Mississippi

https://www.nps.gov/miss/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_National_River_and_Recreation_Area The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area protects a 72-mile (116 km) and 54,000-acre (22,000 ha) corridor along the Mississippi River from the cities of Dayton and Ramsey, Minnesota to just downstream of Hastings, Minnesota. This includes the stretch of Mississippi River which flows through Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. This stretch of the upper Mississippi River includes natural, historical, recreational, cultural, scenic, scientific, and economic resources of national significance. It is located in parts of Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties, all within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. In the middle of a bustling urban setting, this 72 mile river park offers quiet stretches for fishing, boating and canoeing, birdwatching, bicycling, and hiking. And there are plenty of visitor centers and trails that highlight the fascinating human history of the Mississippi River. This a great place to start your exploration of this important river. Limited metered street parking is available on nearby streets near park headquarters. Several parking ramps are available nearby including the Kellogg Square parking ramp. Visitor Centers are located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota (120 Kellogg Blvd East, St. Paul, MN) and at the Upper St. Anthony Lock and Dam (1 Portland Ave, Minneapolis, MN). Mississippi River Visitor Center Located in downtown St. Paul, in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Mississippi River Visitor Center serves as a gateway to adventure along the mighty Mississippi. Find interactive exhibits and get advice from park rangers as to things to do and places to go. Admission is free. Walk-up address: 120 Kellogg Blvd West, St. Paul, MN 55102 Parking address: 100-198 N Chestnut St, St Paul, MN 55102 GPS (walk-up to front of museum): 44.942918, -93.098497 GPS (museum parking): 44.942524, -93.100299 The Mississippi River Visitor Center is located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota near downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center The St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center is located at the Upper St. Anthony Lock in downtown Minneapolis. The Visitor Center is staffed seasonally in summers starting Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend when staffing permits. Visitors are advised to contact the park to confirm hours of operation and tour times in advance of their trip. The St. Anthony Visitor Center is on the west side of the Mississippi River at the end of Portland Avenue in Minneapolis. Limited free parking is available at the visitor center for those that have difficulty walking at 1 Portland Ave S, Minneapolis, MN: GPS: 44.980874, -93.258325. Please obtain a permit from the ranger or volunteer at the desk upon arrival. There is metered street parking nearby and a Minneapolis pay lot one block northwest of the visitor center. GPS: 44.980839, -93.259195. Voyageur Canoes Large canoes and crews paddle down the river amidst autumnal color. The park often uses big, safe Voyageur canoes in our programs. Storms over Grey Cloud Dunes Gray clouds over flowers growing on sand dunes. Storm clouds begin gathering over Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area Modern day Voyageurs Paddle the Mississippi River A large canoe filled with paddlers on the river surrounded by autumnal color. A Voyageur canoe makes headway up a river while surrounded by autumnal color. Great Egret Fishes the Mississippi River A large, long-necked, long-legged bird wades in the river. Wildlife is a common sight along the river. Savanna at Coldwater Spring Large trees are widely spaced in a grassland. Visitors can glimpse the past in the Coldwater Spring savanna restoration. Canoeing the Vermillion River Backwaters A canoeist paddles through a water channel between islands. The Vermillion River Bottoms are a tangle of waterways where the river meets the Mississippi River. Canoeing through Lotus Blossoms A canoeist reaches out and holds a large, yellow flower. Lotus beds bloom in the backwaters of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and provide canoeists an unexpected visual treat. Water Source for a Fort Water tumbles down layers of rock with an old stone spring house in the background. The Spring House at Coldwater Spring provided water to Historic Fort Snelling and the Upper Post. Building a Nest A large, long-necked, long-legged bird flies overhead carrying a branch. Blue herons are a common sight on the Mississippi River and its backwaters. Canoeing Past Gulls Gulls stand on a floating log while a canoe passes in the background. Canoeists find a wide variety of wildlife in the backwaters of the Mississippi River. Fall Colors Trees showing fall colors on their leaves along the river. Vibrant fall colors shown along the river in St. Paul, Minnesota. Clouds Over the Mississippi River White clouds streak the blue sky over a river flanked by sandy shorelines and green trees. The upper stretch of the Mississippi River in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is often referred to as the "Prairie River" due to its gentle banks. Further downstream is the Mississippi