This stretch of the upper Mississippi River includes natural, historical, recreational, cultural, scenic, scientific, and economic resources of national significance.

The National Park Service works in partnership with several partners (e.g., local, state, and federal governments, nonprofits, businesses, educational institutions, and individual people) who own land along the river or have an interest in the Mississippi River to achieve the National Park Service's mission to protect and preserve for future generations.

The park spans Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington Counties, all within the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.

As of 2016, the area has two visitor centers, one inside the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul and the other at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis, both staffed by National Park Service rangers.

The Minneapolis visitor center offers three free tours daily of the Upper Saint Anthony Lock and surrounding area.