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| Cascade River State Park |
By Jason Rhein
If you are planning on visiting one of Minnesota's state parks this July, stop. Unfortunately, all of the Minnesota State Parks are closed at this time due to the state government shutdown.
The state government of Minnesota shut down on July 1 after state legislatures and Governor Mark Dayton did not reach a budget deal before the set deadline. This resulted in the temporary closing of all Minnesota government operations, including state parks, gambling establishments and rest areas.
As soon as government officials reach a budget agreement, all government-ran operations will resume with normal functioning and State Parks will reopen.
Many protesters stand outside the State Capitol building daily, asking for funding to reopen state parks immediately. However, many government officials have stated that they see no resolution in sight.
Still want to explore the outdoors in Minnesota? No problem! One option is visiting a park operated by the Three Rivers Park District, located in the Twin Cities metro area. You can also travel up the north shore of Lake Superior and do some hiking on many scenic paths. There are many other options which I will be posting about soon.
Look for more updates in the future about the Minnesota government shutdown and State Park operations.
Photo Credit: Jason Rhein
