Recreation
Minnesota generally allows free public recreation on school trust lands. Hundreds of thousands of recreationalists use these lands each year for activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, snowmobiling, and off-highway vehicle use, unless access is constrained by higher-revenue uses such as mining, timber management, or infrastructure development.
Recreation generates minimal direct revenue, primarily through state forest campground fees, snowmobile and OHV trail permits, and a limited number of recreation-related leases. There is no general access permit for school trust lands; consequently, most recreational use does not generate revenue for the Permanent School Fund. Minnesota instead prioritizes broad public access and relies on other land uses to fulfill its fiduciary revenue obligations. Recreation is managed as a compatible land use rather than a material revenue source.
School trust lands nonetheless play a critical role in supporting outdoor recreation statewide. Recreation on these lands is foundational rather than incidental to Minnesota’s public-land recreation system. While school trust lands comprise roughly five percent of the state’s land base and a similar share of statewide recreational use, their regional importance is substantially greater. In northern Minnesota, where school trust lands are more concentrated, they provide critical public access points, major trail corridors, habitat supporting popular game species, and a significant share of state forest camping opportunities. In these regions, school trust lands play a disproportionately important role in sustaining outdoor recreation and ensuring access to high-quality natural landscapes.