50 Years of Minnesota State Water Trails

In 1963, Governor Karl Rolvaag proposed that Minnesota "embark immediately on an all-out program to arouse this sleeping recreational giant - canoeing!" 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of what is now called the Minnesota State Water Trails system, the first and largest Water Trails system in the nation.

Today, there is a Minnesota State Water Trail within about an hour of anywhere in Minnesota!

  • Over 4,500 miles of mapped recreational routes on waterways, managed for canoeing, kayaking, boating and camping.
  • Over 1,400 public water accesses, campsites, portages and rest areas managed by the DNR and numerous local partners.

Celebrate!

Join us to celebrate Minnesota River History Weekend May 17-19!

There will be a showing of the film "Minnesota River Revival," presentations, food, Paddling Theatre, live music, and guided tours of the new rapids that have been uncovered where the Minnesota Falls Dam used to be located.

Enjoy the revelry aboard a guided 10-person Voyageur canoe, from which you'll encounter historical characters as they emerge from river banks, islands and watercraft to tell the tale of the Minnesota River Valley in story and song. Or launch your own canoe or kayak to be one of the first to paddle Class I-II rapids no one has seen in over a century. Then return to shore to share great music and food on Saturday evening.

Who:

Everybody! These are family friendly activities, fun and appropriate for all ages and abilities.

When:

Friday, May 17 from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
(Reception, artist talk, "Minnesota River Revival" film, presentations).
Saturday, May 18 from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
(Festival, presentations, Paddling Theatre, live music).
Sunday, May 19 from 10 a.m. (Self-organized paddling).

Where:

Downtown Granite Falls, Upper Sioux Agency State Park (a great place to pitch your tent!), and along the Minnesota River.

Cost:

$10 per person in advance for the Voyageur Canoe/Paddling Theatre experience.
FREE for all other activities.

Register:

The Voyageur Canoe/Paddling Theatre experience requires advance registration.
Make your reservations here.

Learn more:

Start with this FAQ. This is a PDF file. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download it.  Still need more? Check out Wilderness Inquiry and Clean Up the River Environment (CURE).

In 1963...

  • Kodak Camera introduced the Instamatic camera.
  • Beatlemania was just beginning.
  • Gas cost 29 cents per gallon.
  • You could buy a house for an average of $3,160.
  • President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
  • Martin Luther King gave his famous I Have a Dream speech.
  • Michael Jordan and Johnny Depp were born.
  • The push-button telephone was invented.
  • The world population was 3.2 billion, less than half of what it is today.
  • ...and, the Minnesota legislature established the "Canoe and Boating Routes" program with the designation of the Big Fork, Little Fork, St. Croix and Minnesota Rivers, thereby creating the first Water Trails in the nation officially managed for recreation.