My furry friend group chose this spot for our big annual camping trip! There were 86 of us total,…read moreand we utilized the Group Site that has several cabins available, plus a main cabin that serves as the place to gather and eat with a full kitchen and walk-in fridge. I really enjoyed the cozy feel to the cabins, which have wonderfully rustic wooden paneling and floors. Our cabin had two wings with four bunk beds each, plus a center room with a large bed (ideal, no doubt, for scouting purposes). The cabins are heated by thermostat and there are a few electrical outlets, but no other amenities that I was aware of. The main cabin had a large center fire pit that made the whole place wonderfully cozy. Also included are several long tables with benches to sit at, as well as additional chairs with backs to gather around the firepit. There are electrical outlets too. Flooring was a mix of wood and tile. There are also restrooms nearby, which include toilets, sinks, and showers. Separated by gender, male and female. The designated parking lot for the Group Site was able to accommodate around 40-45 cars, which served our purposes well. There is also a small roundabout that leads up to the main cabin for ease of unpacking/dropping off gear. All these amenities made the long-weekend very enjoyable! This isn't a huge park by any means, but even in the icy snow, I was able to enjoy a few of the trails while there. The alphabetical trail markings confused me a bit at first, but then I realized it was how the park was indicating "you are here" without customizing each sign. At the trailheads are large informational signs that give you the distance, difficulty, and features you'll see on said trail. The river that cuts through here is really gorgeous. It was partially frozen over during our visit, and we got some flurries while we were camping, which covered everything in a beautiful fresh coat of white powder. Got some great photos and great memories. I was a bit bummed that the Nature Store wasn't open (it's seasonal), because I am a sucker for souvenirs on sightseeing trips to parks and such.

Whitewater is a gorgeous park with some varied scenery. There are a lot of neat formations to check…read moreout such as the bluffs, forests, rivers, and more. There are some easy to more challenging hikes available. There are also a lot of nice amenities and a beach area.

Such a lovely beach a few minutes out of Rochester!! Visited this area before but didn't realize…read morethey had a whole beach (only saw the areas where boats would go in) The water was pretty clear considering there was plenty of people there. Also saw some small fish. The sand does have rocks in it, so just be aware. They have showers, restrooms and a place where you can rent gear. The campground seemed clean (just drove by it), and they had a playground for the kiddos. There are trails nearby too but didn't explore them. So happy to revisit this place and will definitely be visiting again!

Watercraft (canoe, paddle board, kayak) rentals are affordably priced and in good condition. The…read moreriver was beautiful to paddle on and the birdwatching is excellent. I only wish they were open later than 6 during the summer!

This has got to be one of the most fun parks I have taken my boys to in awhile!…read more There is free street parking and a small parking lot down the street. This park has all kinds of things to climb, swing and explore but it also has... TOYS!! What kind of a park has toys!? The best kind of course!! As far as what is surround the playground, it's wood chips and the vast majority of the playground it wood. The entire playground is fenced in with only one way in and out, truly a parents dream haha!! There is a big sand pit to the left and alllll kinda of trucks, push toys and things to ride! There are several benches and picnic tables as well! This was a clean and well maintained park! If you are in the area, it's definitely worth the stop!

I know this place as "Wood Park". As in "Can we go to Wood Park, please please please ...". After…read moreall, its made mostly of wood. But to the city of Rochester and the kind people that made it happen, its know as the Field of Fun. Its located just a hop and a skip from the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial. This park is small, but is a great place to take younger children. The play area is enclosed so they cant stray to far. There is a separate area for the toddler set with toddler sized play gear. For the 4-8 crowd there are more advanced slides, poles, and other climbing do-dads (even a climbing wall). There are even some picnic tables up front. if you were 4, wood it get any better than this?

