Minnesota DNR announces Upper Sioux Agency State Park to permanently close
Pictured Upper Sioux Agency State Park, Granite Falls. (Photo by: Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced on Wednesday the Upper Sioux Agency State Park will close for good in February in order to transfer the land back to the tribal community.
The 1,280-acre state park in southwestern Minnesota will close to the public at 8 a.m. on Feb. 16. Once the park closes, there will be no public access to the land and restrooms, the trails will not be maintained, and posted signs will be removed.
The DNR says the decision comes after a directive from the Minnesota Legislative during the 2023 session to return the land to the Upper Sioux Community, given the location's historical significance.
According to the DNR, the U.S. government did not fulfill its treaty obligations to provide food, resulting in starvation and death among the Dakota people on that land in the summer of 1862. And the Upper Sioux Community has long requested that the state park land be returned to the community.
"We look forward to returning this land to the Upper Sioux Community, as continuing to operate it as a recreational use site is inconsistent with its unique and profound history," said DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen in a statement.
In order to transfer the land, which is scheduled for mid-March, the DNR says it needs time to remove park infrastructure. The agency added its evaluating proposals and ideas for outdoor recreation opportunities in the area once the park closes.
To see a full list of available state parks, click here.