John A. Latsch State Park — Attraction in Winona

Some things to know before going: The parking area is a bit small, so try to find room (this being said, it seems a less popular state park, so it should be available); furthermore, there is only one toilet structure, and it is what one might call a rustic latrine with a shelter and toilet paper (no sink). If you know these, you should be ready for a good experience. There were many stairs (in roughly 5 flights, the 2nd and 3rd being VERY long), and some steps in those flights were a little wobbly, but I don’t think they would fall out of place (they were placed there in the 90’s and are becoming old). This being said, you should either be quite fit, have a friend with you, or take a walking stick. The view at the top, once the stairs finish, is spectacular. Use caution as there are no railings at the edge of the bluff, but it is not a problem if you stay more than 15 feet from the edge. The trail afterward is not well-kept, and it gradually peters off until it is indiscernible from the rest of the forested area. While the state park area itself is a decent size, only a small portion of it is accessible to citizens through the drivable area, stairs, and trail. If you are fit, you can be in and out of the park in under an hour, having read every sign and seeing every spot designated for you to access. You do not need a permit to enter this particular state park, it is not normally staffed, and there is not a type of entry or visitor’s kiosk. You cannot camp in the park. Concluding thoughts: a great “bang for your buck” in terms of value per minute spent - good recreation and natural beauty. Best suited for older teens and young to middle-aged adults. Be careful if alone. The park still had some untapped potential that the MN Department of Natural Resources could work with if and when they invest in...

John A. Latsch State Park is a sublimely gorgeous state park of Mississippi River bluffs and valleys that is actually big. The size of the park is 1654 acres or about a little more than 2.5 square miles. John Latsch State Park appears small because there is only one official trail which is a steep and short half mile trail from the bottom of a bluff to the top. The remainder and majority of the bluffs and valleys of this beautiful park is wilderness which hikers can explore off trail. John A. Latsch was named in honor of a great person from Winona who lived from the middle 1800s to the middle 1900s. John A. Latsch donated over 20,000 acres of land to the state of Minnesota and the city of Winona for all people to enjoy and love. This includes Perrot State Park and Merrick State Park in Wisconsin, Whitewater State Park, John A. Latsch State Park and most of the Winona parks. This good and humble man never owned a car and lived in a modest house. He gave all the money he earned from his grocer business back to the people of Winona, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thanks for your...

This is a baby state park with exactly two things to do: 1- have a picnic in the very shaded picnic area; 2- ascend 450 vertical feet via an aging wood staircase of many, many stairs.

This hike is strenuous and should not be attempted by those with mobility challenges or balance issues - the stairs are steep going both up and down and they are situated close to a steep side of Mount Charity and there is only railing at certain sections.

That said, the views are amazing and worth the effort of the hike. Seeing the Mississippi River valley from this vantage point is impressive. There are two separate look out points to view the valley - neither have any guard rails at the edge to help prevent falling over the edge.

This is an “add-on stop” state park to visit in conjunction with other state parks in the area (Whitewater, Frontenac) and not a...