As the great state of Minnesota begins to thaw and come back to life after a long, cold winter, my favorite time of year has spring into motion. I’m a firm believer that 5 months in sub-zero temperatures fosters a greater appreciation for the months that us Minnesotans can reasonably spend more than an hour outdoors. In mid-2020, like many other restless and bored families, my family decided to head outside and up north. Since that time, we have visited, camped and hiked over half of Minnesota’s 66 state parks.

We are truly fortunate in Minnesota to have an incredible state parks system- from the day-use facilities, the well-maintained hiking trails and the pristine campgrounds- we have 66 hidden gems throughout the state, and I hope you can use my list of the top 5 parks to get out and soak up some Minnesota wilderness.

A few things you should know. In thinking about my top 5 parks, I considered the following factors

1. Scenery

2. Campground & Facilities

3. Hiking Trails

4. Location

The Minnesota State Parks system offers a Hiking Club trail at all State Parks- a trail that is marked and intended to highlight the best part of the park, with a secret password hidden partway through the hike. You can buy a Hiking Club book at any State Park Office for $14.95 which gives you the opportunity to write the password down from each hike. The more miles you hike, you can earn patches and free nights of camping. The hidden passwords (in addition to insane amounts of gummy bears) are the main way of motivating my 7- and 4-year-old kiddos to keep up on a several mile long hike.

Similar to the Hiking Club is the Passport Club. If you’re not into hiking (or if you want to do both!), you can purchase a Passport Club book for $14.95 at any State Park office. You can collect stamps at the office of each MN State Park and earn rewards such as free nights of camping as you obtain more stamps.

With all this in mind, and without further adieu, I give you my list of the Top 5 Minnesota State Parks! Fair warning- I intend to shamelessly show off pictures of our actual visits to these places, so buckle up for some (mostly) cute kids!

#5 - Itasca State Park

The oldest state park in Minnesota, Itasca State Park is a Minnesota fixture, a massive park that can easily keep a family busy for several days. The birthplace of the Mississippi river, I don’t know many people that grew up in Minnesota that didn’t take that fateful walk across the headwaters at some point in their lives.  There are several campgrounds to stay at, along with camper cabins (heat, electricity, no running water) and lodges/guest houses. One of the star attractions is the fire tower- I have very fond memories as a child climbing that tower and seeing some of the tallest pines in the Midwest. It is a hike from Minneapolis (4 hours) but conveniently located to Walker and Park Rapids.

#4 - Bear Head Lake State Park

Of all the parks I have in this list, this park is certainly the most remote. Sitting on the shore of Bear Head Lake, you can feel a sense of absolute calm and stillness. The campground is a little on the older side- the facilities could use updating, but the state of Minnesota is gradually updating the bathrooms/showers at all the State Park campgrounds so I’m sure they will tackle this one eventually. If you want the opportunity to unplug and get away from the hustle and bustle, this is the place. Because of the remote location of this park, the star gazing at night is spectacular. The hiking trails are beautiful and take you past some quiet, secluded lakes in the backwoods. The park office rents canoes by the day to explore Bear Head Lake and take in views of tons of wildlife. Consistent with the name, this is the one and only park that we have seen a black bear- a cub, with no Mama-Bear in sight. I’ve always said I wanted to see a bear on a hike but seeing a baby, and knowing Mama was near but not visible was quite possibly the scariest nature encounter I have ever had. From now on, I would much prefer to see a bear from the safety of a vehicle, thank you very much!

#3 - Blue Mounds State Park

Blue Mounds is the most unique of the state parks in this list with regards to landscape. Located in southwestern Minnesota, Blue Mounds is surrounded by rolling prairies as far as the eye can see. There is a resident herd of Bison and a handful of viewing places you can catch a glimpse of them. The hiking club trail is a 6-mile jaunt alongside the bison enclosure, overlooking the “Blue” mounds within the park limits. The name Blue Mounds was given because the grayish colored rock mounds and cliffs that rise above the horizon appear blue in color from a distance. The park is fully updated with clean, modern showers and bathrooms. The campsites are spacious, but less private than other parks because of the sparser tree coverage. The park is quiet, peaceful and a more laidback atmosphere than some of the north shore parks. There is a certain appeal about the wide-open vastness of southwestern Minnesota- a constant breeze, optimal star-gazing, and some of the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen.

#2 - Jay Cooke State Park

I had a really hard time deciding whether to put this park at the #1 or #2 spot. We visit Jay Cooke every year, and it is so near to my heart. The swinging bridge is iconic and beautiful- especially in the spring when the thaw has the water levels up and the St. Louis River is in full force. The hiking trails have so much variety- sometimes near a winding river, on the top of a bluff overlooking several streams, through the hilly forest. The campground at Jay Cooke is heavily wooded, the sites are quiet and private, and the facilities are brand-new. Seriously, I’ve stayed at hotels that aren’t as nice as the Jay Cooke shower houses. Because of its proximity to Duluth (20 minutes) it also makes a fantastic jumping-off point to all the north shore. We frequently make a basecamp at Jay Cooke and spend the bulk of our days adventuring up the shore, but without having to fight the crowds of tourists we would encounter by staying at places like Gooseberry Falls or Split Rock Lighthouse. Jay Cooke State Park feels like coming home.

#1 - Temperance River State Park

Temperance River State Park is geographically the furthest park from the Twin Cities, but absolutely worth the drive. We typically camp here every Labor Day weekend and I look forward to that trip all summer. Temperance is on the North Shore, a little more than halfway between Duluth and the Canadian border. One of the best parts about this park is the location- you are a quick drive to any of the many other State Parks along the North Shore- so setting up camp here allows you easy access to Tettegouche, Cascade River, George C Manitou, Judge CR Magney, and Grand Portage. These are all amazing parks with incredible hikes- but Temperance stands out among them without a doubt. The hiking at Temperance is stunning- the main hiking club trail takes you past a handful of spectacular waterfalls, glacial potholes and along the Temperance River gorge. These views are especially breathtaking in the fall when the leaves have begun to change. The lower campground is a lakeside campground- the wooded, private campsites are literally feet from the shores of Lake Superior, and you can hear the waves crashing all night as if you were next to the ocean. Sites can be very hard to reserve, so these are best to book well in advance.

Well, there you have it- my personal top 5 Minnesota State Parks. I hope this list inspires you all to get out and enjoy the abundant wilderness that Minnesota has to offer- and who knows, maybe you will spot a loud, slow-moving family with a giant bag of gummy bears and an over-excited dog out on the trail- and if you do, make sure to say Hi 🙂