Banning State Park was one of our favorite outdoor stops during our Hinckley getaway. The park is…read moreknown for its scenic hiking trails, sandstone cliffs, and the views of the Kettle River, making it a great place to spend a few hours exploring. Our goal was to find the waterfall, but like many first-time visitors, we ended up taking a wrong turn and wandered a little longer than expected. Honestly, it turned into part of the adventure. As we explored, we spotted deer quietly moving, squirrels darting between the trees, and plenty of birds and caterpillars along the way. We discovered quiet trails, beautiful overlooks, and peaceful stretches of the river that we might have missed if we'd gone straight to our destination. The sound of the water, the surrounding rock formations, and the forest scenery made it one of those places where you naturally want to stop and take it all in. If you're visiting Banning State Park for the first time, don't stress if you get a little turned around. Give yourself extra time, wear comfortable shoes, and enjoy the journey.

This is a beautiful state park that offers so many opportunities to commune with nature. Lush…read moretrails, flowers native to shorelines and wet soils, and a waterfall are among some of the many joys here. It is located off I-35 near Sandstone, and 90 miles away from the Twin Cities (about an hour and a half away). It is worth making a day trip to visit. The park stretches along 10 miles of the Kettle River, and has 1.5 miles of churning class IV rapids for those daring kayakers.

This garden is a must-see attraction if you're ever near the St. Cloud area. It looks as if it's…read morestraight out of a fairytale book! There are beautiful fountains, winding walkways, and charming trellises to enjoy - and the best part? It's completely FREE to experience. Munsinger Gardens holds historical significance as one of St. Cloud's most beloved landmarks, with its origins dating back to the 1930s. It has been lovingly maintained to showcase seasonal blooms, peaceful river views, and stunning landscapes that make every visit magical. Whether you're looking for a serene stroll, a romantic photo spot, or just a place to appreciate nature's beauty, this garden delivers!

These gardens are absolutely beautiful! The grounds are so well kept, with many different types of…read moreflowers. There is a cute ice cream shop on-site, and it is right next to the river walk as well. Super close to downtown, access to many restaurants. Lots of street parking which is a quick walk to the location. Great spot to check out with free time!

I came here to swim in the lake in May 2023. The air temperature was 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the…read morewater was slightly cool but still nice. The water was reasonably clear. Overall it was a great experience!

This was an awesome park! Lots of beautiful, well-maintained trails for hiking. Pretty trees,…read morecreeks, and a really nice lake. It had really nice picnic areas on the beach with BBQ grills, too. Also had some nice primitive camping grounds, too. Also seems very underused...we met almost nobody there!

Kids love this Splash Pad they run and play for an hour or more. I as a parent like it because…read morethere is no play ground so I don't have to be two places at once. They also have live music in the summer.

From the owner: Children's splash pad, wedding location & pictures hotspot, Summer Concert Series location.read more

This review is only regarding the cliff jumping you can do at the park into the water- this review…read moreis not meant to discourage others to go to this beautiful park - just to make people aware of the risks. If you plan to cliff jump - please read!!! I have been to this park many times in my life, and jumped off the high cliff into the water at least half a dozen times. Last Memorial Day, I went with my friends to enjoy the park. I went to the highest cliff jumping spot and I jumped off into the water. I immediately knew something was wrong with my spine when I hit the water as I could barely breathe and my back exploded in pain. As the signs state at the park - you jump at your own risk. It was clear they do not have a protocol for when people get injuries. It took about 10 minutes to get a ranger to come over and help, who did end up calling an ambulance, but they did not offer anything else. They didn't clear the area, and people continued to climb up and jump around me. My friends had to kick me across the whole quarry to get to the shore to get to the ambulance. At the hospital they did an x-ray and a vertebrae in my spine had compressed due to the angle I hit the water and fractured. It was about a 5-month recovery with a back brace full time. If you go for the cliff jumping just be aware that there is a risk jumping into the water, and the risk gets greater the higher you go. All this to say - the park is beautiful and it is still a lovely spot for swimming and hiking. Just know the risks before you go cliff jumping into the water.

Definitely a gem in this little town. The walking trails are pleasant and go for miles. Wear…read morecomfortable shoes. There's a quarry with cliffs to dive from. Parking fee's vary $5 Sep-May and $10 during the summer.

On our quest to visit all MN State Parks, this was number 31. We did a 3+ mile hike through lakes,…read morewoods, and prairie. Loved the lookout hill to be able to see the colors highlighted by the sun on a beautiful fall day. Trail was well marked, wide, and well maintained. Watch out for horse droppings as you share the trail. There were quick a few cars in the parking area but we didn't see a ton of people on the trails so nice to be able to spread out. Easy hike for most. Enjoyed the day here.

This is a nice state park to hike. The natural trails are well marked. They had clean bathrooms and…read morea place to refill your water bottle. Fall colors at peak this year were disappointing.

An Anoka County Park located in Oak Grove on Lake George. It offers a lake beach and swimming, a…read moreboat launch, fishing pier, trails for hiking/biking, many picnic pavilions (that can be reserved for a fee), playground, off-street parking, sand volleyball court, restrooms. It is a fee-based park (either daily rate/yearly sticker).

Love this place! Beach, paths, park- perfect family spot. Lake Access point for boats and canoes…read moreavailable too

Love this location for photos! Beautiful! Under construction right now, but still perfect!read more

This is my first visit to a Sherburne County Park and Grams Park seems to be a gem in the county…read moresystem. The trails with its scenic view platforms and boardwalks are fun to get engaged in the parks open natural spaces. The picnic shelter is nice and well maintained. I live the Pilot Rock picnic tables in the park. I was impressed how they are restoring 24-acres of native prairie. Their approach is unique using conservation grazing with sheep and goats. They have a nature play area and are working on a new design. This is going to be an even better park when the planning is done.

Nice camping spots on the Mississippi River. Sites have plenty of room in between them. Each site…read morehas a grassy yard that the maintenance mows regularly. Bathrooms are clean. The only negative is that a lot of the campers don't pick up after there dogs, so you have to watch out when your walking by the pond grass area. PICK UP YOURS DOGS POOP!!!!

Great campground lots of trees and flowers two large decks to relax and enjoy the beautiful…read moreMissippi river . Nice playground . Nice little camp store . Close to everything but like your a million miles away lots are large and have large trees . Nice folks . We have decided to come here every season .

Newly opened FREE regional park just north of the Elk River Golf Club, is 427 acres of dense woods,…read moreprairies & wetlands. It is called the crown jewel of Elk River Park system (with good reason). This park offers: archery & biathlon ranges, cross country skiing trails, paved & grass trails, picnic tables, benches, and the Glacial Ridge Nature Play Area (fort building sticks, log balance beam, boulder scramble, log climbing, tunnels, benches and water pump feature). We took an evening hike with the Elk River Park & Rec Department and explored a nice trail. They arranged to have a demonstration of the Biathlon at the shooting range.

This is a great trail park to take walks. I give it four stars though, because there is no…read moreplayground for kids to play, and the wood logs that they have set up for kids to jump around are not safe and I have seen kids fall and get hurt. That aside, there's a nice covered shelter there, the trails are nice and clean and paved, they have plenty of maps everywhere along the trails and the nature is beautiful.