Reviews

Leah Palmer

I had breakfast this morning in Isle MN @ Goody's Corner Cafe and it was delicious! Then I went for a walk @Father Hennepin State Park. It was a blissful morning. 🌞🍁🍂🌳💜🌳❤️🌳🧡🌳💛🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂

Cassondra Bellows

Lovely trail to the beach. Beach is nice with the softest sand. Definitely bring water shoes if you're going to swim. There is a little park near the beach. Campsites were large and clean, but not at all private.

Kathy Mchaney

We spent two nights there. We have a class A and were able to back in and level our rig with minimal issues. The birds were incredible. Loons, eagles, woodpeckers, and more. Saw four deer while walking on the paved paths by the lake. We do wish they would trim up their trees over the roads and at some of the sites. Also need more restrooms and showers for not having any sewer hookups. It was fine for us this time as it was mid week for only two nights.

Cheri Abraham

This would have been 5 stars, but the campground hostess is a little scary and very unprofessional. The rangers said she's been here for a lot of seasons but I found her as rude-shining a huge flashlight in my face while screaming at me, not explaining who she was, edging on hysteria, not allowing me to speak, coming to our campsite after my friend and I were IN the tent and yelling because we we giggling as we got ready for bed. From outside my tent, she was yelling that we had been smoking and drinking alcohol and that it was illegal in this park and that if she heard any more laughing or talking, she would call the sheriff. At 71 years old, this felt like a bad 4H camp experience. On a Monday night, we were in an empty area of the park and had no close neighbors except for the hostess, so any laughing and talking was only bothering her. I am 71 and my friend is 60. In the morning, I apologized to the professional rangers for any disturbances we may have caused by listening to 70s music or laughing too loudly. The hostess is from Florida, parking her camper free in MN all summer for 20 years. I'm a frequent Minnesotan tent camper and, I can honestly say that she made that night of our trip miserable. There are so many great things about this park. Checking in was friendly and efficient, the Rangers were very professional and kind, the park and facilities are very clean and I will camp there again, but stay far away from the "hostess". My sister died just a few days before this trip and my friend was grieving for her brother, so we were hoping for healing and renewal. Even with her odd behavior, we managed to find special peace via the daily visits of the Albino deer. For three days, she kind of hung around our tent as though to comfort us.

Jerome Liggett

Had a fun walk along the lake around the picnic area. Walk paths are in great condition and are easy to navigate for all ages. Was not terribly busy on a Sunday afternoon. Plenty of places to relax and enjoy the beach or picnic along the shore.

BryAnna Thomasferry

Super fun. The only downside was, they haven't opened the bathrooms yet, so you have to make sure you go to the bathrooms at the entrance. We got to see the beautiful white deer, and the walking trails were great and well kept. The water was very cold since we went up on a very cold day. But the girls still had lots of fun trying to find shells and pretty rocks.

Tracy Guaman

Gem of a park! Had never been here before. Not as showy or as big as some of the other state parks-- but peaceful and beautiful! Nice trail to the Pope lookout. Worth the drive to come! Bonus: Super friendly park ranger.

MissMicho

This one is so beautiful, I almost don't want to tell you about it! The hiking trails were well maintained and had beautiful views. I did not camp here, but the hiking club trail took me through the campgrounds, and they looked nice. The one negative (depending on what you plan to do) is that the lake has invasive species. So if you swim, fish, boat, or paddle, that could affect your experience. There is signage, so just read and follow the signage. I really enjoyed it. I only went for the hiking this time, but I plan to go camp sometime.

Frances Carroll

Small but mighty!! Drive in around 4pm and left around 9pm Got myself a $35 MN state park pass because WHY NOT? Lena and I then proceeded to the beach. Very busy with families. Lots of other doggos on their 6 foot leashes. There’s a main beach/swimming area and then more remote settings on either side (one of which boats pull up too) The water was mild and…. I’m preferring to think of the green speckles as “algae”. The cold fresh water shower on site somewhat helped rinse them out but I’m definitely going to wash my suit when I get home. Around 7pm the place cleared out except for a few folks who lingered or arrived. We walked the entire big loop in about an hour. A sort of broken trail with stops at camp grounds and thru roads. A bit buggy, but I enjoyed the trail as well as occasional signs. Didn’t stop for too long because of the bugs. Camping was full and it looked it too as I walked through the park. Lots of different sites, just a few that are lakeside. I’m glad I spent some hours at this state park - feels like a better use of my money than the 3mins I pressed “spin” at the Grand Casino…

T tsurv53

We had a great time at Father Hennepin state park last week. The hiking trails were well-maintained and offered beautiful views of the lake and the forest. The fishing was relaxing, and we caught some nice Fish nothing big unfortunately. The fall colors were amazing, especially in the morning and evening light. We enjoyed the crisp air and the cozy campfire. It was a perfect getaway from the city. We highly recommend this park for anyone who loves nature and outdoor activities. The park is also close to a town that you can walk, bike or drive to and get supplies. The beach area is also great. One suggestion for all state parks is adding more electric camping sites.