on more than 12,000 acres of state park land.

Interpretive Programs:

Annually, nearly one million people attend environmental education programs, participate in nature walks and self-guided nature tours and tour exhibits at park interpretive centers. State parks sponsor a Junior Naturalist Program for children from ages 7-14. Interpretive program schedules are published in the Minnesota State Parks Programs & Special Events brochure and on the Minnesota State Parks web site event calendar (mnstateparks.info).

Park Activities:

According to park surveys, the most popular state park activity is hiking. Visitors also enjoy camping, backpacking, canoeing, biking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, inline skating, swimming, birding, picnicking, sail boarding, rock climbing, snowmobiling, and exploring nature.

Special Tours:

Hill Annex Mine, Soudan Underground Mine, and Mystery Cave at Forestville State Park offer public tours beginning Memorial Day weekend and continuing through October (limited hours, please contact park for specific times).  Group and Educational tours are also available with advanced notice.  There is a fee for all tours.

Park Support:

There are many ways of supporting state parks including purchasing a state park annual permit, volunteering, participating in the Park Partners program or purchasing items at Minnesota State Park Nature Stores.

Park Clubs:

The goal for Passport Club members is to visit all Minnesota State Parks. Hiking Club members are challenged to hike nearly 200 miles in various state parks. In each club, members earn incentive awards as they work toward the goal. Club membership fees are $14.95 and cover the cost of materials.

Lodging:

A number of state parks have guesthouses, cabins and other lodging available for rent. These include: Bear Head Lake, Fort Ridgely, Itasca, St. Croix, Savanna Portage, Scenic, Tettegouche and Wild River state parks. For fee information, call 1-888-MINNDNR or check the the Minnesota State Parks web site at mnstateparks.info.

Camper Cabins:

Camper cabins are single room, 12' x 16' wood cabins that provide basic shelter for those who want the experience of camping out but may not have a tent or RV. Campers must provide sleeping bags for use on bunk bed mattresses. There is no indoor plumbing, however toilet facilities are located nearby. All cooking must be done outside the cabin. Many cabins have 12' x 6' screened porches. Fourteen parks have camper cabins that are winterized for year-round use. Cabins can be reserved a year in advance and rent for $45 a night or $50 a night for cabins with electricity.

Nature Stores:

Located in most state parks, these stores sell nature-related products. All proceeds from merchandise sales fund resource and interpretive projects in state parks. The largest retail stores are located at Mystery Cave in Forestville State Park, Itasca, Moose Lake, Sibley, Gooseberry Falls, Interstate, Whitewater and Fort Snelling state parks.

Oldest State Parks:

Minnesota became the second oldest state park system in the country with the establishment of Itasca State Park on April 20, 1891. The next state park added to the system was Interstate State Park on April 25, 1895. The most significant growth years occurred in 1937, 1957, and 1963. In 1937, ten new parks were added across the state. In 1957, five parks were added including four along the North Shore of Lake Superior. The largest number of parks added at one time (11) occurred in 1963.

First Commissioner:

Jacob V. Brower, who mapped the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca.

State Parks Mission:

We will work with the people of Minnesota to provide a state park system that preserves and manages Minnesota's natural, scenic, and cultural resources for present and future generations, and provides appropriate recreational and educational opportunities.

Who Benefits:

Minnesota State Parks benefit visitors, communities, the economy, and the environment. Benefits to visitors include opportunities for recreation as well as places to go to experience solitude, enjoy the natural environment, learn about nature, and relax. Communities near state parks gain a sense of community pride, a better understanding of their natural environment and a greater appreciation for what makes their community a special place in which to live and work. The economy benefits from visitor spending in local communities, employment opportunities, and economic growth generated by state parks. The environment benefits from the species diversity and ecosystem health associated with protection of the myriad natural resources found within state parks.

 

State Parks	Year Established
Itasca	1891
Interstate	1895
Minneopa	1905
Fort Ridgely	1911
Jay Cooke	1915
Sibley	1919
Whitewater	1919
Scenic	1921
Lake Bemidji	1923
John Latsch	1925 (First established as Scenic Highway State Park, it was officially designated as a State Park in 1997.)
Charles Lindbergh	1931
Camden	1935
Beaver Creek Valley	1937
Blue Mounds	1937
Buffalo River	1937
Flandrau	1937
Gooseberry Falls	1937
Lake Bronson	1937
Lake Shetek	1937
Lake Carlos	1937
Monson Lake	1937
Split Rock Creek	1937
Father Hennepin	1941
St. Croix	1943
Kilen Woods	1945
McCarthy Beach	1945
Nerstrand Big Woods	1945
Split Rock Lighthouse	1945
Myre-Big Island	1947
William O’Brien	1947
Carley	1949
Old Mill	1951
George Crosby Manitou	1955
Cascade River	1957
Frontenac	1957
Judge Magney	1957
Mille Lacs Kathio	1957
Temperance River	1957
Crow Wing	1959
Lac qui Parle	1959
Schoolcraft	1959
Zippel Bay	1959
Bear Head Lake	1961
Big Stone Lake	1961
Fort Snelling	1961
Savanna Portage	1961
Banning	1963
Forestville/Mystery Cave	1963
Glacial Lakes	1963
Great River Bluffs (formerly O.L. Kipp)	1963
Lake Louise	1963
Lake Maria	1963
Maplewood	1963
Rice Lake	1963
Sakatah Lake	1963
Soudan Underground Mine	1963
Upper Sioux Agency	1963
Franz Jevne	1967 (Official designation was as a State Wayside Park.. Legislation in 1969 officially changed the name to Franz Jevne State Park.
Hayes Lake	1967
Afton	1969
MN Valley State Recreation Area	1969
Moose Lake	1971
Wild River	1973
Tettegouche	1979
Hill Annex Mine	1988
Grand Portage	1989
Glendalough	1991
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area	1993
Garden Island State Recreation Area	1998
Big Bog State Recreation Area	2000
Red River Valley State Recreation Area	2000
Waysides	Year Established
Sam Brown Monument	1929
Inspiration Peak	1931
Joseph R. Brown	1937
St. Croix Islands	1943 (Exchange discussion underway with National Park Service ’05)
Caribou Falls	1947
Kodonce River	1947
Ray Berglund	1951
Cross River	1961 (Became a part of Temperance River State Park in 1998. No longer a wayside.)
Devils Track Falls	1961
Flood Bay	1963

(Updated April 2009)