Another stop on our quest to visit all MN state parks. This was the third of three parks in a day…read moreso we were very tired and only saw a small part of the park. We checked out the remains of the fort and learned about the people who lived there. The visitor center was still closed due to the pandemic but there were many placards around to read and learn. We took a short hike to a lookout point and found these amazing communal cocoons (my bug people say they are either gypsy or tent caterpillars). Views were beautiful. The area looked hilly and would have liked to see more. Best part about visiting all the parks is we get to see which areas are our favorites and visit again.

This is a state park and historic site as well, thus the name. There are ruins showing a much…read morelarger fort at one time and one preserved building and monument. Plenty of interpretive signs that have obviously been rewritten to reflect modern values of inclusive history. There are plenty of camping sites available in this seemingly very quiet park. The walking trails are generally in good shape until you go deeper in to the adjoining trails . There are steep hills and damp valleys and warning signs that trails are rougher. For reasons unknown many sections are closed and certainly it's not from flooding as the summer of 21' is drought stricken. One less star because of some poor or lacking signage and guide maps while at trail intersections. Pick up a paper map at the closed headquarters, (they are in a box), and use your phone compass if need be.

I'm finding there's so much more to South Dakota than I realized. Nestled amongst what looked to…read moreme, office buildings near by is this majestic and well maintained park, Falls Park. We were meeting up with family here before we headed to our vacation rental and it was the perfect place to do so. The day that we went there was a wedding party taking pictures in the green areas near the trees and as we drove further in I could see why they call this park Falls Park. There's ample parkin here and several seating and picnic tables sporadically placed through out. There's also a tower you can go up to have a better view of the falls, the park, and the surrounding area. It was also a nice reprieve from the heat of the day. There are a few trails that take you around the area and to the water. It's a lovely park to enjoy nature right in the city. When we walked closer to the falls we found the perfect picnic table under the shade to cool off. We didn't get to see the whole park but what we did see was impressive. I'd love to visit this park again should we be in the area.

This is a nice little park that's perfect for taking a walk and enjoying the scenery. The river…read moreflows over a series of rocks, creating a beautiful and relaxing setting that's well worth the stop. One area that could use some improvement is litter maintenance. During our visit, we noticed quite a bit of trash floating in and around the water, which took away from the natural beauty of the area. If you plan to explore the rocks, be sure to wear hiking shoes or other footwear with good traction, as they can be very slippery. We also enjoyed climbing the observation tower, which offers a great view of the surrounding park. Overall, it's a pleasant place to stretch your legs and enjoy nature, with just a few maintenance issues that, if addressed, would make the experience even better.

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.

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.

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.

Great paved trail that cuts through the park. The play area for the children has accessible…read morerestrooms in the non-freezing months. Play area has wood chips and mulch for padding. Age range for park is 2+ for the small slide and 6+ for the taller climbjng area.

Just wow. It was my first time being on this side of South Dakota, having visited the Badlands and…read morethe Black Hills last year, and I had no idea what to expect! We headed out to South Dakota to attend a family wedding and added on a couple of days to go camping. I didn't know anything about this park but when we got there I was delighted by the maintenance, and the care of the park. It looks like there are areas where people can visit the park for day use and areas where people can stay, either in the cabins, the campgrounds, or the lodge. I was impressed by how many people we came across that come here to visit during the day. We saw many guests hiking the trails, relaxing in the water, and enjoying the outdoor grills. We found our campground and I loved that they made each campsite pretty private next to other campgrounds. We stayed at the King Campground, the newer one of the two campground areas, and you walk up to your area and it's a large flat grassy area with a picnic table and extra green space before walking down to the parking area. You have a good amount of privacy from the next campground over. I loved that, it was easily the most well thought out campground I've ever stayed in. We loved the fire pit and used it each night and morning. My boyfriend also managed to set up our hammocks on the trees near by for us to nap in in the shade. We brought our dog along for this trip and she did so well hiking with us along the trails and hanging out at the camp ground. The trails got a little iffy since there were off shoots from the trail that -seemed like it was part of the original course but we managed to make it through all trails without getting lost!! There are also a mixture of outhouse/compost like toilets that were cleaner than some I've come across at parks and hand sanitizer that was full as well. The main bathrooms and showers were a short distance from the campground and were clean! It was nice to be in nature but still have the option to use a regular toilet and shower! Another thing to note, the campground host here is wonderful! I can't remember his name now but he was great to talk to and learn how he and his wife got into hosting! This area of the camp was probably the best area to see the sunset. We got to see a couple of beautiful sunsets looking out over the park as our campground area was on a hill with no view obstruction. I was so impressed by this campground that I'm already hoping we go back sometime!

Absolutely beautiful area! We were there in 30 degree weather and will definitely be back in the…read morespring/summer to check things out again, we had a great time walking and checking out all the sites!

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.

They've different fun things to different ages of kids, and very nice rest area, my baby boy had…read morelots fun !

I absolutely love love love this park. When you have multiple children of different ages it's a…read morechallenge entertaining all of them. Here, you have many choices and by agree range.

Nice clean visitor center. Over 6 miles of scenic trails. Classrooms are available for rent. Neat…read morehistory of the Poncas.

I cannot for the life of me understand why they are calling this a Japanese garden. This is a small…read morestretch of grass and paving stones near some water. If this city wanted to call it a park, that would be passable, but it's actually insulting and frustrating that they are calling this a Japanese garden. I was able to find what I think is a Japanese maple and they had a bridge that looks like they tried to style it in a Japanese style over an empty bed of rocks that was possibly intended as a koi pond once upon a time, but as it stands, there is nothing Japanese about this location. It's really confusing. For anyone who's not clear, putting a stone lantern from Pier One next to a walkway does not make it a Japanese garden. To add insult to injury, they had the sprinklers going full blast at noon with only one pathway in and out. We got soaked, as did many other people who seemed like locals that were just trying to walk on their lunch break. I was hoping to stop here and feel a little more Zen but I left wet and annoyed.

Beautiful! You would never know you're in a big city. It was peaceful and a great spot to have a…read morepicnic and a walk.