Reviews of Interstate State Park (Park)

Becky Acheson

Love walking around the potholes area. Great place to explore and a drinking fountainwhich was super nice on a hot day and we forgot water bottles.

Rita Snyder

Must picnic area, and camping love the sound of frogs at night !

Molly Kapping

What a beautiful park, and we didn't even get to explore all of it! It was so much fun scrambling over the rocks and learning about the potholes, very interesting. Will definitely be back.

Beverly Barthel

Nice place to go camping or get a boat ride on the river. Beautiful place you must see it it's great for the whole family. Easy access everyone.

Jaclyn Ahlgren

Asaaaaaaaaaaah log h yacht ugh o a waa aa

Sharon Nusbaum/CheriBomArt

Relaxing, soothing rapids & calm water areas. Walking, hiking areas. Activities coming up. Boat cruises, canoeing. See Taylor's Falls site.

Maria Fitzgerald

Great place to spend with family and animals, we're going back to hopefully kiack with family.

Tonya Hesselink

Worth the trip! The potholes are one-of-a-kind! Absolutely amazing.

Wendy Nixon

Camp sites were very nice. Scenery in the area was absolutely gorgeous. Nice walking trails. Would've given it 5 stars but it was hard to fall asleep at night because of the highway.

Kate Amell

Love this park. Enjoyable trails, although there were a couple of spots where the signage could have been clearer and more obvious. Went on a weekday and it was nice and quiet! Gorgeous views.

Louie Succio

Had a good time camping here May 3-5, 2019, clean facilities and decently hot water. Campsite was in great shape. Couple of easy hikes nearby along the river make it great for families. Everyone from the staff to the other campers were friendly. Only downside is the campground can feel a little crowded when full because of how close together everyone is and depending on where your campsite is located you can hear cars from the interstate all night long.

sarah murphy

Awesome park! Great for climbing and exploring, and so beautiful!

dave ar

It a nice park you can go hiking, boat tour, picnic area, trail walking, close to stores and restaurants, canoe rentals fishing fun spot in a small town. Good place to spend a day

Mory Jahangir

Beautiful park on the St. Croix River. We have canoed from here to Osceola in the past. It was a great canoe ride, and they will transport you back to your car.

Dianne Keller

Great time hiking the bluffs and going on the boat ride it was interesting hearkng about the history and ths things the are ok n the cliffs

AJ S

I visit this park quite often. It's a very nice park with lots of trails for walking. Did some camping here the week of June 3rd found it quite strange that none of the drinking fountains in the park worked even though the showers worked

Angie Lo

Great place for top rope rock climbing! Even when the St Croix River eats my belay device... This is one of my favorite places to go in Minnesota.

Lon Standafer

Had a great time with the grandkids. Plenty of things to do and see

Brenda Rohlik

It's beautiful and peaceful. We took 2 trails with our 4 kids and everyone had fun.

Nathalie Mevissen

This park is filled with so many activities. Lots of hiking trails, sswimming, rock climbing, fishing, kayaking, picnics and so much more. A great place to spend the day with family and enjoy a great view.

Joel Collette

Such a beautiful, peaceful place! The hiking, the boat rides, and scenery are Incredible! Everyone should see this! Wonderful!

Holly Kollman

Gorgeous views of the St. Croix river and a one- of-a-kind experience viewing the remnants left by the glaciers. Awesome trails through the glacier area, almost look natural. Great for older kids to explore!

Binoy Joseph

Good views and a well maintained trail, parking can be hard sometimes

Adeline Angst

Beautiful Park that is quite well maintained! A lot of trails and points of interest both in and out of the park. Highly recommended for a day trip or a week of camping! My family had a wonderful time.

ilida perez

Great fun! Be ready to walk and have a great time. It's beautiful!

Eric James

This is one of the best nature locations I've ever been to. There are lots of really fun places to climb and the geology is just beautiful. There is a small amount of danger, depending on whether you decide to go, but if you're careful, this place is unforgettable and definitely worth a visit.

Alexa Aspinwall

Great small park to visit and the Wisconsin side trails are just as great. Wisconsin has longer trails for a good hike. Minnesota has a lot of beautiful history about the rock formations and small trails around the area.

Gabe Hansen

A beautiful location with ample hiking trails to explore and enjoy. There are many scenic views and cliffs that fall directly to the wayer. Only issue is that there aren't any camping spots actually in this park, however there are a few near by. This park is nestled into a quaint riverside town clinging to the side of a hill. There are ferry rides and tours that crawl up and down the river.

