Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
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Location	Minnesota, United States
Nearest city	Minneapolis/St. Paul,Minnesota
Coordinates	44°52′24″N93°01′08″W / 44.8732995°N 93.018826°W /44.8732995; -93.018826[1]
Area	53,775 acres (21,762 ha)[2]
Established	November 18, 1988
Visitors	127,635 (in 2015)[3]
Governing body	National Park Service along with other private organizations.
Website	Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

TheMississippi National River and Recreation Area is a 72-mile (116 km) and 54,000-acre (22,000 ha) protected corridor along theMississippi River throughMinneapolis–Saint Paul in the U.S. state ofMinnesota, from the cities ofDayton andRamsey to just downstream ofHastings. This stretch of theupper Mississippi River includes natural, historical, recreational, cultural, scenic, scientific, and economic resources of national significance. This area is the only national park site dedicated exclusively to the Mississippi River. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is sometimes abbreviated asMNRRA (often pronounced like "minn-ruh") orMISS, the four-letter code the National Park Service assigned to the area. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is classified as one of fournational rivers in the United States, and despite its name is technically not one of the 40national recreation areas.

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area was established in 1988 as a new unique type of national park known as a partnership park. Unlike traditional national parks, the National Park Service is not a major land owner and therefore does not manage the land use directly. But the National Park Service does have special authority over local, state and federal actions in the boundaries that regulates land use management.^[4] It works in partnership with local, state, and federal governments, nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and individuals who own land along the river or have an interest in it to achieve the National Park Service's mission to protect and preserve for future generations. Some of the park's most prominent attractions are theSt. Anthony Falls Historic District (includingMill City Museum, theGuthrie Theater, theStone Arch Bridge, andMill Ruins Park),Fort Snelling and the adjacentFort Snelling State Park,Minnehaha Falls, and theWinchell Trail. There are many additional attractions, trails, and programs in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. The park spansAnoka,Dakota,Hennepin,Ramsey, andWashington Counties, all within theMinneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

As of 2025, the area has one visitor center, inside theScience Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, staffed byNational Park Service rangers. Each year, the rangers manage community activities, including interpretive sessions, bike rides, and paddle trips, to educate the community about the area's natural and human history. In March 2025, the visitor center's lease was abruptly canceled, effective September 30, 2025, as part of government cost-saving efforts, it has since been extended.^[5]

Panoramic photo, visible from this vantage: the lower portion of Saint Anthony Falls; the concrete wall on the far side of the falls is part of the locks to allow ships to pass the waterfall; to the left is theStone Arch Bridge, above it is theGuthrie Theater; to the right of the Guthrie are the white silos and preserved shell of the former Washburn "A" Mill, nowMill City Museum; to the right of the museum are a series of redeveloped flour and grain mills making up a significant portion of the city'sMills District.

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is betweenRiver Miles 879 and 806. The National Park Service categorizes it into five approximate sections:^[6]

1. The Wild and Scenic River (River Mile 879 to 863) — North of theTwin Cities the river is a state wild and scenic river, slowing as it reaches theCoon Rapids Dam. This segment begins at the confluence ofCrow River and the Mississippi near Ramsey and Dayton and flows to Banfil Island atBrooklyn Park andFridley.
2. The River of the Falls/The Urban River (River Mile 862 to 852) — FromBrooklyn Center the river approaches several falls, beginning with Saint Anthony, and enters thehistoric Milling District near downtown Minneapolis.
3. The Gorge/Where the Rivers Meet (River Mile 852 to 843) — After the Milling District, the river enters theMississippi gorge that extends pastFort Snelling State Park to its confluence with theMinnesota River.
4. The Working River (River Mile 840 to 833) — From near downtownSaint Paul, the river begins to feature towboats and barge traffic as it winds to thePig's Eye Lake Scientific and Natural Area.
5. The Forested Floodplain (River Mile 833 to 806) — FromSouth Saint Paul, the river widens further with numerous backwaters and the bluffs are higher. PastHastings and toward theVermillion River, the Mississippi becomes wilder again.

The park's website lists the following locations or features as partner sites.^[7]

• Geography of Minnesota
• List of areas in the United States National Park System
• Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMississippi National River and Recreation Area.

• Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
• Mississippi Park Connection

• Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
• Mississippi Gorge
• 1988 establishments in Minnesota
• Protected areas established in 1988
• Protected areas of Anoka County, Minnesota
• Protected areas of Dakota County, Minnesota
• Protected areas of Hennepin County, Minnesota
• Protected areas of Ramsey County, Minnesota
• Protected areas of Washington County, Minnesota

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