Fort Snelling State Park

 

 

About

Ownership

Minnesota DNR logo

 

Links

Minnesota DNR

 

Overview

 

 

History

 

 

Management

 

 

Comments

 

Location

Size

3,711 acres statutory, 2,654 owned

 

Driving Directions

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  Area and County
    County  

Dakota, Hennepin, and Ramsey Counties

    Region   Metro Area

Parking

101 Snelling Lake Road
St. Paul, MN 55111

N44 52.414, W93 11.493

 

Hours

Daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.

 

Fees

Daily park permit: $7

Annual park permit: $35

 

Maps

Summer Map

Winter Biking map

Winter Map

Activities

Hiking

Biking

Birdwatching

Nature photography

Cross country skiing

Snowshoeing

Camping

Picnicking

Swimming

Boating

 

Hiking Trails

18 miles

 

Hunting and Fishing

No hunting

Fishing is allowed at all bodies of water that are entirely within the state park boundaries. There is no fee, a fishing licence is not needed, and fishing equipment can be checked out for free at the park office.

Ecology

Ecological Classification

  Ecological Classification
Ecological Province Ecological Province  

Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province

 
Ecological Section Ecological Section  

Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal

 
Ecological Subsection Ecological Subsection  

Anoka Sand Plain

St. Paul-Baldwin Plains and Moraines

 
Land Type Association    

Mississippi Sand Plain

Pig’s Eye Alluvial Plain

 
         

Native Plant Communities*

 

Bulrush Marsh (Northern)

Calcareous Fen (Southeastern)

Lowland Aspen Forest

Mesic Oak Savanna (Southern)

Red Oak - White Oak Forest

Red Oak - White Oak - (Sugar Maple) Forest

Silver Maple - (Virginia Creeper) Floodplain Forest

Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Bitternut Hickory) Forest

Willow - Dogwood Shrub Swamp

 
* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources    
     

Natural Features

   

 

 

 

 

 

Popular Park

Fort Snelling State Park is the most visited state park in Minnesota.

Visitor Photos
 

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Kirk Nelson

The Minnehaha Trail goes from the south end of Minnehaha Park to the visitors’ center in Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     
Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     

Floods markers - one next to the Mississippi River, and one on Pike Island. From top to bottom: 1965, 1952, 2001, 1880

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
Marker by Mississippi River   Marker on Pike Island
     

Minnesota River floodplain, just off the trail near Gun Club Lake

Fort Snelling State Park    
     

Run-off from Gun Club Lake that flows into the Minnesota River

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     

Trail along the Minnesota River, south of Mendota Bridge to Gun Club Lake

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     
Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     
Fort Snelling State Park    
     

Axel Von Bergen Trail, September 2015

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     

Trails on Pike Island

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     
Fort Snelling State Park    
     
Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park

Visitor Center

 

Mendota Bridge over Picnic Island

     

Fort Snelling State Park

 

  Fort Snelling State Park
  Beaver-gnawed Tree on Picnic Island

Confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers

   
     

Turkeys and Deer at Fort Snelling State Park

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Park Entrance

Fort Snelling State Park    
     

Picnic Island

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     
Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     

The Point on Picnic Island

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     
Fort Snelling State Park    
     

Minnesota River

Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     
Fort Snelling State Park   Fort Snelling State Park
     

Recent Beaver Activity

Fort Snelling State Park    

 

Camera

Slideshows

Fort Snelling State Park
Sharon Somero

Fort Snelling State Park
About

Pictures taken from various walks at Fort Snelling State Park on the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers in Minneapols.

Fort Snelling
Michael David Myers

Fort Snelling

Fort Snelling Oak Woodland
Restoration Evaluation

Fort Snelling Oak Woodland

Fort Snelling State Park
Richard Sanders

Fort Snelling State Park
About

Fort Snelling State Park, MN

 

slideshow

Visitor Videos
 

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Other Videos

North High Students Explore Fort Snelling State Park with Wilderness Inquiry & UWCA
WildernessInquiry

About

Published on Nov 14, 2013

Students from North High School in Minneapolis, MN had the opportunity to explore Fort Snelling State park as part of the Urban Wilderness Canoe Adventures (UWCA) program. They learned how to fish and canoe, and also learned about water quality testing, voyageur culture and history, and more with this innovative programming. This excellent footage was produced by iDream.tv and Minneapolis Public Schools.

