The 2024 Wakota Scenic Trailhead was a project in St Paul Park that received over $300,000 in National Park Service financial support as part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area's Alternative Transportation Program.
NPS 2024
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (NRRA) is the first Partnership National Park in the nation, a model that emphasizes partnership over direct management. The NRRA owns less than 100 acres of the over 50,000 acres within the national park boundary. To accomplish the NRRA's mission of preserving and enhancing the Mississippi River's resources in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area, the National Park Service offers financial assistance to cities, park districts, counties, and state agencies.
Since the NRRA's establishment in 1988, the National Park Service has been a key contributor to the preservation and enhancement of river resources. Each year hundreds of thousands of dollars are granted to partner sites in the NRRA. This substantial financial support has been instrumental in improving trails, water access, natural resources, and education, underscoring the tangible impact of the national park partnership model.
In 2024, the National Park Service began identifying these partnership projects with signage and classifying the project area as a partner site. The photo gallery below highlights some of the great partnership projects the NRRA is funding.
