Frogs and toads at Fort Snelling State Park

Did you know that toads are a type of frog? We learned all that and more during a class on frogs and toads at Fort Snelling State Park in Minneapolis.

The funnest part was using a variety of items to replicate noises that frogs and toads make. Did you know there's a frog that quacks? One that makes a sound like when you run your finger down a comb?

We played a game in the rain using hula hoops. Some were eggs, other tadpoles and other frogs. And then there were the predators, the fish and birds. We learned first hand how tough it is for a frog to survive!

 Fort Snelling State Park is not the same place as the historic Fort Snelling site. It's on the slice of land under the Mendota Bridge and marks the place where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers meet. If you're coming from Minneapolis, you'll go south past the airport and get off at the Post Road exit. But rather than head west to the Humphrey Terminal, you'll go east and drive right into the state park. The next thing I was confused about was that there's just a small building at the entrance to purchase permits, and the interpretive center is located deep within the park, almost right under the Mendota Bridge.

 This is one of the picnic shelters with a fireplace on Picnic Island.  There's also a small playground there. Because it was raining, we didn't check out the main beach area or do any hiking. I'd like to go back to view where the two rivers converge. It's considered a sacred spot by the Native Americans.

 This is the interpretive center. The parking lot is almost right below the Mendota Bridge. Once we were inside, I realized that this was the spot where the Dakota were interned following that conflict in Minnesota. There's a memorial to those who were kept there and hanged inside, as well as one outside.

 While the interpretive center isn't super large, it has some fun things inside. There's touch and guess boxes. A large map of the area showing the watershed and how water drains. A wall exhibit showing how St. Anthony falls has moved over the centuries. And rocks to touch. Plus, there's a movie about the area to view.

It was fun to find a state park so very close to home. I'm always glad to get more use out of our state park sticker!