Mississippi National River
Phone: Visitor Center 651.293.0200
Headquarters 651.290.4160
Used by Native Americans for trade, food, and water long before Europeans visited the ?New World,? the Mississippi River and its watershed is a major contributor to the ecology, culture, politics and economy of the North American continent. To acknowledge this fact, Congress established the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in 1988. The park?s boundaries enclose about 54,000 acres and 72 miles of river. They describe a narrow corridor of land on either side of the Mississippi from Dayton and Ramsey, MN on the north boundary past Hastings, MN on the south border. Only 35 acres are owned by the Park Service.
These 72 miles are a significant and representative stretch of the Mississippi. They contain the only gorge and waterfall on the main course of the entire 2,350 miles of river. Named St. Anthony Falls in 1680, the falls were later used to generate power for logging, flour milling, and electricity for a growing population. Less than ten miles away, the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers was an early outpost for the American military and an important crossroads for fur traders. Further downstream, St. Paul marked the upper end of steamboat navigation and was the jumping off place for tens of thousands of settlers. And the Vermillion River bottoms are excellent examples of floodplain forest ecology. From visitor centers to trails, from industrial centers Mississippi River backwaters, this park has a bit of something for everyone.
Directions
Plane - The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is the hub airport for Northwest Airlines but is also served by other airlines including SunCountry, Delta, Frontier and others.
Car - Interstates 35 and 94 meet in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Locally, county and state highways as well as local streets all offer ways to get to the river for either a view from above or to a local park or visitor center.
Public Transportation - City buses provide transportation within the corridor. Service is especially convenient to activities located near near the downtown areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
More info at http://www.nps.gov/miss
National River
Exploring Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (Book) by Todd Campbell and Kym Campbell
This guide book is an intro to the best of this lesser-known recreational gem. Most of the book consists of hiking trails, many of which also are open to mountain bikers and equestrians. A small portion of the book tells of some river trips. 340 pages.
Merchant: Online Sports
Hiking the Big South Fork
Sale Price: $10.65*
Retail: $14.95 (29% off!)
(Overstock Books)
Now in its third edition, Hiking the Big South Fork is packed with up-to-date information on the trails of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Tennessee and Kentucky. The book combines numerous details about the natural histor...
Merchant: Overstock Books
Falcon Exploring Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
Sale Price: $15.26*
Retail: $16.95 (10% off!)
(Overstock Books)
Description not available. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.
Merchant: Overstock Books
National Emblems Pittsburgh Pirates Logo Patch - Pittsburgh Pirates Three River Stadium
Patch up your shirt, jacket, or bag with this embroidered Pittsburgh Pirates emblem commemorating Three Rivers Stadium. Now you can support your team anywhere at any time and always look great doing it!
Merchant: CBS Sports Store