This park is full of history and legend, combined with the beauty of the gulch and stream...!…read more The highlight of the park...! The legend of Jesse James's leap across the chasm to evade a posse! You can now walk across a bridge that spans the gap which brings this jump into perspective. The steep, quartzite walls, and rushing water make it easy to understand the legend's persistence. The feat's impossibility adds intrigue to the natural landscape! The park also features hiking trails with views of the river, wildflowers, and prairie grasses. A narrow path has been etched into the landscape by Split Rock Creek! A two-tiered waterfall creates a symphony of rushing water amidst the terrain. The path offers various viewing points of the rock formations and stream. The park offers discoveries, including the historical marker about Jesse James, the waterfall, and multiple rock formations. Devil's Gulch offers an adventure for those who appreciate local lore and natural beauty!

I went for the first time yesterday with my man and our Frenchie, "Bobo" after work and let me just…read moresay, it was a beautiful day. Meeting families enjoying the weather and the trails was a highlight as well. Get out there and enjoy!!!

Dakota Nature Park is impressive in size as well as its history. Before this was a park, it was a…read morelandfill! I came this past weekend and the weather was just right, light sunshine with a light breeze. I can't speak for how this park is in the winter, but based on some of the billboards around the park, snow shoeing is a possibility! Lots of nice, paved trails throughout the premise. Unique animals can be seen in the water as well as on land. I didn't see any creatures this time around, but I don't doubt that they're there. Many families were on a scavenger hunts, great idea for an activity! I believe that during the summer, boats are available for rent to ride around the lakes. Lots of poop stations available for your pup's doo doo. Overall, I had a great time at this nature park. Ample parking available in the lots at the various entrances.

New to the Midwest from the northwest & was excited to lean that this place existed. It was damn…read morenear impossible to find any information about the park rules & rentals (other than location) so we figured we just had to go see for ourselves. Parking areas are nicely located with maps for you to see the trails. After getting on the trails we finally saw a sign that said unleashed dogs were not allowed, good to know for next time. Views we're great, paths free of debris & well maintained, lots of people fishing, walking & a few on canoes. This would be the perfect place to go for a walk except the amount of mosquitos is insane... & We Wore TONS of Bug Spray!! It got so bad we decided to go back to the car & walk around town.

I'm from Washington state and disc golf was very popular in college. I like to catch a game when…read moreI'm out in new places. This course is well laid out and is a relatively easy play. No real hazards to worry about. It's great for beginners, kids, and anyone needing some practice. Great course, would have gave it a 5 but it was easy to get par without having played in a few months.

I tell you, I like this park. Sure, it's almost entirely that rough, crappy ditch grass you see on…read moreyour travels along any highway and most of the byways in the midwest, but it is well-kept and mown nicely. This one also is shaded pretty well and there are two very solid playground areas for respective ages of the kids. They also have facilities there, which is always a mega-bonus. Get in the shade under some trees, with a good wind going and this place can be very enjoyable. It also apparently has a disc golf course, so good on them there as well. This was an excellent stop for us and though a Brookings stop is not typically on the agenda for those trips, if it shakes out that way again, we'll probably stop. This one is also pretty convenient to I-80 and a variety of restaurants as well, if you want to take your food and stuff it in your face there.

If I didn't have somewhere to be tonight, I'd have spent the night here in Sexauer Park. This park…read moreallows camping with 18 paved pads for trailers and RVs, five of which are pull-through and the remainder are back-in. The pads are only $25 plus tax, which is a complete bargain. The campground is operated by the city of Brookings and is the only park in the city that allows camping. They have electrical hook-ups, picnic tables, a playground, restrooms with showers and even a dump station. Very awesome and I enjoyed having a nice walk around today. The only thing missing is a water or sewer hookup, but that's really a minor inconvenience for a self-contained camper van. [Review 17852 overall - 58 in South Dakota - 1373 of 2022.]