Maria Clarys

We love the Interstate State park. The Geologic finds are amazing; it's a nicely maintained area. The only things that needs a little work are the restrooms...they were a little less than clean. Try to make time for a couple of hours, and do the longer longer hike. Its beautiful!

Kelly Linder

This place is very nice and the ladies at the front desk were awesome! We did get caught in a bit of rain, we were on the motorcycle, and we had to take shelter. They had a nice sheltered picnic area and nice bathrooms. We even bought a nice lined flannel shirt so the wife didn't get too cold on the bike. Nice hiking trails too!

Liz Cornejo

Loved the history that explained. Just beautiful

Samantha Karels

This park is great! The views on the river trail are awesome. The railroad trail has a lot of stairs so pe prepared. After the stairs, it's really pretty flat though. When you get back to the old rail road depot it does get a little confusing on how to get back to the park entrance. I had to stop in the gas station and ask. There is a path under the road. Don't go straight across the road because it seems like a pretty dangerous intersection and there is no cross walk so it's technically illegal. Exploring the glaciers pot hole area was fun and interesting too.

Linda Brown

The 80 minute boat ride was beautiful and very relaxing. I organized a ride for my Meetup group, the staff was very friendly and easy to work with from start to finish. Taylors Falls is a pleasant place to visit, lots to see and do. A visit to the area makes a very nice day trip.

Todd Fullerton

One of my favorite places to hike and climb. The Rangers staff are great people!

Paige Lockie

Beautiful place to visit. Dog friendly on a leash (of course) Wear a good pair of shoes! Some of this adventure requires some hiking. Very worth it.

Art Kelley

A nice place to hike through. Excellent places to look over the cliffs at the river. Places to sit and take in the surrounding scenery. Well worth the time.

david lee

Great little park. Just keep a close eye on the Lil ones who want to run .. lots of places to fall due to a slip.... Including into the river... And steep drop offs ...

alison Wieckowicz

Beautiful. Amazing forests and riverine landscapes. Great beach .

Elly Carlson Lendway

Such a beautiful fall hike! The colors were turning. It made the picturesque river even more beautiful

Brad Oldre

Outdoor rock climbing within hiking distance, several hiking trails, and campsites on the river. The park is more an activities location rather than a nature trip in my opinion. My daughter and I found it tricky to sleep by tent due to nearby traffic and trucks downshifting to reduce speed. Very convenient location for activities and a beautiful spot is why I'd rate it 4 of 5. The traffic drops it one for me.

Charlene Criss

Cool rock formations, glacier potholes and rushing river, good walkways and paths

Angella Hanson

A unique, two-state park that combines state facilities and local ambiance. The upper half of the MN side has unusual glacial formations that you can climb, walk through and explore. Commercial boat rides available on site for an extra fee. Camping is available in the lower half of the MN side. Both sections are filled with historical CCC buildings created from local materials, and the state park staff has hidden a geocache onsite that is truly imaginative! Looking forward to coming back.

Moho mahoney

Great hiking. Tours always going. Love it

Marissa Petersen

I love this park! I could walk it every day and never get bored.

Daniel D

Clear signage and a good mixture of groomed/ natural hiking trails. A word of caution, be careful lot's of steep and jagged rocks along some trails. The bluffs were kind of a let down. Could barely see anything from the overlook due to tree branches.

Bella Grace

I gave the Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls a 3 out of 5 for the simple fact that I am comparing my experience to the Wisconsin Interstate State Park right across the river. I did, overall, enjoy my stay. With 298 acres on the Minnesota side, there is one campground with about 25-30 sites and there is no privacy between camp sites. There is a HUGE area for groups, but there are just picnic tables everywhere - I feel like this space could be better utilized. There is no designated area for swimming, but you can rent kayaks and canoes on-site. I did like that there was a trail leading straight from the campground to the town of Taylors Falls alongside of the water, and you could take a different trail on the return trip. Although scenic, with only one trail to town and one trail back, there is much more foot traffic here and you start to find trash that scatters parts of the trail. The scenic road is close by as well, so you also hear cars going by and it's hard to get lost if you are looking for that outdoor isolation. The only site available was an electric site, and it ended up costing us about $70 when all was said and done (which is similar pricing to Wisconsin). You will also have to buy a state park pass which is $7 for the day or $35 for an annual pass which we ended up just buying. Wisconsin's state park is $11 for a day pass for us being from out of state. Both of these cities are very "touristy" and can get expensive really quick. Minnesota's interstate park, however, has toilets that flush and hot water. Wisconsin's has bathrooms that are only holes in the ground (porta potty style) and to my experience only has cold water showers.

