Lake Louise State Park

About this park

Lake Louise State Park traces its origins to a small earthen dam built on the Little Iowa River, which created a modest lake on land owned by a local resident named Hambrecht, who set the property aside for recreation as what was then called Wildwood Park before donating it outright to the city of Le Roy with the stipulation that it remain a public park. After the original dam washed away, local citizens rebuilt it and renamed the resulting lake "Lake Louise" in honor of Hambrecht's sister. Local advocates arranged for a visit from state park officials in 1961, who agreed the modest community park could be expanded into a genuine state park, and the Minnesota Legislature formally created Lake Louise State Park in 1963 with an initial footprint of just 636 acres built around the lake itself. The park's boundaries have grown somewhat since, though usage has remained predominantly local, drawing visitors from the surrounding Mower County communities rather than functioning as a major statewide destination. A 1971 internal DNR study actually recommended returning the park to county control as a regional recreation area, though that recommendation was never acted upon, and Lake Louise has remained part of the state system ever since. In 2011, a retired highway bridge was relocated into the park to serve as a pedestrian and equestrian crossing, a practical, low-cost addition reflecting the park's continued identity as a modest, community-scaled recreational area built around its namesake lake.