Continued: Our under-the-radar national park

Paul Labovitz is the superintendent of a Minnesota national park that may be one of the most heavily visited in the nation. The trouble, according to Labovitz, is that "98 percent of people don't realize they've been here.''

The park is the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area -- a 72-mile corridor that runs from Ramsey and Dayton in the north to just south of Hastings. Designated a national park since 1988, the scenic stretch gives the Twin Cities the distinction of being one of the country's few major metros to have a national park running right through it.

Although there are no rangers or guard shacks on the freeways crossing its boundaries, Labovitz considers the commuters who cross the river each day to be visitors. The trick is getting drivers to recognize they're on national park land. And, when they have free time, to return with their families to enjoy the corridor's natural beauty and growing recreational offerings.

The Mississippi River Fund, a nonprofit foundation of local park boosters, is helping with that. Signs with the National Park Service's familiar arrowhead are going up on area bridges to alert commuters and entice them to come back. The park -- a federally-protected constellation of regional parks and private and public lands -- may also get a boost from rising gas prices. As Minnesotans cut back on longer trips, they're exploring options closer to home. It's a great opportunity to rethink how we look at the Mississippi River. Rather than just a stretch of brown water we cross every day, the Mississippi is a world-class, world-famous waterway right in our backyard. Its waters offer some of the best river sportfishing in the state. Its channels, islands and manmade sights -- locks and barges --offers canoeists and power boaters a unique experience. The vast array of wildlife that calls the corridor home -- bald eagles, herons, beavers -- also guarantee a memorable visit for those who hike, bike or picnic along the shoreline.

Today, park boosters are hosting a series of events to encourage Twin Cities residents to take advantage of this national treasure. A free "Bike with a National Park Ranger" event kicks off at 10 a.m. at Minnehaha Falls. Other activities include Geocaching, prairie restoration and an iPod-guided tour of a historic stretch of the river in St. Paul. Registration may be required; for more information, go to www.missriverfund.org.

For those with a pack of adventure-ready youngsters, rangers are standing by. "We've got 100 years of activities for groups like that,'' said Labovitz. For more information or to schedule an activity, call the park's visitor center, located in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota, at 651-290-4160.

If $4 a gallon gasoline means a vacation to Yellowstone or another National Park System icon is out of reach, there's good news. Close to home is an under-the-radar national park most of us have been to, but haven't yet explored.

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