Schools of trout happily swim through the lazy Whitewater River and various spring fed creeks of Whitewater State Park. And while it’s known for its fantastic fishing opportunities, the park also boasts year-round interpretive programs, a modern Visitor Center, and an especially appreciated lack of mosquitos, unique for the region. 

 Whitewater is well seasoned, with a number of historical attractions within and nearby. In fact, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the park. To commemorate the occasion, local conservationists and naturalists have teamed up to release a special Oral History Project from stories of campers and those native to the region. 

 Explorers and adventurers will love this park’s diverse selection of attractions and oddities. Home of the park office and interpretive services, the Whitewater Valley Visitor Center should be your first stop. The friendly Park staff are ready to help you plan your visit and load you up on information, and even loaner equipment such as GPS units, fishing kits, discovery kits for kids, and birding kits. Don’t skip the Discovery Room, which showcases nature displays, exhibits and a spotting area to observe the local bluebirds, cardinals, hawks and bald eagles flying about. 

 The vast expanse of outdoor wilderness is really what you’ll want to check out. If you only have time for a quick visit, check out the Chimney Rock Trail for an awesome view of the Whitewater River. Those searching for a more accessible hike can take the Meadow Trail, which drops off right into a grassy valley, surrounded by dramatic Minnesota bluffs. During the hot and humid summers, go unwind at the beach for a refreshing dip in the cold, spring-fed water. Those more interested in history lovers should visit the famous Elba Fire Tower. Built in 1933, this sturdy tower offers cozy 360 degree views of the entire wetland region below. You’ll be especially grateful for the chance to unwind, thanks to the arduous 500-step climb required to ascend to the top. 

 Finally, firmly planted atop the land sits Inspiration Point; a beautiful limestone rock outcrop that overlooks the entirety of the Whitewater valley. Known as the most popular attraction within Whitewater State Park, visitors can still discover solace from their troubles. In fact, this is the only overlook in the entire park where there are no signs of civilization anywhere in sight. With just a little imagination, standing atop Inspiration Point on a clear, calm day can make you feel as if you could step down into a deep forested paradise, unspoiled and far from the reach of society. 

 Whitewater campground here is plentiful, with every site having full electric hookups and full-through capabilities. The campground features a full range of amenities including regularly placed shower houses with laundry facilities, and a number of group camping areas as well. Furthermore, there are 5 cabins available with various sleeping capabilities.

Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

We stayed at Gooseberry Glen Cart In Campground, on Site 1. The trail to the site was bumpy, but manageable. Site seemed a little small, but we managed to fit a 9 &amp; 4 person tent along with two camping hammocks (6 Men; 2 Dogs). We had room to roam and chill while not feeling overly crowded.
First night rained from 11p-5a. Site did not get rained out and no puddling. We were on a little cliff overlooking a small creek/stream, so perhaps there was good drainage. I totally expected mosquitoes but THERE WERE NONE!! After getting a total of 38 bites on my ankles from my previous trip it was so nice to not have to stress about it.
The hike to Chimney Rock Trail is literally right across the highway with a trail leading to the parking lot once you cross over. I highly recommend getting up those stairs and having a look at the beautiful views.
Wildlife didn’t bother us or our food/gear at all and we kept it onsite. There’s a bear locker on the site, but we kept everything in duct tape coolers and had absolutely no problems.
Hummingbirds hit up the vegetation daily. Owls and coyotes could be heard at night so that was cool. The toilet is super close to the site and there’s a trail that cuts right into site #1 that other campsites use...At first it was pretty annoying and invasive until we set up our tents to block that path off from the site itself.
We had an absolutely amazing time and was definitely a park/campground I would love to go back to!!

Wet Hot American Summer

I really liked this park. It's a bit out of the way but it's nestled in a river gorge and has a great swimming lake. I'd recommend the walk-in sites 1-4. Try to get #4 as that's right on the river.  

Gem of a State Park

I enjoy this park year round whether it be staying in the group cabins during the colder months (an incredibly fun stay with snow), or day hiking in the meadows or up the ridge in the summer. Never camped in the campground but I've heard good things. My father and I go flyfishing here in the summer and he has a great time. He thinks they have some of the best spots near Minneapolis.

Beautiful hiking trails for all seasons, great flyfishing streams too.

I love whitewater. I use it for day hiking most often but have camped a few times. With plenty of trails I always find myself challenged and in awe from the views. Seems like they are adding on to either the campground or the ranger station/gift shop. But in all a wonderful southern mn state park. Camping is a little cramped in some areas. But it always seems like the neighbors are more than respectful.

Amazing hiking and wonderful campground

Whitewater is a fabulous place to bring the family. Great hiking trails that vary quite a bit from easy to moderately difficult. The bugs are minimal, and the facilities are well kept up. Sites all have a lot of privacy, and the naturalists and park rangers are wonderful.