Bryce Howitson

Unique topography from every other state park I've visited. The view of the river and Rocky cliffs are worth seeing but the real draw is canoeing or kayaking on the river. Rentals for both are available in the park including a shuttle ride back to the launch location.

Tarun Reddy Nukala

A very scenic place to camp by the St. Croix river on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. This park has some amazing rock climbing routes.

Troy Molde

We rented canoe here, it cost 50 for 1 canoe, 2 paddles, 2 life jackets and a ride on the bus back to our car. Parking at the state park was an additional 7 dollars, that allowed us to then park in overlook park right down the road, i highly recommend going to check it out, nice walking trails and beatiful bluffs. We canoed to Osceola it took us about 3 hours, its a lot of paddling because the current is slow. Its a lot of fun

ฯ{evin DeBilzan

Its cool to see it flooded underwater down low at the launch... Ironically, even with all that water, not really much to do as far as renting kayaks or canoes, because there was nobody there to rent them from as the park seemed abandoned aside from a couple of tents & an RV.

Tracy Andrewson

We love this place. Well worth the small entrance fee. River, swimming lake, hiking trails, camping, education center, picnicking areas, grills, fishing, & bathrooms. Things to do for almost everyone.

coni erickson

Beautiful scenery! The glacier pot holes were gorgeous! The river walk was nice but it was too long and we didn't get to walk too far. So we didn't get to see much of the river. Either way, it was beautiful!

Luke Johnson

Friendly people. Nice cruise, good information about the surrounding area. We went right past the cross rock for which the river gets its name but I must not have a good imagination because I couldn't make it out.

miranda novack

Taylor's Falls (Interstate State Park) is one of my favorite places to go. The foliage is beautiful and I love climbing on the rocks

Julian Watkins

Gorgeous. The canoe rentals make for a great afternoon on the river enjoying the natural surroundings while also getting some sun. They have some decent trails too.

becky richter

One of my favorite places to go. Feel really close to God when I am there.

Nic A

Been coming to this park for over 25 years. Great place to get away from the city in less than an hour. Recommend getting there early, traffic in DT Taylor’s Falls can be a bit crazy.

Kienan Mick

The best state park within an hour of the Twin Cities.

Reed H

Great park. A lot of good vantage points of the river.

Joe Thomas

Beautiful scenery. Naturalist Jenny was very enthusiastic and informative on the Glacial potholes presentation. Learned a lot on this trip.

Brittany Koch

Such a beautiful park. Tons of walking trails. Lots of hiking opportunities and rock climbing.

Jeffrey Hardwick

Cool potwholes quick little hiking spot on the river

summer junkie

Nice hiking place especially if you are a first timer

Melissa Masucci

My son and I went here searching for Geocaches, and had a fun lesson about the Glacial Potholes and how the water helped in forming the rock formations in the park. Beautiful cliffside views, within walking distance of Taylor’s Falls, MN which has a lot of family fun activities (drive-in restaurant, mini golf, ice cream shop, etc).

Aimee Lim

First time to visit this MN 's gem. Enjoyed the hike and boat ride. Beautiful scenery and rock formation. Worth the drive.

Chase

Beautiful interesting park with lovely views and plenty of walking trails. Great for photography and so much more.

Minneapolis Photography

There are two Interstate State Parks that people know, the one off the highway at Taylors Falls where are you look over the Bluffs. The second is the area where you can rent canoes and kayaks and go camping and feel like you're in the wilderness.

Benny W

Beautiful park. Camping is somewhat open and cramped unless you go to the walk-in sites. The hikes are beautiful and be sure to walk the opposite side of the river.

Stephanie Holt

We stayed in campsite #17E. It was a nice small spot close to the River Trail (Hiking Club) which brings you right to the Glacial Potholes 1.25 miles one way. The trail is fun and pretty easy. Make sure you have good comfortable shoes because you will be climbing small rocks along the trail to go up and down hills. Mosquitos were thick. Especially the closer you got to the river itself. Taylor Falls. The business district filled with diners, malt shops, and small businesses is across the street from the Vistors Center. Perhaps you all would like to hike from camp to see the potholes and stop for an ice cream cone or burger before you hike back.

Todd Mulvihill

This is the MN version of Interstate State Park. Although considerably smaller than the WI version, it offers a lot of variety in that smaller area: a geological site (glacial potholes), rock climbing, hiking, camping, river boating, immediate access to Taylor's Falls and consistently fantastic fall color. Expect very large crowds and very small parking if coming in Autumn on a sunny or otherwise pleasant weekend day. Come during the week or less than ideal weather to beat the crowds. Note that except for the area immediately surrounding the parking area, hiking is steep and uneven for the majority of trails. You do see quite a lot around the parking area in terms of views and colors, but if you want to see the sights you need to walk the heights - take the Sandstone Bluffs trail.

