Fort Snelling State Park

Fort Snelling State Park sits where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers meet, creating a landscape of forests, grasslands, and water corridors that support diverse animal life. The park covers about 2700 acres and combines natural areas with a historic military fort at its edge.

Fort Snelling was built in 1820 as a military post and remained active through several conflicts during the 1800s. The fort and its surrounding land changed hands and purposes multiple times as the region developed and populations shifted.

The Dakota people called this place Ha-Ha Mdo-Te, meaning where two rivers meet, reflecting how central it was to their way of life. Walking through the park today, you can still sense the importance of the rivers and the land that shaped their presence here.

The park has more than 25 miles of trails for hiking and biking through different habitats and varying difficulty levels. You can walk at your own pace, but renting a bike helps you cover more ground, and paddling on the rivers offers another way to explore the water areas.

When snow arrives, the park becomes a winter sports area with more than 12 miles of groomed cross-country skiing trails throughout the grounds. People also use marked zones for dog sledding and other winter activities that take advantage of the frozen landscape.

Location: Fort Snelling

Location: Saint Paul

Location: Dakota County

Inception: 1961

Official opening: June 3, 1962

Website: https://dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00154

GPS coordinates: 44.88580,-93.17810

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:40