Mississippi National River and Recreation Area explained

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
Map:Minnesota#USA
Relief:1
Location:Minnesota, United States
Nearest City:Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Coordinates:44.8733°N -93.0188°W
Coords Ref:[1]
Area:53775acres
Established:November 18, 1988
Visitation Num:127,635
Visitation Year:2015
Visitation Ref:[2]
Governing Body:National Park Service along with other private organizations.
Website:Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a 72miles and 54000acres protected corridor along the Mississippi River through Minneapolis–Saint Paul in the U.S. state of Minnesota, from the cities of Dayton and Ramsey to just downstream of Hastings. This stretch of the upper Mississippi River includes natural, historical, recreational, cultural, scenic, scientific, and economic resources of national significance. This area is the only national park site dedicated exclusively to the Mississippi River. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is sometimes abbreviated as MNRRA (often pronounced like "minn-ruh") or MISS, the four-letter code the National Park Service assigned to the area. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is classified as one of four national rivers in the United States, and despite its name is technically not one of the 40 national recreation areas.

History

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area was established in 1988 as a new unique type of national park known as a partnership park. Unlike traditional national parks, the National Park Service is not a major land owner and therefore does control the land use. The National Park Service works in partnership with several partners (e.g., local, state, and federal governments, nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and individual people) who own land along the river or have an interest in the Mississippi River to achieve the National Park Service's mission to protect and preserve for future generations. Some of the park's most prominent attractions are the St. Anthony Falls Historic District (including Mill City Museum, the Guthrie Theater, the Stone Arch Bridge, and Mill Ruins Park), Fort Snelling and the adjacent Fort Snelling State Park, Minnehaha Falls, and the Winchell Trail. There are many additional attractions, trails, and programs in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. The park spans Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington Counties, all within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

As of 2016, the area has two visitor centers, one inside the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul and the other at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis, both staffed by National Park Service rangers. The Minneapolis visitor center offers three free tours daily of the Upper Saint Anthony Lock and surrounding area. Each year, the rangers manage community activities, including interpretive sessions, bike rides, and movies, to educate the local community about the area's natural and human history.

Sections

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is between River Miles 879 and 806. The National Park Service categorizes it into five approximate sections:[3]

  1. The Wild and Scenic River (River Mile 879 to 863) — North of the Twin Cities the river is a state wild and scenic river, slowing as it reaches the Coon Rapids Dam. This segment begins at the confluence of Crow River and the Mississippi near Ramsey and Dayton and flows to Banfil Island at Brooklyn Park and Fridley.
  2. The River of the Falls/The Urban River (River Mile 862 to 852) — From Brooklyn Center the river approaches several falls, beginning with Saint Anthony, and enters the historic Milling District near downtown Minneapolis.
  3. The Gorge/Where the Rivers Meet (River Mile 852 to 843) — After the Milling District, the river enters the Mississippi gorge that extends past Fort Snelling State Park to its confluence with the Minnesota River.
  4. The Working River (River Mile 840 to 833) — From near downtown Saint Paul, the river begins to feature towboats and barge traffic as it winds to the Pig's Eye Lake Scientific and Natural Area.
  5. The Forested Floodplain (River Mile 833 to 806) — From South Saint Paul, the river widens further with numerous backwaters and the bluffs are higher. Past Hastings and toward the Vermillion River, the Mississippi becomes wilder again.

Places to visit

The park's website lists the following locations or features as partner sites.[4]

Partner SiteRiver MileManagement Level[5] Managing BodyAreaDate Opened to PublicSummary
Akin Riverside Park http://www.ci.anoka.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B6DFA3A0E-5496-4331-B8C6-02B5DCFBC3F7%7D&DE=%7BD44A9132-029F-4BF2-B1B5-68DCF56D6259%7D
45.1947°N -93.3911°W
City City of Anoka Parks & Recreation NaN6.5 Interprets Anoka city history just above the mouth of the Rum River. The 1914 Windego Park Auditorium/Open Air Theater is on the NRHP.
Ard Godfrey House http://www.womansclub.org/club/scripts/section/section.asp?NS=AGH
44.9886°N -93.2567°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, The Woman's Club of Minneapolis 1979 Built 1849, the oldest wood-frame house in Minneapolis.

