Land

Land area: 79,610.08 sq. mi.

Water area: 7,328.79 sq. mi.

Total area: 86,938.87 sq. mi.

State length: 406 miles

State width: 348 miles

Lowest point: Lake Superior shore - 602 ft.

Highest point: Eagle Mountain, Cook County - 2301 ft.

Average mean altitude: 1200 ft.

Largest County: St. Louis - 6,125 sq. mi.

Smallest County: Ramsey - 154 sq. mi.

 

State-Owned Lands Managed by the DNR

as of May 2022

DNR Management Program Approx. Acres Managed
State Forests 3,169,600
Wildlife Management Areas 1,270,700
Other Areas Managed for Forestry 703,600
State Parks and Recreation Areas 239,700
Scientific & Natural Areas 186,000
Aquatic and Fish Management Areas 31,700
State Trails 11,800
Other Areas Managed for Wildlife 11,800
Building Sites and Undesignated Lands 11,100
Mineral Lands 3,700
Water Access Sites 3,100
Wild and Scenic Rivers 1,500
Water Management Areas (Dams) 800
Water Trails 700
Wetland Bank Projects 300
Total DNR managed acres 5,646,100

Source: DNR Land Records Database

The DNR also administers state mineral rights underlying approximately 13.5 million acres. DNR has administrative responsibility to manage trust lands (in FY21 a total of $22.8 million was deposited in the Permanent School Fund), and to make PILT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) payments to the counties, which totaled about $36.0 million for 2020 (payable in 2021).

(Updated May 2022)

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