There are 64state parks, nine state recreation areas, nine state waysides, and 23 state trails in the Minnesota state park system, totaling approximately 267,000 acres (1,080 km2).[1][2] A Minnesota state park is an area of land in theU.S. state of Minnesota preserved by the state for its natural, historic, or other resources. Each was created by an act of theMinnesota Legislature and is maintained by theMinnesota Department of Natural Resources. TheMinnesota Historical Society operates sites within some of them. The park system began in 1891 withItasca 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."[3] Minnesota's state park system is the second oldest in theUnited States, afterNew York's.[4]: 2
Minnesota's state parks are spread across the state in such a way that there is a state park within 50 miles (80 km) of every Minnesotan.[5] The most recent park created isLake Vermilion State Park, created in 2010. The parks range in size fromFranz Jevne State Park with 118 acres (48 ha) toSaint Croix State Park with 34,037 acres (13,774 ha). Two parks include resources listed asNational Natural Landmarks (Big Bog State Recreation Area andItasca State Park) and six parks encompassNational Historic Landmarks (Charles A. Lindbergh,Fort Snelling,Mille Lacs Kathio,St. Croix,Soudan Underground Mine, andSplit Rock Lighthouse State Parks). 52 sites or districts across 34 Minnesota state parks are on theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP), including 22 parks with developments constructed byNew Deal-erajob creation programs in the 1930s.[6]
Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a 173-acre (70 ha) park was authorized to preserveMinnehaha 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 ofMinneapolis fronted the cash. Owned and operated by Minneapolis, Minnehaha State Park was ultimately absorbed as a city park.[4]: 3
Minnesota tried again in 1891, authorizing a state park aroundLake Itasca both for its recreational opportunities and to protect the source of theMississippi River.Interstate Park on theSt. 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 inMinneopa andJay Cooke State Parks, but much effort was also expended on creating historical monuments relating to theDakota War of 1862 and theGreat 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 astate forest. In 1923, state auditorRay 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 theDepartment 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 theCivilian Conservation Corps (CCC).[4]: 82 [7] In 1971, the department became theMinnesota Department of Natural Resources.[8]
The state parks were closed for almost three weeks in July 2011 due to ashutdown of the state government.
The state park system includes nine waysides, most of them alongMinnesota State Highway 61 on theNorth Shore.[101] These are parcels of land too small to be full-fledged parks, but with cultural or natural resources greater than would be overseen by theMinnesota Department of Transportation as highwaywaysides. Generally development is limited to a parking area and a short trail; sometimes there are sanitation facilities and picnic tables as well.[4]
| Trail name | Trailheads[9] | Length in miles[9] | Length in kilometers[9] | Surface | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead State Trail | Tower –International Falls | 135 | 217 | Unpaved | Serves primarily as a winter snowmobile route, branching off theTaconite State Trail.[104] |
| Blazing Star State Trail | Albert Lea –Myre-Big Island State Park | 6 | 9.7 | Paved | Planned to continue toAustin and connect with theShooting Star State Trail.[105] |
| Blufflands State Trail: Harmony-Preston Valley Segment | Harmony –Preston | 18 | 29 | Paved | Climbs out of theRoot River Valley.[106] |
| Blufflands State Trail: Root River Segment | Fountain –Houston | 42 | 68 | Paved | Extends along theRoot River.[107] |
| Casey Jones State Trail | Pipestone –Murray County, Lake Shetek State Park –Currie | 19 | 31 | Partly paved | Invokes legendary train engineerCasey Jones in three unconnected segments that reflect railroad and pioneer history.[108] |
| Central Lakes State Trail | Osakis –Fergus Falls | 55 | 89 | Paved | Skirts a series of glacially formed lakes inCentral Minnesota and connects to theLake Wobegon Trails.[109] |
| Cuyuna Lakes State Trail | Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area | 6 | 9.7 | Paved | Wends through a regeneratingopen-pit mining area and connects with severalmountain biking trails.[110] |
| Douglas State Trail | Pine Island –Rochester | 13 | 21 | Parallel paved and unpaved | Stretches through the rural scenery of a rich agricultural region.[111] |
| Gateway State Trail | St. Paul – Pine Point Regional Park | 18 | 29 | Paved with 10 miles (16 km) of parallel unpaved | Extends from an urban setting to a rural park nearStillwater.[112] |
| Gitchi-Gami State Trail | Gooseberry Falls State Park –Beaver Bay, Schroeder –Tofte | 25 | 40 | Paved | Runs along the shore ofLake Superior in multiple unconnected segments. Planned to run continuously fromTwo Harbors toGrand Marais.[113] |
| Glacial Lakes State Trail | Hawick –Willmar | 22 | 35 | Parallel paved and unpaved | Traverses gently rollingglacial landforms.[114] |
| Goodhue Pioneer State Trail | Red Wing –Hay Creek Township, Zumbrota | 10 | 16 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Exists in two sections, but planned to run from Red Wing toPine Island.[115] |