45.0889°N -93.2761°W
County/Non-profit Anoka County Parks 1988 A renovated 1847 inn, once a way station on the Red River Ox Cart Trail. (Until April 2022, the home of Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, now the North Suburban Center for the Arts https://www.northsuburbanarts.org/.) Located in Manomin County Park.
Battle Creek Regional Park
44.9408°N -93.0047°W
County Ramsey County Parks and Recreation NaN1840 1925[6] Park comprises three parcels, including a ravine where Dakotas won a battle against Ojibwe intent on attacking Kaposia village in 1842.
Bohemian Flatsunknown
44.9753°N -93.2414°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board unknown 1867 Park on the west bank of the Mississippi River near the University of Minnesota that was the former site of a shanty town in the city's early history.
Boom Island Park https://web.archive.org/web/20020126082422/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=264854.8
44.9936°N -93.2692°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN22.5[7] 1987 Once the site of log booms to sort lumber to the owning sawmill, this former island features a marina, riverboat tours, and an ornamental lighthouse.

44.9183°N -93.1122°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation N/A 2007 Kiln ruins and shale quarries remain from a brickmaking company that operated from 1894 to the 1970s. Fossil collecting and ice climbing are allowed in the quarries with a permit. Part of Lilydale Regional Park.

44.9531°N -93.0747°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation NaN29 2005 Rehabilitated from a former trainyard and industrial site. Includes Wakan Tipi/Carver's Cave.

