Memorial Park is the one you see on your right as you first drive into Spirit Lake from…read moreEstherville. This is perhaps one of Spirit Lake's larger parks and perhaps its best. There's also a long and scenic walking path along East Lake Okoboji as you also approach the park from that direction. One of my fondest childhood memories was the old toboggan run that you could take from the park to the lake in the winter. Public safety standards would never allow that today, and I'm no worse for wear from my experiences. Besides great lake access, views, and lots of walking opportunities, Memorial park features a shelter house, pedestrian access under the highway, a horseshoe court, playground equipment, 2 handicap-accessible piers, park benches, picnic tables, grills, basketball court, and handicap-accessible restrooms.

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.

This is a cute little park just down the road from my parent's cabin on Big Spirit Lake. It's just…read moreNorth of where the old Jeff and Mabel's Grocery Store used to be and features a small play area, a dock and a bench to watch the sunset. The park itself is an unexpected treat and another example of decent lake access for those who aren't lucky enough to own shore line property.

Not a ton of trails. Has some nice hills which provides an overlook of the prairie. Part of the…read moretrail was along the river, which with recent rain, was too waterlogged for us to use. We were able to find a 2-3mile path which took us through the woods and onto the prairie. Not the best of MN State Parks but still nice and well maintained.

Beautiful campground! All areas around the campground were…read morevery well maintained. Restrooms/showers were spacious, clean and plenty of hot water during showers. Campsite spots are Huge! Pretty sure the biggest spots of any campground I've been to and #9 the spot we camped has its own road leading to it so it's completely private from foot/vehicle traffic. Around 5 miles of trails from prairie hills to wooded trails across streams leading to the Des Moines River. Well marked and wide paths make it an enjoyable hike. Can't go wrong with a weekend at this campground

Gull Point State Park is on the west side of West Lake Okoboji and is considered to be the Grand…read moreDame of the state parks within this resort region. It's a large and pretty area with a nice beach, surrounding Burr Oak forest areas, winding hiking trails, and a restored rustic lodge. Lake Patrol and DNR operations are also headquartered here, as is a local scout camp which I attended one summer. Our family prefers Pikes Point State Park because it's closer and easier to work into our day. However, if you want a larger place to play, with a little more to do (including fishing), and on the same blue water Lake, then Gull Point is the place for family fun.

We rented two camp sites for seven people (2 adults and 5 kids). We adhered to the two tents/4…read morepeople per site rule. However, the DNR counted one of our tents as three tents, simply because it was three dome tents, and made us rent a third site. The worst part was how rude the lady was. She wouldn't even listen to me when I tried to show her the tent bag, indicating it was one tent. She acted as if we were criminals. Since there was NO two way conversation allowed, I indicated that we would pay for the extra site but would never be back, at which point she said "That's fine." Worst customer service ever! Three sites for 2 adults and five kids. Really? I don't recommend this place at all! There are way better places to stay in the Okoboji area!

Located on the north shore of Big Spirit Lake, Mini-Wakan State park offers the user a boat ramp…read moreand several areas to fish along the shoreline. Mini-Wakan also borders the area commonly referred to as "the grade", which provides great shoreline fishing access. Mini-Wakan has an open picnic shelter available on a first come/first serve basis. Fundraising for a major upgrade of this park is underway. Mini-Wakan in many ways is a forgotten State Park as it's small, isolated, and limited to occasional picnics and boat launches. Plus the true fisherman are at the Grade down the road. When I drove in a few weeks ago, there was just a lone DNR truck and a lot of No Parking signs (?). However, it's very pretty up here and if you're so inclined the Iowa Great Lakes trail runs right outside the Park entrance and into Minnesota and beyond.

The park was great. It was very clean, and the people there were very friendly…read more I loved that there was no trash on the ground, and I loved all of the park equipment

Best known as one of the largest yet peaceful parks in Le Mars, West Floyd Park is home to…read moreplayground equipment, a picnic shelter with restrooms, a large baseball complex, a BMX race track and an extensive disc golf course. The West Floyd River, which flows near the park's Western Border, was named after Sergeant Floyd of the American Corps of Discovery Expedition. In addition to all of the amenities West Floyd Park has to offer, you can also take advantage of a well maintained paved trail. On a pleasant Summer day, you will find bikers and walkers trekking from the Le Mars Golf course, through West Floyd Park and out to the Wells' Enterprises Corporate Office and back again.

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!

We are enroute to Brookings, SD for football game and left a day early. Due to government shutdown,…read morethe visitor center is closed. I guess I missed a video and other displays. IDK. Stopped at a store in Pipestone and worker talked some about it. Today was a nice day in October and the place was very sparce with other visitors. The walking trail was short at .75 mile, so my spouse could handle it. It was very scenic and pretty. I read more about the monument from the brochure at the store downtown. It is also free to attend at all times.

Gilbert Park is a cute little green space that is on the way home between Downtown Spirit Lake and…read morecottage. I have fond memories of playing with my stepdaughters here during a pleasant evening sunset over a most enjoyable Labour Day weekend. The park itself features a shelter house, walking trail, 2 floating docks, approximately 500 feet of shoreline along East Lake Okoboji, basketball court, playground equipment, park benches, picnic tables, grills, and handicap-accessible restrooms.

The Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery is located between East Lake Okoboji and Spirit Lake. This facility…read morecollects, spawns, incubates, and raises walleye for use throughout the state. Each year between 60 and 70 million walleye fry are hatched at this facility. My son and I love to come here every year. There's a neat aquarium in the lobby that's stocked with a variety of local fish. And depending on what's going on, many of the fish tanks on the floor are fully accessible for viewing. The DNR staff has always been very friendly and willing to explain almost anything about their jobs. Of course in a resort area such as this, there are many other options, such as Arnold's Amusement Park, swimming at Pikes Point, etc. But also this area is about the Lakes as natural resources and this place kind of grounds our entire experience here.