This is a fantastic park with trails are easy and wind around the little lakes in the park. Make…read moresure to stop by the agate center for an excellent exhibit on the geology of Minnesota, very informative and awesome. The beach on Echo lake is very nice too! Lots of raspberries which you can eat. We also saw a deer and some small frogs! Highly recommend!

Fantastic State Park with an excellent Agate museum for all age groups! Run, don't walk to this…read morebeloved State Park! Lake, trails, camping, nature, fun for all ages!

It's a tough walk over rocks to the lighthouse. Nice scenic spot. Wasn't busy when I was there…read more Too much graffiti on the lighthouse. Sad. And piles Of beer cans just off the beach from obvious parties. Party on, but pick up after yourself. Fires are along on the beach on the Wisconsin side, not on the Minnesota side. It's a bit remote, probably why there's more parties here.

My family had fun walking along the shore and wandering through the woods. We made it a pretty good…read moredistance out to the lighthouse but decided to turn back as the waves were making the rocks slippery and there's some pretty deep gaps between some of the rocks on the path out. It would have been cool to make it to the lighthouse, but not recommended with kids and or dogs, probably somewhat questionable just adults.

Loved the park. Tower was much shorter than imagined. Beautiful grounds and the peace bell was neat…read moreto see

We found out about this tower from the hotel front desk and thought, why not--it's free! Parking…read morewas easy, and the views did not disappoint. From the top you get a full 360° view of Duluth, including the aerial lift bridge, which was super cool to see. The tower's only a few stories high and has rails to help with the climb, though it's not ADA accessible. Along the way, we also learned about Mr. Enger and his impact on the city, plus Duluth's special ties to Norway. Definitely a neat little stop! Not to mention there was a Japanese Zen garden and a few trails.

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.

The playground could use some updates, but cute concept. The kids seem to really enjoy it, but just…read moregetting a bit old. There is a bandshell and music in the park event in the summer which is a great community event. You can also launch your boats into the lake. The area near the serpent statue no dogs allowed which is a bummer. Skate park and police station all in the same area.

Beautiful park! Super clean and fun! We were visiting from out of town, and this place didn't…read moredisappoint.

Of all the points I've visited on the North/South shores, I keep coming back to here. The sand, the…read morewalk, all of which, are easy, continues to be one of our favorites. The only apology we have is recommending this place to others. But, by hopes, it will save it from further industrialization, because it's truly a remarkable spot of propriety. The only black mark on this place is that as a child I was able to camp here and now you can not. Our last visit a child informed us that he had broken the lock to the lighthouse. After 20 years, we investigated. That's where you'll f find the pictures.

I love this beach! The water might be cold, but the views are always great. This beach is where…read moreI've honed my rock skipping skills (I'm still not very good at it, but I'm getting there!) Be warned, four years ago my brother cut his foot on this beach and it got infected, but that's not the beach's fault! Just make sure to wear shoes when walking around or watch your step!

We came on MN State Park Day where entrance was free and this has been on my husband's list to…read morevisit so we gave it a go! We did a combination route along the Quarry Loop and Wolf Creek Trails and it was really great! I like how it also snaked past other trails like Hell's Gate and Deadman Trail, and you could hop off the trail for a bit and explore something else (like checking out the historic sandstone quarry ruins and the waterfall). Generous shade and well maintained, we had an awesome time!

We only got to spend about an hour at Banning State Park but it was an hour well spent. Lots of…read morehiking trails to choose from and a nice picnic area right off the parking lot that even has grills available. We took a short hike to see some rapids and even though the water was low it was quite beautiful! Trails were maintained and the colors were beautiful this time of year. Wish we could have spent more time! Not too far from the twin cities metro so makes for a nice day trip!

Used to study on the beach here, now I walk it with my dogs or friends to catch up and listen to…read morethe boats come in. Pets are suppose to be on leash on the MN side, but seem to be fine off leash on the WI side (: some people don't mind off leash controlled pups on the leashes side tho. Deer flies can be a bother in the summer months.

Great beach, tons of room so not crowded at all. Also shallow a distance out which is great for…read morekids. Super soft sand, and goes for quite a distance.

We had our first time visit to St Croix Park this past weekend and we are already planning our next…read moretrip back to spend more time! The park is located just an hour and a half from the twin cities area so made for a great day trip destination! We did the recommended scenic drive to the 100ft fire tower which gave us some awesome fall color views! The park had many beautiful trees and we saw so many blue birds! We really want to check out camping here but will have to save that for another trip! Overall a great park to check out the fall colors!

I can't believe it took me this long to explore this state park. Close enough to the cities for a…read moreday trip, big enough to make you want to come back and keep exploring -- it helps that the weather was perfect during our camping trip. The park itself is incredibly large. Be prepared to drive 5-15miles to get to different areas of the park. Plenty to do from the largest area of electric campsites I've seen at a state park, to river access for canoes/kayaks, to a beach to swim and relax, to the famous observation tower if you want the most scenic view of the park. Campsites are not super private, but very spacious -- so spacious you could easily fit a large camper (30ft+), a tent or clam, and your vehicle, and still have room for activities. Also, poor to no cell service at campsites (so you can disconnect!), but they do have wifi in park buildings. PS: climbing the tower isn't for the faint of heart -- steep.