Had no idea this was in the seemingly middle of nowhere. If you can, don't pass this up. Nice…read morelittle paved walk. Lots of wildlife.

It's hard for me to use the word "monument" here... When I think monument...I consider a monument…read moreto be something man made. To me this is more of just a gorgeous cutout of well kept and preserved natural landscape... A park. A vibrant scene. With over 400 native plant species, including big bluestem, little bluestem, and buffalo grass, the area teems with natural beauty. Stunning red stone bluffs and cliffs of Sioux Quartzite, a hard rock formed between 1.6 and 1.7 billion years ago.. A highlight of the area is Winnewissa Falls, a beautiful waterfall that cascades into Pipestone creek. Two main trails allow you to navigate this park. The Circle trail is a paved, 3/4-mile loop trail guides visitors to the key natural highlights including the quarries, historical markers, Old Stone Face, Winnewissa Falls, and the tallgrass prairie. The South Quarry trail is about 1/2 mile roundtrip, out and back on the same path, and it provides a look into the active quarrying pits where Indigenous people have been extracting pipestone for thousands of years. Both trails are easy to navigate and I'd consider them to be a very easy hike... And I'm not exactly athletic. Lol The paths are both paved and are considered wheelchair accessible. Parking is free, the lot is nice sized, and near the visitor center and restrooms. As you leave the lot heading towards the park you are basically at the starting point of the Circle trail. If you like a nice little walk... This is a great place to get out to and witness the enduring natural beauty of it's prairies, cliffs, and waterfalls, and explore remarkable geological formations... I'm willing to bet parts of the park are spectacular at sunset! And as long as you are in the area... Visit nearby Fort Pipestone and it's gift shop along with Keepers Gift Shop & Gallery!

This is a hidden gem located less than an hours drive from Sioux Falls. Lake Herman is located in…read moreMadison close to Lake Madison and Lake Brant. This is a spring fed glacial lake. The park is on the south east corner of the lake. This state park has hiking trails, beaches, canoe rental, boat launch and camping. The park itself is large and features mature shade trees and areas of natural prairie. With all the outdoor things to do and being so close to Sioux Falls, this place is a must visit.

A lovely state park campground! The lots were huge and level, with wide gravel parking pads. The…read moregrass around the sites was well groomed and a fire ring was included. The bathrooms were clean, with large separate shower rooms. The shower was best part, as it had a residential adjustable temperature controller instead of the push-button that many campgrounds do. The water flow was stronger than my house. Its also a dog-friendly park. Inside the campground, leashes are required, but in the rest of the park off-leash is permissible. Tie-outs on your site are also allowed. Canoes were available for rent for $15/3 hours or $30/day. There's also a boat ramp as its a large 1350 acre lake.

