We camped here on our road trip back to MN. It was a great experience! I was a little nervous given…read moreall the cuts to funding lately and stories of state parks not having enough staff to keep the parks clean and safe but that was not the case here. The staff were all very friendly and available to help throughout the weekend. There was running water, bathrooms, and showers available. We would definitely stay here again.

Black River State Forest is chock full o' awesome things to do!…read more You can bike, hike, snowshoe, ATV, ride horses, dive, swim, camp, paddle, fish, among many other options. The staff at the main office at the Castle Mound Campground are friendly and helpful regardless of where you may be camping or recreating. I frequently camp with my paddling groups at Castle Mound prior to paddling the Black River. The sites are well laid out, and if you reserve sites 12, 13, or 35, you are closest to both the outhouses and the wood house. Racks of wood are available for $3. Just load up the handy rack located next to the shelter, and deposit your $3 in the collection box. Each site has a fire ring with a cantilever grill grate. Be sure to bring some aluminum foil if you want to cook right on the grate! The showers located near the main office are fairly clean and easy to use compared to those at many other state parks. They have a good potable and non-potable water station you can hit on your way out for the day's activities. The group campsite at the north end of the State Forest is very spacious. They only allow a relatively small amount of people to camp there, considering the space could host a county fair. It used to be a horse camp. Now it hosts group sites with large pads for RVs and campers. The rangers we dealt with at this location were very friendly, and the one high school kid who was assisting was a great help in finding where to access some of the local trout streams (a challenge in this watershed because almost every stream is in a box canyon). The only drawback to camping at the group camp, the East Fork Campground, or the indoor group camp (which I want to try this winter) is that they are pretty far from the paddling locations we use. It's a hefty drive from the Interstate to the north end of the State Forest. If you're in the area and the timing is right, stop in at the Ho-Chunk Pow Wow which takes place on the northwest edge of the State Forest. It's quite an experience, and the announcer is hilarious: "We're doing the same thing tomorrow. The same... damn... thing."

What an amazing slice of nature. I love a water feature - always so calming and beautiful. The…read moretrials were pretty accessible and it was crowded with a diverse group of ages and physical abilities. Seriously a great park!

The falls at this park are beautiful!…read more It's a short hike from the parking area ($5 fee to park) to the falls. The trails aren't labeled, but I believe most of them lead to the falls. With the water so high this year, you can hear the falls from the parking lot, so you can literally follow the sound. The trails are unpaved, and not flat and easy. We didn't find many hiking trails other than what led to the falls, but we were on the south side, so perhaps there are more on the north side?

The Chippewa Valley Railroad operates on a loop in Carson Park, across the street from the historic…read morebaseball stadium. Appropriate for kids of all ages, especially those of us with grey hair that remember the real thing, the railroad operates passenger trains pulled by live steam or "diesel" power. The diesel, actually a model of GM's famous F series locomotives, runs on a Wisconsin internal combustion engine. It was built by the Miniature Train Company sometime between 1948 and 1956. It is one of at least 5 such trains operating in Wisconsin. (Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Green Bay, Wausau and here.) Chippewa Valley Railroad goes the typical MTC railroad one better with live steam. You can ride the MTC train or a live steam train. The loop is about a half mile and takes you along the bluff above the Chippewa River, past a picnic shelter, over the road that takes you to the depot, past a silent observer (keep your eyes peeled!) before returning to the station. When your train arrives, the next one departs. The trains were obviously built for little people but there is an open-air gondola that's a little more comfortable for larger folks. It's pulled behind the steam engine. Rides are reasonably priced, considering ticket sales are the only source of income for this rolling museum. It is manned by volunteers who love railroads, and you can tell when you speak with any of the staff. The Chippewa Valley Railroad only operates during the summer and only on Sundays and July 4. You might think it's only for kids. In that case, borrow a couple of kids from the neighbors and go ride the train.

Pretty cool little excursion in LaCrosse. Easy drive up. Not a lot of signs alerting which…read moreparking lot is for the highest vantage point so my tip to you: drive through the open gates and drive until you see a parking lot with a gazebo-esque type outdoor building and that will be the highest point. Quick walk out to the edge. Some wild flowers added to the experience. It was a beautiful morning. Very clear and we were able to see the Mississippi river, Minnesota and of course Wisconsin. Worth taking the half hour to take in this view.

