Great little slice of heaven we stumbled on by accident after the beach at Willow River was a bust…read more Highly recommend!

great spot in the township of Troy (I know that for a fact since the warning signs for trespassing…read moreon the neighbor beaches is listed by them as $295 fine). Please see previous warning about the undertow in the river, out from the other side of the buoy-it IS dangerous further out. Near the shoreline, it is nice and shallow. We found this little slice of untouched St. Croix River a wonderful place to enjoy on a hot summer day.

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!

When I drive by in the summer the park looks very busy as there is plenty of parking room for beach…read moregoers to spread out. This beach is between Prescott and Hastings and has all the amenities you should expect. The rest of the year the area is open and a neat place to just sit around.

Great little beach with clean restrooms, garbage and recycling bins. We go during off times and…read moreit's perfect to enjoy the space when it's a little less crowded and we have space to spread out on the beach. There are plenty of picnic tables, shaded and grass areas if you prefer to stay off the sand.

Riverfront park with sidewalks, bridges, a bandshell (that hosts various events), and the cool…read moreHudson sign. If you walk a little farther, you will find the small beach area to swim and play in the sand. My brother also brought my kids to a "playground," which ended up being a collection of body weight exercise stations across from the library. :-) There are benches, tables, and green space throughout to enjoy reading under a shaded tree or a picnic with the fam. They were setting up for a concert when we were there and there was a bunch of seating and green space directly in front of the bandshell. This is a small, easily walkable park, adjacent to all of the cool riverfront restaurants and charming downtown shops.

The front half of a larger park, that has a handful of pedestrian paths with good views of the lake…read moreas well as the river. It has more lawn than the back half, several decorative monuments and it's adjacent to some of the nicer restaurants in Hudson.

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!

Wow! We spontaneously stopped by to see the water falls! Cost $16 for MN plates to get in. Parking…read morewas easy! We followed the map and took the shortest walk to the falls from the "Water Falls Parking Lot". The hike there is short (maybe a mile?) but WOW those INCLINES haha. You almost immediately walk downhill at a crazy incline - crazier than I ever have haha. We were dreading the walk back up and it lived up to that dread hahaha. Personally bringing kids this way would be an absolute no go for me. Once we got to the waterfalls it was worth it! Though we were underprepared - I would've brought water, and a swim suite / towel, and shoes that can get wet! Theres so many spots to sit near or in the water! Great photo spots and it didn't feel over crowded too. If you like hikes there were many more paths leading to and from the falls. I would come in a different, longer, less inclined route to the falls from our car next time! But there will be a next time!

I've enjoyed all seasons at this state park: in the winter, I've snow showed, in the spring/fall…read moreI've hiked, and in the summer I've enjoyed the beach. I've been to all 69 state parks in MN, and this one is my favorite near the metro area. There is something for everyone, although the hike to the beach includes a steep incline which can be a bother if you are carrying lots of gear (chairs, umbrella, water toys, etc).

Always amazed by the beauty MN has to offer and my friend took me on a scenic trail walk around…read moreAfton State Park. Everything was beautiful and the grounds are vast with summer flowers everywhere you look. Love the view of the St. Croix River as well. There are camping grounds here as well, which looks like a lovely getaway.

Very beautiful. A pier for fishing, an area for scuba and snorkeling. Designated swimming area…read more Very well kept. Nice bathrooms, lifeguards on duty.

A spacious sandy beach. Too bad I'm exploring in November but I'll keep this location in mind come…read morenext summer. There are three parking lots and one has a kiosk with a sign saying a pass is needed. I'm not sure for what, perhaps for boating. The other parking lot has no such warning. Just walk in head to the beach and enjoy.

We stopped here to do some geocaches and to check out the view of the St Croix River from the land…read more The day before we had boated by and saw the park from the river. The park does have a nice overlook down to the river and you can walk the path down to the beaches at the river level. If you have a boat you can tie-up here though I don't know it you can camp overnight in your boat. The park did not appear to have a campground though it did have a number of hiking trails. No surprise that this time of year also attracts lots of mosquitoes! Overall an OK state park.

This is a park on the Wisconsin side of the St Croix River. We have been here in the summer which…read morewas nice. It is completely different in the winter. The trail down to the river is very steep. It is a long climb up. The river when it was frozen allows you to walk along the swampy area and see several bald eagle. It was also very quiet and peaceful.