The following are the various land management issues that I am aware of within the State of Minnesota:
Federally Controlled Lands:
| Type | Summary | Links |
|---|---|---|
| National Parks | The US National Park Service does not allow physical geocaches in any National Park, including the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway. | |
| National Wildlife Refuges | The US Fish & Wildlife Service does not allow physical geocaches within National Wildlife Refuges or Waterfowl Production Areas. |
|
| National Forests |
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Minnesota DNR Controlled Lands:
| Type | Summary | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota State Parks | The Minnesota DNR now allows geocaching within Minnesota State Parks! However, a permit must be received from the park manager BEFORE the cache is placed. | |
| Wildlife Management Areas, Scientific Natural Areas, and Aquatic Management Areas | The Minnesota DNR has directed me to not publish any new physical caches within WMAs, SNAs, or AMAs. Already existing caches may remain for now but are subject to removal by DNR officials at their discretion. |
|
| Minnesota State Forests | The Minnesota DNR does allow geocaching within all State Forests with some stipulations. | |
| DNR Owned Boat Launches | At this time, I am not aware of any official DNR policy restricting geocaches at DNR owned boat launches. |
Minnesota DOT Controlled Lands:
| Type | Summary | Links |
|---|---|---|
| MnDOT Highway Rest Areas | With the exception of the "Cold Spring Wayside", the Minnesota Department of Transportation allows geocaching at MnDOT highway rest areas, however they must be registered. |
County Park Districts:
| County | Summary | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Anoka County Parks | Anoka County Parks now allows geocaching, with certain restrictions, within some of its parks. All caches must be registered with the district. | |
| Carver County Parks | Carver County Parks requires all geocaches within their parks to be registered with the district. | |
| Ramsey County Parks | Ramsey County Parks requires all geocaches be registered with the district and has established certain rules above and beyond the geocaching.com guidelines. | |
| Three Rivers Parks |
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Cities:
| City | Summary | Links |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Park (Hennepin County) | Brooklyn Park requires that all geocaches placed within city parks be registered with the Parks and Recreation Department and has established certain rules above and beyond the geocaching.com guidelines. | |
| Champlin (Hennepin County) | Champlin requires that all geocaches placed within city parks be registered with the Parks and Public Works Department and has established certain rules above and beyond the geocaching.com guidelines. Certain parks are not allowed to have caches within them. |
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| Cloquet (Carlton County) | Cloquet requires that all caches placed within city parks be reported to the city and restricts caches from specific areas. |
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| Detroit Lakes (Becker County) | Detroit Lakes allows geocaching only within the following parks: GAR, Beaton, and Long Lake. | |
| Duluth (St. Louis County) | Duluth requires that all caches placed within city parks be reported to the Duluth Parks and Recreation Department and restricts caches from specific areas. | |
| Eden Prairie (Hennepin County) | Eden Prarie once again allows geocacaching within their parks, although with some restrictions. Caches must be registered | |
| Maple Grove (Hennepin County) | Maple Grove has a geocaching policy that requires all caches in their parks to be registered with the Parks and Recreation Department | |
| Pelican Rapids (Otter Tail County) | Pelican Rapids has a geocaching policy that requires all caches in their parks to be registered with the Parks and Recreation Department | |
| Saint Paul (Ramsey County) | As of March, 2010, the City of Saint Paul has a geocaching policy that among other things requires registration with the Parks and Recreation Department. There are a few areas within the parks that have been deemed off-limits for geocaching. |
Other:
| Area | Summary | Links |
|---|---|---|
| River Bend Nature Center (Faribault) | River Bend Nature Center allows geocaches but permission for the hide must first be obtained from John Blackmer, the Chief Naturalist. | |
| UMore Park (Rosemount, Dakota County) | UMore Park is off limits for geocaching. |
Special thanks to the MnGCA for much of the information on this page!
Surfer Joe - surferjoe(at)bitatatime(dot)net
Last updated on May 10, 2010.