I am taking the family away for a up North vacation.
We are thinking about going to Bear Head Lake and Soudan Underground Mine areas. We have never camped in that area and hear great things about it.
In my search, I started wondering what would the members of IDO say was the best Mn state park to visit….
Well?
Thanks,
Ron
Tettegouche, St. Croix, Whitewater.
Any State Park with a river running through it 
I haven’t visited every state park, but of the ones I have, I think Itasca is a classic. Headwaters of the Mississippi (What kid doesn’t want to say they walked across the Mississippi?) and tons of things to do.
One of my favorite things about northern Minnesota is the towering pines. You can find those anywhere, but Itasca has monsters. Some people think fishing and other things when they think about summer camping in Minnesota, for some reason white pine trees and other pines and the pine needles littering the ground are what I think of.
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One of my favorite things about northern Minnesota is the towering pines.
Mike,
Have you ever been to the Lost Forty?
Ron
That and campfires. I think the “fishing” lore, is mostly from the dads…& not the kids perspective 
No, but I have heard about it. Not far from my sister/brother-in-laws cabin. Thinking about it now I am making a point of it to go there the next time I am up there. I’d be in some weird tree hugger heaven.
After visiting last year with my kids, I understand why someone would want our state bird to be the mosquito. Never and I mean never, have I seen so many giant mosquitoes.
Very cool place.
I know it isn’t a state park, but my vote goes to ….Voyageurs Nat’l park. The best boat-to camping I have ever had in this state with scenery that is second to none, some fine fishing, and plenty of room to raom.
T
My favorite is Lake Carlos State Park. I love the chain of lakes out there and all the smaller local lakes.
we stayed at the st.croix .. if your planning on biking or canoeing then go for it! otherwise go elsewhere.. the trout stream are all but unfishable do to more trees than water.. they must have had some bad storms and are now logging all the downed trees all over.. the beach is only about five miles from your camp sight and everything is way to spread out…
just my take on it thought i would share
I like a Tanmarak River campsite at the Big Bog State park. I’ll be there this Thursday.
Father Hennepin State Park by Isle, and on Lake Mille Lacs. Besides the lake, great walking/hiking trails with a very good chance to see Albino deer. Good to great campsites, and great camp fires await…. 
1.)Tettegouche
2.)Forestville
And I am not really a “trout” guy, but camping for a couple of nights and exploring rivers and catching a few trout is a total blast.
While the north shore parks are great, I have to agree with Itasca being a really great park to visit.
It’s especially fun with kids, the whole walking across the Mississippi thing.
Beyond that, it’s a good chance to introduce the kids to history in real life. The tale of European exploration of the headwaters of the Miss is a terrific tale of adventure and persistence with more than a little endurance mixed in.
Grouse
Jesuz. You guys are making want to head there now!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately, my first post isn’t as positive as some of the others…
I have to say I DESPISE the new “100%” reservation policy for state parks.
Other than a simple money grab, and the opportunity to totally screw the population of travelers and retired people and those who prefer to head to the state parks early in the week, grab a non-reservable space and stay through the weekend, what WAS their rationalization?
I live in MN. I don’t HATE it, but it’s no great shakes either. One of the NICE things WAS the ability to check the state parks, find out which NON-RESERVABLE sites were available, and head over early in the week to stay through the weekend. I don’t know who’s in charge of the parks, but in the last 10-15 years, they’ve done nothing but made the option of camping in the state parks less and less appetizing.
The latest is the brain trust decision to disenfranchise everyone that DOESN’T want to book a summer weekend campsite in January. So travelers, retired people, and anyone that likes to head out to the parks early in the week to enjoy a stay through the weekend WITHOUT having to reserve a non-existent site is totally screwed.
Top that with the grotesque reservation system that CHARGES to make a campsite reservation. Does your restaurant charge you to reserve a table? How about your hotel? They charging you to reserve a room? OF COURSE NOT! But, the MN DNR manages to put yet another money grab in place to screw another few bucks out of everyone that reserves a campsite…
Overall, this seems like just another policy that makes it less and less appetizing to live in this ridiculously high-tax state that continuously find new ways to screw extra money of of residents.
I have to say I DESPISE the new “100%” reservation policy for state parks.
I have to agree. I normally reserve ahead of time, but it was nice to have some unreservable sites for spontaneous trips. I think the decision was a poor one and hope MN rethinks it.
Has the new park opened on Lake Vermilion? Has anyone been there?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Gracie Allen wrote:</div>
I have to say I DESPISE the new “100%” reservation policy for state parks.I have to agree. I normally reserve ahead of time, but it was nice to have some unreservable sites for spontaneous trips. I think the decision was a poor one and hope MN rethinks it.
The State Parks are all reservation only now?!
I can see it both ways on the reservation system. Yes, it was nice to have a chance to pull in and still get a site.
Problem was, you couldn’t rely on it, so people were hesitant to take the chance and so a lot of times sites that could have been filled, sat empty because you couldn’t reserve them.
