Mississippi Park Connection

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Mississippi Park Connection

We are the nonprofit partner of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Rivers embody change. They invite discovery. Discover your river.

Not at a distance or in the abstract. But rather, discoveries that happen when you’re so close you can touch the river and see beneath its surface. When you can smell springtime returning or hear the whistle of a wood duck or shiver on a winter’s day. Mississippi Park Connection wants everyone to experience these moments, and they can — without ever leaving the Twin Cities metro area. At 72 miles

long, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area presents an infinite number of ways to connect with the river. And in each experience, Mississippi Park Connection sees opportunity — in education, recreation, science,the arts, community engagement and more. Strengthening connections is our mission for a park that’s a national treasure and a river of global acclaim. Ever flowing, always changing, the Great River offers endless promise.

05/12/2026

Future you is already on the water.

Plan now. Paddle later.

One pass. Unlimited “what should we do today?” solved.

Paddle Share season passes are on sale this month.

Get yours today and start planning your next adventure on the river.

Available at paddleshare.org and the link in bio.

📷Image courtesy of Lee Vue

05/06/2026

Last week, Ellen Leroy-Reed, MPC Executive Director, and MPC board member Lisa Keitel took part in "Hill Day," sharing stories about national parks and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in particular.

Alongside National Park Foundation Voyageurs Conservancy Wild Rivers Conservancy and National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation, they met with staffers for Minnesota's lawmakers—including Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Tina Smith, Rep. Angie Craig, Rep. Tom Emmer, and Rep. Michelle Fischbach—to stress the importance of sustained funding and policies that strengthen our national parks. Because they belong to all of us, their future depends on the actions we take today.

Through these discussions, Ellen and Lisa helped underscore why national parks remain vital for current and future generations—and why ongoing challenges make this work more important than ever.

We’re grateful for their leadership and dedication in representing Mississippi Park Connection and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and standing up for the places that inspire us all. 🌲

05/01/2026

📝POP QUIZ time at MPC!

1. What’s the largest river in North America?

2. What is the name of the national park along the Mississippi River?

3. When was the last time you went on a field trip?

If you had to think about #3, we have just the opportunity for you!

Join us for Bigger River Journey: A Field Trip for Grown-Ups—an evening fundraiser filled with hands-on exploration connecting science, art, and story on the Mississippi River.

No permission slip required.

Get your tickets to join us May 13th at parkconnection.org/bigger-river-journey-2026!

04/28/2026

🌎 Thank you, volunteers!

During Earth Week, you showed what care for the Mississippi River and its surrounding landscapes truly looks like.

From removing invasive buckthorn at Minnehaha Falls Regional Park with Xcel Energy, to cleaning up along the river at Pike Island with SEER, to our broader community coming together for the Saint Paul Citywide Cleanup at Hidden Falls Regional Park, your efforts made a real and lasting impact.

Because of you, these places are healthier, more welcoming, and better cared for.
Every bag filled, every plant removed, every hour given—it all adds up. 🌿

We’re grateful for the time, energy, and care you brought to these spaces. Thank you for being part of this work with us during Earth Week.

Xcel Energy Saint Paul Parks and Recreation

04/22/2026

Today is Earth Day, but care for the earth doesn’t happen all at once or only on one day. 🌎

It happens in the in-between moments:
🌱 noticing the first green shoots
🌊 watching the river shift with the seasons
🌿 tending, restoring, and paying attention

Along the Mississippi River, that care takes many forms, from planting pollinator habitat to monitoring wildlife to picking up trash along the shoreline.

Each act may be small. Together, they add up.

Let’s begin with care today and carry that momentum into the weekend.

Join us this Saturday, April 25 at Hidden Falls Regional Park for the Saint Paul Citywide Spring Cleanup, and be part of the care that keeps this place thriving.

📷Image 1 courtesy of Zack Pederson
📷Image 2 courtesy of Kurt Moses

04/20/2026

From first-time paddlers to seasoned explorers, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a place for everyone.

We’re neighbors, volunteers, paddlers, birdwatchers, conservationists, lifelong learners, and proud supporters of the Mississippi River’s national park. Together, we help keep this corridor accessible, welcoming, and thriving for all. Mississippi Park Connection is proud to be .

National Park Foundation

04/15/2026

For the early morning birdwatcher, the curious paddler, the artist, the learner, the explorer—however you show up, there’s a place for you here. 🌿

Parks are for all, and at Mississippi Park Connection, we’re , helping keep these spaces vibrant, welcoming, and full of possibility.

04/14/2026

Earth Day began as a call to care: care for the air, the water, and the places we all share.

More than 50 years later, that call still matters.

Caring for the national park and the Mississippi River doesn’t happen all at once—it happens bag by bag, person by person. During Earth Week, we’re coming together to put that care into action, one bag at a time.

Join us at Hidden Falls Regional Park on Saturday, April 25 for the Saint Paul Citywide Spring Cleanup, and be part of the care that keeps this park and the Mississippi River thriving.

More info at https://parkconnection.org/events/2026/4/25/spring-cleanup

📷Image courtesy of Edwige Moses.

04/03/2026

🗓Today’s the last day to take our survey.

❤ We’d still love to hear from you—share your thoughts before it closes tonight.

🔗https://bit.ly/MPC2026Survey

Address

111 Kellogg Boulevard E, Ste 105
Saint Paul, MN
55101

Telephone

+16512918161

Website

http://www.parkconnection.org/

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