Fort Snelling State Park
Fort Snelling State Park is a state park in Dakota County, Fort Snelling, Saint Paul. It was established in 1961. 8 graded lakes are within 15 miles of the park, including Snelling Lake, Gun Club Lake, Upper Lake.
Fort Snelling State Park State Park spans 724,265 acres in Minnesota — a designated recreation destination with the full set of facilities the state park system provides. 8 graded lakes are within easy reach of the park, with an average grade of D. Rogers Lake (B) is the cleanest of the set.
State parks pair well with the LakeGrade dataset: the park itself usually has interpretive signage explaining the local lake system, but the per-lake grade tells you which actual lake in the system to head to.
Official Resources
Nearby Graded Lakes (within 15 mi)
Lakes closest to Fort Snelling State Park, weighted by size. Click a lake for its full water quality grade, fish species, and depth.
| Lake | County | Grade | Surface Area | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snelling Lake | Hennepin | F | 103 acres | 0.5 mi |
| Gun Club Lake | Dakota | D | 103 acres | 1.1 mi |
| Upper Lake | Ramsey | D | 69 acres | 1.3 mi |
| Crosby Lake | Ramsey | D | 69 acres | 1.9 mi |
| Rogers Lake | Dakota | B | 102 acres | 2.2 mi |
| Augusta Lake | Dakota | F | - | 1.2 mi |
| Lemay Lake | Dakota | B | 36 acres | 2.1 mi |
| Nokomis Lake | Hennepin | C | 201 acres | 3.5 mi |
Other Parks in the Area
- Afton State Park— State Park, 19.4 mi
- Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area— State Recreation Area, 30 mi
- William O'Brien State Park— State Park, 30.6 mi
- Nerstrand Big Woods State Park— State Park, 37.5 mi
Where to stay near Fort Snelling State Park
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.