In This Issue
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on Saturday, Sept. 9. This ?Free Park Day? is one of four days each year on which the Minnesota DNR waives the requirement for a vehicle permit at state parks and recreation areas.
?September is such a great time to be outdoors as we look forward to the changing seasons,? said Ann Pierce, director of the Minnesota DNR Parks and Trails Division. ?We hope Minnesotans who haven?t been to a state park before or haven?t visited in a while will come out to enjoy time in nature and make memories with friends and family.?
Most Minnesotans live within 30 miles of a state park. Visitors looking for certain recreational opportunities or amenities can use the ParkFinder tool (mndnr.gov/parkfinder) to find the best state park or recreation area for their trip.
Visitors on Sept. 9 will have many activity options:
- If the weather is warm, cool off at one of 33 state park swimming beaches. Find beach locations on the Minnesota DNR swimming beaches webpage (mndnr.gov/swimming).
- Hiking is the most popular state park activity. Find hiking tips and locations on the Minnesota DNR hiking page (mndnr.gov/hiking).
- All-terrain track chairs are available to borrow at 13 state parks, giving visitors with limited mobility the opportunity to explore trails that aren?t accessible with a regular wheelchair. Find details at the Minnesota DNR track chair webpage (mndnr.gov/track-chairs).
- Visitors can bike, walk or roll on paved trails at 33 state parks. Find paved trails at the Minnesota DNR biking webpage (mndnr.gov/biking).
- Picnic areas are plentiful and provide great places to enjoy a meal with family and friends. Find picnic planning tips, recipes and more on the Minnesota DNR?s how to picnic like a pro webpage (mndnr.gov/picnic).
Visitors are advised to look for alerts and notices on park webpages of the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/parks) before heading out to be aware of construction, trail closures or other circumstances that might impact their trip.
For more information, visit the Minnesota DNR?s Free Park Days webpage (mndnr.gov/freeparkdays).
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 Photo credit: Minnesota DNR
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in Moon Lake, near Brandon in Douglas County.
Minnesota DNR Parks and Trails Division staff found adult and juvenile zebra mussels on a settlement sampler on the dock at the Moon Lake public water access. Settlement samplers are solid surfaces placed in the water that people can regularly check for attached zebra mussels to aid in detection. A Minnesota DNR invasive species specialist confirmed 34 zebra mussels on the sampler and found additional zebra mussels on nearby objects in the water.
Whether or not a lake has any invasive species, Minnesota law requires people to:
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Clean watercraft, trailers and equipment to remove aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.
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Drain all water and leave drain plugs out during transport.
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Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.
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Never release bait, plants or aquarium pets into Minnesota waters.
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Dry docks, lifts and rafts for 21 days before moving them from one water body to another.
These additional steps reduce the risk of spreading aquatic invasive species:
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Decontaminate watercraft and equipment ? find free stations on the courtesy decontamination page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/decon).
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Spray with high-pressure water or rinse with very hot water (120 degrees for at least two minutes or 140 degrees for at least 10 seconds).
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Dry watercraft and equipment for at least five days before using in another water body.
People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist (mndnr.gov/invasives/ais/contacts.html) if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species that was not already known to be in the water body.
More information is available on the aquatic invasive species page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/ais).
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