One of the best ways to connect with nature and learn more about Minnesota history is to hike all 65 Minnesota state parks. Well, technically, one of the state parks doesn’t have a hiking trail, but you can walk through its museum. And one of the 66 state parks I hiked is no longer accessible to the public. The sacred land was returned to the appropriate tribal community.
If you’ve read mylocal’s guide to all Minnesota state parks, you know that before the pandemic hit, I had only visited 6 Minnesota state parks. And I had lived here for more than 25 years. When I couldn’t travel as the world healed, I challenged myself to visit all Minnesota state parks (and a few of them a couple of times) within a year.
Here’s how I did it.
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Two-a-days: how to visit all Minnesota state parks in a year
The best tip in hiking all Minnesota state parks is to plan it so you can hit up two state parks in one day – hike one state park in the morning and another nearby state park in the afternoon. Of course, this does take some planning as you need to consider the following.
Things to consider when planning to hike all Minnesota state parks.
Mileage between parks and mileage from your home or base camp
The length and difficulty of the trails (and your physical ability)
Time of year (the sun goes down fast in the fall and winter)
Weather – heat, storms, rain, snow, ice
Trail conditions
Seasonal operating hours
Road construction
You may need to adjust this plan to see all the state parks in one day from where you live or where you are setting up your base camp.
Set up a base camp when hiking all Minnesota state parks
I managed to explore the majority of Minnesota state parks on day trips from my home. A friend of mine also loaned me her cabin, and Caribou Highlands Lodge in Lutsen, MN hosted my husband and me during our frozen waterfall tour on the North Shore of Minnesota. Caribou Highlands Lodge is the best place to stay on the North Shore and is centrally located to all Minnesota state parks on the scenic Highway 61. See my related post: Most scenic road trip in Minnesota.
SUV camping at Minnesota state parks
And then I tried this thing called SUV camping (check out my experience) where I went on a 13-day road trip to finish hiking the remaining state parks that were more than a day trip from my front door. I didn’t camp the entire time as three Airbnbs graciously hosted me and spent a couple of nights in a hotel for some self-care (and because my husband joined me for the last few days and we couldn’t both fit in the back of the SUV).
Best Airbnbs near Minnesota state parks
Here are the best Airbnbs near Minnesota state parks that I have stayed at so far.
Ivy Inn Airbnb – near Schoolcraft State Park and Hill Annex State Park
Sample Minnesota state park road trips or day trips
To help give yourself a visual, check out the map of all state parks by location from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website. Note that this map also includes Minnesota state recreation areas and waysides. And then you can design a Minnesota state park road trip tour that best works for you.
Here’s a list of Minnesota state parks I paired up (or wish I had) in order to hike all of them in one year. And, you’ll note that I recommend visiting some separately for various reasons.
Forestville / Mystery Cave State Park and Lake Louise State Park
Technically, Forestville and Mystery Cave State Park are now considered one state park. And Lake Louise State Park is a smaller park so this state park road trip is doable if you get an early start. Note that Mystery Cave State Park is seasonal (typically open early May to late October).
Myre-Big Island State Park and Rice Lake State Park
Myre-Big Island State Park | Albert Lea, Minnesota
Distance between Myre-Big Island State Park and Rice Lake State Park: 42 miles – Note: When I hiked all 66 Minnesota state parks, I actually hiked all day at Myre-Big Island State Park. And planned my two-a-day road trip at Rice Lake State Park and Sakatah Lake State Park.
Rice Lake State Park | Owatonna, Minnesota
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park and Sakatah Lake State Park
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | Nerstrand, Minnesota
Distance between Nerstrand Big Woods State Park and Sakatah Lake State Park: 25 miles
Alternatively, you can visit Minneopa State Park separately to explore the two-tiered waterfall and check out the bison range and do some hiking like we did. We hiked Kilen Wood State Park on a separate day. You could also catch it on your way home from Blue Mounds State Park.
Check out my full review and seasonal hours to drive through the bison range: Minneopa State Park.
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park and Father Hennepin State Park
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | Onamia, Minnesota
One of the best historic state parks in Minnesota, Mille Lacs Kathio State Park offers an interpretive hiking trails. For more cardio, climb the 100-ft. fire tower and you can see Minnesota’s second largest lake in the distance. Mille Lacs Lake covers 132,500 acres. Take a dip in the gorgeous lake at Father Hennepin State Park, which is only a few minutes away.
