Glendalough State Park
Encyclopedia
Glendalough State Park is a state park
of Minnesota
, USA, in Otter Tail County
near Battle Lake
close to Minnesota State Highway 78
. The park was once used as a resort and game farm by the owners of Cowles Media Company
, owner of what is today the Star Tribune
newspaper. The park contains 1931 acres (7.8 km²) on land and 1000 acres (4 km²) on the water. Cowles Media Company transferred title to Glendalough to the Nature Conservancy in 1990, and the Nature Conservancy transferred title to the State of Minnesota in 1992. Glendalough was officially declared a state park with a celebration on Earth Day
, April 22, 1992.
Glendalough Game Farm hosted important individuals such as President Dwight D. Eisenhower
, President Richard Nixon
and Vice President Walter Mondale
during its time. In 1990, the land was donated to The Nature Conservancy
by Cowles Media Company
, and in 1992 title was transferred to the State of Minnesota. Glendalough State Park celebrated its creation on Earth Day
, April 22, 1992.
and before Memorial Day
, the facility at the main campground shuts down for the season for a more rustic style living.
, Pasque Flower
, Pussy toe and so on grow within this land.
, turtles, raccoons, snakes and so on. It is strongly advised at most parks, at state parks or national parks, that you see wildlife
for enjoyment but to remember that the animal
s are wild and not to approach them.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA, in Otter Tail County
Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Otter Tail County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 57,303. Its county seat is Fergus Falls.-History:...
near Battle Lake
Battle Lake, Minnesota
-External links:*http://www.ci.battle-lake.mn.us/http://firstbaptistbattlelake.org...
close to Minnesota State Highway 78
Minnesota State Highway 78
Minnesota State Highway 78 is a highway in west-central Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate Highway 94 near Ashby and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with U.S...
. The park was once used as a resort and game farm by the owners of Cowles Media Company
Cowles Media Company
Cowles Media Company was a newspaper, magazine and information publishing company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. The company operated Cowles Business Media, Cowles Creative Publishing and Cowles Enthusiast Media units. The McClatchy Company purchased Cowles Media in 1998...
, owner of what is today the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
newspaper. The park contains 1931 acres (7.8 km²) on land and 1000 acres (4 km²) on the water. Cowles Media Company transferred title to Glendalough to the Nature Conservancy in 1990, and the Nature Conservancy transferred title to the State of Minnesota in 1992. Glendalough was officially declared a state park with a celebration on Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, April 22, 1992.
History
In 1903, Ezra G. Valentine developed that land into a summer retreat called Valentine's Camp. In 1905 the park was left to Valentine's children, John Alden and Miss Blanche which later sold the land to Fred A. Everts. Fred Everts sold the Valentine camp to F.E. Murphy who owned and operated the Minneapolis Tribune. Murphy renamed the land to Glendalough, after a monastery in Ireland. With the depression in the 1930s and land coming up for sale, Murphy jumped in and expanded the land that Glendalough has and started a game farm. In 1941, Glendalough, along with the Minneapolis Tribune, was purchased by Cowles Media Company, which was partially owned by John Cowles, Sr.John Cowles, Sr.
John Cowles, Sr. was the co-owner of the Cowles Media Company, whose assets included the Minneapolis Star, the Minneapolis Tribune, the Des Moines Register, Look magazine, and a half-interest in Harper's Magazine. To help counteract the agitation against the Vietnam war in the mid-1960s, he served...
Glendalough Game Farm hosted important individuals such as President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and Vice President Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
during its time. In 1990, the land was donated to The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
by Cowles Media Company
Cowles Media Company
Cowles Media Company was a newspaper, magazine and information publishing company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. The company operated Cowles Business Media, Cowles Creative Publishing and Cowles Enthusiast Media units. The McClatchy Company purchased Cowles Media in 1998...
, and in 1992 title was transferred to the State of Minnesota. Glendalough State Park celebrated its creation on Earth Day
Earth Day
Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
, April 22, 1992.
2004 and 2005 blowdown
In August 2004, a severe thunderstorm with straight-line winds came through and eliminated a week of park operations and several dollars of damage to the landscape that Glendalough had. As a result of this devastating incident, the park was closed to the public for a week to clean up debris left by the storm. Not ten months later, in 2005, Glendalough State Park had yet another thunderstorm come through with exactly the same effect but less power than the 2004 storm. Glendalough State Park remained open to the public after this natural disaster with aid from staff and volunteers of the park with signs and notices to the park visitors warning them of hazards of down trees throughout the park.Recreation
Glendalough State Park have many forms of recreation facilities that are provided to park visitors. Fishing, camping, hiking, birding, picture taking, boating, kayaking, canoeing, etc. Glendalough State Park does have a Historic Lodge which former Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon and former Vice President Walter Mondale stayed in while they were at Glendalough State Park. Wile camping at Glendalough State Park, it is highly advised that any food that you have be stored into a food locker that the park provides with the site. The park discourage visitors from storing their food in the tents because the wildlife can easily tear open the tents and get to the food.Lodging
Glendalough State Park has the historic Glendalough Lodge at the park. Lodge is rented out to parties for tours or get together for enjoyment of Annie Battle Lake. Glendalough State Park also has conference centers near Glendalough Lodge for conferences or family reunions.Camping
At Glendalough State Park, there are three sites designated for camping. The west shore of Annie Battle Lake, between south Annie Battle Lake and North of Molly Stark Lake and on the Southeast corner of Annie Battle Lake.Picnicking and Swimming
Glendalough offers picnicking and swimming areas, often with solitude.Cart-in Site
The campsite along the west side of Annie Battle Lake is designated as a cart-in campground. The state park wants the park visitors to have a primitive setting while camping. This location has 4 cabins; two electric and two primitive cabins. One of the cabins is designated as handicapped accessible for the park visitors who need these accommodations. Located at this campsite is a modern restroom facility with showers and plumbing for the visitors who want a semi primitive and modern society living.Group Camp
There are two group camps in Glendalough State Park. One being between Annie Battle Lake and Molly Stark Lake and the southeast part of Annie Battle Lake. The group sites are designated for more than seven people for a regular site. These sites are useful for families get together and enjoy the setting while fishing, canoeing, swimming or enjoying life in general.Canoe-In Campground
The Canoe-In campground is one of the primitive settings that Glendalough State Park has to offer. To access this location, park visitors have one of two options that they can choose from. Either the visitors could spend the time and walk over to the site and enjoy the land and the wildlife, or take a canoe and paddle Annie Battle Lake which could easily be faster. Paddling across the lake, it would be quitter and peaceful since Annie Battle Lake is not designated as a motor access lake.Rustic Camping
After Labor DayLabor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
and before Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
, the facility at the main campground shuts down for the season for a more rustic style living.
Plant Life
Glendalough State Park has a couple restored acres of land designated as prairie restoration. Within this restoration land, prairie plants such as Big BluestemBig Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii, known also as Big bluestem, Turkey foot, Prairie tallgrass, or simply Tallgrass, is a tall grass native to much of the Great Plains and Prairie regions of central North America- Description :...
, Pasque Flower
Pasque flower
The genus Pulsatilla contains about 33 species of herbaceous perennials native to meadows and prairies of North America, Europe, and Asia. Common names include pasque flower , wind flower, prairie crocus, Easter Flower, and meadow anemone...
, Pussy toe and so on grow within this land.
Wildlife
Wildlife at Glendalough State Park consist of Redwing Black Birds, white-tailed deerWhite-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, turtles, raccoons, snakes and so on. It is strongly advised at most parks, at state parks or national parks, that you see wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
for enjoyment but to remember that the animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s are wild and not to approach them.