We did the Annie Battle Lake hike which had about half of it in a paved path that you share with bikes. We tried to do the Lake Emma Trail loop as well but the bugs completely overwhelmed us and we turned back. The path follows the lake but most of it is in the woods and the lake is not viewable. In the south side there are some nice lookout points. The park has a great rental shop. I wish we would have had more time to take a bike ride or rent a kayak. Lots of park/water toys to choose from. read more

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This relatively new state park in Minnesota is a treasure -- a beautiful example of Minnesota lake country with rolling hills, forests, creeks, trails and camping. I hiked a few miles towards the end of the day and saw an eagle swoop down to grab a fish out of the lake. I shot photos of birds that I had not seen before and a young buck hiding in the birch forest. A variety of wild flowers were in bloom. Be warned that you need to apply insect repellent since ticks abound. There are both paved and unpaved path, and it is obvious that the park was well-planned. There is even a cemetery for pets. It's a must visit if you are in the area. read more

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I stayed at Glendalough with my girlfriend and some friends last year in the winter time. We stayed for three nights, I think, in one of their spectacular cabins. The cabins are easy to get to, and although there was a ton of snow that year, it was pretty manageable to deal with the cold, and very warm inside. You just pull or push a cart with your gear to the cabins, which aren't more than a half mile or so. The cabins have four bunks, a great table, a bench, and other amenities. They are amazingly cozy and comfortable and can easily accomodate four or more people. We did a bunch of snowshoeing while there and the park is beautiful, even in the winter. Everything was sort of frozen in time and the amount of snow made snowshoeing a real adventure. I fell down a couple times and had to be helped up. Anyway, I would certainly recommend Glendalough any time of year, but their great cabins make for a nice winter getaway as well. There is some neat history and several lakes here also that would be a lot of fun in warmer weather. read more

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Glendalough State Park is a great weekend getaway. It's about a 2.5 hour drive west of the Twin Cities but highly worth it. Good hiking, beautiful lakes for swimming/fishing/kayaking, and a cute-ass town nearby to boot. The campsite is cart-in only, so you'll have to park in the lot and carry your things in with one of the provided carts. So be a little more judicious with packing than typical car camping. But that makes for a more quiet campsite where you can commune more easily with Mother Nature. Bonus points are that some of the shubbery round your campsite might turn out to be raspberry bushes. I felt like I had won the lottery. Unlike other state parks, you pay per night for firewood. It's about $7.50 but I think it's a better deal than buying cords of firewood. Also you can rent birding kits for free since there's a protected wildlife area that's great for scoping out all the animals. There are several lakes within the park, but Annie Battle Lake is the one for recreational activities. Since the area was pretty much run over by ovezealous glaciers a million years ago, there are more lakes than you can throw a stone at. Pretty, clear, sandy-bottomed lakes. Growing up on RL Stine, I am terrified of swimming in natural bodies of water. Murky? Forget it. Weeds? You'll have to drag me in, kicking and screaming. But these lakes in Otter Tail county are AWESOME. The water is amazing clear for quite some lengths and there are minimal weeds. I had a great time kicking around. About 30 feet from me one evening, a dad and his kids were just hanging in the water and fishing for bass and panfish. There's just something about being in a pretty lake that is so relaxing. I wanted to hike more since there are plenty of trail but the abundance of mosquitoes and deer flies were driving me nuts and I had no idea of what to use to repel them. If you're tired of camp life, the hamlet of Battle Lake is nearby. A little touristy but they have everything you need and want. Check out the turtle races on Thursdays and Saturdays. TURTLE RACES. Plus, a couple of fun thrift stores to check out if the weather sucks or you're bored. If you want to explore the area a little more, I suggest driving the 20ish miles to Inspiration Peak for sunrise/sunset. The hike is steep but short and totally worth it. The town of Vining has a cool sculpture park next to the gas station that forms a nice triangle where you can drive back to Glendalough afterwards in about 20 minutes or so. My camp life weekend was super great out. If you like camping or nature, I highly recommend this state park. Get on it. read more

Campsite review: The park and campground are beautiful and serene at first glance and the park rangers are helpful and nice. Then everyone starts carting in and you realize the most obnoxious, uncivilized families and individuals all come to Glendalough to unleash their little terrors on the campsites. Don't get me wrong, people should enjoy themselves but the people aren't happily camping- they're yelling at their kids so you can hear every word, yet letting them run wild all over the place, slamming the cabin doors over and over (parents and kids alike).... Then college kids (underage per their loud conversations) were shotgunning beer and being disruptive until 4am. The sites are a bit too close so you hear everyone's lectures and noise like they're standing right next to you. It's not a place for relaxation or to get away from it all. We paid for 2 nights and all we got to do was set up, cook 1 meal and lay in a tent because we ended up leaving after 17 hours. I'd been looking forward to a camping weekend for years and when I finally got it, all I could think about was leaving early. Good grief, people. This is why we can't have nice things. 2 stars for the beautiful grounds and helpful staff. Could not check out the surrounding park and amenities but the clientele leaves a lot to be desired (sadly the park cannot screen these people). read more