44.8993°N -104.77°W
Federal National Park Service N/A2012 Natural spring and restored prairie site formerly known as Camp Coldwater, located in the Fort Snelling unorganized territory in Hennepin County.
Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park (East) https://web.archive.org/web/20110224025607/http://www.anokacountyparks.com/parks/coon_rapids_dam_regional_park/about.html865–867.7
45.1486°N -93.3078°W
County Anoka County Parks NaN446 1994[8] Features pedestrians and non-motorized traffic access to the 1913 Coon Rapids Dam, plus river and lake fishing and a visitor center.
Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park (West) http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/coon-rapids-dam.aspx865–867.7
45.1447°N -93.3206°W
Park district NaN160 1969 Features pedestrians and non-motorized traffic access to the 1913 Coon Rapids Dam, plus a visitor center.
Crosby Farm Regional Park http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us/Facilities.aspx?page=detail&RID=26842.3–845.4
44.8981°N -93.1631°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation NaN736 1962 Restored bottomland hardwood forest and wetlands that were farmed from 1858 to 1962. Hiking trails and location of the Watergate Marina.
Father Hennepin Bluffs Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110401023256/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=273
44.9817°N -93.2492°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN8 1979 Father Louis Hennepin, the first European to describe St. Anthony Falls, saw them from this site in 1680.
First Bridge Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110206052057/http://minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=434
44.9844°N -93.2644°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN22 2001 Interpretive signage and public art beneath the Hennepin Avenue Bridge commemorate the site of the first permanent bridge crossing the Mississippi, built in 1855.
Fort Snelling State Park http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fort_snelling/index.html843.9
44.8708°N -93.1964°W
State NaN2931 1961 Includes Pike Island and bottomland hardwood forest at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.
Fountain Cave
45.0889°N -93.2761°W
N/A N/A N/A N/A A historical marker shows the former location of a sandstone cave, site of the first building in St. Paul (Pierre Parrant's tavern) and later a tourist attraction. The cave was ruined by sewage and the entrance was sealed in 1960 during road construction.
Gluek Park https://web.archive.org/web/20020903014737/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=254
45.0889°N -93.2761°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN2.9 1994 Established on the site of the 1857 Gluek Brewery following its demolition in 1970.
Gold Medal Park http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/riverfront_east_rfp_home.asp
45.0889°N -93.2761°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN7.5 2007 Selected as the future site of a memorial to the victims of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapse.
Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna01101/index.html821
44.8708°N -93.1964°W
State NaN237 1998 Preserves a sandy prairie with dunes and blowouts on river terraces.
Grey Cloud Island 821–825
45.0889°N -93.2761°W
City NaN2000[9] N/A An island named after Grey Cloud Woman, a 19th-century Mdewakanton. The 1846 Grey Cloud Lime Kiln is on the NRHP.
Harriet Island Regional Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110822075444/http://mn-stpaul.civicplus.com/facilities.aspx?search=1&CID=1&pagenum=3&RID=39&Page=detail839.5–840.5
44.8981°N -93.1631°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation 1900 Named for educator Harriet Bishop and now connected to shore, this former island has long been the site of public amenities and festivals. The Harriet Island Pavilion is on the NRHP. The regional park boundaries includes Raspberry Island and the Minnesota Boat Club Boathouse that is on the NRHP.
Hidden Falls Regional Parkhttp://www.stpaul.gov/facilities.aspx?pagenum=18&RID=42&Page=detail845.4–847.4
44.8981°N -93.1631°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation NaN134[10] 1887 One of St. Paul's original parks, designed by Horace Cleveland. Features a spring-fed waterfall in a stone channel built by the Works Progress Administration.
Historic Fort Snelling http://www.mnhs.org/places/sites/hfs/845.5
45.0889°N -93.2761°W
State Begun as a wilderness outpost in 1819 at the strategic confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, and staffed by the U.S. Army through World War II, when it served as a major processing center for new servicemen. Now a National Historic Landmark.
Indian Mounds Regional Park https://web.archive.org/web/20120314192751/http://mn-stpaul.civicplus.com/facilities.aspx?search=1&CID=1&pagenum=3&RID=53&Page=detail
44.9467°N -93.0608°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation NaN79 1893 Preserves six 2,000-year-old burial mounds from the Hopewell tradition.
Islands of Peace County Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110627181814/http://www.anokacountyparks.com/parks/islands_of_peace_county_park/about.html861
45.0764°N -93.2742°W
County Anoka County Parks NaN22[11] Comprises three islands, one connected to the east bank by a bridge, the other two accessible only by water. Part of Riverfront Regional Park.
John H. Stevens House Museum http://www.johnhstevenshouse.org/
44.9139°N -93.2094°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 1985 Built in 1850, the home of John H. Stevens was the first wood-frame house west of the Mississippi and the political and social hub of the young Minneapolis. Originally near St. Anthony Falls, it has been moved to Minnehaha Park.
N/A N/A N/A N/A A seasonal Mdewakanton Dakota village was situated below present-day Indian Mounds Regional Park until resettlement following the 1853 Treaty of Mendota.
