Was in the park to go on the Mystery Cave tour and see Historic Forestville. We decided to go on a hike and walked along the a river trail. The park is a perfect way to spend a summer day! read more

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This review is about the park area only not the Mystery Cave which is further down the road. Start with the unfortunate news, the walking bridge to the historic town of Forestville was closed. I did read about that in the state's info about the park ahead of time. I picked up a map at the office and was told there is a stone walking bridge at marker 8. More bad news on the trail. The field and location maps show markers on the trail but the numbers didn't correspond with the ground signs as many were missing. I just couldn't find the temporary bridge, or marker 8, but took a decent hike on the other trails. The park isn't as scenic as others but there is a variety of trails from easy to difficult, which is what I like. Some steep hills will test your true endurance. Driving out about another 1/2 mile I see more trails I missed, lo leads to marker 8. read more

Forestville State Park - Parks Near Me - Preston, Minnesota

We started on the Hiking Club Trail and took an extra loop up to the lookout trail. Well worth the extra 2m or so round trip to see a view of the valley. Trail was well marked, wide and well groomed. It took us over the creek with stepping stones to keep our feet dry. There were some bigger hills so be prepared for a climb. Much of the hiking trail is shared with horses so be prepared to watch where you step. It was also covered with soft gravel which was hard to walk in at times. This is a huge area and we saw lot of people and activity. A bridge was out so we didn't get to see the old Forestville town as we would have to detour an extra 20 minutes. Very happy we stopped here. We enjoyed the hike very much. read more

Forestville State Park - Parks Near Me - Preston, Minnesota

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we camped in horse area . not many electric/water sites rangers come around and make you put bonfires out by 10 pm can't have a radio playing absolutely no noise not even quiet conversations amongst ourselves. Felt that was extreme. I understand quiet time but by 10 pm couldn't be outside our campers. trails were nice but campgr rules are too strict read more

We didn't camp or do the Mystery Cave tour, we simply hiked around the historic village and wooded areas. That in itself, is worth 5 Elite Stars! We had stopped at the park office and was welcomed by staff there-it was our first time at this state park so he gave us some pointers and BIKE maps for the area! The historic village offers tours from the Minnesota Historical Society (fees range from $10 to free) which is sad for me since I let my MNHS membership lapse! They also offer events here, see the MNHS website or the friendly staff at the park office. This is an equestrian destination with lots of horse trails. The trails I hiked on were hiking only-no horses, and the trails were clearly marked. The Root River is a trout fishing gem...we viewed lots of trout from the bridge by the historic village. Well worth the stop, even if you just enjoy the scenery read more

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This place ROCKED! We did the Mystery Cave Tour and met up with a DNR Ranger the following day to have our dog Jaxson become a certified BARK Ranger! The same Ranger just so happened to give us the Cave tour as well and she made the experience wonderful! She was knowledgeable and passionate about her job. Awesome place to visit!!! read more

Forestville State Park - Parks Near Me - Preston, Minnesota

This was a really peaceful park; it reminded me of "Nestrand Big Woods" with all of the greenery, towering trees, solitude and silence (except for the welcomed bird singing). The main walk is really nice, though the "overlook" isn't much to look at, but you get a nice glimpse of the valley through a window in the foliage. As you hike the trail, it's a gradual incline towards the top, and the sun tries it's best to peek through the trees, so you get cool sun dappled views of the trees, leaves, and foliage on the ground (lots of ferns). Super peaceful, and not very busy at all (only saw a few hikers at the end of the trail on a Sunday afternoon). Definitely stop by the town of Lanesboro before or after visiting; it's a really cool town that sits below the bluffs, with good food choices, and the drive to get there is extremely cool and picturesque. read more

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Great place to fish and take in the wonder of the driftless area. Incredible. Lots to see and do for anyone looking to get out and take in nature on a budget. read more

Forestville State Park - Root river from the bridge December - Parks Near Me - Preston, Minnesota

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Forestville/Mystery Cave was OK. We had a nice time in the cave, however when we go camping we do a lot of hiking. We typically take a day pack and spend 4 hours out and then stop for lunch. We learned quite quickly that this park is the most popular park in the state for people to bring their horses to. YUK! I mean we, being my wife and I, always have nice boots to hike around in, but still....this was pretty bad. The scenery was nice, but you could not walk around for very long on the trail without looking down for a pile. That's pretty much the campsite and trail. If you happen to have a horse, it's going to rule for you! So we went into the cave and it was awesome! You have 3 choices of caving expedition, 45min (totally lit), 2 hour (flashlight in hand), 3 hour (scrambling around on rocks). We did the 2 hour. Being in pitch black and as soon as you get underground it drops to like 50degrees, it's quite an experience. I suggest you go just for the experience of the cave, it's really nice, and they do have the old ghost town, which is also an experience (good for picture taking). I only give it a 3 star because of the lack of trail distance and super-horse mines. Perhaps you won't have the same problems as I did, and you will rock out superb on the trails. Enjoy. read more

This is an awesome place to take your family for a little camping experience. The park has a ton of organized and scheduled activities. We took a guided tour with a naturalist and learned all about the flora and fauna. We went over streams and walked across creek beds. You will be getting your feet wet....We saw Bald Eagles soaring in the sky. The shower/bathroom facilities were decent. Good little getaway. read more

Friendly staff, they even came around and told us individually that there was a storm coming, this was very helpful since we didn't have cell service. Our site was very wooded and beautiful, it was quiet even though there are a ton of people there. The showers and bathrooms were clean and modern. They had a dumping station for our RV and electrical, water hook up wasn't available. We chose to go to mystery cave which was awesome, unique with an awesome tour guide. read more

Loved the park! Great campsites with wood chips and a fire ring. Will go again.

This park is REALLY beautiful. My young adult daughter and I booked a campsite here because there was no room for us up North near Superior. We love the SHT. The hiking here is just okay. Beautiful area, not a ton of miles to hike and yes, there are horses. We had to dodge many piles of horse poo. The campground is very nice. Our spot was lovely. Bathrooms are nice, clean and there are showers. Water spouts are located throughout the campground. The roads are paved and so many kids on bikes, etc.... I have one complaint and that the firewood they sold us was damp. I understand that there's been a fair amount of rain in the area but to sell us damp, wet firewood is/was really frustrating. Not much we could do about it.....had to work with what we had and made do. All things considered, the staff was great. The park is gorgeous. We'll go again. Missed the cave, ran out of time. Its a must see though! Everyone says its awesome. read more