Documenting - State Parks - Fort Snelling MN

Fort Snelling State Park is one of my favorite stops in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. It is not one of the more quiet parks, bordered on 2 sides by major freeways, and across from the Minneapolis/St Paul airport, it can be a little noisy in some parts. But there are areas you forget that you are surrounded by urban sprawl.

The park is nestled in at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. It is full of wildlife that seems unaware of the fast-moving life just beyond this park. I spent 3 days exploring the park back in 2014 and was amazed at the variety of birds I came across, including my first image of an owl.

The proximity to the water can cause parts of the park to flood, especially during the spring. However, even when the water is high there is still a lot to see and enjoy. Swimming area (added in 1970), boating, boat rentals, hiking, picnic areas, a historical site, and planes to watch go overhead. You can get lost for hours in this little patch.

A little history of the area.

Generations of Dakota lived in villages along the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers that meet in Fort Snelling state park, long before Europeans arrived. The river confluence was believed to be the place of origin and center of the earth by the bands of Mde-wa-kan-ton-wan Dakota, the "Dwellers by Mystic Lake." By the late 1600s, Europeans had visited the area. In the 1820s, historic Fort Snelling was built on the bluff above the two historic rivers to control the exploration, trade, and settlement on these waterways. 2012 marked 150 years since the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Fort Snelling State Park was an important location during this time. 

The area was established as a state park in 1961.