Kaposia Landing http://www.southstpaul.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B8E6E9ACE-29EB-4586-A336-CC2C8E067C49%7D834.8–835.7
44.9056°N -93.0467°W
City South St. Paul Parks & Recreation NaN87 2008 Developed over a reclaimed construction landfill. Includes an off-leash dog park.
Kaposia Park
44.9061°N -93.0619°W
City South St. Paul Parks & Recreation NaN85 Features recreational amenities, including a disc golf course.
Lake Rebecca Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110822075444/http://mn-stpaul.civicplus.com/facilities.aspx?search=1&CID=1&pagenum=3&RID=39&Page=detail
44.8981°N -93.1631°W
City Hastings Parks and Recreation NaN215 1995[12] Formerly called Hastings River Flats Park, and adjacent to Lock and Dam No. 2.
Lambert's Landing http://www.stpaul.gov/facilities.aspx?pagenum=18&RID=42&Page=detail
44.9453°N -93.0864°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation NaN0.3 1937 Historic site of St. Paul's major steamboat landing, the head of navigation on the Mississippi.
Leonard H. Neiman Sports Complex https://web.archive.org/web/20110206030746/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=439
44.8919°N -93.1914°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2003 Public sports fields developed on the extended grounds of Fort Snelling.
Lilydale Regional Park http://www.stpaul.gov/facilities.aspx?search=1&CID=1&pagenum=3&RID=61&Page=detail841.3–843
44.9169°N -93.125°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation NaN384[13] 1971 A former townsite now reverted to floodplain forest.
Lock and Dam No. 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20081206183104/http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/default.asp?pageid=145&subpageid=146847.6
44.9197°N -93.2039°W
Federal N/A 1917 Tours are offered of the lock and dam that extended the head of navigation to Minneapolis.
Lock and Dam No. 2 https://web.archive.org/web/20110609204341/http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/default.asp?pageid=145&subpageid=161815.2
44.7592°N -92.8692°W
Federal N/A 1930 Visitors can watch from an observation deck as river traffic passes through this lock adjacent to Hastings.
Longfellow House Hospitality Center https://web.archive.org/web/20110206025509/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=271
44.9158°N -93.2136°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2001 Built in 1907, this 2/3 scale replica of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's house in Massachusetts now serves as the information center for Minnehaha Park and the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway.
Manomin County Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110719040833/http://www.anokacountyparks.com/parks/manomin_county_park/about.html862
45.0889°N -93.2761°W
County Anoka County Parks NaN15 1967 Includes the mouth of Rice Creek and the historic Banfill Tavern, now an art center. Named for the former Manomin County.
Marshall Terrace Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110206061722/http://minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=395
45.0178°N -93.2722°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN6.5 1914 Offers recreational amenities in a quiet neighborhood park.
850.2
44.9539°N -93.2067°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation 2007[14] The first lock and dam on the Mississippi only operated from 1907 to 1912, when it was submerged by Lock and Dam No. 1. The NRHP-listed remnants are visible from a riverside path during low water.
Mill City Museum http://www.millcitymuseum.org/
44.9786°N -93.2569°W
State 2003 Features exhibits on the milling history of Minneapolis, within the ruins of the Washburn A Mill, a National Historic Landmark built in 1880.
Mill Ruins Park https://web.archive.org/web/20020131230625/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=413
44.9803°N -93.2581°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2001 Contains the excavated remains of the tailraces and canals that powered the 19th Century milling industry that spurred the development of Minneapolis.
Minnehaha Regional Park https://web.archive.org/web/20070212203626/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=252847–847.6
44.9122°N -93.21°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN193 1889 Surrounds Minnehaha Falls and contains several sculptures and historic structures.
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge http://www.fws.gov/midwest/MinnesotaValley/N/A
44.8597°N -93.2164°W
Federal NaN14000 1976 Several units strung along the lower Minnesota River provide natural habitat and outdoor recreation.
Mississippi Gorge Regional Park https://web.archive.org/web/20061015074427/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=453
44.9361°N -93.2006°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, St. Paul Parks and Recreation Provides hiking and biking paths along the only gorge on the Mississippi.
Mississippi River Visitor Center http://www.nps.gov/miss/planyourvisit/mrvcabou.htm839.7
44.9428°N -93.0986°W
Federal [15] 2003 MNRRA's main visitor center, located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Nicollet Island Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110424010023/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=265
44.9861°N -93.2603°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN26.8 1946 Located on historic Nicollet Island, with a rental facility in a renovated 1893 factory and views of the 1858 dam above St. Anthony Falls.
North Mississippi Regional Park https://web.archive.org/web/20020120204327/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=419858–860.5
45.0436°N -93.2828°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN67.2 1954 Features a visitor center operated by Three Rivers Park District.

