We like to make the trek from the twin cities to this park in Red Wing. There is a lot of parking…read moreat the trailhead and once you get going, it isn't too long of a hike up the hill and you are rewarded with really nice views of the town, the surrounding county, the river, as well as being able to see deep into Wisconsin. There is a lot to look at from the northern vantage point. Then, you can head south along a ridgeline and get to the southern vantage point and the views there go on for miles as well. It is definitely kid-friendly, as my 4 year old walked the whole thing and my 2 year old walked a bunch of it, too. Just make sure to take a few breaks and bring some snacks.

Very nice place for a quick hike of different distances and levels of difficulty…read more Plentiful parking spots on the streets if need it. We'll pave and well navigate with signs, directions, and directions. We hike the Midland Trail and the South for an easy to moderate hike. We went the west outlook point. Well designed trails and stairs for everyone to come and enjoy. Overall yes, would come by if in the area for a nice breezy hike. The overall view point from the top overlooking downtown red wing is spectacular. Pictures cannot do justice to.

Trying to be more intentional about exploring parks around Minneapolis this year, and Hidden Falls…read moreseemed like the perfect place to start. We usually default to Minnehaha Falls across the river, but I'd never actually explored this side--which looks to be really sprawling with new townhomes and modular single family homes. We parked near the dam and walked along the trail to reach the stairs leading down to Hidden Falls. Heads up: the walk down is a little precarious since there's no railing for most of the stairs, but it's not very steep and the trek itself is pretty short. The falls themselves were a bit disappointing at the moment--more of a trickle than a waterfall--but it is early in the season. That said, the forested park area it winds through was really nice, and made the visit worth it regardless. I can already tell this place is probably stunning in the summer when everything is green and flowing! Even with the lower water level, it was a great way to explore somewhere new and great to see there were so many people already exploring the park with it being chilly still!

Beautiful park near the city. Grabbed some take out and found an empty picnic table in the middle…read moreof the day - lots of parking! Watched a few boats launch, saw some geese, enjoyed watching people along the shore. Picnic tables near the water at the North Entrance. Check it out!

Best way to spend my birthday out snowshoeing with friends! The trails here are very scenic with…read moreviews of the Mississippi, and lots of wildlife to boot. Definitely worth the trip especially if you are visiting nearby Red Wing. My only criticism would be that the maps along the trail didn't have a "you are here" marker, but that went away once I figured out each intersection being assigned a letter. Will have to come back in the warmer seasons for a hike and/or camping trip!

Beautiful trails, very nice campsite and gorgeous bathroom/shower facilities! It was our first time…read morevisiting and we enjoyed the family-friendly atmosphere. A very easy and beautiful drive from Rochester, perfect for a weekend getaway!

Trails were well groomed. Morning it wasn't as busy. Once afternoon hit, it was much busier. At…read moreWelch rest area they had a stand to greet people and had music. Nice touch.

WONDERFULLY maintained trail. Enjoyed my time running here, starting in Red Wing and going 10 miles…read moreout and back. Was moderately busy on a weekend - mostly bikers. You do need to make a 5$ donation if you are biking that gives you a sticker to put on your bike while riding. No light posts so I wouldn't recommend going at night. Will be back!!

This is probably not a destination park, but if you find yourself near Hastings with the need to…read moreget out of your car for between 10 and 60 minutes, chances are you'll enjoy Vermillion Falls Park. There's a nice sized parking lot and the falls is literally two minutes away. WIN. If you have teens who like some light hiking and picture taking, they will love this place. The teens I was with happily took pictures of both the falls and the graffiti and I enjoyed the wildflowers. Several picnic tables, and port a potties.

Beautiful park and water falls with paved paths and great signage, even in winter. I had to be…read morecareful with some ice on the trail, especially near the falls. It is an easy walk from the parking lot. The gorge is very pretty, and the falls are absolutely breathtaking! Well worth a stop when you are in Hastings.

Hay Creek Day Use Area is part of the Richard J. Doer State Forest. My daughter and I are in Red…read moreWing, MN for a few days and this place is my favorite. A trout creek (shallow during my visit) meanders for miles, and we just did some tent camping on state forest land (dispersed allowed) and wading, biking and hiking. You'll probably see deer and other gentler wildlife. It's legal to pick blackberries and nuts. :) There are some really nice paved trails for biking, and dirt trails for mountain biking. For hiking you'll find meandering paths through the woods. I read that this is one of the busier places because it's near Minneapolis (and touristy Red Wing and Mississippi River), but I didn't find it too busy, but not overly secluded either. For getting out and getting exercise and fresh air and getting into nature or escaping life for a while without having to use survival skills, this is a great place. You can download maps at the Department of Natural Resources website (do a search for "Hay Creek" - the Hay Creek area is within the Richard J. Doer State Forest area - there's limitations within the Day Use area). The Red Wing Public Library also has flyers at the entrance that has a rough outline of locations. Nearby is the paved Pioneer Goodhue Trail (paved for biking) which I believe turns into the Hay Creek trail. (Red Wing is very bike friendly.) "Hay Trail Road" is the primary point of access and is a gravel road a few miles long. 305th street and 310th street (or Recrecation Road) aren't marked (unless I missed it). Private and Public property does interrupt each other, signage is weak but exists. Fishing is allowed (we didn't fish), and there's snowmobiling paths. I do believe hunting is allowed in some spots (check the map). Someone official with papers did stop to ask if we were fishing, pleasant man, we weren't - but if you fish or hunt I'd make sure you had a license if required. (My daughter is only 13 so license is not required for her. Personally, the water was waaaay too shallow to fish where we were so the question seemed funny unless I was fishing for minnows.) Creek water was very clear. Unfortunately, I don't have a horse or an RV, but there's stables (Hay Creek Stables) that offer trail rides, and there's definitely a presence of horseback riders here. Everyone I've met around the area has been very friendly. Down the road is the Hay Creek Campground for RVs and horse owners. Very horse friendly area. I called the office, and "dispersed camping" (free camping in non-designated spots) is allowed on State Forest land but not in the Day Use Area, but parking is limited and you need a good map to see boundaries, although there are some signs that say "State Forest Land." It's not bear country, but they do list coyotes. If I had any reason to pass through here again, this would be a definitely "always stop here" place on my map. Unfortunately, it's about 900 miles from home. Oh ya, and it's free! No parking fees!! (Don't expect restrooms or porta-johns though.) Highly recommend for outdoor horseback riding, hiking, biking, and drinking coffee at the creek in the morning.

