Mississippi National River & Recreation Area

Becoming a Junior Ranger means learning more about the history, resources, and communities within the 72 mile stretch of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Junior Rangers help our park rangers by learning about the park and sharing what they’ve learned with others, exploring the park, and by helping to protect its resources.

Start every Friday right with Coffee With a Ranger! Each week brings a different subject, and park ranger, exploring the wonderful world of birds, beers, mushrooms, geology and more within the park!

Enjoy a nice day hike and many opportunities for wildlife viewing, photography, and reflection at Coldwater Spring! Trails surround a restored prairie oak savannah and wetlands in this culturally and historically significant gem that is open year-round.

Paddle the park with Paddle Share, self-serve kayak sharing system in the Twin Cities metro area that lets you rent a boat and paddle to a destination downriver!

The Mississippi River Visitor Center provides fun activities for people of all ages as well as highlighting the fascinating human history of the Mississippi River. This a great place to start your exploration of this important river!