Minnesota State Parks

Park name	County or Counties	Size		Year Established	Water Body(s)	Remarks	Image
Park name	County or Counties	acres	ha	Year Established	Water Body(s)	Remarks	Image
Afton State Park	Washington	1,600	650	1969	St. Croix River	Lies on a glacial moraine with deep ravines that drop 300 feet (91 m) down to the St. Croix River
Banning State Park	Pine	5,597	2,265	1963	Kettle River	Contains 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of whitewater rapids and the remains of a historic quarry operation
Bear Head Lake State Park	St. Louis	3,013	1,219	1961	Bear Head Lake	Provides road access and modern camping facilities in an environment similar to the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Beaver Creek Valley State Park	Houston	715	289	1937	East Beaver Creek	Showcases the rugged topography of the Driftless Area in a narrow valley carved by a trout stream
Big Bog State Recreation Area	Beltrami	9,170	3,710	2000	Red Lake, Tamarac River	Encompasses part of the largest peatland in the Lower 48 states (a National Natural Landmark) and a prime walleye fishery.
Big Stone Lake State Park	Big Stone	980	400	1961	Big Stone Lake	Protects two sections of shoreline on Big Stone Lake, the source of the Minnesota River
Blue Mounds State Park	Rock	1,567	634	1937	Mound Creek	Protects an escarpment of Sioux Quartzite and Minnesota’s only public bison herd A district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.
Buffalo River State Park	Clay	1,068	432	1937	Buffalo River	Preserves part of one of the state’s largest and best tallgrass prairies. A district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.
Camden State Park	Lyon	1,855	751	1935	Redwood River	Preserves a forested river valley in the midst of prairie and farm country. A district of VCC and WPA structures is on the NRHP.
Carley State Park	Wabasha	209	85	1949	Whitewater River	Donated by State Senator James A. Carley to protect a stand of white pines. Used as an overflow campground for nearby Whitewater State Park.
Cascade River State Park	Cook	2,867	1,160	1957	Lake Superior and Cascade River	Stretches along 10.5 miles (16.9 km) of Lake Superior coastline in land rehabilitated after construction of Minnesota State Highway 61. A WPA highway wayside is on the NRHP.
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park	Morrison	417	169	1931	Mississippi River	Contains the restored home of Congressman Charles August Lindbergh and his son Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator. The house is a National Historic Landmark, and a district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.
Crow Wing State Park	Crow Wing, Cass, and Morrison	2,335	945	1959	Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers	Interprets the site of Old Crow Wing, an important town and trading center in the mid-19th century. The town site and a section of the Red River Trails are both on the NRHP.
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area	Crow Wing	6,850	2,770	1993	Chain of small lakes and streams, filled pit mines	In development as the land is rehabilitated from open-pit iron mining. Includes Portsmouth Mine Pit Lake, the state’s deepest lake.
Father Hennepin State Park	Mille Lacs	275	111	1941	Mille Lacs Lake	Provides lakeside recreation in the region visited by Father Louis Hennepin during a French expedition in 1680.
Flandrau State Park	Brown	840	340	1937	Cottonwood River	Created to provide water recreation near New Ulm. Entire park is a district of CCC and WPA structures on the NRHP.
Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park	Fillmore	3,163	1,280	1963	South Branch Root River and tributaries	Encompasses the historic townsite of Forestville, the state’s longest explored cave, and three blue-ribbon trout streams.
Fort Ridgely State Park	Nicollet and Renville	537	217	1911	Fort Ridgely Creek	Surrounds Fort Ridgely, site of the Battle of Fort Ridgely during the Dakota War of 1862. The fort and a large district of CCC structures are both on the NRHP.
Fort Snelling State Park	Ramsey, Hennepin, and Dakota	1,825	739	1961	Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers	Contains historic Fort Snelling, built in 1819, and floodplain forest in the heart of Minneapolis – Saint Paul. The fort is a National Historic Landmark and the entire park is part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.