Distance between Charles A. Lindbergh State Park and Crow Wing State Park: 25 miles
Mosquito and tick alert: While I enjoyed both Charles A. Lindbergh and Crow Wing state parks, I was not a fan of the bugs. Mosquitoes devoured me at Charles A. Lindbergh State Park and I even had on bug spray. They bit me through my hiking leggings where I hadn’t sprayed! Crow Wing State Park is only one of two state parks where a tick hitchhiked a ride back with me. The other was Mille Lacs Kathio State Park.
My recommended DEET-free mosquito and tick repellents
These two state parks are notorious for ticks so use DEET-free picaridin: highly recommend bringing along a travel-size bottle of Ranger Ready and Aunt Fannie’s DEET-free mosquito wipes (perfect for the face, neck, and hands). If the links look broken, they’re not – and are safe to click through where I may receive a small commission. I only recommend products I use.
Alternatively, you could change out St. Croix State Park with Banning State Park and the distance between those two Minnesota state parks is only 20 miles. However, we hiked the entire day at Banning so that’s why I suggested this two-a-day state park pairing.
Moose Lake State Park | Moose Lake, Minnesota
Banning State Park
Banning State Park | Sandstone, Minnesota
Recommend taking a full day to explore Banning State Park. Or you could pair it up with Moose Lake State Park where the distance is only 20 miles.
Savanna Portage State Park and Jay Cooke State Park
Savanna Portage State Park | McGregor, Minnesota
Distance between Savanna Portage State Park and Jay Cooke State Park: 52 miles
Note: We actually hiked Jay Cooke State Park separately and I hiked Savanna Portage State Park during my two-week SUV camping road trip. However, this is a doable two-a-day state park road trip.
Jay Cooke State Park | Carlton, Minnesota
Gooseberry Falls State Park and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
Gooseberry Falls State Park | Two Harbors, Minnesota
Distance between Gooseberry Falls State Park and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park: 4.3 miles (so close you can even hike or bike between the two)
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park | Two Harbors, Minnesota
Tettegouche State Park and George Crosby Manitou State Park
Note: While it’s only 15 miles between these two Minnesota state parks, the distance is a little misleading – especially in the winter. George Crosby Manitou State Park looks like it’s right off Highway 61 (aka the North Shore), but it’s a little off the beaten path. It is still pretty much a remote, undeveloped wilderness state park.
And the gravel road leading to it can be a little slow going. Additionally, the winter hiking trails are not well maintained so encourage you to hike during the spring, summer, or fall. Although if you have a full day, then definitely hike George Crosby Manitou State Park in the winter – it’s magical! See my epic Minnesota frozen waterfall tour post.
George Crosby Manitou State Park | Silver Bay, Minnesota
Temperance River State Park and Cascade River State Park
Distance between Bear Head Lake State Park and the Lake Vermillion / Soudan Underground Mine State Park: 14 miles
Note: Lake Vermillion and the Soudan Underground Mine are near each other, separated by a few miles.
Lake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park | Soudan, MinnesotaLake Vermillion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park | Soudan, Minnesota
McCarthy Beach State Park and Scenic State Park
McCarthy Beach State Park | Side Lake, Minnesota
Distance between McCarthy Beach State Park and Scenic State Park: 54 miles
Scenic State Park | Bigfork, Minnesota
Hill Annex Mine State Park and Schoolcraft State Park
Hill Annex Mine State Park | Calumet, Minnesota
Distance between Hill Annex Mine State Park and Schoolcraft State Park: 32 miles
Note that Hill Annex Mine State Park is open limited hours (so plan accordingly). I had to circle back when I arrived on a Thursday and they weren’t open until Friday. And while you won’t find any hiking trails here, you can check out the former open mine pit and a really cool museum.
Hayes Lake State Park, Lake Bronson State Park, and Old Mill State Park(three-a-day)
Hayes Lake State Park | Roseau, Minnesota
Distance between Hayes Lake State Park and Lake Bronson State Park: 55 miles
Distance between Lake Bronson State Park and and Old Mill State Park: 31 miles
The state parks in the northwest corner of Minnesota are spread out, so this will be a day of road tripping, but is doable. Tip: Stay near Hayes Lake State Park the night before so you can get an early start on hiking.
Lake Bronson State Park | Lake Bronson, MinnesotaOld Mill State Park | Argyle, Minnesota
Lac qui Parle State Park and Upper Sioux Agency State Park
Editorial note: Upper Sioux Agency State Park is no longer a Minnesota state park. This sacred land was returned to the tribal community.
