Reviews

Jenn Jones

Great Park with some really nice trails. Park ranger Andy there super nice and very knowledgeable. Beautiful area with the hidden falls. Learned a lot about trees and rock formations that was super interesting. Also learned about a specific species of flowers that only grows in three counties in Minnesota and nowhere else in the world! Would be an absolutely fantastic field trip for a school or a group of homeschool kids.

Andrea Giddings

Our first time here and we highly recommend. Thursday afternoon was perfect, Hardly anyone here. Beautiful park with clearly marked and well maintained trails. Check the website for the rangers hours (limited right now), you may need to purchase day pass online. Our planned destination was hidden falls. Not a lot of water this time, but still a beautiful hike! Dog friendly.

Kathleen Fetterly

It’s a great gift to the area that this special place is set aside. A lot of nice hills and beautiful trees. Good heart workout and nice hiking club hike. There are areas of ropes which are intended to preserve an endangered species. One of the farther east trails absolutely stinks from a chicken farm nearby. Otherwise, it is a great place and I hope to go back soon.

Tim Schindler

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is a surprising hidden gem among the prairie and farmland of southern Minnesota. It offers lots of well cared for hiking trails with moderate elevation changes. There are a number of interesting interpretive markers. Prairie Creek is very shallow, so the water flow of Hidden Falls varies greatly depending on recent rainfall. The photos and videos included in this review are after a couple days of rain.

DLM-Distribution Campervans

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park is a peaceful, wooded retreat that’s perfect for hiking and camping. The trails wind through a beautiful hardwood forest, with the most popular being the hike to Hidden Falls—a short and easy walk that’s worth every step. Hidden Falls is a charming limestone waterfall tucked into the woods, and on warm days, it’s a magnet for kids and adults alike. Many visitors enjoy splashing in the cool water or relaxing near the base of the falls. It’s a great spot to take a break, dip your feet, and enjoy nature up close. The campground is small and cozy, with sites nestled under the trees. While the sites are fairly close together, they’re well-maintained, and the setting is peaceful. This campground tends to fill quickly, especially on weekends, so reservations are highly recommended. Overall, it’s a great destination for an easy hike, a refreshing waterfall visit, and a quiet camping experience in southern Minnesota.

Kate Horejsi

Gorgeous state park filled with many mature maple trees with rolling hills to hike. The spring flowers at Nerstrand can't be missed but observing the changing seasons at the park is fun any time of the year. Staff at the park have always been friendly and helpful.

Joy Chepkirui

Very nice place with hidden falls. Love the nature though it was winter and most trails were closed.

London Garry

I live very close to this state park, and it is always a pleasure to visit. The trails are very well maintained, easy to follow, and have a range of difficulties. If you're looking for a nice outing with plenty to explore, this state park is perfect for you. I have visited in all seasons and it's just as beautiful. There are plenty of animals as well, as I have seen many birds, deer, squirrels, and chipmunks. If you want to see the falls in all its glory, go during waterfall season (Spring), otherwise it's slightly underwhelming in my opinion.

Trina Brunk

Oh, my heart. The waterfall here is just the best. And I love the community feeling— Many people can gather here and it doesn’t feel crowded, just very sweet Lots of beautiful trails, and I love meandering down the creek but for me, it all comes back to the waterfall. Have yet to go camping, but we would like to at some point, because from the looks of it, there are a lot of good campsite choices.

Jerome Liggett

Enjoyed a few hours of hiking on a Saturday. Plenty of parking with 2 areas both right next to the trails. The hike to the falls is not far and well worth it. Trails are well maintained but watch out for the roots. Plenty of hills for the exercise but not bad for the average hiker. Some may want to take a break but trails are wide enough that you can stop and not block others. Signs at all the trail intersections so finding your way around is simple enough. Camping area looked well maintained and is in walking distance to Ranger Station for firewood. We stayed on the Northern side trails but would definitely return to try the trails on the southern side.

Jacob M. Strohmayer & Charles too. (MnPapaBear)

This is an absolutely great place to go for long walks. It's a place where you don't have to stay on the trails. Well, okay, in some spots, they ask that you stay on the trail. You can bring the family and dogs. There is something for just about every outdoors person. There is camping, parks, fishing and of course walking/ hiking.

Kathie Hall

Nice park- you could see the path only because it was worn down snow, although it looks like it would be easy to follow in the summer with the trail marked quite well for directions. Always nice to see a waterfall- and in the winter this one is completely frozen, along with the stream, which we were able to walk across. Only gave 4 stars cause stairs down to waterfall were packed ice.

Debra Roberts

The facilities are clean, the trails are very well marked, you can get a fairly private campsite if you don't mind a short walk with your gear, and the Rangers checked on my welfare when a storm started rolling through (without being at all bothersome). The perfect kind of camping situation. Thank you.

William Wight

Overall this is a great state park that I highly recommend checking out! There were plenty of places to explore, beautiful views, and a nice little waterfall. Can be a hilly hike, but it is well worth it! That being said, it does get busy, so try to get there early! We didn't really run into that many people until you got to the waterfall, so it really wasn't that bad. The trouble comes when trying to find a place to park. The main lot was full, so we had to park in the rustic campsite for the overflow. The main office was also open, so anyone trying to get their state park passport would be able to get it there! If the lots happen to be full at Nerstrand when you arrive, DON'T WORRY! There is a nice county park about 3 miles down the road you can venture to in the mean time and then come back after chdcking it out! It is called Caron Park and it is another park I'd recommend checking out either before or after Nerstrand!

Kevin Chesney

Nice as far as trails go creek was unimpressive