Monson Lake State Park
| Monson Lake State Park | |
| Minnesota State Park | |
 Monson Lake
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Minnesota |
| County | Swift |
| Location | Sunburg |
| - elevation | 1,253 ft (382 m) |
| - coordinates | 45°19′14″N 95°16′13″W / 45.32056°N 95.27028°WCoordinates: 45°19′14″N 95°16′13″W / 45.32056°N 95.27028°W |
| Area | 346 acres (140 ha) |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Management | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
  Location of Monson Lake State Park in Minnesota
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Monson Lake State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources
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Monson Lake State Park's Combination Building
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| Location | Swift County, Minnesota, off Co. Rd. 95 SE of Sunburg |
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| Nearest city | Sunburg, Minnesota |
| Area | 31 acres (13 ha) |
| Built | 1936–1938 |
| Architectural style | National Park Service rustic |
| MPS | Minnesota State Park CCC/WPA/Rustic Style MPS |
| NRHP Reference # | 89001666 |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1989 |
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 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Willmar. This seasonally-staffed park is managed from nearby Sibley State Park.
Much 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 152 acres (62 ha) and up to 21 feet (6.4 m) deep. West Sunburg Lake is about 178 acres (72 ha). 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.
Monson 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 100 to 400 feet (30 to 122 m) thick. Blocks of ice that broke off from the glacier melted in place, forming the park's trio of kettle lakes.
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