My furry friend group chose this spot for our big annual camping trip! There were 86 of us total,…read moreand we utilized the Group Site that has several cabins available, plus a main cabin that serves as the place to gather and eat with a full kitchen and walk-in fridge. I really enjoyed the cozy feel to the cabins, which have wonderfully rustic wooden paneling and floors. Our cabin had two wings with four bunk beds each, plus a center room with a large bed (ideal, no doubt, for scouting purposes). The cabins are heated by thermostat and there are a few electrical outlets, but no other amenities that I was aware of. The main cabin had a large center fire pit that made the whole place wonderfully cozy. Also included are several long tables with benches to sit at, as well as additional chairs with backs to gather around the firepit. There are electrical outlets too. Flooring was a mix of wood and tile. There are also restrooms nearby, which include toilets, sinks, and showers. Separated by gender, male and female. The designated parking lot for the Group Site was able to accommodate around 40-45 cars, which served our purposes well. There is also a small roundabout that leads up to the main cabin for ease of unpacking/dropping off gear. All these amenities made the long-weekend very enjoyable! This isn't a huge park by any means, but even in the icy snow, I was able to enjoy a few of the trails while there. The alphabetical trail markings confused me a bit at first, but then I realized it was how the park was indicating "you are here" without customizing each sign. At the trailheads are large informational signs that give you the distance, difficulty, and features you'll see on said trail. The river that cuts through here is really gorgeous. It was partially frozen over during our visit, and we got some flurries while we were camping, which covered everything in a beautiful fresh coat of white powder. Got some great photos and great memories. I was a bit bummed that the Nature Store wasn't open (it's seasonal), because I am a sucker for souvenirs on sightseeing trips to parks and such.

Whitewater is a gorgeous park with some varied scenery. There are a lot of neat formations to check…read moreout such as the bluffs, forests, rivers, and more. There are some easy to more challenging hikes available. There are also a lot of nice amenities and a beach area.

Parking, cleanliness, presentation was 5 stars. However, the condition of some of the animals had…read moreme a little concerned. The bear we saw was pacing and panting back and forth. I'm not a zookeeper by any means, but considering the heat and kids screaming, maybe stress and hot! The same was for the mountain lion. He actually was pawing at his enclosure door to get out of the sun, but seemed unable to do so. Other animals were even seen pawing at empty bowls, which again, assuming this to be for water. I grew up on a farm, not a zookeeper, but the animals looked very uncomfortable.

This was unexpected. Like, really unexpected. We drove here after camping at a state park nearby,…read moreand the roads made us think we were headed towards someone's backyard and we might be the only ones there. We could not have been more wrong! Buses full of field trip kids! So many granny nannies! Plenty of older kids, including a few groups of teenagers! This is a legit nature center, quality playground, and perfectly nice little zoo. I don't know what it's like to live down here, but apparently the locals love this place. That said, it wasn't too crowded at all, and the bathrooms were clean. Parking was easy. We stayed for about an hour, but plenty of people looked like they had packed lunches and intended to stay all day.

We wanted a spot that offered outdoor fun with a nearby city for lunch, and this park delivered!…read moreIt's huge.... offering hiking, camping, biking, swimming, and even skiing in the winter. There's always something to do no matter the season. Parking is $8, and on busy days you might wait a few minutes, but it's worth it. At the entrance, you'll get a helpful map (also available online) that shows all the trails and recreation options. We parked near the boat launch and took the 1.5-mile loop to the waterfall, a beautiful, family-friendly walk with no complaints from the kids! The waterfall itself is stunning. We kicked off our shoes, dipped our feet in the cool water, and climbed around the rocks above the falls. There are more challenging hikes if you're feeling adventurous, and it's only about 10 minutes to great Hudson riverfront dining afterward. We left smiling and saying, "That was so fun maybe we should get an annual pass!

Everyone is even thinking about going to check out these falls needs to know this. There's 2 paths…read moreto get there. No signs warning hikers of how steep the path is. No rails or anything to hold onto while going down this steep path. Me and my dad attempted to walk down this steep trail and it ended with my dad being taken by ambulance to the ER. Had several people tell us while waiting for the EMT's that they see people get taken to the hospital on a pretty regular basis. Both the hospital in Hudson and then the one we visited the next day in Oakdale said they get a lot of business from that place. So you'd think if so many people are getting seriously hurt they'd take precautions to make it safer. But, they don't. This was our first day of a 2 and 1/2 week vacation. So please use caution on that trail. Park Rangers should tell you this when your paying for admission or buying your park pass.

Learned about this park from the book titled "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of the Twin Cities." In…read moregeneral, the park was quite nice. Very nice views of the river along part of the path... You can hike for just over 2 miles (part of the original path has closed due to erosion from rainfall). The trails are pretty well-maintained, and I think that is because they are frequently used... We saw several other people there during our visit.