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.

Trying to be more intentional about exploring parks around Minneapolis this year, and Hidden Falls…read moreseemed like the perfect place to start. We usually default to Minnehaha Falls across the river, but I'd never actually explored this side--which looks to be really sprawling with new townhomes and modular single family homes. We parked near the dam and walked along the trail to reach the stairs leading down to Hidden Falls. Heads up: the walk down is a little precarious since there's no railing for most of the stairs, but it's not very steep and the trek itself is pretty short. The falls themselves were a bit disappointing at the moment--more of a trickle than a waterfall--but it is early in the season. That said, the forested park area it winds through was really nice, and made the visit worth it regardless. I can already tell this place is probably stunning in the summer when everything is green and flowing! Even with the lower water level, it was a great way to explore somewhere new and great to see there were so many people already exploring the park with it being chilly still!

Beautiful park near the city. Grabbed some take out and found an empty picnic table in the middle…read moreof the day - lots of parking! Watched a few boats launch, saw some geese, enjoyed watching people along the shore. Picnic tables near the water at the North Entrance. Check it out!

Absolutely beautiful park. Went jet skiing with my family there and had a great time. They have…read moreplenty of parking and lots of shaded seating to get a break from the sun. The beach part is just gorgeous too. Water is pretty peaceful. On a non windy day like this, it was easy to ride the jet ski around. There was a decent sized separated area to go swimming in, which sd enjoyed. I loved that there was a playground and also a small splash pad nearby. My toddler loved it. Definitely plan to be back some day to explore more of the park, as we were mainly on the water.

Came for a few hours for hiking, which was great! The kids played in the splash pad area for a few…read moreminutes, they almost didn't get to use the splash pad because we couldn't figure out how to get it running, it started going after we started walking away....other than that it is a unique design. The beach was good size but I don't recommend swimming, the water is nasty green and scummy.

Plenty of trails to pick from, although they can be a bit challenging to navigate by the postings…read more This may have been caused by the number of trails and lack of water in the creek. The park is full of deciduous trees, so they are beautiful in the fall.

Thank you Nicollet County for this awesome park! It is a hidden gem along Highway 169, between St…read more Peter & Mankato. If you blink, you might miss it...but be sure to turn around when it's safe and check out this special spot! We explored the west part of the park (hiking, picnic) but the park extends across 169 and has a boat landing on the Minnesota River (we will check that side out next time!). 628 acres of Nicollet County Park, 10 miles of multi-use trails with equestrian parking & highway underpass, 3 shelters & many picnic areas along the creek, a playground, 2 volleyball courts & a ball diamond. Brown Trout are stocked in Seven Mile Creek by the DNR, but be sure to have your trout stamp! We have had wonderful hikes in this park, meeting horseback riders (at crossroads between equestrian trails & hiking trails), enjoying the space and beauty. Next time you're headed south on 169, check it out!

This park is a wonderful place to enjoy a walk in nature. The trails are well-maintained, and it's…read morea dog-friendly spot, which makes it even better!

Beautiful place to hike, picnic or get family photos…read more Free parking. No playground - just places to run and play and hike. There is a dog park though!

My top favorite hiking spot in Minnesota. So many different paths you can take and a partially…read moreaccessible route for all ages and disabilities. Rock climbing up here is like no other spot in MN and everyone is always incredibly nice on the trails. Lots of places to stop and I love doing photography up here, photoshoots, and timelapses. You will never regret having a hike here. Being water for the break at the top and you are golden.

We like to make the trek from the twin cities to this park in Red Wing. There is a lot of parking…read moreat the trailhead and once you get going, it isn't too long of a hike up the hill and you are rewarded with really nice views of the town, the surrounding county, the river, as well as being able to see deep into Wisconsin. There is a lot to look at from the northern vantage point. Then, you can head south along a ridgeline and get to the southern vantage point and the views there go on for miles as well. It is definitely kid-friendly, as my 4 year old walked the whole thing and my 2 year old walked a bunch of it, too. Just make sure to take a few breaks and bring some snacks.

The CVT is a rail-to-trail (the historic railroads story is interesting here too). Wheel Passes are…read morerequired on the trail ($7 daily/$30 season passes)-pedestrians, wheelchairs & strollers are exempt. Lots of nice hiking & biking on this trail along the Cannon River. The CVT extends from Cannon Falls to Red Wing, with great connections to other trails (Goodhue Pioneer Trail, Mill Towns State Trail, Cannon Falls City Trail). No pets are allowed on the trail (but I have witnessed dog walkers there).

Gorgeous trail. Ran here after work on a Wednesday and essentially had the trail to myself! The…read moreleaves have just started to change down there, and the views were really beautiful. I'd like to come back soon to try biking it, since it is a very long trail and I can only get so far running (it's a taper week so I didn't go far). So if you're a biker and are looking for a quiet, pretty trail, this seems to be the place!!

This is probably not a destination park, but if you find yourself near Hastings with the need to…read moreget out of your car for between 10 and 60 minutes, chances are you'll enjoy Vermillion Falls Park. There's a nice sized parking lot and the falls is literally two minutes away. WIN. If you have teens who like some light hiking and picture taking, they will love this place. The teens I was with happily took pictures of both the falls and the graffiti and I enjoyed the wildflowers. Several picnic tables, and port a potties.

Small park nestled next to a large loud factory. The bike/walking trail is nice. We put a lock on…read morethe love lock fence. We didn't stay long but it was nice to see a park in this small town.

While I am unlikely to disrespect a state park and hiking trail, my overriding impression of this…read morepark was the mosquitoes! Maybe I picked the wrong time of year for my visit, but the mosquitos were so dense here, I hiked in pants and long sleeves, and had to sport my mosquito netting hat for the hike. I'd be willing to give it another try at a different time of year.

This is a nice park not too far from the cities! It's got a great lake to walk around, plenty of…read moreplaces to sit around by the water. The camp sites also looked pretty nice and it's right in the town of Waterville and near Kamp Dels so plenty to do in the area!