44.8808°N -93.1672°W
County Dakota County Parks NaN25 A landmark to the Dakota and early settlers, this hill overlooks the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers.
Peninsula Point Two Rivers Historical Park http://www.ci.anoka.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B6DFA3A0E-5496-4331-B8C6-02B5DCFBC3F7%7D&DE=%7BCC6DC618-D393-4E65-B2B2-2A291B2988A0%7D
45.1931°N -93.3939°W
City City of Anoka Parks & Recreation NaN8.3 1995 Features interpretive signage, park amenities, and a state champion green ash tree at the mouth of the Rum River.
Pine Bend Bluff Scientific and Natural Area http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna02030/index.html
44.7881°N -93.0342°W
State NaN256 Oak forests and dry prairies on these 200feet bluffs form one of the largest undisturbed natural areas in the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area.
N/AN/A N/A N/A – 9,400 years ago A massive prehistoric waterfall on the Glacial River Warren slowly eroded upstream, carving the Mississippi Gorge and ultimately devolving into St. Anthony Falls and Minnehaha Falls.
Riverfront Regional Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110625161258/http://www.anokacountyparks.com/parks/riverfront_regional_park/about.html859–860.5
45.0608°N -93.2814°W
County Anoka County Parks NaN139 1987 Features riverfront paths and a rental facility in a renovated 1880s farmhouse.
Riverside Park https://web.archive.org/web/20020827170149/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=407
44.9653°N -93.2311°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN40 1884 Site of several firsts in Minneapolis park amenities, from the first playground and basketball court in the 1900s to a full-sized soccer field and an off-leash dog park in recent years.
Science Museum of Minnesota http://www.smm.org/839.7
44.9431°N -93.0981°W
Non-profit Science Museum of Minnesota 1999 A museum providing exhibits, education, and research on natural sciences, technology, and culture. The MNRRA visitor center is located in the lobby.
Sibley House Historic Site https://www.mnhs.org/sibley
44.8875°N -93.1667°W
State 1910[16] The site includes the 1838 home of fur-trader turned first state governor Henry Hastings Sibley (the oldest European house in Minnesota), the 1840 home of trader Jean-Baptiste Faribault, and an 1843 American Fur Company store.
Spring Lake Park Reserve https://web.archive.org/web/20110306105759/http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/LeisureRecreation/CountyParks/Locations/SpringLake/default.htm815.2–823
44.7456°N -92.9667°W
44.7636°N -92.9314°W
County Dakota County Parks NaN1200[17] Two separate units overlook a spring-fed lake joined to the Mississippi by dam-raised water levels. Amenities include an archery trail, community garden plots, model airplane field, and several rental facilities.
854
44.9817°N -93.2572°W
Federal N/A 1937 The only waterfall on the entire Mississippi powered a major milling district from the 1860s to the 1930s. In 1937 the falls were about to erode into rapids and were stabilized with a concrete spillway.
St. Croix National Scenic Riverway http://www.nps.gov/sacn/index.htm811.5
45.4169°N -92.6461°W
Federal NaN92738 1968 A tributary of the Mississippi, the largely undeveloped St. Croix River on the Wisconsin–Minnesota border is protected as a separate unit of the National Park system.
Stone Arch Bridge https://web.archive.org/web/20061104045634/http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=268853.9
44.9806°N -93.2531°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 1994 Built in 1883 for James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway, this 2100adj=midNaNadj=mid Historic Civil Engineering Landmark was converted to a walking and biking path in 1994.
Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam https://web.archive.org/web/20110514185735/http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/default.asp?pageid=145&subpageid=144854
44.9806°N -93.2578°W
Federal N/A 1963 Free tours are offered of the facility that finally extended navigation above St. Anthony Falls.
Vento View Overlook
44.9175°N -93.1133°W
City St. Paul Parks and Recreation N/A 2001 Congressman Bruce Vento, a dedicated environmental advocate, is honored at this river valley overlook . Part of Cherokee Regional Park.
Vermillion River Bottoms 795.5 State The lower Vermillion River flows through floodplain forest before emptying into the Mississippi.
Water Power Park https://web.archive.org/web/20110206091456/http://minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=500
44.9842°N -93.2547°W
City Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board NaN1.4 2007 Interprets the country's first commercial hydroelectric power plant.
Winchell Trail44.9433°N -93.2027°WCityMinneapolis Park and Recreation BoardN/A19145 mi (8 km) hiking trail off the West River Parkway in Minneapolis.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. 1888944 . Mississippi National River and Recreation Area . 2012-12-05.
  2. Web site: Unknown .
  3. Web site: 2020-11-19. Mississippi River Companion - Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. www.nps.gov. U.S. National Park Service. en.
  4. Web site: National Park Service . Mississippi National River and Recreation Area: Plan Your Visit . U.S. Department of the Interior . 2011-02-16 . 2011-03-25.
  5. Web site: 2021-12-18 . National River and Recreation Area Minnesota: Places To Go . 2020-08-14 . National Park Service.
  6. Book: Empson, Donald . The Street Where You Live: A Guide to the Place Names of St. Paul . University of Minnesota Press . Minneapolis . 2006 . 978-0-8166-4729-3 . registration .
  7. Web site: Smith . David C. . Parks, Lakes, Trails and So Much More: An Overview of the Histories of MPRB Properties . Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board . 2008 . 2011-03-23 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110206051841/http://minneapolisparks.org/documents/parks/Parks_Lakes_Trails_Much_More.pdf . 2011-02-06 .
  8. Web site: Coon Rapids Regional Dam Commission . Coon Rapids Regional Dam Commission Report . 2011-02-28 . 2011-03-26.
  9. Web site: Grey Cloud Island Township . Washington County Historical Society . Washington County Communities . 2011-03-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110807234051/http://projects.wchsmn.org/communities/grey-cloud-island-township/ . 2011-08-07 .
  10. January 1998 . A Guide to... Hidden Falls Regional Park . Saint Paul Parks & Recreation . City of Saint Paul.
  11. News: Furst . Randy . Grand openings planned for two riverfront parks . Star Tribune . Minneapolis, Minn. . 1987-06-26.
  12. Web site: Hastings River Flats Restoration . April 2007 . Friends of the Mississippi River . 2011-03-25.
  13. Web site: History, nature intersect as St. Paul rediscovers an urban oasis . Friends of the Mississippi River . August 2008 . 2011-03-23.
  14. News: Nelson . Tim . River history reclaimed: A new St. Paul park makes accessible the remains of the historic Meeker Island Lock and Dam . Saint Paul Pioneer Press . St. Paul, Minn. . 2007-08-24.
  15. News: Jefferson . Jennifer . New center celebrates Mississippi River: Science Museum facility opens to public Saturday . Saint Paul Pioneer Press . St. Paul, Minn. . 2003-08-04.
  16. Web site: The Sibley House . Friends of the Sibley Historical Site . 2011-03-23.
  17. News: Ferraro . Nick . History sleuths search buried dirt for clues of ancient people in Dakota County . Saint Paul Pioneer Press . St. Paul, Minn. . 2010-06-21.