Recreation and Natural Resources

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***We are currently not accepting campsite reservations at Big Sandy Lake Dam and Recreation Area due to ongoing construction activities. While camping is temporarily closed, the recreation area remains accessible via the south entrance. The north entrance is closed until construction is complete. ***

While camping at Big Sandy Lake Dam is temporarily closed, there are additional camping opportunities available at our five other U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headwaters dams and recreation areas during the 2022 season including: Leech Lake, Winnibigoshish, Pokegama, Cross Lake, and Gull Lake.

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Lakes & Recreation Areas

ParkPassport

Web ad for the Park Passport app

Check out the updated ParkPassport app here

National Safe Boating Council

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

North Dakota Game and Fish

MN Department of Natural Resources

WI Department of Natural Resources

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The Golden Age and Golden Access Passports have been replaced by the America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Passes.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

20 May 2022
Corps of Engineers urges vigilance while on the water
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, wants to remind everyone to play it safe on the water as we near the start of the boating season.
9 May 2022
Corps of Engineers to host ribbon cutting at Lake Ashtabula visitor center
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will celebrate the reopening of its newly renovated visitor center at its Lake Ashtabula Dam and Recreation Area, as well as the site’s 70th anniversary, with a ribbon cutting ceremony May 18, at 11 a.m.
19 Apr 2022
Corps delays opening of Ashtabula campground due to weather
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will delay the opening of campground facilities at Lake Ashtabula due to snowpack into late April and continued cold weather forecasts for the next 10 days.
1 Nov 2021
Army Corps of Engineers waives day use fees at recreation areas in observance of Veterans Day
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced today that it will waive day use fees at its more than 2,850 USACE-operated recreation areas nationwide in observance of Veterans Day, November 11.
29 Sep 2021
Corps of Engineers announces temporary closure at Clamshell Lake boat ramp
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is temporarily closing its Clamshell Lake boat landing located on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, near Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, Oct. 5.

Contact Us

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
St. Paul District
1114 South Oak Street
La Crescent, MN 55947
651-290-5894

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

Feb 18 2022

Park Ranger Jaliyl Collins

Patrick Moes

Summer intern Park Ranger Jaliyl Collins talks with a guest at Blackhawk Park near DeSoto, Wis., July 2, 2019.

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Feb 09 2022

Eau Galle ranger frees bird entangled in fishing line

Todd Traynor

Brad LaBadie, lead ranger at Eau Galle, freed this green heron after the bird entangled itself in discarded fishing line on Aug. 17. Luckily the bird was easily reached, and released without injury, and can be used as an example as to why used-up fishing line should not be carelessly discarded!

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Feb 09 2022

Park ranger talks with park guests

Randy Urich

Aaron Springer, a student ranger at Gull Lake, one of St. Paul District’s six Mississippi River Headwaters reservoirs, talks with park guests. Springer graduated from Valley City State University majoring in fish and wildlife. Per Stringer, “One of the things I really like about working with the Corps of Engineers is the professionalism of the recreation program and staff. The people I work with truly like what they do, both interacting with the public and doing their utmost to champion our stewardship mission.”

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Oct 08 2021

Eau Galle angler

USACE photo by Travis Brantner

An angler takes advantage of early morning calm waters on Eau Galle Reservoir and Recreation Area near Spring Valley, Wisc., Sept. 30, 2021. Eau Galle Reservoir is a 150-acre impoundment surrounded by two day use areas, a beach, two boat launches, one campground and several miles of hiking and equestrian trails. It is located 50 miles east of the Twin Cities and 40 miles west of Eau Claire, Wis. USACE photo by Travis Brantner

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Sep 24 2021

Corps announces temporary closure at Gull Lake boat ramp

Courtesy photo

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will temporarily close the boat launch at Gull Lake, near Brainerd, Minnesota, to reconstruct the ramp, beginning Sept. 27. The ramp will be closed for about two weeks.

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