State Parks

[Tompton]

What is your favorite / least favorite state park to camp at?  I'm trying to take the family more often and I'd like to know which ones are great and which ones to avoid. 

Also, if any have good group camp sites.

[fishercz20]

Sibley state park outside of Wilmar

[lenny7]

I'll assume you're looking for a regular campsite and not a backpacking site (Crosby-Manitou has fantastic backpacking sites).

Any park along the north shore, with the exception of Gooseberry Falls, is great.  I dont' care for Gooseberry because it's so crowded.  My son & I love the lakeside sites at Temperance River and the hike along the river is fantastic.  I'd like to try the hike-in sites at Split Rock some time.  Cascade is really nice and further on up the road.  I have not camped at Judge Magney but the Devil's Kettle is a site to behold, particularly in the spring when the water's high.

At the other end of the state, Whitewater is a nice place to camp and has the benefit of very few mosquitoes.  Many of the old buildings were built by the CCC.  You'll have trout fishing available in the area as well.  Further to the SE is Beaver Creek Valley SP, also recommended.

To the SW is Blue Mounds State Park.  Best time to go there is in the spring when the wildflowers are out (The Prairie Smoke flower is pretty cool...for a flower) or when they do their buffalo roundup.  The blue mounds are nice to hike out to and the park has a nice beach.  We camped in the cart in sites.  We didnt' get it, but the last one down the path is set in along some cool rock formations.

We camped at St. Croix SP one time and got eaten alive by mosquitoes.  It was incredible, even by MN standards.  Soon after I got home I saw a copy of National Geographic Traveler magazine.  They listed the 10 worst places to travel and wouldn't ya know it...St. Croix SP was listed because of the mosquitoes.