Franz Jevne State Park	Koochiching	118	48	1967	Rainy River	Features scenic property on the Canada–United States border, donated by the sons of Franz Jevne, a lawyer, on the condition that the park be named after their father.
Frontenac State Park	Goodhue	2,226	901	1957	Lake Pepin on Mississippi River	Attracts 260 species of year-round and migrant birds with its variety of habitats. Includes a natural arch atop a 430-foot (130 m) bluff.
Garden Island State Recreation Area	Lake of the Woods	715	289	1998	Lake of the Woods	Comprises a nearly undeveloped island, 15 mi (24 km) from the closest mainland marinas, that once bore Native American gardens.
George H. Crosby Manitou State Park	Lake	6,200	2,500	1955	Manitou River	Contains undeveloped North Woods wilderness geared towards backpackers.
Glacial Lakes State Park	Pope	1,857	752	1963	Several kettle lakes	Preserves rolling tallgrass prairie amidst the glacial landforms of the Leaf Hills Moraines.
Glendalough State Park	Otter Tail	1,924	779	1991	Six kettle lakes	Developed from the former private retreat and game farm of the owners of the Star Tribune newspaper, with a heritage fishery of large game fish.
Gooseberry Falls State Park	Lake	1,741	705	1937	Lake Superior, Gooseberry River	Serves as the gateway to the scenic North Shore. Features five waterfalls, an agate beach, and a large district of CCC structures on the NRHP.
Grand Portage State Park	Cook	278	113	1989	Pigeon River	Features a 120-foot (37 m) waterfall, Minnesota’s tallest, on the Canada–United States border. Co-managed with the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, the only state – tribal collaboration of a U.S. state park.
Great River Bluffs State Park	Winona	2,122	859	1963	Mississippi River	Features 500-foot-high (150 m) bluffs and steep goat prairies. Formerly named O.L. Kipp State Park.
Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area	Meeker	1,230	500	2004	Greenleaf and Sioux Lakes	In development and open for limited day-use recreation.
Hayes Lake State Park	Roseau	2,118	857	1967	Hayes Lake, North Fork Roseau River	Provides fishing and swimming opportunities in an exclusively recreational reservoir free of agricultural runoff or water level fluctuations for irrigation or power generation.
Hill-Annex Mine State Park	Itasca	634	257	1988	Filled pit mine	Offers tours of a former open-pit iron mine and fossil collecting. A district of mine structures is on the NRHP.
Interstate State Park	Chisago	288	117	1895	St. Croix River	Created in conjunction with a state park in Wisconsin to protect a basalt gorge and glacial potholes. Two districts of CCC and WPA structures are on the NRHP.
Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area	St. Louis	1,864	754	2002	Lake Ore-be-gone	Provides 36 miles (58 km) of trails for off highway vehicles.
Itasca State Park	Hubbard, Clearwater, and Becker	30,553	12,364	1891	Lake Itasca	Minnesota’s oldest state park, which preserves the headwaters of the Mississippi River. The entire park and an individual archaeological site are on the NRHP, and a subsection is a National Natural Landmark.
Jay Cooke State Park	Carlton	8,125	3,288	1915	Saint Louis River	Showcases a rocky, whitewater-strewn river churning through the North Woods. Three districts of CCC and WPA structures and a long-used portage route are on the NRHP.
John A. Latsch State Park	Winona	409	166	1925	Mississippi River	Features three steep river bluffs.
Judge C. R. Magney State Park	Cook	4,323	1,749	1957	Lake Superior, Brule River	Contains the Devil’s Kettle, a large glacial kettle into which half of the Brule River disappears.
Kilen Woods State Park	Jackson	202	82	1945	Des Moines River	Preserves a riverside parcel of forested hills on the Coteau des Prairies.
La Salle Lake State Recreation Area	Hubbard	1,000	400	2011	Mississippi River, La Salle Lake	In development around the second-deepest lake in Minnesota.
Lac qui Parle State Park	Lac qui Parle and Chippewa	897	363	1959	Lac qui Parle, Minnesota and Lac qui Parle Rivers	Attracts thousands of migrating waterfowl, earning it the name “Lake that Speaks.” A district of WPA buildings is on the NRHP.
