Tour Historic Fort Ridgely and wander through the
ruins of this once thriving outpost. Learn about the U. S.-Dakota Conflict
of 1862, a major event in Minnesota's early history. Stop by the cemetery to
learn more about the history. For recreation, this park offers plenty: play a
nine hole course; hike or ride the trails on horseback; play volleyball or
softball; fish; and camp (drive-in and walk-in sites are available). Come
winter, ski, snowmobile or sled down the big hill.Quick stats:
1,040 acres
64,899 annual visits
7,303 overnight visits
Naturalist:
The best way to learn more about Fort Ridgely 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, red and gray foxes, racoons, minks, beavers, hawks, owls,
Canada geese, wild turkeys, reptiles and many songbirds can be seen in the park.
History
In the spring of 1853, the steamboat West Newton left Fort Snelling to
journey up the Minnesota River, bound for a plateau above the river in Nicollet
County. The steamboat carried soldiers and their families, carpenters, and
supplies. The people were assigned to build a fort at the edge of the Dakota
reservation. The fort was named "Ridgely" in honor of three men of the same name
who had died during the Mexican War. Fort Ridgely was complete by 1855. Before
long, Fort Ridgely developed into a self-sufficient community populated by 300
soldiers and civilians. The Fort played a role in the U.S.-Dakota Conflict of
1862 when it was attacked twice by Dakota Indians. After Fort Ridgely closed in
1872, local farmers used the buildings. The first purchase of land for the park
occurred in 1896 as a war memorial to those who fought in the U.S.-Dakota
Conflict. More acres were purchased in 1911 when the site was designated a state
park.
Geology
The last glaciers to cover this part of Minnesota retreated 12,000 years ago.
They left behind almost 200 feet of sand, gravel, and rocks, called glacial
till, on top of a layer of kaolin clay sediments and bedrock. Deposits of this
clay are exposed in banks along Fort Ridgely Creek in the northern part of the
park. Fort Ridgely State Park sits atop two distinct layers of this glacial
till.
Landscape
For over a century, the land that is now Fort Ridgely State Park has been
affected by logging, farming, grazing, and development. The open bluffs
overlooking the Minnesota River have been the least disturbed of any area in the
park and contain the best displays of prairie wildflowers and grasses. The park
includes a variety of meadows, each distinct in character. Some have scattered
prairie wildflowers and grasses; others are dense stands of non-native plant
species. On the park's bluffs, and by some of the meadows, are large bur oak
trees. At one time, these oaks grew out in the open surrounded only by prairie
grasses. These areas, known as Oak Savanna, gradually disappeared as the prairie
was plowed and its fires suppressed. Large ash, basswood, sugar maple,
hackberry, and black cherry trees grow in the park's deep ravines and along Fort
Ridgely Creek.
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