Lac qui ParleState Park | Watson, Minnesota
Distance between Lac qui Parle State Park and Upper Sioux Agency State Park: 33 miles
Upper Sioux Agency State Park | Granite Falls, Minnesota – Editorial note: Upper Sioux Agency State Park is no longer a Minnesota state park. This sacred land was returned to the tribal community.
Upper Sioux Agency State Park | Granite Falls, MN (122 miles) – Note: Minnesota returned this park’s land to the Native Americans in February 2024. It is no longer open to the public.
Whitewater State Park | Altura, MN (99 miles)
Wild River State Park | Center City, MN (58 miles)
Of course, you can certainly take it more slowly and do one-a-days where you hike only one Minnesota state park a day. I did on several visits. And I plan to return to many of these Minnesota state parks and spend more time hiking different trails, SUV camping, and/or kayaking.
Hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks is a great way to explore the Land of 10,000 lakes (we actually have 11,842 lakes). Enjoy the diverse beauty and history of Minnesota!
Pin it for later: Tour all Minnesota state parks in a year
Twin Cities-based blogger sharing memorable emptynester, solo, family and girlfriend-getaway adventures, as well as my day hiking adventures (including all 66 Minnesota state parks), latest book reviews, and updates on my quest for the best adult mac and cheese.
Also two WIPs: historical fiction and psychological thriller
56 comments
It’s a bit of a challenge to strategically get all state parks in a year. We love our Indiana state parks, but on date trips, we rarely get more than one in. This helps a lot for Minnesota parks!
Wow it’s so impressive you did this all within a year! I love those tips, we are aiming to see all of the national parks on the contiguous US this year and we are almost there! It helps to live in a van. I would love to visit some of these spectacular parks.
First of all the pictures are amazing 🙂 I really love how you challenge yourself to finish all 66 state parks in a year and you did it!! The distance between each parks are very helpful for trip planning! Would love to check out some of those hikes and waterfalls’
I love state parks and admittedly have not visited nearly enough in my home state! This post was truly an inspiration to start on my own list and get started on some hikes this summer. I love that you included all of the Minnesota parks and some airbnb ideas here to making it easy for travelers to make just one visit or many!
Thank you! And awesome that you’re inspired to visit and hike your own state parks. Like you, I had only hiked a handful before I started my challenge of exploring all 66 Minnesota state parks. So happy I did.
Those are some beautiful looking State Parks in Minnesota. I haven’t been to any of them but would definitely love to check them out one day. Love being in nature.
Congrats on meeting your challenge of visiting all the state parks in Minnesota! Your pictures always make me want to return to your beautiful state. I especially love your pictures with water. So pretty!
Wow! That is an ambitious goal! And you did it! That’s amazing and inspiring. Each of these hikes look fantastic. I love the details you provided making it easy for someone to follow in your footsteps and do the same!
Thank you! That’s a great question. I know that the Minnesota DNR has a hiking club where you can get stamps in a passport of sorts. I may do this and hike all 66 Minnesota state parks again as I didn’t always hike the Hiking Club trails.
This is so fun! Hiking all 66 of Minnesota’s state parks looks great. We had hoped to do something like this in another state, however, Lisa had a knee replacement and her walking abilities went way down. This post has us rekindling that hiking thought here in California. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome and my pleasure. It’s tough when the body doesn’t want to cooperate. I hope you will be able to hike state parks in the near future.
I lived in MN all through college and I am so bummed I didn’t get to do more Minnesota State Parks! I will have to make a point to check way more off when I go home to visit. This is a great inspiration on how to make the most of a few days!
Wow wow wow – 66 state parks in a year, that’s an absolute challenge but fantastic work. It’s such a pity that I haven’t really heard too much about Minnesota and your parks but I think I’m definitely missing out. Looks like an amazing state to explore especially for hiking. Doubt I’ll manage all 66 state parks but at least I can save this for later and visit more than one park if I ever get the chance to visit! 🙂
What a great collection of State Parks in Minnesota. What a great challenge to visit all 66 parks. Great that some are good day trips but others have great spots to stay close to them. What a lovely collection of outdoor scenes. Some great reasons to visit Minnesota.
This is surely an ambitious yet desirable goal for all hiking enthusiasts. Thanks to your post I’ve realized how beautiful Minnesota is in all seasons!
