Minneopa State Park — Hotel in North Mankato

This is a spectacular state park for a family day trip. It’s easy to drive to, being near major highways. Roads within the park are dirt or gravel, spacious enough for tow vehicles going opposite directions to easily pass at the same time, and clearly labeled making driving to the various sites within the park easy. The views were among the moser scenic and dramatic that the Minnesota River Valley has to offer. It felt like stepping back in time to when the Dakota nation lived freely on this land, when the Tetanka (Buffalo) ruled.

We arrived on a day that alternate between downpour and sunshine. To see the buffalo, we parked in a small lot and walked about 3/4 of a mile along mostly dirt roads and paths, that was muddy in some parts, sandy in others. Along the way we passed the old grain mill and grain crib, very many beautiful wild flowers, and dramatic views from above the river valley. There was a spot with some “stairs” cut into the dirt of the hill and wood beams set to hold the “stairs” in place. The walk was easy for younger and older children and adults. Though it works every difficult for a walking baby or toddler new to walking, for anyone with knee or ankle problems that makes walk on unstable and uneven surfaces difficult, or an older or sick person who cannot walk far distances. While a relatively short walk for a lightly tight moderately active person, the changes in the surface going from dry dirt, to mud, to sand and mixtures of the three, as well as the deep grooves and sudden dips in the surfaces required attention be paid to where ones feet went to avoid spraining an ankle or tripping. If at any point the walk proves difficult, it is easy to turn back around and go back. There were benches in the higher ground area near to the grain milll where one cousin rest or just take in the view. Informative signs provide much education so reading. And during the drive through the park to the lot there are opportunities to see the buffalo from the comfort of one’s vehicle.

It was amazing seeing buffalo up close. They were bigger than I had imagined, and I imagined they’d be big. Their presence felt serious and strong, and no one with me was goi g to try touching one nor offer food - which signs earn not to do because they are dangerous. But they also gave off a tranquil peaceful feeling. It was surreal. They are truly majestic creatures. It was like stepping back in time to see the raw landscape and wilderness that all of this land once was. The raw beauty and potential ... it was easy to see why settlers pushed westward and fought to take over this fertile territory. It was also heart breaking to see the splendor that was destroyed in doing such ... and to think of thousands slaughtered in that genocide. It is my sincere hope that by visiting places like this, we can reflect on the wrongs and destruction of our society and actively work...

Went camping here in weekend of June 8th and 9th 2024. The camp site is fairly small with A and B loop. Most of the campsites are tiny and mainly tent campers. There are a few with electric, but 90% of the sites are non electric. There are also 4 group sites that are a little ways out from the parking area.

There are a few hiking trials as well as the bison sanctuary. You can go hiking or drive on the bison sanctuary and see a few bisons. There’s also the waterfall.

Now I am not sure if it’s like this all season, but this campsite is infested with flys, gnats, mosquitoes, spiders, ants, etc. It’s so bad that you cannot be outside without getting bitten by mosquitoes or flys hovering over you. Even spraying bug spray didn’t help much. We cannot even go hiking because it’s just that bad.

There is the main bathroom that everyone share. The toilets are non flushable. So the bathroom smells if people forget to close the lid. For the men bathroom, there are 2 stalls and a urinal. There’s 2 shower stalls all in the same area. If you are okay with vault toilet, then it’s not so bad. If you can’t stand the smell of vault toilet, then this campsite is not for you. The shower have nice hot water. Just that when you’re in there with the steam and stench of feces, not the best combination. Some people probably don’t mind, but others it’s just too much. Also note that the restroom can get quite busy since 90% of campers are tent campers so everyone use the restroom and with just 2 stalls, there could be a line.

Overall, if you want to do some hiking and go through the bison sanctuary then not a bad park. However, if you don’t like the infestation of bugs and insects as well as vault style toilet, then you might not want to come here. Plus side is that Mankato is only a 5 minute drive so you can get back to town if you...

This was a great park even if only for a day! Sadly we haven't stayed here yet for camping, but we did go to the falls and took a hike. All and all we spent roughly, 5 hours here along with a 3hr (round trip) drive from the Minneapolis.

They don't have a ton of trails as it's a smaller state park in comparison, but we did ~7 miles of hiking while we're were there, so depending on your perspective, this could be a little or a lot. We walked 5 miles around the Buffalo enclosure which was a pretty flat east walk with lots of places to rest. The kiddos enjoyed the hike and while we had lots of water it was warmer (87°F), so they were a little warm by the end. My kids are 6-8 and we go on longer walks frequently so this maybe some context to consider with your own.

They have a Buffalo drive through and while the kids were really excited about that, it was what we spent the least time while we're were there on. We spent about 10 minutes and once we saw the Buffalo for a while they were less interested. We did however spend a good amount of time near the waterfalls and along the river playing in the water. As a parent fyi, lots of good picture opportunities with the kids here and they really wanted to camp here sometime.

There were also a couple other places near by in St Peter to go hiking as well including 7mile park.

All and all, I have a solid recommendation for Minneopa as a day trip place for kids and hikers alike. I'll add more...