Fun Quiz

There are 5 Minnesota state parks along the St. Croix River: St. Croix, Wild River, Afton, William O’Brien, and Interstate.

Not only famous for the Mississippi Headwaters, Itasca State Park is also known for having over 100 lakes, making it the state park with the most lakes in Minnesota.

Fort Snelling State Park is where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers converge, which occurs at Pike Island and is accessible by a hiking trail. This confluence is a sacred place of creation and spiritual importance for the Dakota people, calling it “Bdote”, the Dakota word for “where two waters come together.”

While close, Jay Cooke State Park doesn’t technically reach the shoreline of Lake Superior. Located inland, this state park does feature the St. Louis River that flows into Lake Superior.

La Salle Lake is considered the deepest inland lake entirely within Minnesota’s borders inside a state park or recreation area, reaching a depth of 213 feet.

Big Stone Lake in Big Stone Lake State Park is the source of the Minnesota River and is 26 miles long.

The Dakota who were settled in this region, referred to the lake as bdeġa, which means "pelican." An early white explorer translated this Dakota word into the Ojibwe word for the same bird. The Ojibwe People's Dictionary spells the word as, "zhede" but has a similar sound as "shetek." Lake Shetek is also the largest lake in southwestern Minnesota.

The Kettle River expands the entire length of Banning State Park, a popular spot for whitewater paddlers. Hikers can enjoy 17 miles of trails with scenic river views.