Minnesota State Parks

Explore Minnesota’s state parks and state recreation areas with this all-in-one guide. When you consider a visit to Minnesota’s state parks, you might imagine hiking, bicycling, camping, fishing, swimming, bird-watching, or simply relaxing beside a babbling river. Of course, you’re right. The beautiful parks are perfect escapes for your favorite outdoor activities—but there’s so much more to do. Minnesota’s state parks offer a multitude of unique experiences and new adventures! Discover them all in Minnesota State Parks by Anne Arthur and debut author Signy Sherman. Wade across the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park. Explore an open mine pit at Hill Annex Mine State Park or an underground mine at Lake Vermillion-Sudan Underground Mine State Park. Immerse yourself in history at Fort Snelling State Park or Fort Ridgely State Park. See the bison herd at Blue Mounds State Park. Tour the cave at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park. You’ll also have opportunities to try everything from archery to snowshoeing, stay in a cabin or yurt, or even go scuba-diving (if you have the training and equipment). This comprehensive guide spotlights all 75 state parks and state recreation areas in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Each entry includes full-color photography, a map, and the details you want to know—including a park overview and descriptions of the trails, campgrounds, and interpretive programs. Plus, the authors’ tips help to ensure that you maximize the fun. Inside you’ll find Guide to all 75 state parks and state recreation areas Maps that show hiking and biking trails at a glance Expert tips from the authors Nearby attractions that help you make the most of your vacation, road trip, or weekend getaway Get outside and connect with nature. It’s as easy as finding a nearby state park. Use Minnesota State Parks to choose the destinations that are right for you, or begin your journey to visit them all!

Waterfalls and underground caverns, lady's slippers and dwarf trout lilies, cross-country skiing and fishing adventures--alluring photographs and captivating stories survey these and other delights of Minnesota's popular state parks.

In 1891 Minnesota established its first state park at Lake Itasca, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. In the century that followed, Minnesotans and tourists from other states have enjoyed hiking, picnicking, fishing, camping, canoeing, and skiing at Itasca and Minnesota's 64 other state parks. This helpful guide to the past in the parks will be welcomed by people who regularly visit a favorite Minnesota park, people who have set out to visit every park, and people who are newly discovering the parks' wonders.

Individual park descriptions include: Jay Cooke, Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Tettegouche, George H. Crosby Manitou, Temperance River, Cascade River, Judge C.R. Magney, and Grand Portage.

Brian Peterson and Kerri Westenberg, both native Minnesotans, share a deep affection for their homeland. That sensibility underlies every aspect of the State of Wonders project, which began as a series in the Travel section of the Star Tribune. Through their combined vision, springtime awakes in the northwest with prairie chicken dances and unfurling, delicate plants. Tallgrass prairies and historic American Indian lands trumpet the full glory of summer. Autumn colors dazzle the Mississippi River Valley, and winter in the Arrowhead region holds both harsh cold and exquisite beauty. Collectively, their work illuminates Minnesota's natural glories.

Only in Minnesota is a pictorial tribute to all that makes the state unique. Combining the natural, historical, and cultural facets of life in Minnesota, it showcases the people and what they do for fun (the Uptown Art Fair, ice fishing), where they live (from the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and Rochester to smaller towns and rural regions in between), their favorite places (Mille Lacs, Split Rock Lighthouse), and more. More than 160 dazzling, four-color photographs, showing a variety of subjects--from farms and churches to tourist destinations and state parks; from nature scenes to city festivals and cultural events--are the focus of Only in Minnesota. These photographs are accented by lively captions and fun facts. The result is a homage to the Gopher state from a local author and photographer whose love for Minnesota comes through on every page. Roxanne Kjarum is a freelance photographer who shoots advertising for money and the natural world for love. Her first published work was in Sierra Club magazine in 1988; since then her photography has appeared in numerous publications, including MPLS.ST.PAUL Magazine, Lake Superior Magazine, and Metropolitan Home.

View the spectacular waterfalls, gorges, and canyons of the nationally known Superior Hiking Trail, step back into Native American history alongside the quarries of Pipestone National Monument, or see bald eagles and other wildlife in Bear Head Lake State Park. Highlighting the history and geography of each route, this book introduces more than forty of the finest trails the Gopher State has to offer.