Management plans for state parks and state recreation areas (SRAs)

What's a management plan?

A management plan is a 20-year strategic vision for state parks and state recreation areas (SRAs). It guides the development of facilities and management of resources. For example, a management plan will point out where a new trail should be located, which areas should be restored as prairie or hardwood forest, or what the focus for the park's interpretive programs will be.

Management plans are developed through an open public process. Parks and Trails staff work with DNR resource specialists, other agencies, local government officials, local legislators and citizens to identify issues and develop recommendations. A Citizens Advisory Committee, including representatives from local communities, park users, and other interested citizens, plays a key role in the planning effort.

Plan amendments

Frequently, a new facility or type of use is added to a park that was not included in the original management plan. Examples might be timber harvesting, youth or group camping, or mountain biking. Rather than completely rewriting the plan, Parks and Trails staff will prepare an amendment that details the proposed change, the reasons for the change, and the potential effects of the change on resources and management.

Amendments are open to public and community comment during the planning process and an official public review period.

Completed plans

Management plans and plan amendments are available electronically for the state parks and SRAs listed below. Other plans are available for review in paper form in the DNR library in St. Paul.

Management plans and plan amendments are available electronically for the state parks and SRAs listed below. These document are available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities by contacting Andrew Korsberg at [email protected].

ParkManagement plan filesPlan date
Afton State Park

Plan amendment (2 MB)

Management plan (11 MB)

December 2011

May 1979

Banning State ParkRock climbing amendment  ( < 1 MB)June 2014,
Beaver Creek Valley State ParkManagement plan (6 MB)July 1998
Big Bog State Recreation AreaManagement planMay 2002
Blue Mounds State Park Management plan (8 MB)May 1979
Camden State Park

Plan amendment (2 MB)

Management plan (12 MB)

May 2013

September 1979

Carley State Park

Timber harvest amendment ( < 1 MB)

Management plan (4 MB)

August 2010

May 1985

Cascade River State Park

Plan amendment ( < 1 MB)

Management plan (3 MB)

March 2004

February 2003

Charles A. Lindbergh State ParkManagement plan (9 MB)June 1998
Crow Wing State ParkManagement plan (4 MB)June 2002
Cuyuna Country
State Recreation Area
Recreation plans2016, 2008, 1995
Father Hennepin State Park

Timber harvest amendment ( < 1 MB)

Management plan (11 MB)

March 2021

August 1978

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park

Timber harvest amendment ( < 1 MB)

Management plan (9 MB)

November 2009

July 1995

Fort Ridgely State Park

Golf course repurposing amendment (2 MB)

Timber harvest amendment ( < 1 MB)

Plan amendment (2 MB)

Management plan (12 MB)

June 2017

May 2013

January 2006

August 1983

Fort Snelling State Park

Youth camping amendment (2 MB)

Timber harvest amendment (1 MB)

Management plan (8 MB) 

January 2011

November 2009

July 1997

Franz Jevne State ParkManagement plan (3 MB)September 2016
Frontenac State Park

Plan amendment (11 MB)

Timber harvest amendment (1 MB)

Management plan (6 MB)

January 2022

November 2009

November 2008

Garden Island
State Recreation Area
Management plan (3 MB)September 2016
Glacial Lakes State ParkPlan amendment ( <1 MB)November 2006
Glendalough State Park

Plan amendment ( <1 MB)

Management plan (3 MB)

March 2004

June 1993

Gooseberry Falls State ParkManagement plan (8 MB)October 1978
Grand Portage State ParkManagement plan (2 MB)August 1992
Great River Bluffs State ParkManagement plan (4 MB)August 2005
Greenleaf Lake
State Recreation Area
Management plan (3 MB)February 2011
Hayes Lake State Park &
Beltrami Island State Forest

OHV camping opportunities review

Two-page summary of the review

Management plan (11 MB)

2018

December 1979

Interstate State ParkManagement plan (6 MB)February 2009
Iron Range OHV
State Recreation Area

Plan amendment (2 MB)

Virginia master plan amendment (4 MB)

Master plan (18 MB)

March 2018

January 2010

December 1998

Itasca State Park

Plan amendment: Bicycle trails (3 MB)

Management plan (16 MB)

July 2015

December 1998

Jay Cooke State ParkManagement plan (12 MB)December 1979
Judge C.R. Magney State ParkManagement plan (5 MB)1985
Kilen Woods State Park Management plan (6 MB)June 1980
La Salle Lake
State Recreation Area
Management plan (11 MB)October 2013
Lac qui Parle State ParkManagement plan (10 MB)January 1997
Lake Bemidji State ParkManagement plan (3 MB)June 2002
Lake Bronson State Park

Plan amendment (2 MB)

Management plan (15 MB)

July 2015

September 1978

Lake Maria State ParkManagement plan (10 MB)September 1978
Lake Vermilion-
Soudan Underground Mine
State Park

Cooperative park master plan (3 MB)

Soudan master plan (4 MB)

February 2011

January 2002

Maplewood State ParkManagement plan (7 MB)May 1998
Minneopa State Park

Bison management plan amendment (9 MB)

Management plan (2 MB)

August 2014

June 1998

Minnesota Valley
State Recreation Area
Management plan (16 MB)November 2006
Monson Lake State ParkManagement plan (4 MB)March 2008
Nerstrand Big Woods State ParkManagement plan (8 MB)May 1998
Old Mill State Park

Plan amendment (2 MB)

Management plan (13 MB)

December 2011

June 1980

Red River State Recreation AreaManagement planMarch 2002
Rice Lake State ParkManagement plan (31 MB)June 1983
St. Croix State ParkManagement plan (8 MB)July 2017
Sakatah Lake State ParkManagement plan (8 MB)March 2008
Savanna Portage State ParkManagement plan (8 MB)September 1996
Scenic State ParkManagement plan (12 MB)November 1978
Sibley State ParkManagement plan (20 MB)April 2013
Split Rock Creek State Park

Plan amendment (2 MB)

Management plan (4 MB)

May 2012

September 2002

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

Plan amendment (<1 MB)

Management plan (119 MB)

September 2000

May 1979

Temperance River State ParkManagement plan (6 MB)June 2000
Tettegouche State ParkManagement plan (3 MB)July 1997
Whitewater State Park

Plan amendment (10 MB)

Management plan (13 MB)

June 2015

December 1979

Wild River State Park

Timber harvest amendment (1 MB)

Management plan (2 MB)

November 2009

February 2007

William O'Brien State ParkManagement plan (5 MB)March 2008
Zippel Bay State Park

Management plan (5 MB)

Timber harvest amendment ( < 1 MB)

September 2016

November 2009

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