Babcock Memorial Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Babcock Park |
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Babcock Memorial Park, also known as Babcock Wayside, is a special place in Elk River, Minnesota. It's a highway rest area where travelers can stop and relax. It also has a public boat launch for boats to get onto the Mississippi River.
You can find the park where U.S. 10 and Route 169 meet. The park is named after Charles Merritt Babcock. He was an important person from the area. Many people see him as the founder of Minnesota's modern state highway system. The state of Minnesota owns the park. However, the city of Elk River helps take care of it.
What is Babcock Park?
Babcock Park is a quiet spot for people to enjoy nature. It's a rest stop for drivers on busy highways. It also gives people a way to access the mighty Mississippi River. This makes it a great place for fishing or boating.
History of the Park
The park was built a long time ago, between 1938 and 1939. It was created by a group called the National Youth Administration. This group was part of a bigger plan called the New Deal. The New Deal helped put people to work during a tough time in history.
The workers built some cool features that are still there today. You can see two round stone areas called council rings. There's also a stone picnic table. And don't miss the old hand-operated water pump!
Park Features and Size
Over the years, more things have been added to the park. You can find a special marker about the local geology. There are also modern restrooms and other helpful facilities.
The park covers about 16 acres (6.5 ha) of land. That's about the size of 12 football fields! It used to be even bigger. But some of its land was used when the nearby highways were made larger. They built special road designs called cloverleaf interchangees. These help cars get on and off the highways smoothly.