Fort Snelling State Park Hike
rohan

About

Uploaded on Nov 11, 2006

I hiked the undulating trails of the Fort Snelling State Park today with my ubiquitous camera and the trusty Garmin eTrex. Hey, I'm back home, isn't that a miracle?

Fort Snelling State Park ride
BTC0288

About

Uploaded on Dec 3, 2009

Right in the middle of the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metro area is a state park at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers. The song is "Girl shaped love drug" by Southport's own Gomez.

 

Camcorder

Visitor Sightings
 

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Chris Kurtz

Plants

Canada moonseed (Menispermum canadense)   Canada moonseed

Kirk Nelson

Birds

Barred Owl (Strix varia)

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

  Great Blue Heron

Fungi

Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)

Crown-tipped Coral (Artomyces pyxidatus)

Elm Oyster (Hypsizygus ulmarius)

Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor)

White Jelly Fungus (Ductifera pululahuana)

  Chicken of the Woods

Insects and Arachnids

blue-fronted dancer (Argia apicalis)

bronzed tiger beetle (Cicindela repanda)

widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)

  widow skimmer

Mammals

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)   whitetail deer

Plants

blue vervain (Verbena hastata)

Canada anemone (Anemonastrum canadense)

European cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. opulus)

great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica var. siphilitica)

kidney-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus)

tall bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum)

white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima)

 

blue vervain

white snakeroot

Reptiles

common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)   common snapping turtle

Christa Rittberg

Mammals

northern river otter (Lontra canadensis)

tri-colored bat (Perimyotis subflavus)

  northern river otter
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Visits

3/5/2000

1/29/2014

Amphibians

One amphibian species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:

Special Concern

mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Amphibians and Reptiles List

     

Birds

Sixteen bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Endangered

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

Threatened

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Wilson’s Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor)

Special Concern

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)

Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii)

Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri)

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)

Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Purple Martin (Progne subis)

Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Birds List

Minnesota DNR Bird Checklist

eBird Field Checklist (Complete)

eBird Field Checklist (Casperson Landing & trails)

eBird Field Checklist (Gun Club Lake)

eBird Field Checklist (Picnic Island)

eBird Field Checklist (Pike Island)

eBird Field Checklist (Snelling Lake)

eBird Field Checklist (Visitors' Center)

American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata)

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

 

American Goldfinch

Northern Cardinal

Wild Turkey

Fishes

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Fishes List

     

Fungi and Lichens

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Fungi List

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Lichens List

     

Insects and Arachnids

One insect and arachnid species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:

Special Concern

Iowa skipper (Atrytone arogos iowa)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Insects List

bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata)

blue-fronted dancer (Argia apicalis)

  bald-faced hornet Nest

Mammals

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Mammals List

American beaver (Castor canadensis)

eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

  American beaver

Plants

Eight plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:

Threatened

edible valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata)

kittentails (Veronica bullii)

one-flowered broomrape (Orobanche uniflora)

sterile sedge (Carex sterilis)

whorled nut-rush (Scleria verticillata)

Special Concern

cutleaf waterparsnip (Berula erecta)

few-flowered spikerush (Eleocharis quinqueflora)

small white lady’s slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List

Plants frequently found in:

Bulrush Marsh (Northern) MRn93a

Calcareous Fen (Southeastern) OPp93c

Lowland Aspen Forest WFs55a

Mesic Oak Savanna (Southern) UPs24a

Red Oak - White Oak Forest MHs37a

Red Oak - White Oak - (Sugar Maple) Forest MHs37b

Silver Maple - (Virginia Creeper) Floodplain Forest FFs68a

Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Bitternut Hickory) Forest MHs39a

Willow - Dogwood Shrub Swamp WMn82a

   
 

common burdock

garlic mustard

marsh marigold

Reptiles

Four reptile species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Threatened

timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta)

Special Concern

smooth softshell turtle (Apalone mutica)

plains hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus)

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Amphibians and Reptiles List

     

 

 

Binoculars

 

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