Whitewater State Park

Welcome to Whitewater State Park, an oasis of limestone bluffs and deep ravines located near Altura, Minnesota.

Park History: The bedrock of Whitewater State Park contains sediment leftover from an ancient sea that covered the land nearly half a billion years ago. The Dakota tribe named the river Whitewater because of the color that the springtime's eroded clays caused the water to become. In 1851, a treaty opened up southern Minnesota to European settlers who came to establish farms. By 1900, overuse of the land led to flooding problems and nearly 20 years later local citizens campaigned for the creation of Whitewater State Park in order to protect some of the valley's pristine lands. Flooding continued throughout the 1920's and 1930's and many of the local towns and farms were abandoned. In 1938 alone, the town of Beaver flooded 28 times. In the early 1940's, officials with the State of Minnesota and United States Government began to work with the local citizens on implementing conservation measures which such as the planting of trees, shrubs, and grass and the building of dikes in order to revive the Whitewater Valley. Today, the 28,000 acre Whitewater Valley Wildlife Management Area is adjacent to Whitewater State Park and people are still working to help improve the land and water quality.

Flora and Fauna: The Whitewater River Valley is home to nearly 50 mammal species and 250 bird species as well as 43% of Minnesota's rare plant and animal species. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors Whitewater State Park boasts many miles of multipurpose trails, a volleyball court, two picnic areas, and over 100 campsites (47 with electricity). Come on out and explore!

To contact the park office please call 507-932-3007. This park was RecPlanet place of the day on November 9, 2014.