Join the Minnesota State Parks Passport Club today and unlock a world of exploration and discovery!
Ready to embark on a new journey? With each stamp in your passport, you'll uncover hidden gems, scenic vistas, and unforgettable adventures that await around every corner. Collect stamps, earn rewards, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore the beauty of Minnesota like never before!Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore the beauty of Minnesota like never before!
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Are you a Hiking or Passport Club member? We want to hear from you! Share your preferences and experiences with us to help shape the future of the clubs. Thanks in advance for your time!
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Getting started
To join the Passport Club, simply grab your club book for $14.95 plus tax at any
state park Nature Store or conveniently
order online. Once you receive your book, make sure you fill out the name and contact information section in the booklet. Occasionally we find a lost booklet with no contact information. Don’t lose all your progress—fill out your booklet!
Register
Your booklet will have a physical card to register for the Hiking Club in it. You can send the card in or
register online.
How it works
As you visit state parks and recreation areas across Minnesota, stop by the entrance/ranger station or kiosk and look for a stamp and ink pad. Date and stamp the matching page in your passport booklet. There are 73 total possible stamps. Four stamps at Minnesota state recreation areas are
optional. The optional stamps are Garden Island, Greenleaf Lake, Iron Range OHV, and St. Croix Island state recreation areas. Your booklet will still be considered complete even if you don't get any one or all of these four specific stamps.
As of 2024, Upper Sioux Agency and Hill Annex Mine state park stamps are no longer available or needed to complete your passport.Stamp locations
At most state parks, stamps can be found at the entrance station or kiosk. If you are having trouble finding a stamp, call the
park office. Below are the exceptions to this rule:
- Garden Island State Recreation Area stamp is at Zippel Bay State Park.
- Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area stamp is in the parking area information kiosk at the Minnesota DNR area office: 20596 Highway 7, Hutchinson, MN 55350.
- La Salle Lake State Recreation Area stamp is at Itasca State Park.
- St. Croix Islands State Recreation Area stamp is at William O'Brien State Park.
- John A. Latsch State Park stamp is at Whitewater State Park.
- Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park has a stamp in each unit.
- Soudan Underground Mine has stamps at the front gate, inside and outside the office and at the counter.
- Lake Vermilion has stamps at the registration kiosk and in the campground registration area.
- Upper Sioux Agency and Hill Annex Mine state parks both closed in 2024. You do not need to get stamps from these parks to complete your club.
Forgotten booklets
Visiting a park but forgot your booklet to stamp? If you are still at the park, you can stamp any piece of paper and glue it into your Passport Club booklet later. You do not need to have your booklet with you to stamp a piece of paper. If you do not collect a stamp at the time of your visit, you will need to return to the park.
Missing stamps
If you visit a state park or recreation area and the stamp is missing from the kiosk, please call or visit the state park office. If the office is not open during your visit, take a photo of the kiosk clearly showing the location. Send the photo to
[email protected] with the park, day, and time. We do not backdate booklets or send out stamps if you have visited the park in the past.
Rewards
Free Night of Camping Certificate and Pin
When you acquire 25 stamps and all stamps, you qualify for a free night of camping certificate—totaling two nights. When you get all stamps we will mail your second free night of camping certificate out to you with your plaque. To get your 25 stamps certificate, visit an open state park office. Explain to the staff person that you are a member of the Passport Club, you have 25 stamps, and would like to claim your free night of camping certificate and pin. Don’t be disappointed by a closed office—double check office hours before your visit on the
park website! Especially in the winter, some park office hours can be reduced or only at request.Your free night of camping certificate will be a paper certificate and will only be good for
one year. The certificate
must be redeemed in-person—it cannot be used when booking your reservation online. We will need the paper certificate to redeem the free night, so don’t forget to pack it with you!Not a tent camper? The certificate’s value can be applied toward a different lodging type (camper cabin, lodge, etc.). The value of the certificate is equal to
one night of non-electric camping at the specific park you are staying at. View the
value of a non-electric camp site at each state park.
Plaque
Once you’ve collected all stamps, you can submit your
Completion Form to order your plaque! You can order your plaque by filling out the
Completion Form at home and mailing the form and your booklet into us for verification. Detailed instructions are available on the form. Or, you can stop by your nearest state park office during office hours to have state park staff verify your booklet and fill out the completion form for you. When filling out the completion form, be sure to indicate missing rewards or patches that we will mail you with your plaque. We place bulk plaque orders at the
end of odd numbered months (Jan., March, etc.) to our vendor. Depending on when we receive your form, it is possible you may not receive your plaque, certificate and booklet back for
over three months. You will get a confirmation email saying we received your booklet and form—after which we will not provide updates. Thank you for your patience!
Before you explore
Visit the park website
It is strongly encouraged that you visit the
state park or recreation area’s webpage before you head out to a park. Once you are on the state park or recreation area’s webpage:
- Check for visitor alerts: park staff frequently update the website to include alerts about trail conditions, events, and closures due to flooding, emergencies, hunting, and more.
- Seasonal updates: on each park’s website there is a ‘seasonal updates’ section on the menu. Most parks do not have full staffing through the winter months, this can sometimes mean there will be limited or no snowplowing at a park. Unless you want to snowshoe to the kiosk, check the updates section before you leave!
