Whitewater State Park / Southern MN

We usually go North when we camp, but this year, we decided to change it up and head south toward Winona, MN to check out Whitewater State Park. I’m so glad we did, because it is a hidden gem, and I can’t wait to go back.

It is only about two hours from the city with weekend traffic. The drive was great because it was all farm land for a long time, then you drive into this valley and there are gorgeous bluffs, forests and rivers.

We arrived closer to sunset on a Friday night, and because we planned this trip last minute, we didn’t have a great choice of campsite. If you like to car camp, I would recommend picking one of the spots along the river. They are gorgeous, pretty private, and have a ton more space then our site in the middle did. The cart in sites look amazing as well, I will try for one of those next time.

The next morning we woke up, had breakfast, then hit the trails. Because of the bluffs, there are a lot of hills. The climbs were worth the views every time.

We did a giant loop then ended up by the river where we posted up on our hammock. My husband, who can sleep anywhere, took a nice nap while I was able to relax and listen to the river. Our pup, Zelda, was dead weight at this point and she was also able to crawl under a shady picnic table to take rest.

Before sunset, we packed up our blanket and some supplies to watch the sunset near Chimney Rock. The view was stunning, and Chimney Rock is unreal.

The rails will take you all over the bluffs, so I recommend hitting as many of them up as you can. We so enjoyed our time at Whitewater State Park! I’m so glad we found a close park to the cities with great river and bluff views.

We love camping in Minnesota! Here is one of our past camping trips.
https://angeladivinephotography.com/jay-cooke-state-park/