Minneopa State Park, Mankato

Minneopa State Park is a state park in Minnesota, United States. It was established in 1905 to preserve Minneopa Falls, the largest waterfall in southern Minnesota, and was expanded in the 1960s to include the lower reaches of Minneopa Creek and a large tract of prairie. Minneopa is Minnesota's third oldest state park, after Itasca and Interstate. Two park resources are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the 1862 Seppman Mill and a district of seven Rustic Style structures built by the Works Progress Administration in the late 1930s. The park is located almost entirely on the south side of the Minnesota River, 3mi west of Mankato. In 2015 the state reintroduced American bison to the park in a 330acre fenced enclosure, which visitors can drive through in their vehicles.
Minneopa State Park is divided into two distinct sections by a corridor of roads, railroads, and private property. The original section contains the falls and Rustic Style structures. The much larger northern section, added in 1969, stretches along the Minnesota River and includes the campground and Seppmann Mill. Although the sections are contiguous, the only way to travel from one to the other is via a county road.