Fort Snelling State Park closed temporarily
due to flooding

Due to rising waters on the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, Fort Snelling State Park will close to the public starting at 8 a.m. on Friday, April 21. The park will remain closed until flood waters recede and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources staff are able to assess conditions within the park and address any safety issues resulting from the flood.

?The safety of park visitors and staff is our number one priority,? said Ann Pierce, DNR Parks and Trails Division director. ?We know Minnesotans are eager to get outside and enjoy the recreational opportunities in beautiful state parks like Fort Snelling. We will reopen the park as soon as it?s safe to do so.?

Saturday, April 22 is a Free Park Day at Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, when the DNR waives the vehicle permit requirement. While Fort Snelling State Park will not be open on Free Park Day, there are other state parks within the Twin Cities metro area and throughout Minnesota that will be open.

Visitors should be aware that several other parks and recreation areas across the state are experiencing high water conditions that might affect access to certain roads, trails or areas. People should visit park-specific websites to check visitor alerts before heading out. State park and recreation area websites can be accessed via the Minnesota state parks and recreation areas list (mndnr.gov/park-list).

For more information, contact the DNR Information Center by emailing?[email protected]?or calling 888-646-6367 from 8?a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

Fort Snelling State Park was most recently closed to the public because of flooding in 2019, when the park sustained heavy damage to buildings, roads and trails. The park remained closed for 177 days that year.

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