The setting and surroundings of Olson Park are absolutely fantastic!…read more I tell ya...for just quickly visiting and hanging out here for a couple of hours, this Olson Park was so well maintained! I'll say it again, lol, very well maintained!! The park is flush with green grass and is situated right by a scenic lake. Too bad I wasn't spending the night here because they offer camping. And...I am a camping enthusiast! I was here at Olson Park back at the end of June 2021 and the conditions were truly pleasant. I honestly felt like taking a blanket out of my car and having a midday nap underneath a tree, lol. I really can't say enough good things about this park. Before I do...I'll just provide some insight and details about where Olson Park is located and some of the worthwhile benefits it offers that make it such a worthwhile destination for enjoying nature and the outdoors. Olson Park is located in the town of Worthington, Minnesota. Worthington sits about 175 miles southwest of Minneapolis and only 10 miles north from the border with Iowa. It's situated about 3 miles outside downtown Worthington. I was traveling down through Minnesota along my 2021 cross country road trip. Eventually I was heading into Sioux Falls, South Dakota and further west towards Badlands National Park and the Mount Rushmore area. Along my driving for half the day, I was just a little fatigued and pulled off Interstate 90 and figured why not take some time to relax at a park and rest up before continuing on my journey. I discovered Olson Park through the wonderful app on my phone called Campendium. Upon arriving here, I was surprised they offered camping. I just figured this place was a quiet town park where you could come play some ball, have a picnic or just simply go fishing by the lake. Well cool...this Olson Park was perfect and ideal for camping! The best part being that you can set up your tent along all the fluffy and lush green grass which definitely make a for comfortable night sleep. Plus...I can't tell you enough how clean this park was! Seriously it was like out of a fresh springtime catalogue for a photo album! Lol, just reflecting back on my pictures invoke warm memories. Too bad...I should have just camped out for the night. But instead, I took it easy for a few hours before returning back to Interstate 90. Also...there wasn't a cloud in the sky during my time here. The sun reflected down on the lake's waters making for a wonderful ambiance. The campsites located next to the lake were efficiently set up. Just taking pictures of the park with the lake in the background was beautiful. For camping... - Campsites 1 - 12 w/ electric hook-up was $33 for the night. - Campsites 13 - 63 w/ electric hook-up was $28 per night. - Campsites 64 - 68 without electric hook-up was only $22 per night. All these sites were very reasonable and fairly priced for camping out at such a well-maintained park! You can book a reservation by calling 507-372-8600 Monday thru Friday. If there isn't a campsite occupied, then it's first come, first served. For spontaneous campers coming here on a whim, once you find an unoccupied site, simply claim it and then drop the fee into the courtesy box on the east side of the office if no attendant is around. And that's it, you're good to go! Here are some other terrific amenities about Olson Park... - They have a shower house with flush toilets, so no vault toilets are always a good thing, lol. - Cell phone reception worked perfectly here. - You can bring swimming apparel to enjoy the waters of the lake. - There were picnic tables situated all around. During my visit here on June 30, the park was empty. It was so quiet for such a picturesque park. And btw, it's always a benefit not having too many campers occupying the grounds. Overall...having tons of green grass, trees situated all around, good shade and a calm setting made this Olson Park to be an absolute winner in my book. I can't remember finding a better campground along my entire 5-month journey across the United States! For those who happen to be driving Interstate 90 and or making their way through the southern portion of Minnesota during their travels, I can't recommend Olson Park enough, so refreshing to discover this hidden gem of a park and campground.

Beautiful park and very nice for camping. Stayed here on our way out to South Dakota. Will…read moredefinitely stay again.

Pretty park and city run campground. The sites are right next to each other but I'm guessing the…read morecampground doesn't get much use? No one else was here while we were here anyway, but that could just be the time of year. It's right next to the road, so it's noisy during the day. Electrical hookups for only $10 (pay down the street). Oh, and no restrooms on site (again, down the street). Sounds like a bunch of negatives but for a one night layover, it's a nice spot next to a calm pond with ducks. Take a walk to the island and enjoy the peacefulness.

The Falls, with the exception of the dirty looking water, are pretty cool. The park is…read morewell-maintained and has nice walking trails. What I can't get past is the stench coming from the Smithfield Foods pig slaying plant only a block or two away. Why would the city allow this stench to sit right at the front door of their greatest jewel? Makes no sense to me. Not only that, but Smithfield Foods has the unmitigated gall to put happy pig statues around the plant, like we don't know the carnage taking place inside. Despicable. If there's one thing those poor pigs never are, for a moment of their pitifully short and painful lives, is happy. The place reeks of death.

This was a stop that we had planned coming from South Dakota, back down to Texas. It was well worth…read morethe stop. These beautiful falls are different than the usual stops at gas stations and McDonald's during road trips. But it was a great place to stretch our legs, use the restrooms, and have some snacks that we had packed. It was a free stop, free parking, and it was nice to see people just walking along the falls, enjoying theirselves. We did not get a chance to go up to the observation deck, but even still, we enjoyed ourselves. Definitely make the stop if you are in this area! And even if you are not in this area, it would be well worth the drive.