Maplewood State Park

About this park

Maplewood State Park, established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1963 after first being proposed as early as 1923, protects a dramatically hilly stretch of the Alexandria Glacial Moraine in the Leaf Hills Landscape Region, right at the eastern edge of the flat Red River Valley. A later state study concluded that this lake-dotted, steeply rolling terrain, with elevation changes of roughly 300 feet in less than a mile and hills approaching 1,600 feet, was far better suited to recreation than farming, a judgment that ultimately led to the park's creation. Eight major lakes and numerous smaller ponds define the park, with Lake Lida's sandy beach and spacious picnic grounds drawing the bulk of summer day visitors, while the surrounding hardwood maple forest turns the park into one of Minnesota's premier fall color destinations each autumn. Human habitation here dates back at least 6,000 years, with artifacts from both prairie and woodland cultures found throughout the park, though most evidence points to occupation roughly 900 to 1,200 years ago by hunting-focused residents. The park's varied terrain supports an exceptional 150 bird species, 50 mammal species, and 25 kinds of reptiles and amphibians, including colonial nesting bird sites and regular sightings of cerulean warblers and blue-gray gnatcatchers alongside more common deer, beaver, and raccoon populations. An extensive trail network threading through the hills and around the eight lakes draws hikers, horseback riders, and cross-country skiers across all four seasons, and the park's scenic entrance drive is itself considered one of the best wildlife-viewing routes in the Minnesota park system, particularly for deer at dawn and dusk.