Banning State Park was one of our favorite outdoor stops during our Hinckley getaway. The park is…read moreknown for its scenic hiking trails, sandstone cliffs, and the views of the Kettle River, making it a great place to spend a few hours exploring. Our goal was to find the waterfall, but like many first-time visitors, we ended up taking a wrong turn and wandered a little longer than expected. Honestly, it turned into part of the adventure. As we explored, we spotted deer quietly moving, squirrels darting between the trees, and plenty of birds and caterpillars along the way. We discovered quiet trails, beautiful overlooks, and peaceful stretches of the river that we might have missed if we'd gone straight to our destination. The sound of the water, the surrounding rock formations, and the forest scenery made it one of those places where you naturally want to stop and take it all in. If you're visiting Banning State Park for the first time, don't stress if you get a little turned around. Give yourself extra time, wear comfortable shoes, and enjoy the journey.

This is a beautiful state park that offers so many opportunities to commune with nature. Lush…read moretrails, flowers native to shorelines and wet soils, and a waterfall are among some of the many joys here. It is located off I-35 near Sandstone, and 90 miles away from the Twin Cities (about an hour and a half away). It is worth making a day trip to visit. The park stretches along 10 miles of the Kettle River, and has 1.5 miles of churning class IV rapids for those daring kayakers.

Prarie Park is a nice place to spend time with your family. It has everything here. There is a…read moreplayground, half basketball court, a skate ramp, baseball field, soccer field, sand volleyball court, splash pad, picnic tables all around, and covered areas to eat. There's portapotties all around the area, but no actual bathrooms with plumbing or anywhere to change. The splash pad is just water spraying from the ground, there are no fun water tables or anything. The playground is pretty nice and there is a smaller one for smaller kids as well. There is also a fairly big parking lot so finding space should be easy. The park is very nicely maintained, the grass is cut and there's pretty flowers planted everywhere. There's no graffiti on the playground and there's no garbage thrown around.

This place is great! The water is cold in the water park which makes it good to cool off in heat!…read moreThere is a big and small park both for certain ages. There are water things that shoot out of the ground in the splash pad. There is one bucket that dumps on you in the splash pad. There is a soccer field and a gagaball pit! There are also pickleball courts that come WITH SUPPLIES! (Balls and rackets.) There is a full-court for basketball! (Even though it doesn't come with a ball it is still fun to bring a ball!) There is a lot of open space to like throw a football or play a game! There are picnic tables and portapotties! The playground isn't the most fun playground, but because of everything else this is 4 stars!!

Kids love this Splash Pad they run and play for an hour or more. I as a parent like it because…read morethere is no play ground so I don't have to be two places at once. They also have live music in the summer.

From the owner: Children's splash pad, wedding location & pictures hotspot, Summer Concert Series location.read more

We have rented this pavilion for our family picnic for many years. We usually get there at eleven…read moreo'clock to set up for the noon picnic. This year when we arrived the pavilion was so disgusting & dirty. There were cigarette butts put out on the tables. Broken glass all over under the tables. Tacks stuck in all the tables & all over the ground. Old food left on the picnic tables. Took us over an hour to clean up the mess before we could start our picnic. The garbage cans were full. It was horrible.

This park is very updated and clean for a small town park. We were very pleased! Our toddler son…read moreloved the Splash Pad! It's $4 a person, which I think they should either just charge for kids or families, as O didn't even run around I. The water, I jut sat supervising my son. But I get it, they need funds to stay open. I wish there were more shaded areas at the splash pad. The trees only cover 1 or 2 of the tables. The playground has nice shade screen umbrellas and plenty of varied sizes of equipment for different ages. They have pavilions as well for picnics. You can rent them for I believe $50 a day and then the restroom key is a $100 deposit. We will be back! Such an enjoyable time!

This hidden gem is one of my favorite spots to meet friends and let the kiddos play! The playground…read moreseems new, and has a little mini one for toddlers and babies. Lots of trails to explore, right next to the water! I've seen people fishing as well. There are lots of picnic benches and large covered areas for bigger gatherings! We've attending a kid's birthday party here and it was perfect.

Beautiful, clean park with nice river views and paved trails. Nice bathrooms and picnic areas and…read morebenches.

The park had its formal dedication in early August 2022 with most of the park amenities open by…read morethis time. Orono Park has turned out as a key signature park for the Elk River community becoming one of the most active parks in the city's park system. The playground continues to be a popular attraction and an adjacent new splash pad opened in mid-July 2022. The splash pad is in a perfect loaction overlooking the expanded sandy beach and Lake Orono. Its a great addition to the park during the summer months. The seasonal restroom facility with four individual family restrooms can be used as a changing area for families with young children. It's in a perfect location right next to the splash pad and two sand volleyball courts with lighting, so that the courts can be used during the fall season. The skate park has been a huge hit getting used daily by all ages and skills. The four pickleball courts opened in September and gets used daily. Shade structures and windscreens will be added to the courts in 2023.

Relaxing environment with lots of activities for both adults and kids. Very spacious and clean…read morerestrooms.

An Anoka County Park located in Oak Grove on Lake George. It offers a lake beach and swimming, a…read moreboat launch, fishing pier, trails for hiking/biking, many picnic pavilions (that can be reserved for a fee), playground, off-street parking, sand volleyball court, restrooms. It is a fee-based park (either daily rate/yearly sticker).

Love this place! Beach, paths, park- perfect family spot. Lake Access point for boats and canoes…read moreavailable too

Great park with AstroTurf and a water park to run in. A great time for kids of most ages. My son…read morehad a blast for hours and slept great.

Great splash park and playground. Just needs an ice cream stand or an ice cream truck.read more

We did a quick walk down to the falls. It was impressive and pretty. There were a few people around…read moreso I didn't get the greatest nature only picture but it was worth the 100+ steps down and back and only took maybe about 15 minutes.

So beautiful. Worth the stop. You can either make a quick…read moretrip down the stairs or take the trails. The waterfall has a picnic area for family to hang out. Keep it clean cause it is so beautiful. You can get up behind the falls or play in it.

I have been going to the park almost daily with my mini schnauzer without any problems. Yesterday,…read morehowever, he was attacked by a pair of large dark colored German Shepards. The owner was able to call his dogs off but Chunk was bitten. He is recovering but anyone with small dogs should be cautious. I will in the future. I really like this park still and will continue to let Chunk play there;he really enjoys running free.

Back in the day I watched 4th of July fireworks here. Now I bring my dog here to their fenced in…read moredog park that goes to the Mississippi River. My dog seems to enjoy running around here and sniffing and meeting other dogs. People must take pride in this dog park as I didn't see any dog crap anywhere. Thanks fellow dog owners for being considerate. Free and small but clean and worth it.