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.
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.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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.
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]