Banning State Park

Take a kayaking trip along the Kettle River in this gorgeous state park.

Banning State Park is located in eastern Minnesota off of Interstate 35. This state park spans 6,000 acres and features lots of woods and a river. A popular outdoor activity to do here is canoeing and kayaking, but many visitors also enjoy hiking, birding, and camping here. Big Spring Falls and Wolf Creek Falls are located at the southern end of this park and are neat natural features to see. This state park is open daily from 8 am to 10 pm. Campsites are reservable from April 1 to mid-November. It has 11 electric sites, 22 non-electric sites, and 1 camper cabin available. If you want to come for a daytime outing, there are several picnic areas overlooking the river. 

With miles of hiking trails to explore, this is a great place to go bird watching. One particular trail called Skunk Cabbage Trail is where several bird species have been spotted. Skunk Cabbage Trail loops around and leads back to both parking lots. Common birds you may see include Canadian geese, wood ducks, ruffed grouse, broad-winged hawks, American kestrels, killdeer, black-capped chickadees, spotted sandpipers, mourning doves, and more. This is a nature lover's paradise, be sure to visit Banning State Park with your friends and family.