An absolutely lovely early fall experience! I was looking to see some fall leaves, and while I was…read morea bit early coming the final week of September, I was still entranced by the beauty of this place. (For sure going to have to come back again some time in late October for more of the brilliant colors, but I got some!) I hiked a total of 7.6 miles over the course of the afternoon, and I have to say that hiking the majority of this park is possible in one visit if you have the time and stamina. I went up Hidden Falls Trail first to visit the waterfall, which I would say is an absolute must-see if you visit here. It's close and it's stunning. Great for photo ops. From there I kept going northwards along the Fawn Trail to the Hope Trail Loop, then resumed Fawn Trail to Beaver Trail which took me to White Oak Trail. All of these were lovely, traipsing through the lush woods. I found myself stopping frequently to look up and admire the leafy canopy far above my head. If I paused, I could hear the breeze moving through the branches. This place is far enough away from it all that you don't hear any road noise or human city noises, which is wonderful. I chose to go a bit further, crossing the road so I could also try out the trails on the southern end of the park, including Maple Trail Loop, Basswood Trail, and Fox Trail. These lower routes had a different vibe to them... more grasslandy; there were still trees, but there were fewer of them and some were bare/dead. So if you're seeking a bit more sun/less shade, these trails might be preferable. It looked like there was some restoration going on in this area, as I noticed many young saplings that were protected by a giant straw-like device. While many of the northern trails had a gravel path, the southern trails seemed more like mowed grass. Before leaving, I also enjoyed the playground up by the parking lot. There's cute nature play "equipment" made of wood as well as a bunch of swings. These swings are pretty high off the ground... I had no issue with scraping the ground even with my adult-length legs, lol. In this area is also a gazebo with many picnic tables under it, as well as a sink and electrical outlets. This is also where the restrooms are located. They were still open late September! (But I also noticed a pit toilet further up that's likely open year-round.) There are also plenty of additional picnic tables and barbeques, as well as a water fountain, spread out in the grass under the trees in this area, so there's lots of places to select from. I was unfortunately there when the Visitor Center was closed (Tuesday) so I did not get to go inside to check it out. Perhaps next visit I'll be able to go, because I often like to purchase a patch or pin as a memento (and to support the park system). I'd read on the website that the parking lot for this place was small and thus they advised arriving early to ensure a spot. This turned out to not be an issue on a Tuesday. They have camp sites and group camp sites. I didn't check them out on my day hike, but I'll admit to being curious about camping here in the future.

Such a pretty hidden nature spot and honestly worth wandering around. The waterfall itself is…read morereally cool, but what I loved most was exploring all the little details around it--flowers growing by the creek, dripping mossy rock walls, interesting trees, and just the peaceful feeling of being tucked away in the woods. We definitely climbed around and explored more than expected The waterfall is beautiful from different angles, and if you like taking photos, there are a lot of fun spots and textures to capture. Depending on the time of day, the sun makes the water sparkle which looked really pretty. It felt peaceful, relaxing, and like a nice little escape without needing some huge hike. Definitely bring decent shoes if you plan to explore near the water or rocks because it can get slippery. Would absolutely recommend if you enjoy nature, photography, or just finding quiet pretty places.

Spent a weekend camping & hiking here and it's lovely! This state park occupies a large swath of…read morethe coastline of Lake Albert Lea, and is very convenient to the city of Albert Lea and 35-W. As such, this is a very easy park to get to. I camped in one of the two large drive-in campgrounds, both of which are very well-appointed with amenities. There are drinking water faucets distributed liberally throughout the campgrounds, and there are large restroom facilities at each, which are kept clean and have plenty of toilets, sinks, and showers. They even have little stations to plug in devices to charge them. Probably my biggest gripe with this park is that the restroom facilities are so brightly lit, right next to where the campsites are, that it strongly impacts the outdoorsy ambience. Many campers might not mind that & might even prefer it. But between that and the audible proximity to the Interstate, I prefer to feel a little more isolated. I saw lots of big trailers plugged into outlets, and there are also group camps, rentable cabins, and backpacking sites. I definitely want to return here to try one of those backpacking sites along the east side of the lake. Speaking of the lake, I did spot a number of fishing and canoeing options being taken advantage of. With all the beautiful lakefront area here, this is a really cool place for that kind of activity. I was surprised that the office wasn't staffed when i arrived mid-afternoon on a Saturday in June (2022) to check in; I wasn't able to get my hands on a physical map, and I had to put cash in an envelope to get some firewood. But other than that, it felt like a well-staffed park. All things considered, I will defintely return from the Twin Cities, and if it's more convenient to where you live, you can consider that a good thing! EDIT: I did indeed return two weeks later and try out a packpacking site. Loved it! It's way more remote over there. Really beautiful and lots of cool, well-posted trails. There was a big stash of firewood they'd prepared for free; do they do that for everyone? It's great! You can get to all the backpacking sites via canoe. Bumping my rating from 4 stars to 5!

