Flandrau State Park
The gentle flowing Big Cottonwood River meanders through this southern park. The sand-bottom swimming pond, picnic area, campgrounds and group center attract many visitors every summer to this very popular state park. The terrain is diverse, offering views of wooded river bottoms, oxbow marshes and open grasslands. Hikers and cross-country skiers enjoy the flat trails on the bottom of the valley or more challenging routes on the oak-shaded bluffs. Visit historic stone buildings crafted by Works Progress Administration(WPA)crews. Vegetative features include goat prairies, small white lady's slippers, and the floodplain forest.
Quick stats:
982 acres
247,665 annual visits
23,002 overnight visits
Naturalist:
The best way to learn more about Flandrau State Park is to stop at the park office for a map and information about the park. Although the park does not have a naturalist on staff, activities are offered occasionally.
Wildlife
White-tailed deer, raccoons and many types of birds common to wooded river bottom areas can be found in at Flandrau State Park.
History
Originally named Cottonwood River State Park, after the river that runs through it, Flandrau was the site of a Work Projects Administration (WPA) camp during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Several buildings in the park are beautiful examples of the architectural work done by the WPA. During part of the 1940s, the camp was used as a World War II German prisoner-of-war camp. Today, the old WPA camp is used as the park's modern group center, complete with eight cabins, a dining hall, restroom buildings and a separate swimming pond. During this same era, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a dam in the park, impounding a reservoir of approximately 200 acres on the Big Cottonwood River. After the dam was damaged by high water in 1947, 1965 and 1969, the remaining parts of the dam, including a spillway, were removed in 1995. The river now flows free through the park. The park was renamed Flandrau by the state legislature on March 15, 1945, to honor Charles E. Flandrau. He helped draft the first Minnesota constitution and was a member of the first Minnesota Supreme Court. He also played a prominent role in New Ulm during the U.S.-Dakota Conflict of 1862.
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