I couldn’t imagine there were so many parks in Minnesota! Judging by the picture my fav is Tettegouche State Park and George Crosby Manitou State Park! I can’t wait to take an adventure like that!
We do have quite a few Minnesota state parks – and all special in their unique way. Tettegouche State Park and George Crosby Manitou State Park in Minnesota are both beautiful – and relatively close to each other..
Wow, hiking all 66 Minnesota State Parks in one year sounds like a feat. However, these parks are all so lovely. I’m sure that would make for an incredible year! Thanks for sharing this helpful guide.
These are great tips for making the best of your time. You inspired me to look up all the state parks in North Carolina after reading this. Maybe one day I’ll see them all! How long in total did it take you to do all this?
Awesome! Hiking all the state parks in North Carolina sounds like a great challenge. It took me a year to hike all 66 Minnesota state parks – mid-June 2020 through July 3, 2021.
Thank you! I definitely had to embrace winter on this challenge of hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks. I was surprised I enjoyed the cold-weather hikes as much as I did.
The way you did the hike within a year made me think of the Greek epic tales and Minnesota was the vast sea. Seems like the gods bestowed you such wonderful sceneries and sunsets on your hikes 😉
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It’s a bit of a challenge to strategically get all state parks in a year. We love our Indiana state parks, but on date trips, we rarely get more than one in. This helps a lot for Minnesota parks!
It definitely was a challenge to plan and hike all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year. So happy I did.
Hiking all 66 State Parks in Minnesota in 1 year would definitely be a goal! This resource is wonderful for anyone looking to accomplish it.
Thank you! I’m hoping this guide on how to plan and hike all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year is a helpful resource.
Wow it’s so impressive you did this all within a year! I love those tips, we are aiming to see all of the national parks on the contiguous US this year and we are almost there! It helps to live in a van. I would love to visit some of these spectacular parks.
Thank you! Loved my challenge of hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year. And that is fo awesome you’re visiting all the national parks!
First of all the pictures are amazing 🙂 I really love how you challenge yourself to finish all 66 state parks in a year and you did it!! The distance between each parks are very helpful for trip planning! Would love to check out some of those hikes and waterfalls’
Thank you so much! I’m so happy I hiked all 66 Minnesota state parks. I love the ones with the waterfalls also.
I love state parks and admittedly have not visited nearly enough in my home state! This post was truly an inspiration to start on my own list and get started on some hikes this summer. I love that you included all of the Minnesota parks and some airbnb ideas here to making it easy for travelers to make just one visit or many!
Thank you! And awesome that you’re inspired to visit and hike your own state parks. Like you, I had only hiked a handful before I started my challenge of exploring all 66 Minnesota state parks. So happy I did.
Those are some beautiful looking State Parks in Minnesota. I haven’t been to any of them but would definitely love to check them out one day. Love being in nature.
Nature is so good for the soul! I hope you get the opportunity to visit and hike some of Minnesota’s most beautiful state parks.
Congrats on meeting your challenge of visiting all the state parks in Minnesota! Your pictures always make me want to return to your beautiful state. I especially love your pictures with water. So pretty!
Thank you so much! I hope you get the opportunity to return and hike some of the 66 Minnesota state parks.
Wow! That is an ambitious goal! And you did it! That’s amazing and inspiring. Each of these hikes look fantastic. I love the details you provided making it easy for someone to follow in your footsteps and do the same!
Thank you so much! Love sharing how I planned my challenge to hike all 66 Minnesota state parks. It was a great experience!
This is a great plan to hike all 66 Minnesota State parks in a year. I wonder how many people have accomplish this.
Thank you! That’s a great question. I know that the Minnesota DNR has a hiking club where you can get stamps in a passport of sorts. I may do this and hike all 66 Minnesota state parks again as I didn’t always hike the Hiking Club trails.
What a great guide for visiting all of the state parks in Minnesota! It’s a beautiful state. I’ve mostly been in the Duluth area.
Thank you! Minnesota offers so many beautiful and diverse hiking trails at all 66 state parks. I’m a huge fan of Duluth!
This is so fun! Hiking all 66 of Minnesota’s state parks looks great. We had hoped to do something like this in another state, however, Lisa had a knee replacement and her walking abilities went way down. This post has us rekindling that hiking thought here in California. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome and my pleasure. It’s tough when the body doesn’t want to cooperate. I hope you will be able to hike state parks in the near future.
