Another stop on our quest to visit all MN state parks. This was the third of three parks in a day…read moreso we were very tired and only saw a small part of the park. We checked out the remains of the fort and learned about the people who lived there. The visitor center was still closed due to the pandemic but there were many placards around to read and learn. We took a short hike to a lookout point and found these amazing communal cocoons (my bug people say they are either gypsy or tent caterpillars). Views were beautiful. The area looked hilly and would have liked to see more. Best part about visiting all the parks is we get to see which areas are our favorites and visit again.

This is a state park and historic site as well, thus the name. There are ruins showing a much…read morelarger fort at one time and one preserved building and monument. Plenty of interpretive signs that have obviously been rewritten to reflect modern values of inclusive history. There are plenty of camping sites available in this seemingly very quiet park. The walking trails are generally in good shape until you go deeper in to the adjoining trails . There are steep hills and damp valleys and warning signs that trails are rougher. For reasons unknown many sections are closed and certainly it's not from flooding as the summer of 21' is drought stricken. One less star because of some poor or lacking signage and guide maps while at trail intersections. Pick up a paper map at the closed headquarters, (they are in a box), and use your phone compass if need be.

We camped at Flandreau in the off season (fall). The electric campsite wasn't particularly wooded,…read morebut the spots were pretty spacious. It's nice being so close to a town without seeing/hearing much. Be forewarned - you will need to go up and down a significant hill, which can be challenging with some vehicle/camper setups. Overall, it was a peaceful experience and we will need to further explore in the future. I wish the man made pool was open more than the limited time in the summer. The road within the dump station is very rough - it could use resurfacing.

A super fun area to bring kids during the summer months! There is a "swimming pond" which is like a…read moreman made lake (with no fish!) There is also lots of trails to explore and hike on

Plenty of trails to pick from, although they can be a bit challenging to navigate by the postings…read more This may have been caused by the number of trails and lack of water in the creek. The park is full of deciduous trees, so they are beautiful in the fall.

Thank you Nicollet County for this awesome park! It is a hidden gem along Highway 169, between St…read more Peter & Mankato. If you blink, you might miss it...but be sure to turn around when it's safe and check out this special spot! We explored the west part of the park (hiking, picnic) but the park extends across 169 and has a boat landing on the Minnesota River (we will check that side out next time!). 628 acres of Nicollet County Park, 10 miles of multi-use trails with equestrian parking & highway underpass, 3 shelters & many picnic areas along the creek, a playground, 2 volleyball courts & a ball diamond. Brown Trout are stocked in Seven Mile Creek by the DNR, but be sure to have your trout stamp! We have had wonderful hikes in this park, meeting horseback riders (at crossroads between equestrian trails & hiking trails), enjoying the space and beauty. Next time you're headed south on 169, check it out!

This park has been closed since February 2024 . It was an incredible place to go hiking and such a…read morebeautiful land to explore and appreciate. Pretty sad that it's been taken away from people who wanted to continue to love and appreciate it.

A Park that is split with wetlands on one end with a river view hike, and prairie lands on the…read moreother, as well steep climbs with a view. This is not a park of deep forests and historic tall trees. There are a few camping sites including tipi sites. Horse lovers will rejoice in the many trails for the equine. Pick up a map at the self service booth at the entrance as there are very few markers and "Hiking Club" signs along the way. There is enough to do to spend a day or just a few hours by selecting the appropriate length of a trail. *There is a note on the website that Hwy 67 will be closed for a long time and you'll have to enter from Renville Cty Rd 10 to Yellow Medicine Cty 21.

We are starting our journey of visiting every state park. We have been to some, but this is a…read morerestart for retirement! We started here and it was a wonderful start. The leaves were just starting to turn and the views were lovely. The hiking trails are well maintained. There was also work being done on the beach play area. Should be great when it is done.

Nice hiking trail. We took the Mt Tom trail which was a nice loop taking you to a lookout point for…read moreMt Tom as well as a lookout for Little Tom. The trail was in nice shape. There were a few areas that needed a little grooming but nothing to cause you to lose the trail. There was a detour because goats were fenced along the trail nearest the swimming area causing that part to be closed. We just cut that part out and followed the road back to our car. So glad we did because we found two fawns on the edge of the road and photographed them peaking at us from behind the trees. Lots of wild flowers along the trail. It seemed to be a popular camping spot and many were swimming in the lake on a warm afternoon. We actually missed the Mt Tom lookout as you have to leave the trail and cross a parking lot to get to the lookout path. We decided to drive up there and I'm so glad we did. They have some nice placards and a lookout structure so you can really see above the tree line.

Pretty small state park. The two mile hike brings you around the outer edge. The main attraction is…read morethe beach but we weren't swimming. It was a combo of woods and open field hiking. Bugs were a bit annoying.

In the summer of 2018, my husband and I stopped at this park for the Passport stamp and to do the…read moreHiking club trail. Nice pretty park. The historic WPA bridge is made with local stones. There are other WPA era buildings at the park also. This was a fun park for a quick day trip.

Love the prairie setting! There is something calming about tall waves of grass in all directions…read more We stayed three nights in the upper campground at site 7 with full hook ups. TONS of room. These campsites are big with lots of prairie in between. Loved that there was mowed grass throughout the site. (Instead of the dirt sites you get in forests.) The camper spots are gravel. The pit toilet by us was spotless and checked every morning by ranger staff. The shower building was also clean. There are prairie trails with epic views of the lake right from the campground. They were all recently mowed which we greatly appreciated! I would also recommend walking to the state record cottonwood tree. As big as you think... We did drive to the beach twice and had a fabulous time. The water seems to be much better than what the previous reviewer said 9 years ago. Maybe all the rain we got this season helped? We didn't see any issues. We will be back to this park!

After the recent rains, the hiking club trail was a bit squishy in some places. Field and woods…read morewalking. Not a lot of features to see. Some of the highlights included the visitor center. The woman working there was so nice and helpful. There is also a room full of stuffed birds and furs so you can get up close and personal with the animals of our region. The wild flowers around the center were stunning. You must stop and see the giant cottonwood tree. It's ginormous. It's amazing how big a tree can get. So cool. The pelicans that hang out at the dam were interesting to see as well. Huge beautiful birds.

On our quest to visit all MN State Parks, this was number 31. We did a 3+ mile hike through lakes,…read morewoods, 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.

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

Beautiful well kept "preserved " park. No bison were around to see though, all our cars driving up…read moreand down , they're smart to stay in the woods! Kind of a joke really. No matter trails great, parking ample.

I like Minneopa for easy access to beautiful scenery, you can visit the buffalo on the other side…read moreof the highway and have a few cute nature filled trails.

We hiked the 3+ mile Redwood River loop which took us through prairie and wooded areas. Part of the…read moretrail allowed horses but we did not see any riders on our visit. The trail was a mixture of sun and shade. Definitely bring some bug spray. We walked past a lovely trout stream. There was a small beach that a family was enjoying. We also saw camp sites available.

Beautiful campground with spacious sites. Well maintained. Nice shower houses…read more Great sights and sounds from the Redwood River. It is near a railroad track but we enjoyed hearing the thunder of the trains too.