FOX 21 News, KQDS-DT

CARLTON - One of the Northland's most popular parks has been shut down and the epic flood is to blame.

Jay Cooke State Park closed its doors this summer while they access and repair flood damages.

"Welcome to Jay Cooke State Park," Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Director Courtland Nelson said.

Unfortunately several hundred thousand visitors will not get to hear those words this summer.

Flood damage has forced the park to shut down.

"We are sending the dollars back to the people that had made reservations in our campground and that's in the neighborhood of a couple of hundred thousand dollars," said Nelson.

The park, MNDOT and the DNR gave the first tour since it was torn up by the flood.

"This is an indication of some of the destruction we had during the epic storm," said Nelson.

The rain water washed out culvert areas, sinkholes and damaged 50 of the parks trails and bridges.

"We know about 20 of those that are completely disabled in one way or another," Jay Cooke State Park Manager Gary Hoeft said.

Where the iconic swinging bridge used to be is just gushing water, cutting off the entrance to the southern half of the park.

"This was really the singular major damage we had in the park at one site," said Nelson.

"You just wanted to cry about it,” said Hoeft.

Parts of Highway 210, which is the only way into the park are eroded and washed out.

"Obviously the people that enjoy driving through this beautiful corridor have missed out on the opportunity,” Minnesota Department of Transportation Senior Engineer Duane Hill said.

Further down 210 is a blowout 550 feet wide and 100 feet deep from the Forbay Lake waters overflowing into the park.

The 63 mile long Willard Munger trail is also damaged.

"There are a few areas that the trails completely gone,” Martin Torgerson with the DNR said.

Officials say fixing it, isn't going to come cheap.

"Anywhere from $15–$20 million, and I've heard it as high as 40 million," said Torgerson.

Officials are advising people not to try to enter the park to look at the damages because if an accident happens it will be very difficult for emergency services to get to the site.

They say the park will hopefully open back up in October 2012.