Recreation and Natural Resources

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Lakes & Recreation Areas

Help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species by following state guidelines when visiting Corps lakes:

Federal Recreation Passes

Golden Age and Golden Access Passports

The Golden Age and Golden Access Passports have been replaced by the America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Passes. The requirements to obain the new Senior and Access passes remain the same (Senior: U.S. citizen 62 years old or older - Access: U.S. citizen legally blind or permanently disabled).

For more information, call (1-888-275-8747), Ext. 3 (Hours of operation are: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Mountain time) or go to http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm.

The existing Golden Age and Golden Access Passports are still valid and do not need to be replaced.

Due to the way the legislation was written, the Corps of Engineers is not authorized to issue the new passes, however, the Corps will honor them. These passes are available at many of the federal recreation areas administered by the National Park Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.

These passes are good for life and entitle the bearer to a reduction in fees at federally-operated, recreation facilities.

Recreating in the St. Paul District

The St. Paul District operates 49 recreation areas, ranging from public landings along the Mississippi River to lock and dam visitor centers to full-service campgrounds. These recreation areas are an important component of the region’s tourism industry, and the impact on the local and regional economies is significant. Recent data shows an estimated 8.7 million visitors used district recreational sites each year and spend approximately $239 million, of which $165 million was captured in the local economy, generating $235 million in total sales and supporting an estimated 3,060 jobs.

It is the mission of the recreation and natural resource management program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide quality, public outdoor recreation experiences to serve the needs of present and future generations while being consistent with ecosystem management principles. To learn more about recreational opportunities at Corps of Engineers lakes throughout the nation, visit the CorpsLakes website.

As stewards of public lands, the St. Paul District has a special responsibility to assure resource accessibility for today and tomorrow and provide high quality outdoor recreational opportunities for all. The St. Paul District manages approximately 28,546 acres of fee title lands above the summer water levels and 447,187 water surface acres. The district has a wide variety of recreational opportunities available for the public.

Many of our recreational site pages include our brochures. These are in pdf format, you must have the free Adobe Acobat Reader to view.

Recreation News

5 Jul 2012
Lock and Dam 1 open to public during Highland Fest 2012
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will host an open house at Lock and Dam 1, located near Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, Saturday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
5 Jul 2012
Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam to host Aquatennial open house
St. Paul District, will host an open house at the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, located at One Portland Avenue in Minneapolis, Saturday, July 21, from 5 to 8 p.m. This open house is being held in conjunction with the Minneapolis Aquatennial.
4 Jul 2012
Minneapolis locks reopen to recreation traffic
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, reopened the three Minneapolis locks to recreation traffic today, July 4 at # a.m.
3 Jul 2012
Corps advises you to wear your life jacket while boating this holiday
ST. PAUL, Minn. – With summer activities upon us, many water enthusiasts are heading out to the rivers and lakes this coming holiday, and the Corps of Engineers urges everyone to wear a life jacket, or personal flotation device, while on the water.
3 Jul 2012
Corps urges recreational boaters to be alert around barges
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, reminds the public to practice safe boating when recreating on the Mississippi River this holiday weekend.

St. Paul District Recreation Site Status

Click on image to enlarge/download

Contact Us

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
St. Paul District
1020 36th Street South
Fargo, N.D. 58103
651-290-5738

Individual offices (click here):

Blackhawk Park
608-648-3314
DeSoto, Wis.
Blackhawk.Park@usace.army.mil

Cross Lake
218-692-2025
Crosslake, Minn.
Cross.Lake@usace.army.mil

Eau Galle
715-778-5562
Spring Valley, Wis.
eau.galle.lake@usace.army.mil

Gull Lake
218-829-3334
Brainerd, Minn.
Gull.Lake@usace.army.mil

Lac qui Parle
320-269-6303
Watson, Minn.
Lac.Qui.Parle@usace.army.mil

Lake Ashtabula
701-845-2970
Valley City, N.D.
Lake.Ashtabula@usace.army.mil

Lake Traverse
320-563-4586
Wheaton, Minn.
Lake.Traverse@usace.army.mil

Lake Winnnibigoshish
218-326-6128
Deer River, Minn.
Lake.Winnibigoshish@usace.army.mil