Hunter Poff

It was very nice experience. I went rock climbing at the Minnesota strip, it has very nice climbing but has wasps on some of the routes. There you have to set up top rope stations or you have to use trad equipment to climb up the routes it's a nice scenic area, with cheap parking and a lot of nice walkways.

Melissa Warfield

Did you know that Minnesota has glacial potholes? Neither did l. Interstate State Park has two-adjacent parks. There both on the border of Minnesota-Wisconsin. Both have the same names. The Interstate State Park has many trails. There's camping, canoeing, great scenery, wildlife, old lava flows and much more. Take more than a day to visit the Interstate State Park. Enjoy your time there.

William Bauer

School field trip was great. The children learned about invertebrates, pot holes, birds and went for a hike. We loved it.

Jordan Bradfish

Beautiful! Feels like the mountains. Trails for all abilities

Tim Bender

No showers as of 08/23/2019 (no hot water) and staff has no idea when showers will be repaired. Nice open camping spots. No garbage receptacle/service was new to me. (You hauled it in, you haul it out. Garbage policy) must save the state a fortune in cash. Nice hiking trails.

Anthony Armstrong

I love this place. Makes me feel like home.

Todd Watson

Nice park right on the St Croix river. Great views if the river! Went in mid April and it was well drained and dry after a recent heavy snow and rain. Spots were clean and level. Inner loop sites have electric only (no full hookup sites at all). Right next to a busy highway, so some road noise but not bad. Keeping this on our list of parks to come back to.

ashley skogen

This was a great state park to walk around. Walking paths that are great for everyone. Great views for some great photos. Parking lot is small and gets crazy busy on a nice sunny day so go early to beat the rush.

Neal Lewis

Beautiful Minnesota State Park camping along the St. Croix River. Only one hour from St. Paul up along hwy 95.

Dorian Warner

This has been one of my favorites. I have been coming to this park for 30 years and I still am amazed. My wife and I brought a couple with us and they were unaware of all of the beauty Minnesota has to offer and were wowed at every turn. The trails were in good shape and we hiked all of them. I would recommend the sandstone bluffs trail, it gets you away from all the crowds and let’s you feel closer to nature. If I had a criticism it would be in the parks size, and the highway runs right through the park and that road produces a lot of noise. But all and all great park and is with a trip.

Adam Smock

Lovely park along the river. Walking distance to gas/convince and dining. Rock climbing, hiking, paddle boat tours, and kyacking activities available, as well as unique seasonal activities. Parking can be limited at times, might be worth parking in town and walking. Really good overall.

Dallas Thompson

Enjoyed our hike today with the grandson. Learned about the potholes...

Derrick Wyman

So easy!! And such a quick drive! An hour and a half from the west metro and we were there. $7 to park, grabbed a free map at the kiosk before the visitors center opened, and we were on the trail. We kept venturing off the trail and all kinds of sweet little spots, all with incredible views. Every next spot we found was our new favorite. The quiet Monday morning was so perfect. We goi g to come back and camp for sure, and we'll be bringing our canoe and climbing harnesses for sure!

S Johnson

Gave it two stars because of the scenery. It's fine for camping with a camper, but tent camping? It's like camping in the middle of a department store - everyone can watch you. Sites are wide open.

shine shine

Very peaceful always enjoy time with my fishing buddy

Tom Malik

Great river views and awesome trails. Have wonderful area for free climbing, rope led, and bouldering. Also has very unique glacial pothole rock formations, so a good place to bring the kids to learn about geology. Fun for all ages.

Blackfox 288

Nice State Park for a quick hike in a very beautiful area right on the St. Croix river. Be sure to check out the glacial potholes in the north part of the park and imagine the shear power glacial waters had to have to be able to drill into basalt bed rock left from when the United States almost split in half.

Jessica Kvam

Beautiful scenery and lots of hiking! Definitely glad to go back!

Britta Messer

Wonderful park staff. Cannot thank them enough for going above and beyond to make sure we were in a spot that was right for us! Thank you, again!

aaron mcwilliams

Great place!! This park offers rock climbing, canoeing, hiking, camping. I can't wait to go back.

D Shoogs

Real beautiful trails and fairly easy to navigate. If you plan on going into town, you can save $7 in parking by parking in town and walking to the park.