Lake Bemidji State Park	Beltrami	1,653	669	1923	Lake Bemidji	Features a recreational lakeshore and a spruce-tamarack bog. A district of CCC and National Youth Administration structures is on the NRHP.
Lake Bronson State Park	Kittson	2,806	1,136	1937	Lake Bronson, South Branch Two Rivers	Features a reservoir created during a drought in the 1930s. A district of WPA structures is on the NRHP.
Lake Carlos State Park	Douglas	1,175	476	1937	Lake Carlos	Preserves diverse habitats from prairie to hardwood forest to tamarack bog in a transition zone. Two districts of WPA structures are on the NRHP.
Lake Louise State Park	Mower	849	344	1963	Lake Louise, Upper and Little Iowa Rivers	Features a reservoir surrounded by oak savanna and patches of hardwood forest. Minnesota’s oldest continuous recreation area, formerly a town park since the 1860s.
Lake Maria State Park	Wright	1,475	597	1963	Several kettle lakes	Provides a lightly developed wilderness area near Minneapolis – Saint Paul in a morainal landscape of Big Woods.
Lake Shetek State Park	Murray County	1,109	449	1937	Lake Shetek	Features remnants of pioneer history around the largest lake in southwestern Minnesota. Two districts of WPA structures are on the NRHP.
Lake Vermilion State Park	St. Louis	2,875	1,163	2010	Lake Vermilion	Recently purchased and in development on the fifth-largest lake in Minnesota.
Maplewood State Park	Otter Tail	8,127	3,289	1963	Several kettle lakes	Preserves a forest/prairie transition zone in the Leaf Hills Moraines. A Native American archaeological site is on the NRHP.
McCarthy Beach State Park	St. Louis	1,908	772	1945	Sturgeon and Side Lakes	Features a .5-mile-long (0.80 km) beach on an isthmus between two lakes.
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park	Mille Lacs	9,786	3,960	1957	Mille Lacs Lake, Rum River	Preserves 19 identified archaeological sites dating back 9000 years. The entire park is a National Historic Landmark and four sites are individually listed on the NRHP.
Minneopa State Park	Blue Earth	1,617	654	1905	Minnesota River, Minneopa Creek	Showcases the largest waterfall in southern Minnesota. The 1864 Seppman Mill and a district of WPA structures are each on the NRHP.
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area	Hennepin, Dakota, Scott, Carver, Sibley, and Le Sueur	6,442	2,607	1969	Minnesota River	Comprises non-contiguous sections interspersed with units of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the valley formed by Glacial River Warren.
Monson Lake State Park	Swift	343	139	1937	Monson and West Sunberg Lakes	Established as a memorial to settlers who died in the Dakota War of 1862. A district of CCC and WPA structures is on the NRHP.
Moose Lake State Park	Carlton	829	335	1971	Moosehead and Echo Lakes	Provides water recreation and an exhibit hall on Lake Superior agates (the state gemstone) and the geology of Minnesota.
