Judge C. R. Magney State Park
Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
Reviewed Oct. 23, 2017

Hiking and Waterfalls!

A big draw of this state park is the viewing on of this areas many waterfalls. A popular 2.2 mile (round-trip) trail leads from the parking lot upstream along the Brule River to “Devil's Kettle.” The river splits around a mass of volcanic rock leaving half the river to plunge 50 feet into a pool while the other half surges into a huge pothole.  The trail is dog-friendly so bring Fido but it can be crowded too so you may want to go early. The trail is considered “strenuous” and has nearly 200 stairs that need to be climbed but it was not bad and worth the trip.  The Brule River is very popular among anglers where brook and rainbow trout are said to be plentiful and I regretted not bringing my fly rod along for the trip.

The campground is small with just 27 drive-in sites for RVs or tents and one walk-in tent site. The first thing you notice is how wooded the campground is which is very welcome on the warm summer days.  The tall trees also provide a bit of privacy between sites and you get the feel of being tucked back in the woods. Picnic tables and fire pits (with grills) are at each site. Sites are without any hook-ups but there is potable water in the campground.  The bathroom was nice and clean with flush toilets and showers. During our stay, we routinely saw staff attending to the bathrooms and other campers were courteous and didn’t trash the place. The campground is very peaceful and quiet when we were there. Part of that is probably due to its small size and little traffic. There are numerous other great state parks in the area with gorgeous waterfalls and hiking.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017
  • Review photo of Judge C. R. Magney State Park by Nancy W., October 23, 2017