Monson Lake State Park

Location

1690 15th Street Ne
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Policies

Max stay

14 nights

About

Cast your line for walleye, northerns, bass, and sunfish in Monson Lake. Birdwatchers look for white pelicans, herons, western grebes, and songbirds in this 346 acre park with a diverse landscape of wetlands and hardwood forests. The park includes a quiet campground and wooded picnic area. Paddle the lake and take a short portage that leads from Monson Lake to West Sunburg Lake. Wildlife Visitors can watch a variety of birds in the park including white pelicans, a variety of herons, western grebes, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Monson Lake is a popular fishing spot for bass, walleye, northern pike, and several species of panfish. Landscape The park consists of 346 acres on Monson and Sunburg Lakes. Upland lowland hardwoods, remnants of prairie, and the shoreline of Monson Lake provide examples of flora and fauna native to this area. The forests of Monson Lake are predominately oak, ash, and basswood. History Monson Lake State Park became a Minnesota state park in 1937. Before that, it was a local park in memory of members of the Broberg and Lundborg families who died in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 . On August 20 of that year, Dakota Indians attacked the West Lake Settlement and 13 people were killed. Anna Stina Broberg, then 16 years old, and her cousin Peter Broberg, were the only two survivors of the attack. Geology The park lies within the Alexandria Glacial Moraine Complex which was laid down by glaciers more than 30,000 years ago. The rocks, sand, and gravel left by the last glacier make up the drift which formed the rest of the landscape. Monson and Sunburg Lakes were formed by melting ice in the glacial till.