Myre-Big Island State Park	Freeborn	1,578	639	1947	Albert Lea Lake	Features two islands with old growth hardwood forest since they were out of reach of prairie fires. Also houses one of the state’s largest research collections of Native American artifacts.^[78]
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park	Rice	1,646	666	1945	Prairie Creek	Preserves a remnant stand of Big Woods.^[79]
Old Mill State Park	Marshall	287	116	1951	Middle River	Features two mills and a log cabin from the late 19th Century.^[80] The Larson Mill and a district of WPA structures are each on the NRHP.^[81]
Red River State Recreation Area	Polk	104	42	1997	Red River of the North and Red Lake River	Reclaims land devastated by the 1997 Red River flood as part of the Greater Grand Forks Greenway, which serves the dual purpose of holding back river waters during floods and providing recreational opportunities.^[82]
Rice Lake State Park	Steele and Dodge	712	288	1963	Rice Lake	Surrounds a shallow lake which attracts migrating waterfowl.^[83]
St. Croix Islands State Recreation Area	Washington	25	10	1935	St. Croix River	Comprises five islands near the St. Croix Boom Site that came under state control but were never developed. Leased to the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway.^[4]^:318
St. Croix State Park	Pine	31,775	12,859	1943	St. Croix River	Developed as a Recreational Demonstration Area by the CCC and the WPA to repurpose land too poor to farm. The entire park is a National Historic Landmark.^[84]
Sakatah Lake State Park	Le Sueur and Rice	810	330	1963	Sakatah Lake on the Cannon River	Features a transitional zone between prairie and Big Woods on a natural widening of the Cannon River.^[85]
Savanna Portage State Park	Aitkin and St. Louis	15,277	6,182	1961	East and West Savanna Rivers, numerous kettle lakes	Preserves a historically important and legendarily difficult 6-mile (9.7 km) portage over a continental divide between the watersheds of the Mississippi River and Lake Superior.^[86] The portage is on the NRHP.^[6]
Scenic State Park	Itasca	2,370	960	1921	Sandwick and Coon Lakes	Features pristine lakes and old-growth pines. Two districts of structures built by the first CCC state park camp in Minnesota are on the NRHP.^[87]
Schoolcraft State Park	Cass and Itasca	141	57	1959	Mississippi River	Honors Henry Schoolcraft, who charted the origins of the Mississippi River with the Ojibwe guide Ozawindib. Preserves virgin pine forest that includes a white pine over 300 years old.^[88]
Sibley State Park	Kandiyohi	2,540	1,030	1919	Lake Andrew and other kettle lakes	Honors Henry Hastings Sibley, the first governor of Minnesota, with a popular recreational lakeshore and a morainal landscape.^[89] A district of CCC structures is on the NRHP.^[90]
Soudan Underground Mine State Park	St. Louis	974	394	1963	Lake Vermilion	Offers tours of Minnesota’s oldest, deepest, and richest iron mine and a modern high energy physics laboratory. The mine is a National Historic Landmark^[91] and a row of 20th Century boathouses is on the NRHP.
Split Rock Creek State Park	Pipestone	947	383	1937	Split Rock Lake	Features a recreational reservoir on the Coteau des Prairies.^[92]
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park	Lake	2,112	855	1945	Lake Superior, Split Rock River	Surrounds the clifftop Split Rock Lighthouse, one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.^[93] The lighthouse is a National Historic Landmark.
Temperance River State Park	Cook	1,134	459	1957	Lake Superior, Temperance and Cross Rivers	Showcases the deep, narrow gorge of the Temperance River (so named for its lack of a “bar” at its mouth) and Carlton Peak, a rock climbing area.^[94]
Tettegouche State Park	Lake	8,998	3,641	1979	Lake Superior and Baptism River	Encompasses the tallest waterfall within the state’s borders, the iconic headlands of Palisade Head and Shovel Point, and a historic fishing camp which is on the NRHP.^[95]
Upper Sioux Agency State Park	Yellow Medicine	1,065	431	1963	Minnesota and Yellow Medicine Rivers	Interprets the site of the agency that administered a Dakota Indian reservation until it was destroyed during the Dakota War of 1862.^[96] The agency is on the NRHP.^[6]
Whitewater State Park	Winona	1,672	677	1919	Whitewater River	Showcases a popular steep-sided river valley in the Driftless Area.^[97] A large district of CCC and WPA structures is on the NRHP.^[98]
Wild River State Park	Chisago	6,574	2,660	1973	St. Croix River	Follows 18 miles (29 km) of one of the first waterways designated a National Wild and Scenic River.^[99] A section of the Point Douglas to Superior Military Road is on the NRHP.^[100]
William O’Brien State Park	Washington	1,783	722	1947	St. Croix River	Provides outdoor recreation opportunities near Minneapolis – Saint Paul.^[101]
Zippel Bay State Park	Lake of the Woods	2,826	1,144	1959	Lake of the Woods	Provides water recreation and birdwatching opportunities on the shore of the country’s sixth largest lake.^[102]