Elaina Appel

The perfect day trip location! My husband and I love hiking the trails and then going out to eat at one of the many delicious restaurants nearby! The trails are beginner friendly and you can easily do as much or little as you'd like. There's a great variety and many beautiful views and overlooks. A wonderful escape from the city for the day.

Matt Dale

I have been coming to Interstate for the last 25 years. I have always been impressed by both the MN and WI sides. The sites are beautiful, clean and easily accessible. Whether it's huge group sites, or tucked away single sites, this campground has something for eveybody! This last visit was for a camp wedding and birthday! They staff were wonderful and accommodating. I love this park, and I will always come back.

Vanessa Libansky

Nice walking/hiking trails. Beautiful views. If you like the outdoors it is a nice date day (We had our first date here and later he proposed here :D) Parking price has gone up.

Bjorn Mathisen

7 dollar entry charge otherwise you need a pass. For a small interstate roadside park it had some nice views and good camping grounds. Lake front and swimming included!

Nicholas Kiage

Great place for hiking and some awesome views!

Sarah Anderson

Hands down, one of the most beautiful and interesting places to visit in all of MN. The views are incredible, the history is awesome, and there is even a paddleboat you can get tickets to ride on. The natural scenery is some of the best you'll find in MN. So close to the Twin Cities, too. A great day trip.

Dennis Fuerst

Not dislike, its just a proper rating this park with all the others we have visited over the years. Mundane at best...one view of the river above a full river dam. Having just seen the Big Sioux, the Missouri, the Niobrara, the Big Horn, the Cheyenne and the Mississippi among others on a 10 day trip of National Parks its a fair rating.

Traveling Celiac

Love that the tour guide showed us around and helped create a fun Geocashing adventure. Went with a 4h group and it was a blast for everyone. Great place!!

Micah Vaale

Awesome place to explore, hike, learn. The Glacial Potholes are really fascinating. Definitely worth a visit.

Bethany Gersetich

We had a tour with Jenny, who did a wonderful job! After that, we enjoyed hiking and a picnic and had a lovely day.

Dennis K

Paddle boat ride on the st. Croix River very scenic loved it

Don Johnson

Nice area. Some of the path is ok for strollers or wheelchairs. Parking is $7, I think, or you can park in town and follow the arrows for crossing the highway. No crossing at the stoplights. There are public restrooms.

Thomas Eldien

The paddle boat trip was alot of fun! Lots of Hiking and Rock climbing and cool things too see! The town is within walking distance, neat shops and restaurants. Couldn't have been a more beautiful weekend get away!!!

Daniel Fergus

Interesting and pretty park. We took a ranger guided walk of the potholes, which was great. Would recommend doing the guided walk in addition to exploring on your own.

Hannah Edwards

Took, my niece and nephew here to visit the glacial potholes and they had, so much fun with all the rock formations, overlooks, and climbing they got to do. However, if taking children do keep close to them as there are many steep rock outcropping, sheer cliffs, and minimal railings.

Robert Cole

Beautiful park. Great hiking and views. $7 for parking.

tricia koch

We honestly cannot wait to come back and do more of the trails. We had a stroller and most of the trails are not stroller friendly and since it had rained my husband didn't want to me to carry the baby just in case if I slipped. My mother and father cannot wait to come out here next year. They're actually planning a big trip and to go camping out here.

Chris P

Spent the night camping here with the kids. We had site #10. A great camp site with river access via a small path that let me fish while the kids played. Had a bit of an incident at the beginning where my son got stung by wasps at one of the potholes informational signs... Staff was great by giving us some topical medicine to help soothe the stings, and they got someone there immediately to take care of the nest!

Aaron Hanson

Fun park to visit amazing views, and pothole section is great to explore. Fun for all ages

Michelle Cappellin

The park is beautiful! It was $7 for a day pass or $35 for the year, so I hot the annual pass and I'll be coming back for sure! I took my daughter and her friends on a kayaking trip and now we all want to do it again and again!

Kong Vang

Great place for a day hike. The bluffs are fun to overlook and scramble. Be careful though, a few deaths in the past.

Brady Halvorson

This is one of my favorite state parks in the state. I stay here atleast once a year. I recommend going in May or late fall

Jake Southmayd

Beautiful place. Long hiking trails, campground, clean bathrooms, and close to downtown Taylor's Falls access.

Debra Rush

Beautiful park with trails and camping. Lots of history on the St. Croix River.

Jerry Larsen

This is a wonderful park, the great views of the river and the walking trails are just beautiful. I prefer to go on a week day as the weekends can get crowded

Allison Hayes

beautiful state park. very well maintained. the boat tours are worth the money

Beth Sippl

Great views. Prefer the WI side more hiking.