Reviews

Kyle Miller

First place I stopped at on my camping trip. Small but very beautiful to see. Campground was closed for the year!

DLM-Distribution Campervans

I really enjoyed my stay at Carley State Park. I chose this park because of its quiet, rustic campground, which makes it easy to get a site even on short notice. Since the campsites are non-electric, it fits perfectly with my Mini-T Campervan, which is built for off-grid camping. The peaceful setting and lack of hookups are exactly what I prefer—simple, quiet, and surrounded by nature.

Todd Mulvihill

Located very close by to Whitewater State Park, Carley is everything that Whitewater is not: small, quiet, less crowded/busy, and more rustic. The best times to come are the Spring and Autumn seasons for bluebells and leaf colors. Summer if you’re into loads of flies and mosquitos. There is no office or updated facilities but there is a playground! Campsites are located on a hill so expect un-level to some degree. They can be overgrown in summer and hard to navigate. The gravel roads tend to wash out and rut after heavy rains and are quite steep so 4-wheel drive is helpful here.

John Rowekamp

Bluebells are in bloom now throughout the park. Individuals who find hiking challenging should head to the picnic parking lot. Bluebells are located a short distance down the trail on the right side.

Ian Smyth

Really nice park. Most of the trails are covered with shade from the trees, so it's very comfortable. Wildlife is present, but when walking around, it's very calm and relaxing

Josh Jurrens

This campground is great for a quick getaway if you live in the Rochester area. Not much else to the park and no big show stopping features that people should travel to from far away but for locals it is awesome. Quiet, cheap, walk-up reservations, and fairly private sites. Not good for big campers or RVs as the sites are small and very uneven.

Shannon Thole

We went in early May to see the famous bluebells in bloom, lots of other flowers were blooming as well! The hike was nice, a few foot bridges to walk over, and some uphill and downhill stretches on the hike that could be challenging to some. It is a delightful hike along a babbling stream. Very peaceful and serene.

B A

Carley State Park is a good overall state park. They have some great views overlooking the river valley from the lookout observational deck that is a must see at this park. The stone block bridge going across the river is another great feature of the park. The park doesn't have a lot of amenities compared to other Minnesota state parks, but hopefully it gets some upgrades soon. The trails are great, just not as many natural features as other state parks have to offer.