| Great River Ridge State Trail | Plainview –Eyota | 13 | 21 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Wends past the river bluffs of theDriftless Area.[116] |
| Heartland State Trail | Park Rapids –Cass Lake | 49 | 79 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Passes through mixed northern forests, intersecting with thePaul Bunyan State Trail.[117] |
| Luce Line State Trail | Plymouth –Cosmos | 63 | 101 | Partly paved with some parallel unpaved[118] | Stretches from theMinneapolis suburbs out to a rural landscape.[119] |
| Mill Towns State Trail | Northfield –Dundas | 3 | 4.8 | Paved | Planned to connect theSakatah Singing Hills State Trail inFaribault to theCannon Valley Trail inCannon Falls[120] |
| Minnesota Valley State Trail | Shakopee –Belle Plaine | 42 | 68 | Mostly unpaved | Follows theMinnesota River.[121] |
| North Shore State Trail | Duluth –Grand Marais | 146 | 235 | Unpaved | Traverses the inland backcountry of theNorth Shore, primarily as a winter snowmobile route.[122] |
| Paul Bunyan State Trail | Brainerd –Lake Bemidji State Park | 112 | 180 | Paved | Comprises one of the country's longest continuously paved trails, with a planned extension toCrow Wing State Park. Intersects with theHeartland State Trail.[123] |
| Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail | Faribault –Mankato | 39 | 63 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Follows theCannon River and passes throughSakatah Lake State Park.[124] |
| Shooting Star State Trail | LeRoy –Adams | 14 | 23 | Paved | Crosses open country and passes throughLake Louise State Park.[125] |
| Taconite State Trail | Grand Rapids –Ely | 155 | 249 | Mostly unpaved | Serves primarily as a winter snowmobile route, intersecting with theArrowhead State Trail.[126] |
| Willard Munger State Trail | Hinckley –Duluth, Wrenshall –Carlton, Chengwatana State Forest –Holyoke | 76 | 122 | Paved | Honors state legislator and trail advocateWillard Munger with a trail system of three segments.[127] |
Since Minnesota state parks and trails are authorized by thestate legislature, some trails have been established in state statute, yet no usable mileage has been constructed.[128]
| 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 ofCamp Ripley and servePillager. Planned to connect theSoo Line Off-Highway Vehicle Trail with thePaul Bunyan State Trail. |
| Des Moines River Valley State Trail | Iowa border inJackson County | Casey Jones State Trail inMurray County | Planned to connect with theIowa Great Lakes regional trail inMini-Wakan State Park. Also planned to go throughKilen Woods State Park. |
| Minnesota River State Trail | Big Stone Lake State Park | Le Sueur | Planned to connect with theMinnesota Valley State Trail in Le Sueur. |
| Mississippi Blufflands State Trail | Lake City | Red Wing | To connect with theCannon Valley Trail and theRattlesnake Bluff Trail. |
| Prairie Wildflower State Trail | Austin | Faribault | To follow an abandoned railroad grade. |
| Stagecoach State Trail | Owatonna | Rochester | To pass throughRice Lake State Park on the historic Stagecoach Trail. |
| Superior Vista State Trail | Duluth | Two Harbors | To follow theLake Superior shoreline via abandoned railroad grades. |
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.[4] Four of these units were redesignated as state waysides and are listed above.[4][102] The other former units were:
| Former name | Date established | Date redesignated | Result | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Ramsey State Park[4]: 43 [129] | 1911 | 1957 | Transferred toRedwood Falls as a city park. |  |
| Birch Cooley Battle Field State Memorial Park[4]: 15 | 1929 | 1976 | Transferred toMinnesota Historical Society. |  |
| Camp Release State Memorial Wayside[4]: 337 | 1889 | 1975 | RedesignatedCamp Release State Monument. |  |
| Hill-Annex Mine State Park[130] | 1931 | 2024 | Mining Operations resumed |  |
| Horace Austin State Park[4]: 44 [131] | 1913 | 1949 | Transferred toAustin as a city park. |  |
| Garvin Heights State Park[4]: 76 | 1922 | 1961 | Transferred toWinona as a city park. |  |
| Kaplan Woods State Park[4]: 98 [132] | 1935 | 1963 | Part demolished to build a highway, remainder transferred toOwatonna as a city park. |  |
| Lac qui Parle Mission Chippewa Mission State Memorial Wayside[4]: 94 | 1931 | 1973 | Transferred toMinnesota Historical Society. |  |
| Little Elbow Lake State Park[4]: 230 | 1963 | 1989 | Transferred toWhite Earth Indian Reservation. | |
| Old Crossing Treaty Historic Wayside[4]: 96 | 1931 | 1987 | Parts transferred toRed Lake County andUniversity of Minnesota Crookston, remainder added to Huot Wildlife Management Area. |  |
| Oronoco Park (later Oronoco State Scenic Reserve)[4]: 130 [133] | 1937 | 1965 | Transferred toOlmsted County. |  |
| Pine Tree State Park[4]: 165 | 1947 | 1965 | Transferred toBlackduck as a city park. | |
| Pomme de Terre Recreational Reserve[4]: 122 | 1937 | 1965 | Transferred toMorris as a city park. |  |
| Sleepy Eye State Park[4]: 70 | 1921 | 1965 | Transferred toSleepy Eye as a city park. | |
| Toqua Lakes State Park[4]: 51 | 1921 | 1965 | Transferred toBig Stone County as a county park. | |
| Traverse des Sioux State Park[4]: 29 | 1905 | 1981 | Transferred toMinnesota Historical Society and city ofSt. Peter. |  |
| Upper Sioux Agency State Park[134] | 1963 | 2024 | Transferred toUpper Sioux Community. |  |
| Watson State Wayside[4]: 136 | 1941 | 1959 | Transferred toWatson as a city park. |
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