Map of State Parks of Minnesota
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This is a list of Minnesota state parks in the Minnesota state park system. A Minnesota state park is an area of land in the U.S. state of Minnesota preserved by the state for its natural, historic, or other resources. The Minnesota State Park system consists of 66 state parks, six state recreation areas, eight state waysides, nineteen state trails, and 54 state forest campgrounds and day use areas, totaling approximately 267,000 acres (1,052.18 km²).^[1][2] Each was created by an act of the Minnesota Legislature and is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Minnesota Historical Society operates sites within some of them. The park system began in 1891 with Itasca 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 the United States, after New York's.^[4]

Overview

Minnesota's state parks are spread across the state in such a way that there is a state park within 50 miles (80.5 km) of every Minnesotan.^[5] The most recent park created is Big Bog State Recreation Area in 2006.^[6] A new park on Lake Vermilion is under consideration as of 2008.^[7][2] Currently the Parks range in size from Franz Jevne State Park with 118 acres (0.48 km²) to Saint Croix State Park with 34,037 acres (137.74 km²).

Itasca State Park, birthplace of the Mississippi River	Tettegouche State Park, the High Falls	Blue Mounds State Park, cliffs of Quartzite bedrock	Soudan Underground Mine State Park, MINOS neutrino detector

History

Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a 173-acre (0.70 km²) park was authorized to preserve Minnehaha 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 of Minneapolis fronted the cash. Owned and operated by Minneapolis, Minnehaha State Park was ultimately absorbed as a city park.^[4]

Minnesota tried again in 1891, authorizing a state park around Lake Itasca both for its recreational opportunities and to protect the source of the Mississippi River. Interstate Park on the St. 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 in Minneopa and Jay Cooke State Parks, but much effort was also expended on creating historical monuments relating to the Dakota War of 1862 and the Great 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 a state forest. In 1923, state auditor Ray 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 the Department 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 the Civilian Conservation Corps.^[4] In 1971 the department became the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Fort Snelling State Park, the Round Tower	Buffalo River State Park, The Buffalo River	Father Hennepin State Park, marsh	Charles A. Lindbergh State Park, Charles Lindbergh House

State parks and recreation areas