Mississippi Park Connection

Give to the Max for the Future of the National Park

The Mississippi River is more than a landmark; it shapes our cities, ecosystems, and stories. As it flows through the heart Twin Cities, the river is part of a national park like no other: the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, where nature, history, and community meet. It’s a place to paddle, to hike, to learn, to heal—and to belong. 

But this national park doesn’t thrive on its own. It depends on people like you. 

On Give to the Max Day, your gift to Mississippi Park Connection helps protect this vital river corridor and ensure that everyone—no matter their background—can experience the wonder of the Mississippi. From restoring floodplain forests to connecting youth with nature, your support fuels the work of the National Park Service that keeps this park vibrant, resilient, and welcoming. 

Every dollar you give flows directly into initiatives to connect people to this extraordinary national park—and this year, your impact goes twice as far thanks to a $5,000 matching gift. 

Thanks to your generosity, Mississippi Park Connection (MPC) was able to deepen connections between people and the Mississippi River and its national park in exciting new ways in 2025. 

About Mississippi Park Connection 
Mississippi Park Connection is the official nonprofit organization for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service located in Minnesota’s Twin Cities metro area. Our vision is a vibrant national park on the Mississippi River where all people feel a deep sense of connection and belonging. To make this vision a reality, we welcome all people to the Mississippi River and strengthen the national park through partnership, stewardship, and community support that helps both thrive.  

About Mississippi National River and Recreation Area  
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area stretches 72 river miles from Dayton through Minneapolis and St. Paul to Hastings. The park offers quiet stretches for boating and canoeing, the Mississippi River’s only natural waterfall (now augmented by cement walls), and recreation areas for birdwatching, hiking, and bicycling. It is also home to vital habitat restoration and research efforts focused on floodplain forests—some of the most ecologically rich areas in the region. 

This is not a typical national park—it’s a partnership park, so your gift to MPC supports the National Park Service and their efforts in city parks, regional parks, and even a state park. That means your donation benefits local spaces near you, helping connect people to nature, history, and community across the Twin Cities.