We envision an interconnected system of parks, trails, waterways, natural areas and open spaces that provide all Minnesotans with outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities and that preserve the natural diversity of our state.
Parks & Trails Council was founded in 1954. See how our history weaves with the history of Minnesota’s State Parks and Trails.
Interstate State Park is established along the St. Croix River at Taylors Falls.
By this year, the ten state parks that had been created were operating under the supervision of the state auditor, who was generally preoccupied with other duties. Stepping up to fill this gap were local volunteer groups. These groups played a vital role in protection and management but lacked a system view, resulting in different standards across the parks. There was also no one charged with recommending where to establish new state parks.
In 1925, the Minnesota Legislature established the Department of Conservation and placed state parks under its jurisdiction¹. The department was supervised by several commissioners, but primarily by the commissioner of forestry and fire prevention, Gover Conzet.
President Franklin Roosevelt persuades Congress to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps, which undertook massive development projects within state parks. The goal was to put people to work during the Great Depression. Unemployed men between the ages of 18 and 25 were enlisted in the CCC and lived in camps across Minnesota. Under the guidance of skilled craftspeople, these workers built visitors centers, trails, campgrounds, picnic shelters, and more.
As the Great Depression continued to plague the nation, President Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration. Similar to the CCC, this program also employed people but was broader in ages, gender and scope of work. The WPA developed Minnesota State Parks in much the same way that the CCC did.
Both CCC and WPA used a characteristic Rustic Style Architecture developed by the National Park Service. Stones and logs were the primary materials used in construction. These state parks contain Rustic Style resources that are listed on the National Register of Historic
Following in the footsteps of the National Park Service, Minnesota’s state parks begin to incorporate “enjoyable education” into the park experience. The parks director at the time wrote, “this type of recreation is a departure from the generally accepted and prevailing practices of emphasizing the purely amusement types.”
The era of free entry ends as the newly passed State Park Permit Act requires a permit on any vehicle entering the parks, then costing $1/year.
At that time, P&TC was named the Minnesota Council of State Parks. The idea for the organization arises from the urging of state park director U.W. Hella during a meeting of the Itasca State Park Association. A key decision is made for P&TC to function as an independent, non-government entity. This is the first organization of its kind in the nation.
Shortly after forming, P&TC demonstrates its ambitious goals for Minnesota State Park by successfully advocating for an updated State Parks and Recreation Study. The study results recommend establishing 35 new state parks, a boating river system, and a possible national park. While not all recommendations were immediately acted upon, it played a pivotal role in convincing lawmakers to take action to expand the system.
P&TC organizes a statewide meeting, chaired by Al Marshall that crafts an omnibus bill to create nine new state parks. Plus, another three state parks, which had previously been authorized but never got off the ground, were re-authorized. All 12 state parks passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor.
Minnesota Legislature authorizes the first state trail: Casey Jones State Trail.
The Minnesota Parks Foundation, which later merged into Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, was established to raise funds for land acquisition and other activities aimed at preserving, protecting, and supporting the natural, recreational, and historical values of the state of Minnesota. Their first project involved raising funds to acquire what would eventually become Afton State Park. Read the history of Afton State Park here.>
This act mandates that each park have a management plan and that those plans be open for public review.
The Parks & Trails Council collaborates with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to argue a court case that results in a landmark victory for rails to trails. The case involved ten miles of abandoned railroad in Washington County. The landowners adjacent to this corridor contended that the land should revert to their ownership since it was no longer used for railroad purposes. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that the land was originally acquired for public transportation and that a trail serves that purpose, albeit for a different mode of transport: bicycles, pedestrians, rollerblades, skis, and horses. As a result of that ruling, the Gateway State Trail was established on the abandoned railroad.
Minnesota Council of Parks merges with the Minnesota Parks Foundation to form the Minnesota Parks and Trails Council and Foundation on January 1, 1988. This organization is later renamed as Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota. Alden Lind assumes role of President of the newly formed organization.
Minnesota voters approve the Legacy Amendment, which increases sales tax by 0.375% until 2035 to benefit the environment and the arts. Four funds are created to receive a portion: 33 percent to the clean water fund; 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund; 19.75 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund; and 14.25 percent to the parks and trails fund.
Following the passage of the Legacy Amendment, the MNDNR leads a planning process mandated by the Minnesota Legislature to develop a 25-year plan to guide how funds are spent for parks and trails of state and regional significance.
One goal is to establish five new state parks and connect ten state parks to state trails by 2035.
P&TC supports the transfer of Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community, which is a federally recognized Native Nation. And Hill Annex Mine State Park was de-authorized under unique circumstances. While we support the transfer, we urge the Minnesota Legislature to replace the 1,900 acres of land by adding land to the existing system or creating a new state park. Read more…