10/14/23 - we were in LaCrosse and saw that there was an overview of LaCrosse from the bluff. You…read moreneed to drive up a short distance to an overview that gives you a great panoramic view of the city below. In addition you can see the Mississippi River w/LaCrosse on one side & Minnesota on the other side. Such a beautiful overview of the town, trees, hills, Mississippi River, train tracks & an eagle soaring above the cities on the wind currents (so cool & majestic) Granddads Bluff is a short run uphill to an overlook going through a hairpin turn on the way to the overlook. Great way to spend a few minutes seeing the sights below w/the beginning of the fall colors. It would have been nicer coloration in a few more days

Love this camping park. It is beautiful and quiet. Fishing and hiking available. Bathroom and…read moreshower houses. The price is very reasonable

Very nice out-of-the-way campground. Can still hear a train off in the distance but other than that…read moreit is quiet with the exception of the geese by the nice little lake, fluttering of hummingbird wings or the occasional coyote off in the distance. The crew of 2 campworkers that I had the pleasure to meet are great gentlemen that go out of their way to help with whatever thay can. I believe the Red Cross harvests the skeeters here when blood supplies are low but the campground is very clean and the people are basically quiet and friendly. Lenny said he would give me a dollar if I gave him a shout out. (just kidding). Definitely recommend this place.

Totally loved this Wisconsin state park that is nestled right on the waterways of the Mississippi…read moreRiver overlooking the Minnesota bluffs and a great sunset. The town is super cute for a bite to eat but this park is just 15 minutes north of lacrosse and totally worth it. I wish we had more time to explore the trails but it is one of my favorite state parks with new paved roads and so much wildlife to see with trains passing by too. Great camping spot to go to once a year and worth the drive!

The highlight of this park is the hike up Brady's bluff. Not an easy climb but the views are worth…read moreit. We climbed from the north and descended to the south. This was a good choice on this sunny and hot day since there was shade going up the stairs from the north. We followed the river side path back to the nature center from where we started. Be warned there is a lot of poison ivy along the river path. If we had kayaks or canoes they also have a very nice route through the nearby bay. Camping is available as are some picnic areas. A solid state park experience.

Loved this park. Some short, moderate hikes to get a gorgeous view of the river. I do wish that the…read moretrails were a little better marked, however, It is worth visiting when heading down to Southern Minnesota. The driftless region is amazing. However, it was my second favorite park today. We headed into effigy national monument immediately after, and that was even more breathtaking. They are a great one-two punch if you're driving down from the Twin Cities.

This was a nice spot for a hike. There is a series of trails throughout the park. I did the King's…read moreBluff and North and South Overlooks. There is no shortage of beautiful views and there were plenty of spring wildflowers to make the walk even more stunning! Parking is available at the trailheads, there are some nice picnic spots, and the vault toilets were well kept.

I love driving through the stare I know every time I get gas the store will have cheese and beef…read moresticks. My favorite place is the Dells it's worth stopping to see the water parks and the town is really nice too. The states very scenic.

Merrick State Park is on the Mississippi River and is a great campground to stay at. There are…read moreplenty of trails to walk on and you can walk down by the river. Great scenery to be discovered here. Be advised there is a racetrack nearby so you'll be hearing that for a few hours on weekends. It stopped around 9pm so not too bad. There are plenty of facilities on site (water hookups, sewage, bathrooms, showers, fire wood). You are not too far away from Fountain City which is a nice little town with a few bars and restaurants and about 20 minutes from Winona.

Merrick was a State Park chosen on a whim as late plans to go somewhere to get away from all the…read moreFourth of July noise that irritates our dog to no end came together. We have never been to this area and were pleasantly surprised at how awesome it was! Merrick was the perfect gateway to this area by the Mississippi that I will call a gem of the north! Our campsite was clean, quiet and proved to be one of the best, in my opinion, spots we could have happened upon. We landed on booking site 14 in the North section of Merrick. It was well shaded large site that gave us a lot of comfort as the days we were there were hot. We really got lucky and enjoyed our entire stay. Wood was close, bathrooms with showers were close so couldn't really ask for much more. We found the location to be prime to get to all the stuff we wanted to do around that area.

Take your time and walk the whole grounds. Each monument has a different outlook at different…read moreangles.

Wonderful park with spectacular views. I absolutely love this place . Will be back many timesread more