Mississippi Gorge Regional Park is a

regional park A regional park is an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government. Definition A regional park can be a special park distri ...

along the east and west bluffs of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

in the cities of

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

and

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

in the U.S. state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

. The two-city park area is between Mississippi

river mile A river mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the river kilometer. They are analogous to vehicle ro ...

s 848 and 852, from just south of

Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9 Northern Pacific Bridge #9 is a deck truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between the Seven Corners area and the University of Minnesota campus. It was built in 1924 and was designed by Frederick W. Cappele ...

to just north of Minnehaha Regional Park, and lies within the

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a and protected corridor along the Mississippi River through the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro in the U.S. state of Minnesota, from the cities of Dayton and Ramsey, to just downstream of H ...

. The park area protects scenic and natural areas of the Mississippi River gorge, the only true gorge along the entire length of the river. In Minneapolis, Mississippi Gorge Regional Park is managed by the

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) is an independent park district that owns, maintains, and programs activities in public parks in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It has 500 full-time and 1,300 part-time employees and an $ ...

. In Saint Paul, the park area's official name is the Mississippi River Gorge Regional Park, and is managed by the Park and Recreation Department. The park (acreage for Minneapolis parkland only) provides access to the river and is popular for its hiking and biking paths on the bluffs. Among local residents, the gorge is known and appreciated for its semi-wild character in the middle of an urban metropolitan area. The two-city park areas had a combined 2.7 million visits in 2017.

History

The Mississippi River gorge was formed over thousands of years by the retreating

River Warren Falls The River Warren Falls was a massive waterfall on the glacial River Warren initially located in present-day Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. The waterfall was 2700 feet (823 m) across and 175 feet (53 m) high. Geologic h ...

that are known today as Saint Anthony. Softer sandstone gave way and slowly collapsed the harder limestone and shale layers in to the valley. The river valley in Minneapolis and Saint Paul is the only gorge along the entire length of the Mississippi River with bluffs rising as high as . The river through the gorge was a series of rapids until the early 1900s when it was reconfigured for commercial navigation with installment of locks and dams. A corridor of the Mississippi through the Twin Cities was designed by Minnesota Governor Wendell Anderson in 1972 as a critical natural resource area. In 1998, the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

created the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area for the same corridor, bringing federal support and designation to the gorge area. The land area between the two bluffs is managed as public park land by the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The

, an independent park district, manages the park area in Minneapolis, which is officially named Mississippi Gorge Regional Park and includes the 132 acres of land area flanking both the east and west banks of the Mississippi River, from just south of Bridge Number 9 to the north edge of Minnehaha Regional Park. In Saint Paul, the park area is officially named Mississippi River Gorge Regional Park, and is managed by the city's Park and Recreation Department. In recent years, communities and park agencies have formed partnerships to improve the ecologic health of the gorge. In the late 1990s, the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

, Minneapolis park board, and Longfellow community council restored an

oak savanna An oak savanna is a type of savanna—or lightly forested grassland—where oaks (''Quercus ''spp.) are the dominant trees. The terms "oakery" or "woodlands" are also used commonly, though the former is more prevalent when referencing the Medite ...

near East 36th Street, which allowed park visitors to experience what the gorge area looked like before European-American settlement.

Park areas

The regional parks in Minneapolis and Saint Paul contain several distinct historic sites and parks along the gorge.

Minneapolis

Bluff Street Park - There is an upper and lower portion of the park in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood and a trail that connects downtown Minneapolis with Bridge Number 9 and the University of Minnesota. Bohemian Flats - The location of the historic Little Bohemia shanty town has picnic areas and river cruise boats. East River Flats Park - Located just below the University of Minnesota on the east bank of the Mississippi below the bluffs, it is the training site of the women's rowing team and contains grassy areas, picnic tables, and trails. East River Parkway - The pedestrian and bike trail that runs along the east bluff of the Mississippi from Washington Avenue to Emerald Street. Franklin Terrace Dog Park - The , fenced area off Franklin Terrace in the Seward neighborhood for off-leash dogs is adjacent to Riverside Park. Riverside Park - The park on the bluff features structures constructed by the Works Progress Administration, a playground, and a wading pool. West River Parkway - The pedestrian and bike trail that runs along the west bluff of the Mississippi from Plymouth Avenue to Godfrey Parkway.

Saint Paul

Meeker Island Lock and Dam The Meeker Island Lock and Dam (originally known as Lock and Dam No. 2) was the first lock and dam facility built on the Upper Mississippi River. Meeker Island was named after its owner Judge Bradley B. Meeker. Meeker County was named after him a ...

- Located at the river bottom below the bluffs, the historic dam site features hiking trails and an off leash dog park.

Visitors

The two-park gorge area is among the ten most visited sites annually in Minnesota. In 2017, Mississippi Gorge Regional Park in Minneapolis had 1,189,000 total visits, and Saint Paul's Mississippi Gorge Regional Park had 1,545,300 total visits.

Recreation

Mississippi Gorge Regional Park is popular for hiking, birdwatching, and photography. The abundance of sugar maples along the bluffs lend to a variety of colors with the changing fall leaves. The gorge provides habitat for at least 150 species of migratory birds and a growing population of

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

s. Along both sides of the gorge, the East River and West River parkways of the

Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway is a linked series of park areas in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, that takes a roughly circular path through the city. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board developed the system over many years. ...

feature miles of paved, shared-used paths for walking and cycling that connect to a regional trail system. Adjoining natural surface paths from the parkways provide pedestrian access to the river for sightseeing and fishing. In winter,

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footwe ...

and

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreatio ...

are allowed on park trails. Mountain biking is prohibited on all natural surface trails in the gorge due to threats of erosion and potential damage to native plants. On the river's west bank in Minneapolis, hikers and trail runners can traverse the regional park via

Winchell Trail Winchell Trail is a round trip, pedestrian-only trail in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, that runs along the west side of the Mississippi River between Franklin Avenue South and East 44th Street. Popular with bird watchers and naturalist ...

, rustic path from Franklin Avenue to East 44th Street. The mostly natural-surface hiking trail provides access to the floodplain forest, sandy beaches, and an oak savanna restoration project. Several limestone staircases constructed by the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

descend from the West River Parkway to the gorge floor. The river and gorge can also be explored via

watercraft Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sai ...

. The gorge is a segment of Mississippi River State Water Trail that passes through it. Chartered river cruise boats depart seasonally from Bohemian Flats. The Minneapolis Rowing Club boathouse is below the

Lake Street-Marshall Bridge The Lake Street–Marshall Avenue Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge that spans the Mississippi River between Minneapolis, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota. It is oriented east-west and connects Lake Street in Minneapolis to Marshall Av ...

for serious athletes and amateurs to paddle on the river. Canoes and kayaks can be launched as several locations in the gorge with routes from Hidden Falls and the rowing club boathouse most recommended. The locks and dams on opposite ends of the gorge have closed permanently to commercial and recreation traffic to block invasive carp species.

References

External links

Metropolitan Council: Parks and Trails Map and List
{{Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Minneapolis–Saint Paul Mississippi Gorge Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Parks in Minneapolis Parks in Minnesota Parks in Saint Paul, Minnesota Protected areas of Ramsey County, Minnesota Protected areas of Hennepin County, Minnesota