I lived in MN all through college and I am so bummed I didn’t get to do more Minnesota State Parks! I will have to make a point to check way more off when I go home to visit. This is a great inspiration on how to make the most of a few days!
I hope you get the opportunity to hike some of the 66 Minnesota state parks. I lived here nearly 30 years before I hiked all of them.
Wow! What a milestone to complete this in a year! This is such a well thought out and informative guide!
Thank you so kindly! Love sharing how I planned and hiked all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year.
Sounds like the best weight loss program ever. The bonus is that you get to see some pretty great stuff!
Hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks was a win-win – so much beauty and nourished my soul and body.
Wow wow wow – 66 state parks in a year, that’s an absolute challenge but fantastic work. It’s such a pity that I haven’t really heard too much about Minnesota and your parks but I think I’m definitely missing out. Looks like an amazing state to explore especially for hiking. Doubt I’ll manage all 66 state parks but at least I can save this for later and visit more than one park if I ever get the chance to visit! 🙂
I hope you get the opportunity to hike any of Minnesota’s 66 state parks! I love all of them.
What great information and what a treat to see all of these beautiful Minnesota state parks in one year. Your photos are simply gorgeous!
Thank you so much! Greatly appreciate your kind words. Love sharing how I planned and hike all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year.
Wow! What a feat. I would love to hike some of them. That terrain looks absolutely stunning in the autumn months.
Thank you so kindly! Loved planning and hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks. And they are especially beautiful in the fall.
What a great collection of State Parks in Minnesota. What a great challenge to visit all 66 parks. Great that some are good day trips but others have great spots to stay close to them. What a lovely collection of outdoor scenes. Some great reasons to visit Minnesota.
Thank you! Loved that I was able to to take day trips and hike so many of Minnesota’s state parks.
This is surely an ambitious yet desirable goal for all hiking enthusiasts. Thanks to your post I’ve realized how beautiful Minnesota is in all seasons!
Thank you! My pleasure to share what I learned in planning and hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year.
I’m still in awe that you hiked all 66 Minnesota State Parks in one year! I have loved following this journey, thanks so much for sharing it!
Thank you so much for all your support. Love sharing the beauty of Minnesota and how I planned and hiked all 66 state parks.
I couldn’t imagine there were so many parks in Minnesota! Judging by the picture my fav is Tettegouche State Park and George Crosby Manitou State Park! I can’t wait to take an adventure like that!
We do have quite a few Minnesota state parks – and all special in their unique way. Tettegouche State Park and George Crosby Manitou State Park in Minnesota are both beautiful – and relatively close to each other..
I love your photos! This would be great to do if living there. I saved couple names couple my favorites from this post for my next trip!
Awesome…and thank you! I hope you get the opportunity to hike some of our beautiful Minnesota state parks.
Wow, hiking all 66 Minnesota State Parks in one year sounds like a feat. However, these parks are all so lovely. I’m sure that would make for an incredible year! Thanks for sharing this helpful guide.
You’re welcome and my pleasure! Love sharing how I planned and hiked all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year.
Visiting all 66 state parks seems like quite a challenge. It’s amazing to explore your local area though, isn’t it?
I enjoyed my staycation challenge of hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks in a year. It was so much fun!
These are great tips for making the best of your time. You inspired me to look up all the state parks in North Carolina after reading this. Maybe one day I’ll see them all! How long in total did it take you to do all this?
Awesome! Hiking all the state parks in North Carolina sounds like a great challenge. It took me a year to hike all 66 Minnesota state parks – mid-June 2020 through July 3, 2021.
Wow, such an impressive accomplishment, especially with weather to contend with! Your pictures are ALL beautiful, I’m sold!
Thank you! I definitely had to embrace winter on this challenge of hiking all 66 Minnesota state parks. I was surprised I enjoyed the cold-weather hikes as much as I did.
Wow! Your pictures are gorgeous! These state parks are amazing especially with all those waterfalls.This is a great resource for hiking Minnesota
Thank you so much! Love sharing what I learned as I planned and hiked all 66 Minnesota state parks! Happy to hear it’s a great resource!
The way you did the hike within a year made me think of the Greek epic tales and Minnesota was the vast sea. Seems like the gods bestowed you such wonderful sceneries and sunsets on your hikes 😉
I love that! Yes, I definitely was blessed with some fabulous hiking and scenic views on my epic Minnesota state park adventure.