Cuyuna County State Recreation Area

Welcome to Cuyuna County State Recreation Area located near Ironton, Minnesota.

Park History: The land that is now Cuyuna County State Recreation Area was once big mining country. Today, much of the land has been restored to a state of nature. Before the arrival of European settlers this land was part of the border region between the Dakota and Ojibwe tribes. It was also used as a portage route from Mille Lacs to the stretches of the Uppper Mississippi River. In the early 20th century, major changes began to take shape.

One of the first European settlers of the region, Cuyler Adams, noticed that there were problems with his compass readings and suspected a large quantity of metal beneath his feet. In 1904 his suspicions proved to be correct and he named the region after himself and his dog Una. That same year he started drilling and by 1909 over 2,000 holes had been drilled into the ground and local settlements including Crosby, Cuyuna, Ironton, Manganese, Riverton, and Trommald were established. During the mining booms of the two World Wars, an estimated 20-30 mines operated in the region helping to supply the United States Military with it's needs. After the end of WWII, around 20 mines continued to operate throughout the 1950's until foreign competition and local taconite mining put the mines out of business. In 1993, Cuyuna Country State Park was established.

Flora and Fauna. This park protects habitat for numerous species of plants and animals. Some of the park's plants include aspens, red oaks, paper birches, ironwoods and others. Some of the parks animals include beavers, muskrats, geese, herons, vultures, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, rabbits, and others. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors this park boasts over six miles of trails and 17 campsites. Come on out and explore!