We love camping at Wild River camp grounds. There are some nicer sites to reserve, if you know ahead of time which spots are premium, not all sites have a raised tent pad though. They also offer full facilities as well, including warm showers. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. They also offer specific areas for campers and personal cabins too. Lots of walking and biking paths which connect to all the camping areas. The walking paths will take you down to the St. Croix River and a small sandy beach. The only down side is the over zealous DNR employees. We had one employee driving by around 9pm tell us we were being too loud, even though the "quiet time" is from 10pm-8am. We responded "sorry we were laughing too loud", he then shined a flashlight on our picnic table to see if we were drinking(alcohol is prohibited BTW). How about they tell the family next to us to turn off their music and stop talking so loud when it's midnight ...sorry I was just on my soap box, all in all I would recommend Wild River for a nice place to camp and enjoy nature for a weekend. read more

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This park is located along 18 miles of the St. Croix River. It's a quieter option to Interstate SP and Williams O'Brien SP (in the nearby vicinity). It's about an hour from the Twin Cities. It has opportunities for hiking, bird watching, and kayaking. The paddle down the St. Croix River from the Sunrise river access to the southern park river access is leisurely. Be selective about the hiking trail you choose. Some trails are shared with horseback riders. The trail I I hiked had its fair share of horse manure, which detracted from the experience. read more

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Great place to camp with your horse! One morning I was out pottying the dogs when a teary young lady ran up asking if I'd seen her horse... He had gotten loose and was found a few hours later. The hiking trail we went on was wide and really sandy. Perfect for riding, but definitely a challenging hike. There is a paved path in the park too that goes through the woods. Not as scenic. The river is a ways from the campground. Not visible... read more

Great place to bike / nature playground was fun for little ones. Lots of good trails & campsites were nice read more

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This campground is huge! it's also spacious and heavily wooded. We had two tents, two cars, and four dogs and there was plenty of space at the site itself. There's also a ton of space between each site so you have a lot of privacy. It's heavily wooded with access to some hiking trails leading to the river. There's a boat launch as well. They have a small gift shop where they sell basic camping items and firewood. read more

Wild River State Park - View from a hiking trail from the campground - Parks Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

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I would say this park was quite inviting. The views were beautiful and the trails/paths were well maintained. I arrived early set up, and went for a two mile hike. I was told to be cautious of the horse trails and showed very cute photos of baby blue birds. I ended up spotting a deer close to my site, and walked into the road for a better photo. Turns out it was two fawns and a small herd of deer. I got a great photo. Later after a buggy hike (thank god i put my heavy deet on prior), when i saw two sand hill cranes. They casually strolled in front of my car and i got tons of beautiful photos at sunset of them munching. This is amazing considering they are notoriously scared of humans! I did leave early due to rowdy 4th of July campers but overall had a nice time at the park. I won't stay again on the fourth though even though fire works weren't allowed! read more

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This is delightful Minnesota State Park on the St. Croix River. We are Minnesotans, so we do things outdoors in the winter: Snowshoe, hike, cross-country ski. WRSP includes all, even differentiating trails between the classic x-c skiing and x-c skate skiing. We snowshoed the 2.1 mile snowshoe trek thru Amin's Pond Trail down to the frozen St. Croix & Walter F. Mondale River Trail. It is a wonderful winter excursion! The Trail Center was open but masks are required indoors. Be sure to check with the park rangers if the snowshoe & ski rental area is open (they have abbreviated hours & opened it up just so someone could snowshoe on Friday). Our thanks to Russell, the working staff at WRSP for the interesting tidbits on the park wildlife! read more

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Typically well-kept Minnesota State Park. I spent a weekend at a backpacking site in September, 2021. I arrived in the early evening on a Friday and the office/shop facility was still staffed, so that was nice. I chose a site ("Buck Hill") that would require a long hike, but even though it was distant from where my car was parked, it was at the southern edge of the park where there was plenty of noise from traffic and non-camping humans that just live a few hundred yards away, plus there's a highway right across the river. I was even visited by police officers who had been called to the area because someone reported hearing "domestic disturbance" noises in the vicinity! Another thing about the site I chose is that it's along the Deer Creek Trail, which is mainly designed for horses during the warmer months. It's not as nice to hike around there on foot; much of the trail has a sandy, beachy surface, and you have to be on the lookout for piles of poop the whole time. But it's probably awesome for going on a horse-walk. And I can't forget to mention that from my site, the view of the St. Croix River was spectacular! In addition to the front office, there is a Visitor's Center with an indoor section, a balcony with great views, and a cool botanical exhibit around the exterior. I wish the signs posted along the trails were more informative; many of them don't indicate where you are, so they're no better than the map you probably have in your hand. But there are lots of nice nature walks to be had here. The options for camping are much broader than what I experienced, but because I was so isolated and the trails in my area were so horse-y, I didn't get as good a look-around as I'd like. But there are drive-in sites, some with electricity, canoe camps, horse camps, and many other facilities that make this park looking into for lots of camping situations. If you're going to camp along the St. Croix, you should definitely check this park out. read more

