Fort Snelling State Park to reopen Friday after flooding

“After the Flood” walks are scheduled on Friday and Sunday as part of reopening festivities.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
August 8, 2024 at 5:44PM
A cyclist road illegally down the main road leading into Fort Snelling State Park past a section that has been temporarily repaired after it was damaged by flooding.
Fort Snelling State Park's main roads and shoulders have been patched, but visitors “should observe speed limits and proceed with caution,” the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said. (Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Most of Fort Snelling State Park will reopen to visitors on Friday, nearly two months after the park shut down because of flooding caused by early summer rain.

Interpretive naturalist Kao Thao will lead “After the Flood” walks on Friday and Sunday as part of reopening festivities. Canoe and kayak rentals will be available at the ranger station. The fishing pier, Picnic Island boat launch on the Minnesota River and most hiking trails will also be open.

Main park roads and shoulders have been patched, but visitors “should observe speed limits and proceed with caution,” the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.

A few areas of the park near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will remain off-limits: restrooms and Picnic Shelter B on Picnic Island, hiking trails on the Minnesota River side of Pike Island, and the Caspersen boat launch on the Minnesota River near the Cedar Avenue bridge.

Visitors will need a state park pass to enter the park, which will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Passes can be bought online or in person between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily.

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Tim Harlow

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Tim Harlow covers traffic and transportation issues in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and likes to get out of the office, even during rush hour. He also covers the suburbs in northern Hennepin and all of Anoka counties, plus breaking news and weather. 

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