River gorge and below that is the floodplain river Emerging Concern Among “Every Day Chemicals” You may have heard the saying “all drains lead to the lake,” but it can be hard to remember that includes what is sent down sinks, toilets, and washing machines. Many things we do in the course of a day can contribute to the contamination of surface waters (lake and streams) in ways we cannot see. Some of these “every day chemicals” are known as contaminants of emerging concern. Person in stream collecting water sample Lead Contamination in Bald Eagle Nestlings Bald eagles can tell us a lot about contamination in aquatic systems because they are on top of the food web and fish are their primary prey—a food source they share with humans. From 2006 through 2015, the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network collected blood and feather samples from bald eagle nestlings to monitor contaminants in three upper Midwest national park units. This resource brief describes the results for just one of those contaminants: lead. Two eaglets in a nest with the remains of a fish. A Legacy of Contamination Production of DDT and PCBs was banned in the United States in the 1970s, but they continue to be found in the blood and feathers of bald eagles. What does our monitoring of eagles in three Great Lakes Network parks tell us about these "legacy contaminants"? A bald eagle nestling stands on sand with sun at his back. People can be seen in the background. Contaminants in Surface Water of the Mississippi River The land, water, and air of many national parks are affected by pollutants that are transported over long distances in the atmosphere (e.g., mercury), as well as contamination from sources closer to their borders. The Great Lakes Network is undertaking a study to develop baseline information about the occurrence of over 260 different contaminants in and near selected Network parks, including Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Springhouse and pond at Coldwater Spring 2015 Recipients: George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service Six people and programs received the 2015 Harzog Award for their exceptional volunteer service. Check out their amazing contributions! Young volunteer giving a thumbs up sign Microplastics Are Everywhere! Plastics are used to make everything from children’s toys to car parts and athletic wear to exfoliants. Plastics are lightweight and inexpensive to produce, qualities that can also make plastics a throw-away item. That disposability could present a threat to aquatic life in Midwestern lakes and streams. First page of resource brief NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Minnesota Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. [Site Under Development] canoes on river National Park Service Commemoration of the 19th Amendment In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate. Opening slide of the 19th Amendment NPS Commemoration Story Map Series: Geologic Time Periods in the Paleozoic Era During the Paleozoic Era (541 to 252 million years ago), fish diversified and marine organisms were very abundant. In North America, the Paleozoic is characterized by multiple advances and retreats of shallow seas and repeated continental collisions that formed the Appalachian Mountains. Common Paleozoic fossils include trilobites and cephalopods such as squid, as well as insects and ferns. The greatest mass extinction in Earth's history ended this era. fossil corals in a rock matrix Ordovician Period—485.4 to 443.8 MYA Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks, along with the Blue Ridge Parkway that connects them, pass through rocks from the core of the Appalachian Mountains. The mountains began forming during the Ordovician and eventually attained elevations similar to those of the Himalayas. rock with fossil brachiopod shells Paleozoic Era During the Paleozoic Era (541 to 252 million years ago), fish diversified and marine organisms were very abundant. In North America, the Paleozoic is characterized by multiple advances and retreats of shallow seas and repeated continental collisions that formed the Appalachian Mountains. Common Paleozoic fossils include trilobites and cephalopods such as squid, as well as insects and ferns. The greatest mass extinction in Earth's history ended this era. fossil corals in a rock matrix Tracking Change and Growth at Crosby Farm Crosby Farm Regional park is now home to the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) project, a nation-wide experiment aimed at preparing forests for the impacts of climate change. Ranging from New Hampshire’s hardwood forests to Colorado’s towering pines and firs, each study site tests a different climate adaptation strategy. A plot of planted trees in a forest. Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Things to Do in Minnesota Find things to do and trip ideas in Minnesota. Pink cliffs in the background with yellow and green bushes in the foreground. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. The Big River Art Contest goes to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport! The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area has partnered with Art@MSP to create an exhibit showcasing a few pieces from the nearly 25 years’ worth of amazing student art from the Big River Art Contest. The exhibit is called Big River Art: The Mississippi Serves as Habitat and Inspiration. It is located in the South Mall of the airport, and will be on display until the spring of 2023. Art display in a case. Songbird Monitoring Along the Mississippi River Summary of songbird monitoring data collected from 2015 through 2018. A group of people looking across a green field with a brick structure in the distance. The bioblitz: Good science, good outreach, good fun Part contest, part festival, part educational event, and part scientific endeavor, bioblitzes bring together naturalists, professional scientists, and the interested public, who canvass the area over a 24-hour period to find and document all plants and animals. young woman gathers flying insects from a backlit white sheet at night. Celebrating a Successful 2022 National Public Lands Day Celebrating a successful National Public Lands Day with the highlight of three National Park Service volunteer events held on September 24, 2022. Volunteers at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Catoctin Mountain Park, and Muir Woods National Monument gathered to celebrate the nation's largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. An infographic with photos of the word NPLD. Series: Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. The geologic time scale is divided into four large periods of time—the Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Paleozoic Era, and The Precambrian. photo of desert landscape with a petrified wood log on the surface Guide to the Thomas J. Allen Photograph Collection Finding aid for the Thomas J. Allen Photographs in the NPS History Collection. Trails&Rails 2023 National Conference Current NPS Director Chuck Sams addresses attendees at the 2023 National Trails&Rails Operations Conference. A large group of people sit facing forward at tables arranged in a U shap Project Profile: Forest Restoration along the Mississippi River The National Park Service will engage the local friends’ group and broader communities in a replanting and restoration effort to restore lost ecosystem services including flood mitigation, clean water, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, soil stabilization, recreation and cultural values to the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. a person in a hardhat works to replant a floodplain in a forest The Current: Spring 2023 The Spring 2023 issue of the Great Lakes Newsletter contains articles on the changing ways we produce and look at data, staff changes, the field season schedule, an overview of a project to look at songbird data from all three Midwest networks, and a listing of new publications. A white page with a black border at the top and the words The Current: Fall 2023 The Fall 2023 issue of the Great Lakes newsletter contains articles on planning for the future of the Inventory and Monitoring Division, retirement and departure of staff members, a summary of the Western Great Lakes Research Conference, a field season summary from each of our monitoring programs, and a list of new reports and publications. The front page of a newsletter, with a photo of a dragonfly perched on hiking boot. Amphibian Monitoring on the Upper Mississippi River A summary of amphibian monitoring data collected in 2019 along the upper Mississippi River in Minnesota (Mississippi National River and Recreation Area). A light-colored frog with nearly neon-colored green lines sits on a mate of floating vegetation. Amphibian Monitoring in the Great Lakes Network Parks: 2023 Update A summary of amphibian monitoring data collected in seven Great Lakes Network parks as of 2019. A light green and gray frog sits in the crotch of a tree branch at the trunk. Bat Monitoring in Great Lakes Network Parks, 2024 A summary of acoustic bat monitoring in Great Lakes Network parks from 2015 through 2019. A bat with large, round ears hangs from a rock. Bat Monitoring Along the Mississippi River, 2016–2019 A summary of acoustic bat monitoring data collected at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota) from 2016 through 2019. A bat held by a black-gloved hand looks over its right shoulder at the camera. The Current: Spring 2024 Spring 2024 issue of the Great Lakes Network newsletter, "The Current," featuring science stories, a farewell, the 2024 field season schedule, and recent publications. Woman wearing a backpack and carrying a GPS unit and a compass wades through water and shrubs. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park System To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. 2023 Excellence in Volunteerism Awards The National Park Service congratulates the regional recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Volunteerism Awards. These nominees embody the values of service, engagement, and stewardship fundamental to our national parks. The volunteer-in-parks logo How Pollinator Inventories Can Inform Park Management Decisions Pollinators play a crucial role in national park ecosystems and beyond. In the national parks, species inventories help managers know which pollinators are present, and in what abundance, to better understand the state of park ecosystems and make decisions about how to manage them. From 2024 to 2026, 17 parks across the country will be surveyed for bees and butterflies. Bee laden with pollen sits atop a purple flower.