Beautiful, large park with trails for walking and bike trails. Wetland areas, big trees, and well…read moremaintained public areas

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

This review is about the park area only not the Mystery Cave which is further down the road…read more 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.

Despite being in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Rochester has ZERO natural lakes. So strange, isn't it?…read moreSilver Lake is a man-made lake. I guess due to the scarcity of natural water, the Canada Geese here flock to this park to enjoy the water and the delicious, tender grass. Seriously, I've never seen this many geese swarming before. They're quite docile, unless they're nesting. Anyway, the trail to make a look around the lake is very nice. You pass by a playground, and a lot of benches to take in the view. Public washrooms are very near the walkway. If you're into something different, Silver Lake Boat & Bicycle Rentals will let you rent out paddle boats, kayaks, single person bikes, tandem bikes, child bikes and even child trailers so that you have multiple ways of enjoying this park. You even pass by multiple informational panels so you can get some learning in on the way.

Although this place is amazing, very beautiful, but this place is so shady and so insecure for…read morepeople last night when we went there with the family the moment we parted, there was a huge bunch of people who came in different cars mostly African-American. People are not US based Somalians or somewhere from that side of the country Because I could not hear them talk properly. They were dealing with illegal drugs and the park was so dirty and nasty that you could see used condoms all over the place. If you're going with the family I strongly recommend you avoid this side of the park because it's not very safe. We feel really insecure and left that place although the park is very pretty we could have stayed longer, but we didn't feel safe with the amount of people coming in there with the law-enforcement can make rounds in this area. They can have a good check on what's going on in there

Totally loved this Wisconsin state park that is nestled right on the waterways of the Mississippi…read moreRiver overlooking the Minnesota bluffs and a great sunset. The town is super cute for a bite to eat but this park is just 15 minutes north of lacrosse and totally worth it. I wish we had more time to explore the trails but it is one of my favorite state parks with new paved roads and so much wildlife to see with trains passing by too. Great camping spot to go to once a year and worth the drive!

The highlight of this park is the hike up Brady's bluff. Not an easy climb but the views are worth…read moreit. We climbed from the north and descended to the south. This was a good choice on this sunny and hot day since there was shade going up the stairs from the north. We followed the river side path back to the nature center from where we started. Be warned there is a lot of poison ivy along the river path. If we had kayaks or canoes they also have a very nice route through the nearby bay. Camping is available as are some picnic areas. A solid state park experience.

It's an amazing view must bring spotting scope great for kids and puppies and you can see a lot of…read morestuff

As a previous campground host, this was THE # 1 place I recommended people check out while here…read more It's only a 5 minute drive up. It is SPECTACULAR. I cannot imagine why anyone would give it less than 5 stars. While there are only swings here ( marked down by a previous viewer for this reason) there is lots of grassy area for kids to run around far away from the cliffs. Be aware, there are no guardrails at the viewing point... so watch kiddos closely . Enjoy the views of the Minnesota bluffs across the water as you gaze upon the Mississippi river down below and the Alma dam to your right ! You might get lucky and see a barge coming through. There is a steep hiking trail @ the north end of 2nd St in Alma to start your way up. Otherwise, you drive up from the far South end of town. Well marked. Don't miss this "beautiful view"!

When I'm in Mason City and want to get outside for a bit, my first thought is to go out to Lime…read moreCreek. They've got a nice assortment of trail loops of differing lengths that intersect so you can get whatever distance hike you want, and see the different parts of the land. There is also a nice long trail that runs along the river that has some scenic spots as well. The nature center building isn't super big, but it's nice to take a look at the fossils, taxidermy, and information about the animals. In the winter especially, the trails aren't busy and you can really just walk about and take be at peace in the environment. It would be nice if there was a bit more signage at some of the intersections of the trails, however, as there are some spots where it's not clear where you'll end up.

The visitors center is a great place to learn about the flora and fauna of Iowa. It's filled with…read moreall kinds of unique stuffed animal wildlife. Some taxidermy guy had fun. Kinda creepy, but still interesting. They also have a few aquariums with live fish. Oh..and a live turtle. Very clean and well organized. If you check out the upstairs, there's a lot of hands on exploration things to do with the kids. Remember...don't forget to go to use the restrooms before you go hiking. Yes...there are 11 hiking trails to choose from. Some are short, some are long. I chose the easy hike since it looked like a storm was coming. There are also wheel chair accessible trails. Nice place to check out if you enjoy nature.