I can’t blame the DNR for seeing that as lost opportunity and lost revenue when you’ve got prime season when all the reservable sites were booked months in advance, but then they had sites sitting open that they know people would have reserved if they could have.
I also don’t mind the reservation fee. I have no issue paying for the things that I use rather than constantly wanting to fob the cost off on others. I like online reservation systems because they’re quick and easy, but they cost lots of money to set up and run. I’m willing to pay a few bucks for that convenience and I don’t expect someone else to pay it for me out of the general tax revenue pot that already has too many fingers in it.
Grouse
The State Parks are all reservation only now?!
They are.
When Ann and I were first married and for several years after having our kids we would go camping on a moments notice.
Now that we’re empty nesters if an event will last a few days it’s planned in advance.
I assume with smart phones that it’s not a big deal to reserve a spot. Also, for arguments sake, if you pull into a State Park and there’s an open spot can’t you just “reserve” it on the spot?
I assume with smart phones that it’s not a big deal to reserve a spot. Also, for arguments sake, if you pull into a State Park and there’s an open spot can’t you just “reserve” it on the spot?
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the state parks website does appear to have a telephone number you can dial for help making reservations as well so no internet source is needed
From my experience, the State Parks will not list all sites online and they will keep a few available for guests that just happen to stop at a park. It would be best to call to confirm though.
That’s changed this year. All sites require a reservation, but you can call and reserve same-day.
I was just up around Ely last weekend, the Bear and Wolf sanctuaries are awesome places to check out if your at Bear Head. If you have to choose between the two, I would go to the Bear one. Kawishiwi Falls is also pretty awesome to check out for a short hike.
I would also vote for Tettegouche State Park, specifically Eckbeck Campground. Its a few miles from Tettegouche but the camping is awesome there. Picture is of an Eckbeck site.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/facilities/cmp00015/index.html
Tettegouche Camp is pretty cool to check out, they also rent cabins there. It is a walk in only and the shortest walk is 1.7 miles from the road which has a good size hill to it.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/tettegouche/tettegouche_camp/index.html
P1030697.jpg
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>suzuki wrote:</div>
The State Parks are all reservation only now?!They are.
That is wacked. Unbelievable actually.
Yup, I just realized that. Whoops!
I was told by one of the rangers they went to all reservation because people would get mad and take it out on them when the park would be full. Does anyone know how long in advance you need to book a site? Can I just start driving, have my wife look for vacant spots, and book it 30 min before showing up?
You can book any available site, at any time. So to your scenario, yes you can be driving through the park gate while you’re wife is booking a site.
The only difference is that they are not taking sites off the reservation list so that these sites can only be booked by turning up at the park office desk.
Grouse
Yes, in MN they decided to make EVERY STINKING SITE IN EVERY PARK RESERVABLE. Which means that in January a huge percentage of the sites are gone for months in advance. Yes, I’m sure it’s very nice for the DNR to extract as much as possible from park users.
As for the “well, sites would sit empty ’cause people didn’t know if they’d be availble”, we’ve been doing it for YEARS. OR WERE, UNTIL THIS YEAR! You wanted to go to Itasca early in the week (say Wednesday)? Call that morning, ask how many non-reservable sites were available, and if there are 4 or 5, you zip on up and grab one. OR you could ask what RESERVABLE sites were available and if there were some reserve one FROM the park WITHOUT GETTING SCREWED FOR A RESERVATION FEE.
All gone… As I understand it, this deterioration started when MN hired some guy from Colorado to run the DNR. Suddenly, you COULDN’T contact the park and get a site. You HAD to go through the reservation system. And you COULDN’T specify the site, just whatever they wanted to give you. Then they decided to “try” making “some” parks 100% reservation. And decided the extra bucks at the expense of seniors and retired people and spur-of-the-moment travelers was worth disenfranchising that whole group of park users. THEN they decided THIS YEAR that it worked SO WELL, they’d make 100% OF THE PARKS IN MN 100% RESERVABLE….
As far as I’m concerned, it sucks. No more contacting Itasca periodically to see when the Showy Lady’s Slippers are blooming then running up early in the week for a week or two of flower photography. If you don’t know exactly when you want to be there in January, you can pretty much forget getting anything at any of the more “popular” parks.
And that campsite for the 2 night weekend is going to cost you $35 for water and elec. No sewer. No wifi. PLUS the $8.50 reservation fee raising your nightly rate for $40. So it’s as much as a private campsite with full hookups. On top of that you get to pay $5/day or $25/year for the privilege of entering the park.
I know Wisconsin is somewhat equally screwed up, but if I recall correctly, the last time we were in Tennessee, BEAUTIFUL state parks were MUCH less expensive, and VERY readily available without reservations and reservation fees. I believe the same was true in Georgia when I was there. I fervently hope other states DON’T get in on the money grab MN has embraced (which given their appetite for taxes shouldn’t surprise anyone)…
Anyhow, I hope there’s enough howling for the DNR to rethink this repugnant new policy, but as long as they can extract the absolute maximum buck from everyone, I suspect the answer will be “screw them people that want to come without a reservation.”
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