Fort Ridgely State Park

We stayed at walk-in campsite W1 and it was amazing! The campsite was very secluded from the campground, we never heard a single screaming child or barking dog. If you are parking in the main campground area the walk-in campsites are at the top of a substantial hill which is good because it acts as a deterrent for most people and makes the site feel even more private.

We camped there on a Thursday night/Friday morning we saw very few people on the trails, in the campground, and the entire park in general.

There are several extensive prairie restorations, wooded floodplain areas, and beautiful overlooks. Plenty of interesting botany and birding to be had here.

We loved Fort Ridgely State Park! Very nice, large sites. We love the shaded sites and the quiet surroundings. The fort is rich with history and it’s beautiful listening to the prairie grass as you look around. One of our favorite state parks!

A simple, yet rich park. While most of the old fort is simply foundations, the signage is very informative. My only suggestion is to read up a bit on the history of that area before going. I think it'll help understand & appreciate everything on a deeper level. I only regret not visiting the cemetery.
The fort is just a short drive up from the campground. We stayed in a site closer to the creek, but the whole place is beautiful & well kept. The new restoom/shower building hadn't yet opened, but the vault toilet & porta potty were cleaned & always stocked with toilet paper.

Love this park. Very scenic over looking the river valley and full of history. Area around the park is beautiful. I went in the fall and is very vibrant. Great trails and camping is excellent. Day use area is good. Park has a sledding hill and warming shelter. Not sure why this park isn't rated higher. A new shower building is being built and should alleviate some of the complaints.

The forts area has lots of historical information around the area to read about the significance of this spot to the area. It was interesting to learn how the Fort played such an important role during the time of the Dakota war.

Fantastic State Park with awesome trails, open views, and history! We saw prairies filled will so many yellow, purple, and orange flowers and many different plants. Also saw lots of grasshoppers and a couple toads which I'll take anyday over mosquitoes. Fort Ridgley was also a great place to see. Lots of the housing for solders were taken down, but it was cool to still see the foundation rock in place. Inside of the building that is still standing was currently closed though.

Not sure if it's the greatest for camping as spots are small and really open for campers. Plus bathrooms are Porta potties or far away at the chalet. However, the trails for sure would make it fun. We didn't camp here, just drove around to see the sites.

Quiet, shady campground with creek access and gorgeous hiking paths. Showers were clean and hot, and we enjoyed a DNR class offered on wild edibles. We unintentionally placed a hammock that was against park rules and staff was very friendly about it.

We loved our two-day camping trip to Fort Ridgely on a very nice August weekend. The park amenities were very good, and the park staff Rangers were very nice and helpful. It's a short walk or drive from the campgrounds up to the Fort Ridgely area. There's many learning areas at the State Park. Our family highly recommends this for a nice getaway in a very quiet secluded park that's not far off the beaten path

Great time, plenty of room to explore and enjoy lots of deer.

The group camping was awesome we had only 2 families and 3 other adults camp and we had the wgole section to ourselves it was great the trails were great the river was cold but the scenery and fort ridgley was so informative on what happened there back in the day very historical place.

Good camping, nice trails, a tiny beach on a nice little lake... really enjoyed our stay here. Park rangers were outstanding. While we were here it was a full moon so we had spectacular night views. The trails were a little overgrown in the summer. Also, we had a really cool camp spot, right on the river. Also, the horse camp here is supposedly one of the best in the state (looked nice but we don't have horses).

New trails added and map updated! Fun, exciting, and beautiful!!

I enjoyed the scenery. Even though the officer and enlisted quarters are no longer standing its really neat to at least see the layout of the buildings.

Nice trails and cabin has a nice fireplace

It was great to see the historical part of the state park. We stayed in the country house and enjoyed being close to all the horses that were in the park touring the trails.

We have really enjoyed camping here. Our site was next to the river so we got to listen to that at night. We visited the fort the next day. It was a lot of interesting information that I learned about the history here in Minnesota and the river valley.

Nice park for hiking but for kids, unless they want to play in the river there is no much for them to do.

Great place to hike the scenery and history is awesome to look at. Last time here hiked 12miles.

A beautiful park of restored prairie and bur oak forest.

This place has a lot of character! I'd rather support a small Ma and PAW business! I love the buffalo chicken wrap! They got blue cheese in that!