| Babcock Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 45°17′35″N 93°33′33″W / 45.29306°N 93.55917°W / 45.29306; -93.55917 |
Babcock Memorial Park, also called Babcock Wayside, is a highway rest area and public boat launch on the Mississippi RiverinElk River, Minnesota at the intersection of U.S. 10 and Route 169. Its name honors Highway Commissioner Charles Merritt Babcock, who was from the area and is regarded as the originator of the modern Minnesota State Highway System.[1][2] The state owns it but has turned maintenance over to the city.[3]
The park was built by the National Youth Administration in 1938 and 1939 and preserves two fieldstone council rings, a stone picnic table, and a hand-operated pump from that era. A geological marker, modern toilets, and other amenities were added later. It contains about 16 acres (6.5 ha), but it was considerably larger before the adjacent highways were expanded with cloverleaf interchanges.[4][5]
There's also a Babcock Park in Elk River. Fittingly, it's a highway rest area.
The park is owned by the state and maintained by the City of Elk River.
Babcock Highway Rest Area, Minnesota Department of Transportation, concrete plank trailer access with gravel surfaced parking lot, rest area with picnic facilities, toilets, and water.