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As of today 10/1/21 the leaves haven't quite peaked. We hiked from the boat launch to the dam-not-dam scenic view point and back. The Boat launch and first part of the wild river trail had the best views. The dam isn't there and the leaves hadn't changed at all there. read more

Wild River State Park - Wild river trail - Parks Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

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This review is specifically for the cabin at Wild River State Park. It's got great amenities and is secluded deep in the woods for a peaceful getaway/retreat. There is a kitchen stocked with pots/pans/plates/utensils, a full bathroom, and a beautiful living room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The things I would improve are the creaky tub (the bottom is so worn that I feared it would cave in) and the bunk beds, which are worn thin. I'd recommend bringing an extra sleeping pad. Your back will thank you later! read more

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A lovely state park just outside the metro area. We rediscovered Wild River this fall after a long absence. A month ago we hiked the Walter F. Mondale trail along the St. Croix river and then back through the woods on the Old Logging Trail. A good 5 miles. On latest visit we hiked the Old Military road - with limited but beautiful views of the river - and the Deer Creek loop, which twists and turns through the woods. Many other miles of hiking for future visits. read more

Wild River State Park - Deer Creek - Parks Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

There are many types of trails and a network of intriguingly named trails. One branches off to another so take a map from the visitor center and use your compass on your smartphone. It could be a long walk back if you get yourself lost in this vast park. Some of the trail maps with blow up inserts are missing the "You Are Here" sticker so that's the only issue that made this somewhat confusing, but I don't mind as I love this type of adventure. There are so many more miles of trails to explore. The main trails are wide and cleaned and it is advisable to stay on these during tick season, the rougher trails through the heavy forest and grass are loaded with ticks and skeeters so beware. read more

Wild River State Park - Valley lookout towards St Croix river from visitor center. - Parks Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

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This is a great park with some amazing fall colors. I found this park after searching MN's color map, and even if it was a bit past peak, I decided to take the hour long drive from Minneapolis to the park. I'm definitely glad I went! The park was very quiet; with only a handful of visitors and cars on a Sunday morning ~ 11am. With vibrant trails and fallen leaves everywhere, Wild River offers some great views of the river that flows through the east side of the park. I brought my drone out here for the morning and got some great shots of the trees, river, and beautiful skies that morning. Each standard sized car is $7 for a day pass, and you can buy them with cash or credit at the main office. I'd recommend entering from the 95 east (via the 35), with taking Country Road 12 north for 3 miles. Google maps told me to take a quicker (2 minute) route, but that doesn't have you go through the main entrance of the park. The park also has cabins, a dock for any boats that want to enter the water, and looks to have some water rentals in the summer. I'll definitely be looking to come back to this park at a different time of the year! read more

Wild River State Park - Panoramic Photo of river taken from dock. - Parks Near Me - Center City, Minnesota

I have many, many memories of this park in every season, mostly good ones, a few not so good. Barely a 40 minute drive from the Cities, his place offers both summer playground and winter wonderland. Every winter, look out for the candlelight snowshoe/x-country ski event. I always keep a flask of rum discretely next to my belly so it stays warm from belly heat. Usually, they put on a big bonfire to help with that too. Nothing is more haunting or beautiful than sliding over the snow through desolate pines and prairie guided by candles or--if you-re lucky--the light of a full moon, sometimes only interrupted by the silent shadow of a great horned owl, making the rounds in search of prey. Another winter tradition is to rent one of the cheap, rustic cabins for a weekend, bring a plastic sled and head off on the trails. Snowshoes and x-country skies can be rented from the park for dirt cheap, but it is crappy gear. It still beats buying and bringing your own. A summer tradition is to wait until late July or August until the water levels are low on the great, wild St. Croix River, and rent a canoe from the concessionaire. For a fair price they'll rent you a canoe and shuttle you ten miles upriver. Even non-canoeists can easily float the ten miles in the space of an afternoon, being carried along by the current with minimal effort. Be sure to bring your cooler and portable grill so you can claim one of the many sandbar islands for your own on a warm, sunny, summer afternoon. No better place on earth for a tan, grill, and chill, not to mention the wildlife viewing. You won't see any other signs of civilization except for fellow canoeists. If you decide to get wet, be extremely cautious. Even when the watermark is low, the current is still deceptively strong, and those shallow, sandbar islands are marked by steep, unexpected drop-off's. If you plan on going in further than knee deep, have a life jacket handy. The only crappy memories I have are from staying in the car campground. Believe it or not, it is illegal to have a beer in a Minnesota state park, even if you are well over the legal age. Yes, even a single beer. So you have to hide it like a 16 year old every time the damn ranger comes around. Not only that, but the rangers selectively enforce the rules, letting kids with buckets of gasoline run wild, but arbitrarily hassling people who are quiet and minding their own business. If you have a potbelly, a confederate flag, and show up in an RV with a satellite dish, a crazy dog and wild, unsupervised, hellraising children, expect to be able to get piss drunk at your campsite in plain view of everyone with no repercussions. I'm sure there are a few good ones, but my experience with Minnesota park rangers is that they are inflexible dicks. Give them a wide berth, play only Skynard on your camero tape deck, and all will be well. read more

