Birch Coulee Battlefield State Memorial Park is a historic site in Renville County, Minnesota, preserving the location of the Battle of Birch Coulee, one of the most significant engagements of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. The battle took place on September 2, 1862, when a burial party of soldiers and civilians was attacked by Dakota warriors in a devastating dawn assault.

The engagement resulted in heavy casualties for the military detachment, which was pinned down for over 30 hours before reinforcements arrived from Fort Ridgely. The battle demonstrated the military capability of the Dakota forces and was one of the costliest encounters for the U.S. Army during the six-week conflict that swept across southern Minnesota.

Today, the memorial park features monuments, interpretive signs, and walking paths that allow visitors to understand the battle and its context within the broader 1862 war. The site overlooks the rolling prairie of the Minnesota River valley, providing a landscape that looks much as it did during that fateful September morning. The park is part of a network of Dakota War historic sites across southern Minnesota.

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