Lake Louise State Park

Welcome to Lake Louise State Park located at the confluence of the Little Iowa and Upper Iowa Rivers near LeRoy, Minnesota.

Park History: The area that is now Lake Louise State Park was relatively untouched by any of the four ice ages over the last 400,000 years. Thus, there is not a lot of glacial soil and in most places the limestone bedrock is very near the surface. Lake Louise State Park is the oldest operating recreation area in the State of Minnesota. In 1853, shortly after the area was surveyed, the town of LeRoy was established and a the Upper Iowa River was dammed up in order to power a grist mill. Once the railroads were built, the town was moved closer to the railroad tracks in order to keep economic activity thriving. When the original grist mill was abandoned, the land's owners, the Hambrecht family, donated several acres to the village for recreational purposes and the land became known as Wildwood Park. In 1962, the city donated Wildwood Park to the State of Minnesota and it became part of Lake Louise State Park.

Wildlife: The park's landscape of oak forests and rolling rivers help protect habitat for numerous species of plants and animals. Some of the plants include wild onions, purple-fringed orchids, and several woodland prairie flowers. Some of the park's animals include squirrels, raccoons, foxes, deer, and over 141 bird species. Please treat their home with respect.

For the lover of the outdoors Lake Louise State Park boasts many miles of multipurpose trails, a swimming beach, and dozens of campsites (11 sites have electricity and there is a 45 foot limit on trailers). Come on out and explore!