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Mississippi Park Connection provides opportunities for people to get to and on the river—and have a national park experience in the Twin Cities.
In partnership with the National Park Service, youth education, community engagement, and environmental stewardship programs connect people to their national park.
Become a member
When you become a member of Mississippi Park Connection, you join a a community of people who share a commitment to supporting and protecting the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area—the national park in the heart of the Twin Cities.
Autumn on the River
Cooler days and changing colors invite us to experience the Mississippi River in new ways. Whether you’re looking to learn something new, spend time with neighbors, or help care for your national park, find an event that brings you closer to the river this fall.
Public Tree Plantings
Help us grow the next generation of floodplain forest at Crosby Farm Regional Park. This fall, MPC is collaborating with the City of Saint Paul to plant nearly 1,000 trees to address this issue, and we need your help! Join us October 9, October 17, and November 7.
Events
Featured
Mississippi Park Connection needs help planting over 1,000 trees and shrubs at Crosby Farm Regional Park this tree-planting season. We will be planting climate-adapted trees and shrubs to fill the gaps, create habitat and grow a more resilient canopy in our floodplain forest. No experience required!
You’re invited to settle in, look closely, and become part of a global effort to capture a living snapshot of the world’s bird populations at Mni Owe Sni (Coldwater Spring). Whether you’re an experienced birder or simply curious, this laid‑back community event turns simple observation into meaningful science.
National Fossil Day is October 15th, and we are celebrating with ranger-led hikes! Take a hike through time with a National Park Service ranger to hunt for fossils, learn how they came to be here, and discover how the geology of a waterfall shaped the area. Explore a lesser-known area of the national park, discover one of many hidden waterfalls around the Mississippi River, and enjoy the fall colors. We're going on an urban adventure!
Explore the Mississippi River Gorge by kayak on a guided paddle, where steep, forested bluffs rise around you and the current carries centuries of stories downstream. Led by National Park Service rangers, this guided paddle invites participants to experience the only true gorge along the entire Mississippi River—a landscape shaped by powerful geologic forces and sustained by vibrant ecosystems that continue to thrive in the heart of the Twin Cities.
National Fossil Day is October 15th, and we are celebrating with ranger-led hikes! Take a hike through time with a National Park Service ranger to hunt for fossils, learn how they came to be here, and discover how the geology of a waterfall shaped the area. Explore a lesser-known area of the national park, discover one of many hidden waterfalls around the Mississippi River, and enjoy the fall colors. We're going on an urban adventure!
National Fossil Day is October 15th, and we are celebrating with ranger-led hikes! Take a hike through time with a National Park Service ranger to hunt for fossils, learn how they came to be here, and discover how the geology of a waterfall shaped the area. Explore a lesser-known area of the national park, discover one of many hidden waterfalls around the Mississippi River, and enjoy the fall colors. We're going on an urban adventure!
Explore the Mississippi River Gorge by kayak on a guided paddle, where steep, forested bluffs rise around you and the current carries centuries of stories downstream. Led by National Park Service rangers, this guided paddle invites participants to experience the only true gorge along the entire Mississippi River—a landscape shaped by powerful geologic forces and sustained by vibrant ecosystems that continue to thrive in the heart of the Twin Cities.
National Fossil Day is October 15th, and we are celebrating with ranger-led hikes! Take a hike through time with a National Park Service ranger to hunt for fossils, learn how they came to be here, and discover how the geology of a waterfall shaped the area. Explore a lesser-known area of the national park, discover one of many hidden waterfalls around the Mississippi River, and enjoy the fall colors. We're going on an urban adventure!
Mississippi Park Connection needs help planting over 1,000 trees and shrubs at Crosby Farm Regional Park this tree-planting season. We will be planting climate-adapted trees and shrubs to fill the gaps, create habitat and grow a more resilient canopy in our floodplain forest. No experience required!
National Fossil Day is October 15th, and we are celebrating with ranger-led hikes! Take a hike through time with a National Park Service ranger to hunt for fossils, learn how they came to be here, and discover how the geology of a waterfall shaped the area. Explore a lesser-known area of the national park, discover one of many hidden waterfalls around the Mississippi River, and enjoy the fall colors. We're going on an urban adventure!
National Fossil Day is October 15th, and we are celebrating with ranger-led hikes! Take a hike through time with a National Park Service ranger to hunt for fossils, learn how they came to be here, and discover how the geology of a waterfall shaped the area. Explore a lesser-known area of the national park, discover one of many hidden waterfalls around the Mississippi River, and enjoy the fall colors. We're going on an urban adventure!
Explore the Mississippi River Gorge by kayak on a guided paddle, where steep, forested bluffs rise around you and the current carries centuries of stories downstream. Led by National Park Service rangers, this guided paddle invites participants to experience the only true gorge along the entire Mississippi River—a landscape shaped by powerful geologic forces and sustained by vibrant ecosystems that continue to thrive in the heart of the Twin Cities.
Explore the Mississippi River Gorge by kayak on a guided paddle, where steep, forested bluffs rise around you and the current carries centuries of stories downstream. Led by National Park Service rangers, this guided paddle invites participants to experience the only true gorge along the entire Mississippi River—a landscape shaped by powerful geologic forces and sustained by vibrant ecosystems that continue to thrive in the heart of the Twin Cities.
Featured
More than 150 people joined together on August 20, 2026, at Clarence W. Wigington Pavilion in St. Paul for a beautiful summer evening along the Mississippi River to celebrate this extraordinary place, enjoy incredible food and entertainment, and show up in a BIG way for the national park we all love.
And this year, our inspiration came from above.
When people think of an engineering firm, they probably don't think of kayaks.
Yet for Bolton & Menk, Presenting Sponsor of Float Fest, the connection makes sense.
Read more to learn about why Bolton & Menk partnered with Mississippi Park Connection this year to be a presenting sponsor for Float Fest 2026.
Each season brings a new set of joys and challenges to Minnesota. From the sun and mosquitoes of summer to the gently falling snow and icy roads of winter, we live here because we love our four seasons, but sometimes it’s a wonder that any of us leave our homes at all!
The river feels a little more alive this week. As operations resume, we’re so happy to welcome back our friends and colleagues from the National Park Service at the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.