Wild River State Park is absolutely gorgeous. In addition to the campsites for horses, they offer typical camper/5th Wheel sites and tent sites, as well as small, rustic cabins. There is also a larger group cabin. The horse and people trails are well maintained and the park rangers keep everything safe. There are summertime programs too. There is a local convenience store for wood/food/gas/ice cream. read more

This is a great park for horseback riding and horse camping. They have decent day parking. Campsites have electric hookup available. The trails are mostly sand and good for beginner riders and up. I have never needed shoes for my horses out here. The trails have received a lot of upgrades in the past few years. They have widened the trail in spots and brought in fill for washed out, rocky spots. They also have another parking lot at the North end (Sunrise Landing) and several miles of trails it of there. If you're ambitious you could ride from the day camp in the main part of the horse camp all the way to Sunrise and back. During the spring and rainy spells some of the Sunrise trails are flooded so be prepared to go thru some water. Good river views from the Sunrise trails. They have several cabins for rent and one home in the main part of the park. Tons of campsites, they also offer primitive sites. They have several nice trail centers to check out along the bike trail. Lots and lots of great hiking trails. There is a boat landing and you can rent canoes in the summer and cross country skis and snowshoes in the winter. This is a gem of a park! read more

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Wild River State Park runs along the St. Croix River in Center City, MN. I had the privilege of attending a benefit horseback ride here. The park facilities were well-maintained and clean. There was plenty of parking and the trailer parking was designed well. This park seemed to be more for camping and horseback riding. I did not see many paved trails, so it would not be a conducive choice for cyclists. Hikers would love the hilly terrain, open fields, and wooded forests. The river is a great site, especially when sitting at the conveniently located park benches along the way. My only objection to the park was the amount of rocks on the trails. I shouldn't be complaining because rocks are a part of nature, however it seemed that the designated trails had not been groomed. I understand that most parks groom their marked trials to prevent rock buildup. All of the horses had trouble with the rocks, thankfully my noble steed had shoes on, whereas other horses were barefoot-ouch! I imagine even a person walking on these trails would have a difficult time navigating the trails at a moderate pace due to the rocks. I cannot wait to visit this park again, whether on horseback, or on foot. The vegetation, animals, and river make for an enjoyable excursion outside of the Twin Cities. I highly recommend this park! read more

Lookin' for some x-c ski trails up in the Taylors falls area and used my new phone to check out the area - this one was the closest. Although it was a little hard to find - there weren't too many signs on the road pointing to the park - we actually parked right off the road - not at a main entrance and skiied our way in. It was beautiful. The trails were well groomed - maybe a little too groomed because there were some downhills that I managed to eat it on because they had the tracks going down the hill and I couldn't get my skis going in the right directions .. .but my lack of coordination aside - the trails were perfect, the snow was great, the moon was full - so despite getting there a little before sunset we were still able to get a good ski in. Running along the st croix river - we saw a bald eagle after my first biff and heard coyotes out after dark and heard a beaver splashing around after crossing a beaver pond. Such a pretty evening for skiing - I'm just still so happy after leaving there - definitely worth checking out - the trails aren't very difficult for the most part - so beginner to intermediate is definitely a good place to get started. read more

We visited here in the morning after checking out from our B&B. The first hike was at the trail center which was a bit of drag since there were no trees. So, we were super hot and decided to back track for another hike. Afterwards, we got pretty close to the river bank and that was much better. read more

We rented one of the cabins here during a week day in the 2nd week of August. Weather was about 90 degrees. All I have to say is....RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN and NEVER look back. There is mosquitoes here that will eat you ALIVE no matter how much bug spray, loose clothing or fire you burn! Their website does warn of a "healthy mosquito hatch" which is a TOTAL understatement! Thank goodness for a cabin or else we would've died (no lie) setting up a tent. We even tried to hike and about 20 seconds in, about 1000 mosquitoes was already attacking each of us so we ran back to the cabin. The cabin, Visitor center and grounds were nicely maintained but my gosh, how can anyone enjoy it if the mosquitoes are not controlled? To be fair, this park is surrounded by marsh too which doesn't help with the mosquitoes but DO NOT come here during the warm MN months. Consider this a VERY FAIR warning! read more