The Mississippi River, one of the world’s great rivers, begins as a trickle at Minnesota’s Lake Itasca and gathers the waters of the nation’s heartland as it flows to the Gulf of Mexico, weaving together the lives of people from the past, present, and future and remaining a source of pride and enjoyment locally and nationally. At Coon Rapids, the dam was built in 1913 for power and rebuilt in 1996 for recreational use, with a walkway leading to the dam and across the river and offering spectacular views and opportunities to watch for wildlife.