Father Hennepin State Park is located on the southeast shore of Mille Lacs Lake near Isle, Minnesota. The park is named after Father Louis Hennepin, a priest who visited the area with a French expedition in 1680. There is a fee to enter the park; a day use or annual permit can be purchased at the park office. Dogs are allowed in most areas of the park when kept on a leash. The 320-acre park is in a hardwood forest and has 2 miles of shoreline on Mille Lacs. Recreational activities enjoyed by visitors include picnicking, swimming, camping, hiking, boating, and fishing.
Mille Lacs is well known for its walleye fishing; other game fish species that anglers seek include northern pike, smallmouth bass, and muskie. There are two fishing piers in the park that are handicap accessible. The park also has two boat launches. The sandy quarter mile long swimming beach is popular with families.
There are 4.5 miles of hiking trails in the park. There is a three-quarters mile long wheelchair accessible paved trail. In the winter, visitors can snowshoe anywhere in the park.
There are two drive-in campgrounds at Father Hennepin State Park with a total of 103 sites. 51 of the sites have electric hookups. Most of the sites offer partial to full shade. The Maple Grove Campground offers more separation between sites than the Lakeview Campground. Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. Firewood is available for sale at the park office. The campsite pads can accommodate RVs up to 60 feet in length. There are four wheelchair accessible sites, two in each campground. There are also six group campsites. All campsites can be reserved online or by phone.
A link to the Minnesota DNR website for Father Hennepin State Park can be found here.
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