Blue Mounds State Park, near Luverne in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, has closed its campground through Sunday, April 21, due to ice-storm damage.

Park Manager Craig Beckman said freezing rain and strong winds have taken down numerous trees and branches in the park’s campground. “With more rain, wind and snow predicted, I can only assume that branches will continue to fall,” he said.

No campers were in the park during the storm and no injuries occurred. No camping reservations had to be canceled.

Once it is safe for park staff to enter the campground area, they will begin ground clean-up and assess standing trees for potential hazards.

Other areas of the park will remain open during clean-up and assessment.

The park is home to a herd of about 75 bison. Beckman said the herd is faring well through the storm. Their thick winter coats and protective fat layer insulate them from the cold, while their powerful heads act as snowplows to help them reach prairie grass.

Updates on the campground closure will be provided on the park website, www.mndnr.gov/state_parks/blue_mounds/index.html.

Blue Mounds State Park is located 4 miles north of Luverne on U.S. Highway 75.

Logo courtesy Minnesota Department of Natural Resources