didn't get underway until a local advocacy group purchased in 1955. Their holdings more than doubled the next year when of Garrard's Bluff were donated by the chairman of an insurance company. The group lobbied directly to state legislators and other influential people. However other residents of Frontenac were fiercely opposed to a park, fearing that heightened visitation would compromise the town's charm and disturb the wildlife. These concerns were not without merit; at one point there were plans for a "skyline drive" along the blufftop. A bill authorizing the park passed in 1957, with sharp restrictions on recreational development. Purchasing the land from its current owners was similarly contentious. The owner of Sand Point was a particularly adamant holdout, and several tracts had to be acquired through eminent domain. Modest recreational facilities were not installed until the mid-1960s. Land has been added to the park over the years but the minimal-development ethic has been maintained. Recreation Camping: Atop the bluff there is a campground with 58 sites (19 with electrical hookups) and 6 walk-in campsites. Fishing: Walleye, northern pike, crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish can be caught in Lake Pepin. Sledding: On the substantial hill behind the park office. Warming hut nearby. Swimming: Walk or boat in to Sand Point. Very popular on summer weekends. Trails: The park has of hiking trails. In winter are groomed for cross-country skiing and for snowmobiling. Bluffview Trail (hiking): An interpretive loop dipping below the blufftop. Bluffside Trail (hiking): Follows the blufftop to In Yan Teopa and descends in switchbacks to loop back along the bluff's flank. 3 spurs give access to the stony shore. Hiking clockwise is slightly less strenuous. Hill Trail (hiking/snowmobiling): Ascends the meadows and wooded ravines from the park entrance to the campground (1.4 mi). Prairie Trail (hiking/skiing): Loops through prairie and oak savanna past the wooded shore of a small lake (2.7 mi). Sand Point Trail (hiking): Leads from a southern parking area through bottomland forest to Sand Point, the park's best birdwatching zones (0.7 mi). Indian Mound Trail (hiking): A short loop across the highway from the lower parking area, leading past some indistinct burial mounds (0.4 mi). References External links Frontenac State Park 1957 establishments in Minnesota Driftless Area Natural arches of Minnesota Protected areas established in 1957 Protected areas of Goodhue County, Minnesota Protected areas on the Mississippi River State parks of Minnesota Landforms of