It's a tough walk over rocks to the lighthouse. Nice scenic spot. Wasn't busy when I was there…read more Too much graffiti on the lighthouse. Sad. And piles Of beer cans just off the beach from obvious parties. Party on, but pick up after yourself. Fires are along on the beach on the Wisconsin side, not on the Minnesota side. It's a bit remote, probably why there's more parties here.

My family had fun walking along the shore and wandering through the woods. We made it a pretty good…read moredistance out to the lighthouse but decided to turn back as the waves were making the rocks slippery and there's some pretty deep gaps between some of the rocks on the path out. It would have been cool to make it to the lighthouse, but not recommended with kids and or dogs, probably somewhat questionable just adults.

Great campground, they take good care of us, we come back every year. Great setting with…read moreeverything you need just a short walk away.

Loved the park. Tower was much shorter than imagined. Beautiful grounds and the peace bell was neat…read moreto see

We found out about this tower from the hotel front desk and thought, why not--it's free! Parking…read morewas easy, and the views did not disappoint. From the top you get a full 360° view of Duluth, including the aerial lift bridge, which was super cool to see. The tower's only a few stories high and has rails to help with the climb, though it's not ADA accessible. Along the way, we also learned about Mr. Enger and his impact on the city, plus Duluth's special ties to Norway. Definitely a neat little stop! Not to mention there was a Japanese Zen garden and a few trails.

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.

Beautiful park! Super clean and fun! We were visiting from out of town, and this place didn't…read moredisappoint.

The playground could use some updates, but cute concept. The kids seem to really enjoy it, but just…read moregetting a bit old. There is a bandshell and music in the park event in the summer which is a great community event. You can also launch your boats into the lake. The area near the serpent statue no dogs allowed which is a bummer. Skate park and police station all in the same area.

Of all the points I've visited on the North/South shores, I keep coming back to here. The sand, the…read morewalk, all of which, are easy, continues to be one of our favorites. The only apology we have is recommending this place to others. But, by hopes, it will save it from further industrialization, because it's truly a remarkable spot of propriety. The only black mark on this place is that as a child I was able to camp here and now you can not. Our last visit a child informed us that he had broken the lock to the lighthouse. After 20 years, we investigated. That's where you'll f find the pictures.

I love this beach! The water might be cold, but the views are always great. This beach is where…read moreI've honed my rock skipping skills (I'm still not very good at it, but I'm getting there!) Be warned, four years ago my brother cut his foot on this beach and it got infected, but that's not the beach's fault! Just make sure to wear shoes when walking around or watch your step!

We came on MN State Park Day where entrance was free and this has been on my husband's list to…read morevisit so we gave it a go! We did a combination route along the Quarry Loop and Wolf Creek Trails and it was really great! I like how it also snaked past other trails like Hell's Gate and Deadman Trail, and you could hop off the trail for a bit and explore something else (like checking out the historic sandstone quarry ruins and the waterfall). Generous shade and well maintained, we had an awesome time!

We only got to spend about an hour at Banning State Park but it was an hour well spent. Lots of…read morehiking trails to choose from and a nice picnic area right off the parking lot that even has grills available. We took a short hike to see some rapids and even though the water was low it was quite beautiful! Trails were maintained and the colors were beautiful this time of year. Wish we could have spent more time! Not too far from the twin cities metro so makes for a nice day trip!

Such a fabulous scenery in old town and then over the lifting bridge, which lifts every 30 minutes…read more The drive to the beach was beautiful curvy roads and beautiful infrastructure and houses and we really enjoyed the marsh scenery that we encountered. There's plenty of parking on the side of the road and lots of entrances to get to the beach. The beach is beautiful with the city in the background or the lighthouse Sandpoint in the other direction the water was clear there was so much soft sand, and plenty of rocks to look for. We were told by locals to look for the Agote rocks plenty of treasures we found here. This is a must see and check out on your visit to Duluth.

Used to study on the beach here, now I walk it with my dogs or friends to catch up and listen to…read morethe boats come in. Pets are suppose to be on leash on the MN side, but seem to be fine off leash on the WI side (: some people don't mind off leash controlled pups on the leashes side tho. Deer flies can be a bother in the summer months.

I can't believe it took me this long to explore this state park. Close enough to the cities for a…read moreday trip, big enough to make you want to come back and keep exploring -- it helps that the weather was perfect during our camping trip. The park itself is incredibly large. Be prepared to drive 5-15miles to get to different areas of the park. Plenty to do from the largest area of electric campsites I've seen at a state park, to river access for canoes/kayaks, to a beach to swim and relax, to the famous observation tower if you want the most scenic view of the park. Campsites are not super private, but very spacious -- so spacious you could easily fit a large camper (30ft+), a tent or clam, and your vehicle, and still have room for activities. Also, poor to no cell service at campsites (so you can disconnect!), but they do have wifi in park buildings. PS: climbing the tower isn't for the faint of heart -- steep.

This is a beautiful state park in Minnesota. It would be nice if they had a driving loop, but at…read moresome point, you have to drive out the way you came in. This means you have to factor that time into your total journey because the roads are mostly dirt and you can't really drive faster than 25 to 30 miles an hour, even if you wanted to. On the other hand, it is beautiful for driving. There is abundant camping, but I can't really speak to that because we were there just for a drive in early fall. The highlight of our visit to St. Croix State Park was definitely the historic fire tower. Built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, the tower stands 100 feet tall and has 134 steps leading to the observation platform. When I was there, someone painted numbers on each step, which is fun. Interestingly, the last person to staff the tower was a woman who had spent 19 years doing the job before the tower was retired from active service in 1981. What I found especially fascinating was that the tower almost seems designed so that each major platform gives you a different perspective on the forest canopy. The first key platform is still below the treetops, so you are looking up into the forest. Another platform puts you right in the tree canopy, where you are surrounded by the tops of the trees. Then, at the top, you rise above the canopy entirely and get a sweeping panoramic view. One surprising thing from that vantage point is how uniform the height of the trees appears. There are intermediate platforms as well, but the main ones have interpretive signs explaining what you are seeing in terms of the forest canopy, which made the climb even more interesting. The tower is not just a lookout--it is almost like a vertical nature exhibit.