Meet Friends of Minnehaha Park

Our organization was founded in April 2023, out of our common love for the Minnehaha Regional Park and awareness that the park needs our care and our support.  Like all of our public lands, it is challenged by the invasion of Buckthorn and other aggressive non-natives that threaten the beauty and biodiversity of the park by outcompeting the native plants that pollinators and migratory wildlife depend on.

We had an interim Fiscal Agreement with Parks and Trails Council in 2024 but have now obtained our 501(c)(3) status. We have a Memorandum of Understanding with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, which will help us build a closer relationship and partnership with the Park Board and apply for grants to support our work and increase our impact. 

We have a Stewardship Agreement with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to support the natural environment through coordinating environmental stewardship events and engaging with volunteers to support restoration events, such as buckthorn and other invasive removal, planting, seeding and litter cleanup events.  

 We offer free informational events to connect people to the park, its nature, its history, and its governance. And we’re providing opportunities to engage and connect with others who love the park and want to protect and support it. 

Some of our free events include: 

  • “Monthly Plant Walks with a Naturalist” at Minnehaha Regional Park, April – October. 

  • Expert speakers presenting about the natural environment in the park or the history and cultural history of the park.

  • Updates from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board about improvement projects and upcoming events. 

Anyone is welcome to volunteer and become involved in supporting the park through the Friends group. For more information, check out our Facebook page, Friends of Minnehaha Park. Or contact us here using the Email signup link or at FriendsofMinnehahaPark@gmail.com to ask questions or subscribe to our mailing list. 

About Minnehaha Regional Park

Minnehaha Park consists of approximately 205.3 acres of land along the final stretch of the Minnehaha Creek near its confluence with the Mississippi River. It is adjacent to Coldwater Springs National Park and Fort Snelling State Park and contains one of Minnesota’s most iconic natural features:  Minnehaha Falls.  The Dakota word “Minnehaha” translates to “curling water” or the “waterfall” (Cairn et al. 2003).

The Falls cascade 53 feet down into the Minnehaha glen where it meanders about three-quarters of a mile and it empties into the Mississippi River. This 54-acre complex of forest and wetland is maintained in its natural state.  This area has the highest population of native wildflowers in the park system and also includes a Black ash swamp, an uncommon feature in the metro region. A variety of ecosystems and plant communities can be found throughout the park, including Forest/Woodland, Grassland, Wet Forest/Swamp, Wet Meadow, Marsh and more. 

The creek and falls have drawn indigenous people, explorers, settlers, tourists, and entrepreneurs over the site’s history. Minnehaha Park remains a landmark and popular regional destination with 2.8+ million visitors in 2023. It is an important place to the Dakota. It is considered a site where they could gather in peace.  Adapted from MPRB Natural Areas Plan (2021)

The park has a variety of features and zones used in different ways by people from a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, ethnicities and interests. including: walking trails below the falls and leading to the Mississippi River and Fort Snelling, wading areas, Longfellow Gardens, Sea Salt restaurant, Minnehaha Off Leash Dog Park, Picnic shelters, Wabun Park Splash Pad and Picnic Area and more.