Monson Lake State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, originally established as a memorial to 13 Swedish American pioneers who were killed there in the Dakota War of 1862. A district of 1930s New Deal structures is on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite being nearly doubled in size in 2009, the state park remains one of Minnesota's smallest. It is located off Minnesota State Highway 9 just west of Sunburg and 20mi northwest of Willmar. This seasonally-staffed park is managed from nearby Sibley State Park.GeographyMuch of Monson Lake State Park's acreage is water, with land mostly comprising isthmuses between, and islands in, the three adjacent lakes of Monson, West Sunburg, and East Sunburg. Monson Lake, whose shore forms the western boundary of the park, is 152acre and up to 21ft deep. West Sunburg Lake is about 178acre. Monson Lake has three inlets, and one outlet to West Sunburg. The lakes are part of the watershed of the Chippewa River, a tributary of the Minnesota River.Natural historyGeologyMonson Lake State Park lies on a band of lakes and rolling hills called the Alexandria Moraine. This moraine was formed by rocks and sediments dropped by the Wadena Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet 30,000 years ago during the last glacial period. The whole region is thickly blanketed with till 100to thick. Blocks of ice that broke off from the glacier melted in place, forming the park's trio of kettle lakes.
