A great place to take the family for summer camps, beautiful hiking, nature education and tons of…read moreprograma

This is going to be one of those reviews where I open with a quote/poem. Today's selection will be…read moreone of my favorites from Wendell Berry: When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. Now that I got that out of my system, I love this place. They offer a ton of camps and classes for children and adults all centered around nature and conservation. I rememember coming to the day camps here and having a blast. I did the Spanish Lanuage immersion camp, general day camp, but never the week long over night. They offer cabins for rental as well. There was this one we went to that was like way out there on this trail and built from super old wood in a lincoln log kind of way. And now just looking at their website, they apparently rent that out too on a nightly basis. Ooh and the bogs. They have this massive bog on the property that you can walk through and it has all these crazy species of plants. There's even one of those insect eating plants and orchids and stuff. Now that I'm thinking about it, this place would make for a great Yoga retreat. If you're reading this Ms. Hunt or whoever owns this place, you should explore the idea of a partnership with a Yoga studio. You could be like the Kripalu of the midwest.

Great views, easy hike, and lots of fun things to learn on the trails right in the heart of Taylors…read moreFalls. Currently the visitors center is closed for the season but the trails are still accessible. We did the glacial potholes trails which was full of rock climbers. Great views of the St Croix River. Probably spent 15-20 minutes at this trail. Then we did the Walter F Mondale trail till we decided to turn back. Lots of nature to see including hawks, robins, chipmunks, squirrels, etc. Lots of great photo ops too! Probably spent 30-45 minutes on this one. Also they have port a potty's at the parking lot which is helpful while the restrooms are closed for the season.

This is a great nature park. I've loved it every time we have come (beware it's extra busy when…read morethe leaves change color!). I visited this most recent time with a four year old who absolutely loved clambering and climbing around the unique rock formations. The park had some great views over the river which come fall are even better. I am awaiting the day we get to make use of the campgrounds!

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.

TOP SECRET! This hiking destination is well, the BOMB! Lots of wildlife, you can't get too lost…read more(lots of maps/signage/follow-the-path), free, scenic vistas year round. Your mission-to find one of the elusive parking unpaved parking lots. Watch out for tiny enemy agents: mosquitoes & ticks! Be sure to don your special agent spray (bug spray) before you enter the woods!

Great hiking trail for the whole family and beautiful. Not a ton of incline and even my dog loves itread more

This park is located near the Sandstone Federal Penitentiary. It is a nature park and has a decent…read moresized parking lot. There is also a picnic shelter with tables under it, nice hiking trails and a restroom facility. It is very picturesque and touts a bat hibernaculum to beautiful scenery. I would suggest bringing and putting on some bug spray when you visit here. The bugs were feasting on me. The Kettle River is easily accessible from this park. They have a boat launch there that you can set off on your kayak excursion. Robinson Park is an all-season park that offers ice and mixed climbing in the winter and sports climbing and bouldering the other times of year. The park has hiking and some small camp sites that can be reserved that have campfires and picnic tables. There is also some benches that you can sit on that overlook the river. The park does not have a playground area, any green space, basketball or tennis courts, but is still a decent spot. It is a decent park, especially for you adventurous types. It is well off of the beaten path and is a very peaceful spot. It is well maintained and does not get much traffic. I enjoyed my time there and hope to make it back there soon.

We are always looking for new things to do near the Northern Shore as we take a trip at least once…read morea year up that way. This was our first time driving into Duluth through Superior Wisconsin so we had to make a stop at Pattison State Park. Our favorite view of the Big Falls was from the parking area across the street from the park entrance ( you still need a park permit to park there). Short hike to the viewing area and they also have a selfie station to get a great picture in front of the falls. The colors were beautiful as we came in the fall time but I would love to come back in the spring to see the falls raging!

I spent 3 wet, foggy days camping with my family at Pattison last weekend. The sites and trails are…read morevery well maintained and the hiking was great. The bathrooms were clean for the most part but the showers were kind of gross- however some of that was due to other campers. They are also in the process of building a new shower/bathroom facility. The most standout part of our stay however was Ranger Chris. He was incredibly nice and helpful, especially towards my 5 year old who always has about a million questions and observations. Ranger Chris hooked him up (pun intended) with a series of much treasured "fish cards" and a neat activity book that we had fun completing as a family so my boy could earn a Wisconsin patch. Thanks for making our (and especially his) stay wonderful, Ranger Chris!!

Hidden away in Gurney, Wisconsin-it was only a 23 minute (15miles) drive from Copper Falls State…read morePark. Well, you're obviously into waterfalls-why not go to an less travelled waterfalls? Maybe this is a rhetorical question, but we didn't know that this little gem was so close by. Yes, there are steps to view the best vista of the falls. Believe me-it's worth it. Bring your sneakers or hiking boots because you are gonna wanna check out this area and it's not set up for lots of tourists (i.e. dirt trails not asphalt trails). Bathrooms are kinda rustic too. There's a shelter by the parking area. I only wish I could have gotten here by bicycle *sigh*

Very nice experience. Beautiful falls and just a short walk from lot. There are a few stairs.read more

This is a relatively easy, well maintained, and beautifully scenic trail…read more Whether or not you're able to actually see falls, really depends on the level of water flow. We were here during a dry spell and so there were no falls to be seen. That said, the trail itself is gorgeous and the end (right before it loops you back toward the parking lot) has a stunning view of Lake Superior. Pro-tip: There's more than a view of Lake Superior. There's a staircase down to an outcropping of flat rock that while we were there folks were using as a jumping off point to take a dip in the lake! It's pretty protected and makes for a great swimming hole. We didn't get in the water but enjoyed watching others take the leap. Get to it!

A very pretty short hike through a nice scenic gorge. We never did see any falls and barely any…read morewater in the creek (guess it is a very dry summer). The end of the trail leads to a great view of the bay and a place to stretch out in the sun. The boardwalk on this hike is one of the nicest and sturdiest boardwalks I had ever encountered. This thing is made to last. Even without any water falling it is worth the time to see this place.

Beautiful and strenuous hike up to the dome. One of my favorite hikes in the area. At the end of…read morethe hike, the short walk to the falls is always a nice treat.

Please be prepared with walking sticks if you need it is a short path the beginning is very easy…read morebut as it goes on you'll cross muddy river bed with lots of slippery rocks a few times, so just saying be prepared it's not a walk in the park(The beginning is groomed and wide shortly after it does get real). The view is fantastic the waterfall is beautiful just be prepared with a little bit of bug spray and perhaps a bug net over your face seem to of worked for plenty of people. I will not post a picture of the view from Saint peters Dome because that's for you to see for yourself it's gorgeous!!!