Big Stone Lake State Park

About Big Stone Lake State Park

Big Stone Lake is located on the border between South Dakota and Minnesota and is 30 miles long, and it is the source of the Minnesota River. The lake attracts anglers interested in catching whale, northern and bluetongue fish and other fish species such as the Great Lakes. The large stone lake and the northern part of this park, known as the Bonanza Area, offer a variety of activities, from hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, canoeing and fishing.

There are also a number of historic sites in the area, such as the Old Town and Little Town Lake State Park, which offer places to explore the past and find ways to preserve it.

The southern part of the park, known as the Meadowbrook Area, includes a campground, beach and hiking trails. Big Stone Lake State Park is a large area stretching nearly 200 miles from Ortonville to Mankato and covering a total area of 1.5 million acres.

The landscape consists of high and medium grasses and meadows, interspersed with marshes, lakes and streams. Today, extensive agriculture has replaced the prairie with a mixture of maize, soybeans, wheat, rice, cotton and soybean fields and extensive farms.

The Bonanza area includes a Natural Scientific Area (SNA) designated by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Park Service (NPS). This area was long ago the southern end of the glacial lake Agassiz, and water from this stream saturates the valley as the Glacial Warren River flows into Lake HagasSiz. The lake shore is cultivated by a variety of plants such as corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, cotton and soybeans.

The granite and gneiss fractures are made of a granite fracture, and the top three inches of the stones are exposed and contain the fossil remains of shark teeth.

In 1923, state auditor Ray Chase criticized the state parking system, saying there was a geographical imbalance in the system. Thirteen squirrels were spotted in the park, strung up in a row of thirteen 2.5-metre squirrels.

Chase pushed for more state parks to be built in southern Minnesota in his proposal for additional parks, and the Ortonville area was targeted as a location for the need for a state park. It was not until 1961 that Big Stone Lake State Park was founded with the help of a group of Oronville businessmen who were concerned about development on the lakeside.

In 1962, with the help of the US Army Corps of Engineers and the National Park Service, a law was drafted to establish Big Stone Lake as a national park. From Ortonville, drive 7 miles northwest on the highway to the lake, then another 7 miles south to BigStone Lake State Park and then a short drive north.