As far as I am aware, I visited Whitewater State Park as a kid, but I do not remember it at all. So when we were prepping for our visit late last fall, I did not think this would be any different then our other camping trips, enjoyable and fun, with good facilities available. But I was wrong, this park is amazing! There are fantastic facilities that are being updated all the time, a large variety of activities to participate in as well as places to explore, and there is a breathtaking amount of natural beauty to see at this park. So read on to hear all about our experience and see why you should plan a trip to this amazing state park!
Facilities Available
When we were visiting this park, the Cedar Hill Campground was being remodeled so we were unable to explore that area, but it has been since completed. If it is anything like the Minneiska Campground, it will be amazing. The bathrooms were really nice and we were impressed with almost all of the sites. Our site was on the end of one of the loops and had great views of the bluffs above the valley. Most of the sites had a decent amount of privacy and even with the amount of foliage around, there were very few bugs. We were unable to see all of the Visitor Center and Interpretive Exhibits due to Covid, but from what we could see they looked extensive. I like to recommend the parks with larger visitor centers for people who haven’t been camping much as they provide so much information about the parks and surrounding area and often have several very helpful staff members who can help answer any questions and offer advice as needed. The park also has a large gift shop we got to see through a service window which looked amazing! They offer the usual items as well as a few more unique items as well as snacks. I am always a fan of Minnesota State Parks and find the facilities are almost always nice, but this park stands out to us still for their facilities.
So Many Things To Do
We take weekend camping trips more often than not, and usually we are able to do all of the different activities that are offered by each park, or at least the ones we are interested in. That was not the case here! We had to put off doing several different activities we had really wanted to do. There are extensive trails and lots of interesting overlooks you can visit as well as a historical site nearby. We decided to focus on the hiking club trail which brought us all the way up to the top of the bluffs. The hike was a bit more vigorous than what we were used to, but it was completely worth it! There is also the popular Chimney Rock Trail, but we didn’t get a chance to do that one. There are also multiple picnic areas that are all worth visiting as they are all a little different. The swimming beach is worth a visit and offered a soft sandy bottom the kids loved, we didn’t go swimming as it was cold but wading in the water was so fun. Honestly, when we did our driving tour of the park, we were amazed by how much there was to see and how each area appeared to offer something different from the last, I really can’t list everything here, so you will have to take my word for it!
Natural and Breathtaking Beauty
This park is full of beautiful areas to explore. The bluffs I spoke about before are just the beginning. The turtles in the picture above were hanging out in the pond behind the Visitor Center. We were certain when we first saw them that it was some sort of statue in the middle of the pond, but then they started moving! The pond is on the Discovery Loops so you can easily get to the pond and see if they are still hanging out as well as enjoy the interpretive signs on the loops. There were small bodies of water dotted throughout the trails and picnic areas that were fun to check for other wildlife and which also added a peaceful feel to the days. Just standing in our site was breathtaking as there wasn’t full tree coverage so you could see quite a distance around you. If you are able to, I highly recommend taking the stairs up to Coyote Point as the views are unparalleled. You get to see some small boulder caves on the way up as well as some interesting rock formations and at the top you can walk along the tops of the cliffs and have fun exploring the Dakota Trail. If you can do the whole hiking club trail, you really should as you get to see all of the habitats the park offers as well as even more amazing views.
Still A Firm Favorite for Us
We camp a lot, and I have written up many of our park experiences on this site, but this trip is still one of our absolute favorites. We loved our site and exploring the areas throughout the park. I can still close my eyes and feel the peace I felt looking up at the bluffs from our site. I wish we had been able to do more at the park as well as be able to explore the areas that were closed due to Covid, but I know we will be back someday. If you are able, you should plan to take a few days to explore this park and all it has to offer, I would recommend planning a three day trip at least. If you have to take a weekend trip, just plan to be busy from the moment you wake up, until you go to sleep, it will be worth it! Have you been to this park before? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.
