NATIONAL PARKS   

Voyageurs National Park 

Voyageurs National Park celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025. Its peerless interior is accessible only by water, with 240 sites designated for houseboats, tent camping or day use dotting the shores of four large, island-studded lakes and dozens of smaller lakes along the Canadian border. It’s also an International Dark Sky Park that offers spectacular stargazing and northern lights viewing.  

Within the park's more than 200,000 acres, there are roughly 500 islands and 655 miles of shoreline to explore. The park is named after the French-Canadian voyageurs — French for “travelers” — who paddled these waterways in large birch bark and cedar canoes in the 17th and early 18th centuries, trapping and transporting pelts of beaver, otter and mink. 

Today, visitors enter the park by motorboat, canoe, kayak and sailboat for day trips or camping. It’s also a popular spot to visit in the winter for snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and serene, dark skies. 

But Voyageurs is perhaps best known as Minnesota’s premier destination for houseboat vacations. Imagine a luxurious floating vacation home moored on your private bay or island, with a hot tub, a waterslide for the kids, and a motorboat attached for fishing or exploring the park’s extraordinary sights. Houseboats can be rented from businesses just outside the park.  

Read our beginner's guide or find a place to stay.

NATIONAL PARK SITES  

Pipestone National Monument 

Located in Pipestone — one of the country's "coolest small towns," according to Budget Travel — this site is open year-round for hiking and touring the visitor center, which tells the story of its history and culture. Craft workers also demonstrate the art of creating pipestone goods. An entrance pass is not required to access Pipestone National Monument. 

The American Indian tradition of quarrying pipestone into sacred pipes and other items is still practiced today. It is the only site in the National Park System where resources can be removed from the grounds. Tribes from the area and beyond come here to quarry the stone using sledgehammers, chisels and other handheld tools; the waiting list for the required permit is as much as 10 years out. 

Explore and hike through the 56 active quarry pits, native tallgrass prairie, and quartzite rock formations and admire Winnewissa Falls.  

Learn more about Pipestone National Monument  and other spectacular national park sites.

Grand Portage National Monument 

On the northeast tip of Minnesota overlooking Lake Superior, Grand Portage National Monument celebrates the site’s importance to the French-Canadian fur traders of the early 1800s and the Indians who initially guided those voyageurs based on their centuries of experience. An entrance pass is not required to access Grand Portage National Monument. 

Living history activities occur in and around the Historic Depot, with a log-built great hall, kitchen and canoe warehouse, and an adjacent Ojibwe village and voyageurs’ encampment. On the second weekend in August, the year's highlight is Grand Rendezvous Days and the Rendezvous Days Powwow, the latter of which is sponsored by the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe). 

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area 

Passing right through the heart of Minneapolis and St. Paul, this 72-mile “partnership park” covers 54,000 acres — from Dayton to Hastings — and works with local, regional and state partners to protect and preserve the great river’s natural, recreational, historic and cultural resources. It has no admission fees, but some partner parks, museums, and historical sites within park boundaries do (including parking). Please contact those parks and facilities for more information. 

The recreation area offers a variety of park ranger-led activities, including talks, demonstrations, hikes, and opportunities to get out on the water. The Mississippi River Visitor Center — located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota in downtown St. Paul — coordinates them. 

Popular activities include hiking, biking and fishing at Coon Rapids Regional Park and Hidden Falls-Crosby Farm Regional Park in St. Paul; a two-mile self-guided Heritage Trail at the mighty St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis; living history demonstrations at Historic Fort Snelling; and fishing, walking, biking and taking in the view at Hastings River Flats Park. 

Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway 

The St. Croix River lines the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. In 1968, the federal government declared it one of only eight “National Wild and Scenic Rivers.” It’s widely considered one of the best canoeing rivers in the nation and offers excellent fishing.   

The Minnesota portion runs from St. Croix State Park to where the St. Croix meets the Mississippi River at Hastings. In addition to five particularly gorgeous state parks, there are numerous regional and city parks and primitive National Park Service campsites along the shore. An entrance pass is not required to access Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. Other state parks within the system do require an entrance pass. 

North Country National Scenic Trail 

Once complete, the North Country National Scenic Trail will be the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States. Minnesota’s portion currently includes the Superior Hiking Trail along the North Shore of Lake Superior, which is open for backcountry camping and day hikes between access points with parking. An entrance pass is not required to access the North Country National Scenic Trail. 

The Border Route and Kekekabic are wilderness trails appropriate for experienced backcountry hikers. They pass through the heart of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A 70-mile section through Chippewa National Forest and sections passing near the Mississippi headwaters in Itasca State Park are open for camping and day hikes. They are accessible via several towns along the route. 

MINNESOTA’S STATE PARKS 

A dramatic lighthouse proudly rising out of a cliffside, visible from the rocky shores of Lake Superior. The crystal-clear headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi. Tranquil paved trails inside the historic woods of Fort Snelling, just minutes from downtown Minneapolis. All of these are highlights of the incredible Minnesota state park system.  

Minnesota has 64 state parks, 9 recreation areas, and 9 waysides scattered across the state, attracting more than 10 million visitors a year. The parks are ideal for camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and more. Some of the most visited include Gooseberry Falls in Two Harbors, Itasca in Park Rapids, Tettegouche in Silver Bay, and Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors. 

With so many state parks and recreation areas throughout the state, you don't need to travel far to explore and enjoy the great outdoors in Minnesota.

See our standout parks list and plan your next adventure today.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO 

 All vehicles entering a state park must display a valid year-round or one-day Minnesota state park vehicle permit affixed to the lower right-hand corner of the windshield. Parks are dog-friendly; all dogs must be leashed, and owners must clean up after their pets.  

ONE FINAL NOTE 

The wonder and legacy of Minnesota’s parks system is thanks, in part, to the state’s residents. In 1988, voters approved a constitutional amendment to direct funds generated by the Minnesota State Lottery to protect, conserve, preserve and enhance the state’s air, water, land, fish, wildlife, and other natural resources. In four subsequent elections, voters have overwhelmingly approved (by 70%+), reaffirming this commitment. 

The result is a state filled with parks to explore, including two of the country’s top three city park systems (Minneapolis, 2, and St. Paul, 3). What can we say? We love our parks. 

Find out more about Minnesota's state and national parks.