MN State Parks: Interstate

Interstate Park is close to home so we've gotten to visit during different times of the year. Straddling the St. Croix River, this park is in both MN and WI. You can camp on both sides. Because we have a MN sticker, we park on the MN side and hike over to WI. (not a hard walk.)

View from the MN side

Fall is a beautiful time to visit when the leaves are changing. Just remember if you are going to camp that trees only change colors when the nights get cold. Plan accordingly. 

It's not just about the leaves though. Every time we've visited, the rangers station has had an activity for the kids. Expect to learn about vegetation, animals, and even glacier potholes that are in the park.

View from the WI side.

A day trip to hike with friends is a fun way to enjoy the colors on a beautiful fall day. (That tip is true for any state park that is close to you. Pack a picnic and head out for the afternoon.)

Interstate Park is located near Taylors Falls. In addition to the typical cafes, and local ice cream joints you'll find a place called Fawn Doe Rosa. We picked up tickets during a silent auction, benefit dinner and were in for an unexpected treat! It's essentially a large petting zoo. We got there when it opened and for some reason most people went to the left so we went to the right. We were basically by ourselves for a while and the dear bounded over to us. We looked through the gift shop on the way out, and picked up a couple of postcards.

Have you ever been this close to a deer?

This guy doesn't seem to know what Thanksgiving is all about.

None of the animals were afraid of humans.

The Campground on the MN side offers access to the St. Croix. (WI may too, but we didn't check out their campground.) It is pretty shallow there so we waded out a ways to throw our line into the current. It was hot that day and we lost some bait, but didn't real anything in.

If you have been following along on this MN State Park blog series I hope that you are being inspired to get out and enjoy nature with your family. We've been intentional about spending less time on our screens and more time engaging with each other. Sitting around a camp site encourages deep conversations and vision casting for the future. Enjoying new experiences doesn't have to cost a ton, or take loads of planning. You and your kids will just remember the laughs and the sweet moments caught on camera.

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