1900’s. A steamboat landing at this site operated after about 1870, bringing supplies and settlers to the area.

In 1896, a navigation lock, the furthest north lock and the only one in the Mississippi Headwaters’ reservoir system, was completed. Steamboats and horse-drawn wagons transported the concrete plant used at the Pine River Dam to this site, where reconstruction began in 1908. The 30-foot-wide lock is no longer in use, converted in 1957 to a spillway containing five sluice bays. Today the active dam controls water into the Mississippi to provide recreation on Big Sandy Lake and the water to benefit navigation on Mississippi River below Minneapolis.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers owned recreation area offers boating, fishing, camping, picnicking and playground areas. The designated beach located on Big Sandy Lake shoreline is a great place to relax and escape the heat. Three boat ramps are placed around the lake to give access to the river and lake. The fishing sites are isolated from the campsites so that there is an increased chance of catching fish due to less noise. A log picnic shelter with a huge grill provides a wonderful gathering spot for families to enjoy an outdoor BBQ or picnic.

On the trail opposite the dam from the camp sites, look for waterbirds in and along the river, Yellow and Chestnut-sided Warblers, Song Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird and Belted Kingfisher all can be found here. In migration, the river and lake edge is one of the few accessible spots on Big Sandy Lake to check for shorebirds. In spring, the open water near the dam attracts flocks of Canada Goose, Tundra Swan, all types of ducks, Ring-billed and Herring Gull, terns, and grebes. When the ice is still on the lake and the wind is blowing, this can be a chilly spot, dress warm and enjoy the huge concentrations of birds.

The boat ramp at the north side of the dam, and the spring-flooded lawn attract shorebirds, as does the beach area on the south entrance. Watch for nesting Killdeer in the gravel on the beach or in the monument area. From the north campsites, the trail to the viewing shelter has warblers and passerines in migration; the shelter overlooks a flooded wetland that is worth checking out. Watch for ducks, geese, Marsh Wren, Great Blue Heron, Sora, Muskrat, Mink and more. Bald Eagles hunt from the trees surrounding the water.

Directions: State Highway 65, 13 miles north of McGregor, turn right and follow the south entrance signage to the recreation area