Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Cody Nelson
St. Paul

Minnesota public land trivia: By the numbers

You might not realize how much of Minnesota is public land
You might not realize how much of Minnesota is public land. Here, Lake Itasca as viewed from the Peace Pipe Overlook in Itasca State Park.
William Lager | MPR News

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Friday is Public Lands Day across Minnesota.

Gov. Mark Dayton made the proclamation this week while noting that public land "contribute to the state economy and are the backbone of outdoor recreation and tourism in Minnesota."

You may ask: What exactly are public lands? Well, they're a network of spaces managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.

They include land for just about any outdoor activity you could imagine — hiking, bird-watching, fishing, camping, etc.

For this Public Lands Day, here's a by-the-numbers breakdown that paints a picture of all the public land this state has to offer:

• 5.6 million: Total acreage the DNR manages. It's about an acre of public land per Minnesotan or 11 percent of the state's total area.

• 24 percent: Amount of Minnesota land publicly managed by state, federal and county authorities. All told, it's over 12 million acres.

• 4,100: Miles of hiking, biking, horse and motorized trails within state parks, recreation areas and forests.

• 21,300: Miles of DNR-managed snowmobile trails.

• $32 million: Dollars the state paid to counties in fiscal year 2016 as a form of local government aid known as PILT, or payment in lieu of taxes, for the tax-exempt public natural resource land.

• 800,000: Annual minimum of cords of wood put up for sale from DNR-managed forest land.

• 49: Number of rare species that live only on public land.

• $16.9 million: Dollars of revenue in fiscal year 2017 generated by state-owned mineral rights.

• 509,000: Number of people who visit public lands and other Minnesota destinations to watch wildlife each year.

• 59: Number of state forests, school trust acres and other forested lands in Minnesota. They cover some 4.2 million acres.

• 1,600: Approximate number of public water access sites the DNR manages.

• 27 percent: Amount of DNR land the agency bought, through county board action or acquired as a gift.

• $231 million: Annual amount spent by state park visitors on trip-related expenses.

All data from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.