Minnesota Land of 10,000 Lakes and Over 60 State Parks
We’re lucky to live in such an awesome state that has so many lakes and State Parks. Fifteen of the State Parks are in the Arrowhead Region and practically in our backyard. With waterfalls running this time of the year is especially a wonderful time to visit one of our State Parks. When you plan your trip up to Voyageur this summer be sure to plan a little extra time to visit one of the State Parks on your way.
From the DNR- Minnesota state park facts and figures:
One-day vehicle permit sales, year to date (through April 30, 2014):
2014: 12,057
2013: 11,045
Year-round vehicle permit sales, year to date (through April 30, 2014):
2014: 17,417
2013: 17,184
Number of parks and recreation areas: 76
Oldest: Itasca State Park (established in 1891)
Newest: La Salle Lake State Recreation Area (acquired Fall 2011)
Largest: St. Croix State Park (31,775 acres)
Smallest: Franz Jevne State Park (118 acres)
Top three state parks for overnight visits in 2013:
1. Itasca State Park
2. Whitewater State Park
3. St. Croix State Park
Top three state parks for estimated overall visits in 2013:
1. Fort Snelling State Park
2. Gooseberry Falls State Park
3. Itasca State Park
Overnight accommodations at state parks and recreation areas:
Reservable camping and lodging units: 3,477
Unreservable (first-come, first-served) sites: 1,353
Camper cabins: 83
Percentage of the reservable sites that were reserved as of May 19: 90 percent
Return to the economy:
Day visitors: $26.23/person/day
Overnight visitors: $23.16/person/day
State Parks | Year Established |
Itasca | 1891 |
Interstate | 1895 |
Minneopa | 1905 |
Fort Ridgely | 1911 |
Jay Cooke | 1915 |
Sibley | 1919 |
Whitewater | 1919 |
Scenic | 1921 |
Lake Bemidji | 1923 |
John Latsch | 1925 (First established as Scenic Highway State Park, it was officially designated as a State Park in 1997.) |
Charles Lindbergh | 1931 |
Camden | 1935 |
Beaver Creek Valley | 1937 |
Blue Mounds | 1937 |
Buffalo River | 1937 |
Flandrau | 1937 |
Gooseberry Falls | 1937 |
Lake Bronson | 1937 |
Lake Shetek | 1937 |
Lake Carlos | 1937 |
Monson Lake | 1937 |
Split Rock Creek | 1937 |
Father Hennepin | 1941 |
St. Croix | 1943 |
Kilen Woods | 1945 |
McCarthy Beach | 1945 |
Nerstrand Big Woods | 1945 |
Split Rock Lighthouse | 1945 |
Myre-Big Island | 1947 |
William O’Brien | 1947 |
Carley | 1949 |
Old Mill | 1951 |
George Crosby Manitou | 1955 |
Cascade River | 1957 |
Frontenac | 1957 |
Judge Magney | 1957 |
Mille Lacs Kathio | 1957 |
Temperance River | 1957 |
Crow Wing | 1959 |
Lac qui Parle | 1959 |
Schoolcraft | 1959 |
Zippel Bay | 1959 |
Bear Head Lake | 1961 |
Big Stone Lake | 1961 |
Fort Snelling | 1961 |
Savanna Portage | 1961 |
Banning | 1963 |
Forestville/Mystery Cave | 1963 |
Glacial Lakes | 1963 |
Great River Bluffs (formerly O.L. Kipp) | 1963 |
Lake Louise | 1963 |
Lake Maria | 1963 |
Maplewood | 1963 |
Rice Lake | 1963 |
Sakatah Lake | 1963 |
Soudan Underground Mine | 1963 |
Upper Sioux Agency | 1963 |
Franz Jevne | 1967 (Official designation was as a State Wayside Park.. Legislation in 1969 officially changed the name to Franz Jevne State Park. |
Hayes Lake | 1967 |
Afton | 1969 |
MN Valley State Recreation Area | 1969 |
Moose Lake | 1971 |
Wild River | 1973 |
Tettegouche | 1979 |
Hill Annex Mine | 1988 |
Grand Portage | 1989 |
Glendalough | 1991 |
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area | 1993 |
Garden Island State Recreation Area | 1998 |
Big Bog State Recreation Area | 2000 |
Red River Valley State Recreation Area | 2000 |
Lake Vermillion | 2010 |
LaSalle Lake State Recreation Area | 2011 |
Waysides | Year Established |
Sam Brown Monument | 1929 |
Inspiration Peak | 1931 |
Joseph R. Brown | 1937 |
St. Croix Islands | 1943 (Exchange discussion underway with National Park Service ’05) |
Caribou Falls | 1947 |
Kodonce River | 1947 |
Ray Berglund | 1951 |
Cross River | 1961 (Became a part of Temperance River State Park in 1998. No longer a wayside.) |
Devils Track Falls | 1961 |
Flood Bay | 1963 |
(Updated April 2014)
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