Top state parks
State ParkItasca State Park
State ParkJudge C. R. Magney State Park
State ParkFlandrau State Park
State ParkUpper Sioux Agency State Park
State ParkBear Head Lake State Park
State ParkLake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park
State ParkSplit Rock Lighthouse State Park
State ParkBadoura State Forest
State ParkKabetogama State Forest
State ParkSavanna State Forest
State ParkJohn A. Latsch State Park
State ParkAfton State Park
State Parks by county
All state parks (83)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Itasca State Park | Clearwater County | — | Bagley | 1 |
| Judge C. R. Magney State Park | Cook County | — | Grand Marais | 1 |
| Flandrau State Park | Brown County | — | New Ulm | 5 |
| Upper Sioux Agency State Park | Yellow Medicine County | — | Granite Falls | 2 |
| Bear Head Lake State Park | Saint Louis County | — | Babbitt | 1 |
| Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park | Saint Louis County | — | Babbitt | 1 |
| Split Rock Lighthouse State Park | Lake County | — | Silver Bay | 1 |
| Badoura State Forest | Hubbard County | — | Park Rapids | 2 |
| Kabetogama State ForestVoyageurs | Saint Louis County | — | International Falls | 1 |
| Savanna State Forest | Aitkin County | — | Aitkin | 2 |
| John A. Latsch State Park | Winona County | — | Goodview | 3 |
| Afton State Park | Washington County | — | Afton | 5 |
| Banning State Park | Pine County | — | Sandstone | 4 |
| Beaver Creek Valley State Park | Houston County | — | Caledonia | 3 |
| Father Hennepin State Park | Mille Lacs County | — | Vineland | 2 |
| Fort Snelling State Park | Dakota County | — | Mendota Heights | 7 |
| Frontenac State Park | Goodhue County | — | Lake City | 4 |
| Great River Bluffs State Park | Winona County | — | Trempealeau | 4 |
| Jay Cooke State Park | Carlton County | — | Esko | 3 |
| Lake Bemidji State Park | Beltrami County | — | Bemidji | 3 |
| Rice Lake State Park | Steele County | — | Owatonna | 4 |
| St. Croix State Park | Pine County | — | Grantsburg | 2 |
| Lake Shetek State Park | Murray County | — | Slayton | 2 |
| Bowstring State Forest | Itasca County | — | Cohasset | 1 |
| Temperance River State Park | Cook County | — | Silver Bay | 1 |
| Big Bog State Recreation Area | Beltrami County | — | Redby | 1 |
| Paul Bunyan State Forest | Hubbard County | — | Bemidji | 2 |
| Cloquet Valley State Forest | Saint Louis County | — | Arnold | 2 |
| Finland State Forest | Lake County | — | Silver Bay | 1 |
| Fond du Lac State Forest | Carlton County | — | Moose Lake | 2 |
| Grand Portage State Forest | Cook County | — | Grand Marais | 1 |
| Grand Portage State Park | Cook County | — | Houghton | 1 |
| Franz Jevne State Park | Koochiching County | — | Baudette | 1 |
| Schoolcraft State Park | Cass County | — | Cohasset | 2 |
| Lac qui Parle State Park | Chippewa County | — | Montevideo | 2 |
| Lake Bronson State Park | Kittson County | — | Thief River Falls | 1 |
| Lake Carlos State Park | Douglas County | — | Alexandria | 3 |
| Lake Louise State Park | Mower County | — | Grand Meadow | 3 |
| Lake Maria State Park | Wright County | — | Maple Lake | 4 |
| Big Stone Lake State Park | Big Stone County | — | Ortonville | 2 |
| Maplewood State Park | Otter Tail County | — | Pelican Rapids | 2 |
| McCarthy Beach State Park | Saint Louis County | — | Chisholm | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | Mille Lacs County | — | Vineland | 2 |
| Buffalo River State Park | Clay County | — | Glyndon | 3 |
| Camden State Park | Lyon County | — | Marshall | 3 |
| Carley State Park | Wabasha County | — | Plainview | 4 |
| Cascade River State Park | Cook County | — | Grand Marais | 1 |
| Charles A. Lindbergh State Park | Morrison County | — | Little Falls | 5 |
| Whitewater State Park | Winona County | — | Saint Charles | 3 |
| Wild River State Park | Chisago County | — | Saint Croix Falls | 4 |
| William O'Brien State Park | Washington County | — | Scandia | 5 |
| Zippel Bay State Park | Lake of the Woods County | — | Baudette | 1 |
| Tettegouche State Park | Lake County | — | Silver Bay | 1 |
| Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | Rice County | — | Dundas | 4 |
| Old Mill State Park | Marshall County | — | Warren | 1 |
| Fort Ridgely State Park | Renville County | — | Fairfax | 3 |
| Red River State Recreation Area | Polk County | — | Grand Forks | 7 |
| Crow Wing State Park | Crow Wing County | — | Baxter | 3 |
| Savanna Portage State Park | Aitkin County | — | Moose Lake | 2 |
| Scenic State Park | Itasca County | — | Coleraine | 1 |
| Sibley State Park | Kandiyohi County | — | New London | 3 |
| Split Rock Creek State Park | Pipestone County | — | Pipestone | 2 |
| Hayes Lake State Park | Roseau County | — | Roseau | 1 |
| George H. Crosby Manitou State Park | Lake County | — | Silver Bay | 1 |
| Glacial Lakes State Park | Pope County | — | Starbuck | 2 |
| Minneopa State Park | Nicollet County | — | North Mankato | 5 |
| Hill Annex Mine State Park | Itasca County | — | Coleraine | 2 |
| Monson Lake State Park | Kandiyohi County | — | New London | 2 |
| Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area | Scott County | — | Jordan | 5 |
| Myre-Big Island State Park | Freeborn County | — | Albert Lea | 5 |
| Northwest Angle State Forest | Lake of the Woods County | — | Warroad | 1 |
| Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area | Crow Wing County | — | Crosby | 2 |
| Glendalough State Park | Otter Tail County | — | Perham | 2 |
| Kilen Woods State Park | Jackson County | — | Lakefield | 2 |
| Moose Lake State Park | Carlton County | — | Moose Lake | 4 |
| Sakatah Lake State Park | Le Sueur County | — | Waterville | 4 |
| Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area | Meeker County | — | Litchfield | 3 |
| Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area | Saint Louis County | — | Mountain Iron | 1 |
| Blue Mounds State Park | Rock County | — | Luverne | 3 |
| Gooseberry Falls State Park | Lake County | — | Two Harbors | 2 |
| Battleground State Forest | Cass County | — | Cohasset | 2 |
| Bear Island State Forest | Lake County | — | Ely | 2 |
| Blackduck State Forest | Itasca County | — | Bemidji | 1 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph state parks
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.