interstate state park

I live in St. Paul, MN and every year we make the trip (1 hour) North to Taylor Falls. If you have kids and you want an inexpensive activity to do this is it. If you have kids from 5-18 years old they will enjoy the time climbing on the rocks and checking out the river.

Trails weren't maintained for winter, but for casual hiking that was not a problem for us. There are several loops of less than a mile on the Wisconsin side, so for a short distance it was no problem to go slow and be careful of the ice on steps and the like.The park is absolutely stunning on a sunny winter day, with gorgeous viewpoints and much natural beauty as you climb among the snow-covered boulders. Absolutely worth the trip.

The glacial potholes are worth the stop. This is a lovely park, you will not want to miss! Self State Park Pass required. You do an honor envelope type system to pay. $5 is what we paid. You can walk in real easy. Very accessible!

Spent an afternoon here hiking, exploring the glacial pits, enjoying the peacefulness by the river, and the walk across the bridge to the WI side. Great for a couples day trip!

Interstate park has stunning views and is a photographers dream. We also were able to watch climbers, visit glacial potholes, and walk along the paths made for hikers....and just take in the beauty of it all....

So many paths to take and cool things to look at! River views are gorgeous! Only negative thing to say is that if you have small children watch them carefully. When you are walking on the rocks near the river there are no safety railings and it wouldn't take much for little kids who like to run around to go flying off...

We went for a hike along the River Trail, Railroad Trail and Sandstone Trail. The fall colors were gorgeous. The views along the trails aren't that great because of the tree coverage. The place was busy, so the overlooks were packed with people. The worst thing of all is that the highway runs right along the River and Railroad Trails, so the noise was terrible. At one point we just had to laugh because we were having to shout to be heard over the traffic noise. Pretty location, but it was difficult to enjoy. We should have rented canoes, but the information in the brochure and on a sign we read gave the incorrect location for the rental. We may go back and try again in the winter.

There are so many things to do at Interstate State Park.Mountain climbing, canoeing, trails, picnic, camping, potholes created by glaciers over 10k years, etc. There is something for everyone.Its a great place to visit and not too far from the twin cities.although you pay 5 dollars for the entry, you may not get a place to park easily

This area of the park is separate from the campground and large picnic area but is definitely an area not to be missed. You continue from the entrance to the park into the town of Taylor's Falls and it is on the right before you cross the bridge into Wisconsin. The potholes and huge rocks are such a fun area to climb around and explore. There aren't any fences up and you are literally on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the St. Croix River, so be careful and set some rules up in advance, especially if you have small, adventurous children with you! Parking can be an issue, especially on weekends, we had to wait for someone to leave before we could enter the parking lot and it does require a state park sticker or a fee. We saw a car with a ticket so it is best to pay the fee as the rangers are checking!

Interstate Park was extremely easy to get to. The Glacier Potholes were within feet of the park entrance. Great place for kids to climb rocks. I'm too nervous about kids getting too close to the edge, so I was on pins and needles a couple of times when my kids climbed rocks and disappeared having fun. Short walks to some great scenery. Good facilities except the women's bathroom was too busy and there was a line to get in.

Today, my husband and I visited the Interstate State Park at Taylors Falls, MN. It was a very interesting State Park - and was told it was the 2nd state park created in Minnesota. The name - Interstate is because - half of the park in in Minnesota and the other half in Wisconsin - both sides bordering the beautiful St. Croix River. The terrain is rather rocky - so be prepared to do some rigorous hiking. A delightful visit.

This place is a great place to visit if you're interested in geology. Lots of different features, plus it sits along the scenic St. Croix River. Worth checking out the Glacial Potholes. A great park to visit, particularly in the Fall, though you will have to battle a bit of traffic on the weekends.

The formation and Pot Holes are outstanding The river was really powerful a long time ago when it created this area , easy to walk around

This is a smaller, fully shaded, intimate campground whose inside sites are arranged closer together from each other with no brush or trees in between you and the next camper for the majority of the sites. It has 37 sites, of which 22 are electric. Our neighboring campers were a mixture of large bus-type RVs, smaller trailers, popups, and tent campers. The non-electric sites are along the river and have brush blocking the river view and a steep rocky bank (except for site 21) not a beachy area. Swimming from the campground shore is not legal due to strong river current and undertow. Canoers and kayakers who can rent next to the campground can be seen paddling up and down the river. The huge paddleboat has tours past the campground several times per day. The showers/restrooms were closed 90 minutes per morning for cleaning by the elderly campground host couple, although the women's shower stalls were absolutely filthy (see photos). Otherwise the park staff maintain it nicely. Most campers were considerate with the exception of a few noisy. Everyone else tolerated those few very well. Park staff routinely monitored noise and parking compliance from a patrolling vehicle. The noise level from trucks and ongoing traffic on nearby Hwy 8, can be loud until after midnight when all is quiet through the night. Taylors Falls is within walking distance on the railroad bed trails from the campground. Another trail from the campground leads to the potholes park. St. Croix Falls is just across the river from Taylors Falls and has great places to eat, an awesome quilt shop, and a really good health food store, among others (hospital with ER too).Lots of early settler Swedish history in this area is shared.

We happened to pull over when we saw the park sign, and had no idea what we were in for. This is a beautiful park with an information center that provides extensive information on the geography and evolution of the topography. There are several trails to see the naturally formed potholes and all lead to breathtaking views of the St. Croix River. We loved it and it was well worth the $5 park fee.