Great spot on the lake to stop and enjoy the view...or play on the playground equipment with the…read morekiddos! No wildcats witnessed on our visit.

Fantastic park right off the lake. Wood structures with plenty of areas for play - even for the…read moreyounger children. A pavilion nearby, plenty of swings. Such a wonderful variety with balance beams and climbing walls. Nooks to hids. Play boat or castle....or dig in the sand and look out at the lake. Just beautiful. The only bad part is the city need to wipe the spider webs off more.

For a smaller Minnesota state park, this is a pretty great stop for anyone looking to get out to a…read morepark! While there aren't a million miles of hiking, this park does offer some tremendous lookouts, lots of bird watching, the option to get into the water, and plenty of education on the geography of this place! The rangers were very friendly and we were able to get firewood. Bathrooms were decent and the campsite was splendid. The campsite isn't as secluded or covered as other parks, so be aware that your neighbors will be staring right at ya. Overall, super great park. Easy access to trails and lots to look at and learn. Bring sunglasses and a hat! Not a ton of shade.

In my tour of state parks this will be another spot that ranks high on my list. Historic in the…read moresense as it's a good example of how the glacier affected Minnesota topography, as we usually see more examples of the ice age draw back in Wisconsin. There are some quiet scenic campsites and various hiking trails, some open all year, some for horses. The hiking trails are mostly easy with packed down grass and a few rough areas on the hill climbs. From the scenic hills you will see what's left of the Minnesota prairie with wildflowers. The highest elevation is 1352' which in Mn is almost considered a mountain.

This relatively new state park in Minnesota is a treasure -- a beautiful example of Minnesota lake…read morecountry with rolling hills, forests, creeks, trails and camping. I hiked a few miles towards the end of the day and saw an eagle swoop down to grab a fish out of the lake. I shot photos of birds that I had not seen before and a young buck hiding in the birch forest. A variety of wild flowers were in bloom. Be warned that you need to apply insect repellent since ticks abound. There are both paved and unpaved path, and it is obvious that the park was well-planned. There is even a cemetery for pets. It's a must visit if you are in the area.

I stayed at Glendalough with my girlfriend and some friends last year in the winter time. We…read morestayed for three nights, I think, in one of their spectacular cabins. The cabins are easy to get to, and although there was a ton of snow that year, it was pretty manageable to deal with the cold, and very warm inside. You just pull or push a cart with your gear to the cabins, which aren't more than a half mile or so. The cabins have four bunks, a great table, a bench, and other amenities. They are amazingly cozy and comfortable and can easily accomodate four or more people. We did a bunch of snowshoeing while there and the park is beautiful, even in the winter. Everything was sort of frozen in time and the amount of snow made snowshoeing a real adventure. I fell down a couple times and had to be helped up. Anyway, I would certainly recommend Glendalough any time of year, but their great cabins make for a nice winter getaway as well. There is some neat history and several lakes here also that would be a lot of fun in warmer weather.

This park has it all! Lake/beach access, woods and prairie…read moretrails. We camped the middle of October and the campground was full. Can't imagine what it is like in the summer! The sunset over the water was stunning! We even got to witness a flock of grackles migrating!

On our quest to hit all MN state parks, this was number 30. It was a beautiful fall day and the…read morecolors were likely past peak but still stunning in the bright sun. We did a 4+ mile hike. Lots of trail options to choose from. It's a nice combination of lakes, woods, and prairie. Trails were wide and well maintained. We did not see one person the whole time we were there. Loved the remoteness about it. Watch where you step as horses are also allowed on the trail. Very nice stop.

My family and I stopped by this park while on vacation in the area in March 2024. We were thrilled…read moreto see there are hiking trails as well as the fire tower, plus there are a lot of interesting things to read about the tower history and fire history in the area. The whole park is nice - clean, well kept, both paved trails and gravel lined trails, well-built steps, and quality railings where steps are located. There is a paved trail that goes to the tower, as well as an unpaved trail that is a good uphill climb. The tower looks neat, and we would have loved to climb it, but it was closed. There is a big fence with a locked door around it. This was a bummer for me - the websites that I found describing the park had said that the park was open year-round, which I (wrongly) thought included the tower. I do understand - it is an unseasonably warm winter, and most people aren't going hiking or climbing giant towers in March. I was just disappointed. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our time there - both the hiking and learning about fire safety in the area.

We always loved this place for the ducks and geese when we would visit in the summer…read more After moving here we learned that it's even better in the winter when it's an ice skating park. Our guests this summer loved it because it has a whole bunch of Pokemon stops and stuff.

World's largest pelican at the dam. It is behind the post office where there are two sets of…read morestairs to go down to stand next to it.

There are two areas in this park to hike meadowbrook and bonanza. We hiked short trails in both…read more Meadowbrook was mostly a trail cut into a field. It had some nice wildflowers and butterflies to check out along the way. As it was only a mile, it was a nice way to stretch the legs. The hiking club trail is at the bonanza area which is about 11 miles from Meadowbrook. It's a walk along the lake which takes you to a small waterfall which is colored red from the iron in the water. We saw several deer, a turkey family, and a few frogs along the path. Nice hike. The gentleman in the visitor center was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area.

We are prairie fans!!! Loved the hikes. (If you like the prairie setting visit Blue Mound.) Loved…read morethat they are restoring the land to the original habitat with wild native grasses and flowers. We saw deer right when we turned into the long drive into the park. We had one of the few electrical sites. Park wasn't busy. This place is a secret?! There was a boat landing and parking lot adjacent to the campground. This is a fishing lake. Didn't see any water sports or even any swimming. As big as the lake is, it has a pond feel near the edge with algae and weeds. We still went in at the little beach area. Call us HOT and desperate. We found there was a big spring area in the water where it was literally freezing. I have felt cold spots in lakes before, but this was a big area where you could walk or stand on sand that was as cold as ice. ReFreshing! The staff comes by a couple times a day if you have questions. Otherwise there is a building with some tshirts and smore sticks where he hangs out.

Crow wing is a lovely place to get out and connect with nature! There are many hiking and bike…read moretrails. It also is filled with wildlife! You can take a walk through the old town of Crow Wing and learn alot about its past! You can go down and see the Mississippi River while you have a picnic or hotdogs over a fire. The cabin is very rustic but it does not have electricity. Still overall a very nice place!

Excellent day of hiking! Trails are well marked and maintained. Only a small area are paved the…read morerest of the trails are grassy or wooded. Checked in with Ranger Barry Osborne. He was Uber helpful and friendly. We enjoyed the historic markers and learning about the area. Lots of good picnic spots.