Minneopa State Park

This is a really beautiful spot, really nice native plant diversity avg wildlife. I went there on some really hot days and still had a good time. The waterfall was nice in spite of the drought. Saw some Sunchoke which was really pretty

We camped here at the Red Fox Campground for a night. We booked online ($24 for the campsite and $7 reservation fee). Plus an additional $7 park entry fee.

Campsites are good, but on the smaller side and not very private. Vault toilets are clean and well kept. They have a main restroom/shower area as well, which has hot water and is also pretty clean (pictured).

The bison drive was an amazing experience. We went 2 days in a row, and the bison were in exactly the same spot 😅 you can drive up to seppman mill and then hike down. The hike follows the fenced perimeter of the bison drive and is about a 5 mile loop. You can also park right outside the bison drive entrance and walk on the outside of the fence. You CANNOT and should not exit your vehicle inside the fenced area. 1610 AM is the radio channel for the bison drive. You can tune in on your car radio.

The bison drive and campsite are on one side of the park, and Minneopa falls on the other. Water levels were super low but that allowed for a good swimming opportunity.

There's lots of good trails in the park too. We took the confluence trail (pictured) which is where minneopa creek meets the Minnesota River.

First waterfall Zach (my Rc car) has ever seen very good rocks for pictures also

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 when we camp.

We took part in a monarch butterflies capture and tagging program with the park naturalist. Great experience, wonderful co participating fellow natural enthusiasts.

What a great park! We camped, and everything is within a short walking distance. We went to see the bison twice while on our trip. If you have a park pass, you can go in as much as you would like. There is an old mill to check out, and I recommend doing so. The view is amazing.

Wonderful park located a short drive from Mankato for easy shopping is necessary. The falls are beautiful, even though it wasn't flowing much during our stay. There is a drive through a prairie of bison which was a lot of fun!
Somewhat secluded camp sites, and quiet for the most part. There are hiking trails as well, and our T-Mobile signal was fair to moderate.
I would come back again.

Very impressive state park with a lot of the expected, but by golly, some unexpected as well. The first part of the park I visited was the south side where Minneopa Falls is located. Unfortunately, this time of year the falls show nothing but a trickle. The sight is certainly beautiful and worth it around all the scenery. Very well kept park with picnic areas and the bike trail that follows State 90/Hawthorn Road. There are steps involved to get to the bottom of the falls if you wish and another set of steps to a nice scenic overlook. The second part of the park had something I didn't know was available in Minnesota. There is acreage here that you can drive to watch the bison. A couple of miles in and, sure as heck, there they were herding down the road. The land here is very beautiful as well. Campsites are also located here and well placed in the woods, not just a wide open space for all the campers but more individualized. Trails seem plentiful, though I didn't walk any in this part of the park as of yet. This be a great time of year for the color change so if y'all got a hankerin' for the outdoors, come on our and support your state parks!

We enjoyed our stop at Minneopa! We took the bison loop and saw at least 20 bison. If you keep driving and stay to your left you'll come upon an old historic mill. Super cool and interesting- and the waterfalls are a short 5 minute drive from the bison loop. A great little spot to walk and picnic.

We spent a wonderful night at Minneop State Park. We are taking her granddaughters to each one of the state parks before they get too old to want to be with Grandpa and Grandma. The girls loved the Buffalo, campground, windmill and hike in the woods

We really love this park. You can park and walk into the waterfall. If you're fairly fit you can hike down to the river and walk around the bottom of the waterfall. This time the water was low so we could wade in the stream. There are caves at the bottom and lots of interesting rock formations. Dogs are welcome at the falls if they're on a leash. There are several picnic tables at the top and restrooms.

The Buffalo drive is always worth the $7 daily entry fee. I get to listen to the AM radio station teach me about the historical and cultural significance about this herd. I took a beautiful trail down to view the Buffalo along the fence line. The roads and trails are well maintained and the herd seems to be happy and healthy. I didn't stop by the waterfalls or campground this time, but I know it's an option as well.

Great place to get away. Fall colors are beautiful and the bison attraction were all out. Wish the park offered more electric sites, I think there is only 6 electric sites. most sites are non-electric , thinking a state park would install more power or have a power loop and a primitive loop. Awesome walking trails. Some tree trimming needs to be done. As leaving the park and pulling a tall RV must be careful not to hit branches that are coming over the road. Break an RV AC cover very easy. Particularly on site B20.

Great example of an amazing park for a smaller space. Great day use area with very unique scenery. The river valley is beautiful with uncommon rock formation for this part of MN. Nice paved trails and some decent hiking/biking for a smaller area. Campground is well treed and fairly spread out. Plus they have a bison enclosure. The area around the park is very scenic, Great park especially for spring and fall colors.

Amazing experience visiting Minneopa State Park! The campground is well wooded and there's not a bad spot on the grounds. There are bathroom and shower buildings along with freshwater throughout the grounds. The state park ranger was welcoming and helpful. Although the falls were not as strong as usual due to the drought the trails surrounding them were fun and well kept. We especially enjoyed the bison viewing. We went twice during our stay and the evening hours gave us the best viewing experience. I could not believe the bison came right up to our car!! It is an easy 1.5 hour drive from the cities and such an amazing little park!

Such a quaint and beautiful place for a quick walk.

The weather was pleasant despite it being early spring. Was expecting cold winds but thankfully the day was pleasant which heightened the experience.

The walk down the falls was easy making it fun for kids as well as the elderly. A must visit place if you're looking for something close to the twin cities with less crowds.

The falls were beautiful and very accessible. For a closer look you go down a flight of stairs which wasn't too bad. We were so glad we checked out the "Bison Drive" section of the park because we were lucky enough to see them up close and personal 😀 Can't wait to visit again soon

Great views. The trail is paved long enough to take a stroller to see the waterfall. There is a stairs, to be able to walk Along the creek bed. Good place to take pictures. There is a Bison enclosure that can be driven through. They have an AM station that describes the history of the location and information about bison.

Finally! I went when the falls weren’t dried up! What a beautiful sight! And a bunch of the bison are super pregnant so I’m sure there will be babies in the next couple weeks. People need to remember they are dangerous and not to antagonize them. Knowing there is a fence to “protect” them I saw people being awful and saying they were going to throw rocks at them. They never threw them but I was appalled. If people don’t do better they are just going to close that area of the park.

We had a great day-trip exploring here. While we did not camp here, we drove through and noticed most sites appear to be tent sites. Some campers with few sites having electric. Tent sites are shaded and private. We did view the bison trail, the mill site and the falls. The kids really loved the trek down to the base of the falls. 70 steps down and a nice hike brought us to the base. Very beautiful. We had a great day.