Leech Lake
218-654-3145
Federal Dam, Minn.
LeechLake@usace.army.mil

Orwell Lake and Dam
218-736-6463
Fergus Falls, Minn.
Orwell.Lake@usace.army.mil

Pokegama Lake
218-326-6128
Grand Rapids, Minn.
Pokegama.Lake@usace.army.mil

Sandy Lake
218-426-3482
McGregor, Minn.
Sandy.Lake@usace.army.mil

Make Reservations

Untitled Document You can reserve camp sites and day use facilities at many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation areas nationwide, as well as many other agencies, online by visiting RECREATION.GOV. Reservations may also be made by calling RECREATION.GOV toll free at 1-877-444-6777.

Water Safety Video

St. Paul District's chief of safety and the Corps water safety mascot, Bobber, take a trip to Eau Galle Recreation Area in Spring Valley, Wis.

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Recreating in the St. Paul District

Sep 18 2020

Eau Galle Recreation Area

Melanie Peterson

Eau Galle Recreation Area, June 12, 2020.

Details

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Jul 02 2020

Eau Galle Recreation Area

Melanie Peterson

Eau Galle Recreation Area, June 12, 2020.

Details

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Sandy Lake Lock House, Lock and Dam at Sandy Lake, 1937.

Oct 25 2019

Big Sandy Dam Rehabilitation Project public meeting

USACE

We will host an informational meeting Sat., Nov. 2, following the association’s monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m., at the Big Sandy Lodge and Resort, 20534 487th Street, McGregor, Minn.

Details

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Jun 13 2019

Veterans appreciation event hosted at Sandy Lake Recreation Area

Patrick Loch

In partnership with other agencies, service-support organizations and dozens of volunteers, we hosted more than 30 veterans at Sandy Lake Recreation Area on June 10 for fishing, food and camaraderie.

Details

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Mar 27 2019

Blackhawk Park flooded

US Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District's Blackhawk Park in De Soto, Wisconsin, is closed due to high water.

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before and after photos of a morning glory flood control feature

Mar 01 2019

Rehab work at the Eau Galle Flood Risk Reduction project

brad labadie

Rehab work on the Flood Risk Reduction project at the Eau Galle Recreation Area is nearing completion, evidenced by before/after shots of the “morning glory.” This feature, named because ti resembles the morning glory flower, is where water flows out of the lake and downstream. Work also took place on the conduit that carries water from the morning glory and under the dam, and consisted of sandblasting and painting to preserve these project features and ensure flood risk reduction for the surrounding community for years to come!

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Dec 27 2018

Holiday at the dam

Crosslake staff

Cross Lake Recreation Area staff gets the dam in the holiday spirit.

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Oct 05 2018

Veterans weekend at Cross Lake

Corrine Hodapp

Cross Lake Recreation Area staff and the Wounded Warriors Guide Service hosted the third annual camping weekend for veterans from Aug. 24 to 26. Nearly 20 sponsors assisted in a weekend full of events for 15 wounded warriors and their families, to include a community breakfast, barbecue dinner, outdoor movie, fishing charters at campground reservations. A whole lot of thanks to those supporting this community-wide effort and coming together to show their appreciation for those who serve!

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Oct 05 2018

The Pokegama bear

Toni Huber

This yearling black bear has taken up a temporary residence on site 13 at Pokegama Dam Recreation Area! We first shared his presence on Oct. 2, and he’s still minding his own business while filling up on a plentiful supply of acorns before winter sets in. Experts in the area estimate this yearling black bear to be about 60 pounds, and is almost certainly on its own already after perhaps being abandoned.

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