Park Hours (Today)
All Day
Mississippi River Visitor Center: 9:00AM - 5:00PM
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Plan your Mississippi trip
About the Park
In the middle of a bustling urban setting, this 72 mile river park offers quiet stretches for fishing, boating and canoeing, birdwatching, bicycling, and hiking. And there are plenty of visitor centers and trails that highlight the fascinating human history of the Mississippi River. This a great place to start your exploration of this important river.
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What to See & Do
Visit the Mississippi River Visitor Center
The Mississippi River Visitor Center provides fun activities for people of all ages as well as highlighting the fascinating human history of the Mississippi River. This a great place to start your exploration of this important river!
Earn a Junior Ranger Badge
Becoming a Junior Ranger means learning more about the history, resources, and communities within the 72 mile stretch of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Junior Rangers help our park rangers by learning about the park and sharing what they’ve learned with others, exploring the park, and by helping to protect its resources.
Enjoy a Coffee with a Ranger!
Start every Friday right with Coffee With a Ranger! Each week brings a different subject, and park ranger, exploring the wonderful world of birds, beers, mushrooms, geology and more within the park!
Go on a Day Hike at Coldwater Spring
Enjoy a nice day hike and many opportunities for wildlife viewing, photography, and reflection at Coldwater Spring! Trails surround a restored prairie oak savannah and wetlands in this culturally and historically significant gem that is open year-round.
Kayak in the park with Paddle Share
Paddle the park with Paddle Share, self-serve kayak sharing system in the Twin Cities metro area that lets you rent a boat and paddle to a destination downriver!
Visitor Centers
Mississippi River Visitor Center
Located in downtown St. Paul, in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Mississippi River Visitor Center serves as a gateway to adventure along the mighty Mississippi. Find interactive exhibits and get advice from park rangers as to things to do and places to go. Admission is free.
Getting Here & Transit
How to Get Here
Limited metered street parking is available on nearby streets near park headquarters. Several parking ramps are available nearby including the Kellogg Square parking ramp. The Mississippi River Visitor Center is located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota (120 Kellogg Blvd West, St. Paul, MN).
Park Amenities
Operating Hours
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
We are a partnership park that overlaps many parks (regional, city, state), other public lands, museums, and historical sites. Check with the specific park site you plan on visiting for their hours. See http://www.nps.gov/miss/planyourvisit/placestogo.htm for more information. The National Park Service does not control the visiting hours for the partner sites. Coldwater Spring (NPS) is open from 6:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m., 365 days a year.
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Photos
Gray clouds over flowers growing on sand dunes.
A large canoe filled with paddlers on the river surrounded by autumnal color.
A large, long-necked, long-legged bird wades in the river.
Large trees are widely spaced in a grassland.
When to Go
Crowd CalendarPlan your trip around peak seasons to avoid crowds or embrace the energy of the busy months. Our crowd predictions are based on historical NPS Visitor Use Statistics.
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Build your Mississippi itinerary
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Best Time
Year-round
Trip Length
1 day
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Planning Mississippi National River & Recreation Area
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