On our quest to visit all MN State Parks, this was number 31. We did a 3+ mile hike through lakes, woods, and prairie. Loved the lookout hill to be able to see the colors highlighted by the sun on a beautiful fall day. Trail was well marked, wide, and well maintained. Watch out for horse droppings as you share the trail. There were quick a few cars in the parking area but we didn't see a ton of people on the trails so nice to be able to spread out. Easy hike for most. Enjoyed the day here. read more

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This is a nice state park to hike. The natural trails are well marked. They had clean bathrooms and a place to refill your water bottle. Fall colors at peak this year were disappointing. read more

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Winter hike. Road leading into park was rough. It seems like it had not been cleared and maintained regularly. The office is closed indefinitely. The interpretive center was open and had nice restrooms. I did not see signage as to where to the trailhead began, so I just set out and hoped for the best. The trails were fine for hiking but not groomed for cross country skiing. I hiked the Big Woods Loop and it was great. Nice rolling hills, ponds, lakes, camper cabins and beautiful views. I ate lunch on Anderson Hill, very nice. The hike was about 3.8 miles with moderate terrain because of the hills. I definitely recommend this park. read more

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Another large & lovely place to enjoy nature in Minnesota. There are lots of hiking trails through the dense woods of this park, many of which can be enjoyed on horseback during the warmer months. But for my money, the best reason to come to Lake Maria State Park is to use the backpacking sites. If you look at a map of this park, you'll see that there are lots of lakes, lots of trails, and lots of camping options. The hiking trails mostly stay away from the lakes, but many of the backpacking sites are near those shores and give you a nice lakeside camping experience. That's exactly what I came for on this visit, and I wasn't disappointed. You won't find any small-group drive-up campsites at this park. You can book one of the large group sites designed for 20-50 people, and those are pretty close to the parking lot. However, any other camping will require a hike and a gear-shlep. You'll be more isolated though, but if you're on the eastern side of the park the atmosphere will be tainted by the noisier traffic on County Road 111. There are a lot of places for picnics; the main spot is by the largest lake, but there are picnic tables sprinkled around throughout the park. There is also a Trail Center with some tables both inside and surrounding the building. The hiking trails are woodsy, and they vary in how groomed they are. Some of the signposts are not as helpful as you might want & could use a "you are here" dot on the map. No big deal though; when I return here it will definitely be to get myself a nice lakeside backpacking site and enjoy some relaxing outdoors time. read more

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It's undoubtedly a nice park. The downside is that there aren't really many picturesque views, it's basically just the woods. But they are nice woods for sure. read more

More scenic beauty and solitude in a slightly smaller state park. I do like the direction signs while following on a paper map, readily available in the trail office. I know I'm on the right track and can stay on a three mile route rather than error and end up slugging ten miles in Minnesota humidity. There are well separated campsites which are considered backpack sites, (no vehicles)! That's a welcome relief as I visit and hike state parks to get away from vehicle and other noise. I see there are cabins for rent too for families to stay out of the buggy woods. There are a small chain of lakes with plenty of wildlife around. Standing on the dock there are frogs jumping, fishing flying out of the water and some great birds. I'm not sure what else is lurking in the forest areas. read more

Lake Maria State Park - Lake Maria. - Parks Near Me - Monticello, Minnesota

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Beautiful fall day spent with a great friend hiking through this park. Gorgeous fall colors at peak. Plenty of trails with lake views, thick forest views and rolling plains. Will definitely be back for another hike. read more

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We spent a weekend here in May. All the campsites are hike-in and relatively secluded. You can't see or hear anyone once you're at your campsite. Campsites have a fire ring, vault style toilet, food box and a picnic bench. The hiking is hilly and shaded. My three year old carried her own pack and made the 3/4 mile trek in and out just fine. You can hear traffic, but it's not terrible. Lots of wildlife, toads to catch, turtles, birds etc. Some things to note: 1. Park office hours. You can only get firewood and fire starters during office hours. 2. No showers at this park. 3. Pump for water to fill your water bag is at the interpretive center, which also has flushing toilets and AC. 4. You can rent canoes at this park. 5. This is a glorified swamp. Bring yer deet spray or get carried off by the bugs. 6. This is not swimming water. It's gross and has turd looking algae. Leave your suit at home. Great hiking park. I love the secluded campsites. I would visit this park in the spring or late fall for least amount of bugs. It's close to Minneapolis, so we'll be back! read more

Lake Maria State Park - Lots of toads here! - Parks Near Me - Monticello, Minnesota

The best part about this park is that the campsite felt very private and it's a close drive from the Twin Cities (1 hr away). The hiking trails and lakes were just not that impressive though & it's a pretty small park. We reserved a backpacking campsite so parked about a mile from our site. OVERALL TIPS: - If you're getting to your campsite after 5pm, get wood in town before going to the park. The wood bundles are locked away & u can't buy them after the park staff leave at 5pm. It created an extra hassle for us. Other places have the wood out & you just put cash in a box if you take it but guess they don't trust folks to do that here. Luckily, the town of Monticello is close by but it did cut into our relax time since we had to hike a mile in and out in the dark. - Don't bother bringing a swimsuit The water looked gross, so no way was I going in there. There's a dock on Lake Maria if you have a boat though. - Good place to see a bunch of different birds. We saw an olive-sided flycatcher! - During July, all the pests are out so bug spray is a must. Mosquitos & flies were in full force but miraculously disappeared at night when it got a little cooler. - While there is a lot of foliage around the campsite & it feels secluded, you can still hear cars at night. - Road in the park is full of potholes and is dirt so drive a car you don't mind going getting a little banged up. - At night, look up! Saw some great stars & the milky way was right above us! Camping here made for a quick getaway from the cities. I'm glad I got to try a new park I haven't been to before, but I'll probably try some other parks next time I'm in the area. read more

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Great wooded park with tons of nicely shaded trails. There are several outhouses throughout the park along the trail and actual bathrooms in the interpretive center. Many of the trails are shared with horse riders which means there are giant piles of poop all over the trails. Also, the bugs are horrible. read more

Hidden gem for a Fall walk/run/ hike, parking is in center of the Park for any loop distance desired, mostly rolling and treed. Enclosed visitor center with heat, water, bathrooms read more

Pros: -Secluded campsite -Beautiful scenery -Friendly office workers -Fire ring & picnic table at the site Cons: -Be prepared to hike & pack light -Hard to reach office by phone (press 0) -Firewood didn't burn well that we bought at the office ($6 for 4 pieces of firewood) read more

Located about an hour outside of Minneapolis, this state park is one of the popular parks to see fall foliage. We went on one of the last summer-like weekends in fall this year and although my hiking partner was great at spotting the scattered fall colors, I was a little less impressed by the foliage. However, the hike itself was better than I expected! There were several beautiful lakes to relax next to, plenty of campsites, horse trails, fall leaves on the ground, and the trail was actually slightly hilly! It costs $5 to get a parking permit for the park but it's a good sized place to explore, had we come a week earlier we probably would've seen the trees with more vibrant colors. But as is it's worth a trip! It's also conveniently located in that on the way there or back to Minneapolis you cross Albertville Outlets if you're in the mood to shop, and Minne Diner, known for their minneapple and minnepumpkin pies they sell at the State Fair every year. It seems like a GREAT place to camp, definitely going to consider doing that next time. Yet another great find in the wonderful state of MN. read more

Wow! Less than an hour from the twin cities and you feel like you're much further away! Beautiful, quiet and secluded! read more

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