camping: choosing a location

Once John and I had decided that this would be the summer we took the family camping, we had to figure out where we would camp. For our first trip, we plan to stay in-state, and if possible, within two hours of home. I didn’t necessarily want or need to stay near a larger town—too close to civilization. However, civilization’s Super 8 could save us if getting in touch with nature turns disastrous.

Of course, there’s the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota, which is high on my list of places to visit. But even I know that choice is ambitious for a first outing.

Overwhelmed by the dearth of Minnesota state parks, we asked our friends for their favorite campsites. Friend Lisa recommended Whitewater, near Rochester. She claimed that the park’s location on a river bend kept mosquitoes at bay and raved about the fun and interesting, ranger-led night hike her family took. The DNR’s website backed up that claim about mosquitoes, which explains why the park had no weekend vacancies before Labor Day.

In fact, many of the state parks that appealed to me had few available campsites in the near future. According to the DNR, every park retains the majority of campsites to release on a first-come, first-served basis. However, I have no idea how easy, or likely, it is to get a spot in a popular park. Until I get into a good camping groove, I’m clinging to the security of finding our 12x14 patch of land on a map and making a reservation online.

Next stop for narrowing choices: the internets. The DNR website features a map of Minnesota, pinpointing each state park. Scanning the map, just a bit northeast of the Twin Cities, I noticed Interstate State Park, which our family refers to as Taylor’s Falls. We have hiked here often and are somewhat familiar with the area. Interstate became a candidate for the comfort level. The park also traverses the St. Croix River into Wisconsin, so we could head east for a little variety. Or, we could go up-river, where three other state parks beckoned, each about an hour’s drive from St. Paul.

One of these parks is Wild River, which appealed to me on many levels:

~ proximity—it’s within a 1-2 hour drive from home
~ availability—plenty of campsites to choose from
~ recreation—answers the question of "what do you do once you’ve pitched your tent?" Wild River has 38 miles of hiking trails, a sandy beach, and, in celebration of Minnesota’s sesquicentennial, a treasure hunt–style geocache. And, if it's all that, this state park looks like it would be a great place to snowshoe or cross-country ski in the winter.

I was able to make a reservation online, for a largish processing fee ($8.50), which ensures we have a place to pitch our tent at the end of the day.