Love this park

Beautiful park that seems to come out of nowhere. We stayed at Gooseberry Glen campground, because of good reviews. However, I wish I would have driven around the other campground right by the Ranger Station. They were way more secluded, and completely shaded, make sure to get a campsite right next to the river.

Great overall experience for my daughters first time camping

We stayed for 2 nights at Whitewater State Park with a group of 4\. Site 53 was close to the showers and water spigot and it was a big enough spot for 2 tents while being private. It was a 10-20 minute walk to anywhere else. We hiked up chimney rock for some great vistas, swam at the sandy beach, bought ice cream sandwiches at the nature store, and enjoyed talking with the visitor center staff. There were a lot of picnic spots, pavilions, and fire pits for day trips. There were a lot of fresh black berries all around the state park which were fun to gather and eat. The Elba Firetower was a quick 3 miles down the road by car and was a nice little outing. Whitewater was a bit spread out for our liking and unfortunately the woman's shower/bathroom had toilets that were pulled off the entire weekend so you could see and smell raw sewage. Once they fix the bathrooms it'd be a 5 star knowing you'd have to walk a bit. We would stay again at 53, but sites 62, 63, 64 or the walk in sites looked awesome since they were along the river. They are expanding the state park camping which will be a welcomed update and addition.

Family Friendly and Laid Back Exploring

I spent a day here hiking and had a blast! I hiked up chimney Rock and then looped bacj to tackle park of the Dakota trail! The hiking paths were well taken care of. There were plenty of places to stop and rest if you need to. There are also many places for non-campers to grill out and picnic. The only thing that I would like to see is more trail signs and markings. There were some places where it was hard to tell which way to go.

Day trip

We went to a program about raptors. Cooked dinner over a fire. Got up early and hiked one of the bluffs. And the views were amazing. And we loved how diverse the landscape was, who knew that we would find a Praire on top of the bluff.

Hiking the Bluffs

This was Camp Stupendous' Opening Ceremonies for the 2017 Summer season. Unfortunately, it rained a lot. Like almost all weekend. But that's not the park's problem. 

The office staff were really helpful when we discovered that because of all the rain the bulk of our originally reserved site was a swamp. They let us drive around a pick a new spot and then helped transfer our reservation to the new site. Sites were nice, decently private. The non-electric sites had nice grassy pads. This site in particular didn't have any good spots for hammocking. 

This park still hasn't had the update to the restrooms that it seems MN state parks is working on at a snails pace. Regardless, they were clean and kept up. 

We took a few hikes. Lots of stairs to get up to Chimney Rock and Coyote Point, but the vantage point offered a nice view of the valley area. Trails seemed quieter probably due to the rainy weather. One of the trails on the campground side was closed due to a bridge washout. I think there was a back way to get to it but we didn't investigate. 

There must be at least one farm nearby - there were some persistent cows making noise. 

We'd like to come back on a drier weekend and enjoy the park to a greater capacity.

Stupendously Wet

we had so much fun playing on the river and exploring the park! Everything is right there and the river is so pretty! Despite the rain we had a great time! Because of the rain we went to the eagle center near Wisconsin. A must see if your looking for something indoors!

beautiful park with lots to explore!

I didn’t like how far the campground was from the hiking and how there wasn’t really trees behind sites but the hiking trails in the park made up for this. Facilities were nice, bugs weren’t too bad, no cell phone service.

Too Far From Nature 

Most sites are for car camping or RV's. Tent site was nice and clean and a good size. Could have set up 2 tents with no problem. Not a ton of privacy from other campers. Showers/bathrooms available. Lots of hiking trails. Camp store was never open when I checked. Swimming beach was available, but there were geese (and their poop) everywhere. This state park is nice because there are NO mosquitoes. But beware, there are bears. 

Nice for a state park

Whitewater is by far one of the top state parks in Minnesota. Their camping facilities are clean with running water and free showers. The campsites are quite spacious but not too wooded. They have a few walk in sites but they go fast. 

The best part about whitewater are the trails and views. It is located in a carved glacier valley and is surrounded by limestone. I recommend moderate to experienced hikers due to the intense climb to get to the popular views. It’s worth the visit!


The heart of south eastern Minnesota 

Pack your hiking shoes and fishing gear! (Don’t forget that trout stamp) we hiked two different trails and had so much fun! Be carful with little ones as it’s very rocky and steep drop offs! We decided to keep our 3 year old in the carrier on dads back (especially hiking the chimney rock hike to insperation peak)

We where campsite 36 with our small camper and it was plenty big! My parents where in 38 with a HUGE camper and also had plenty of room! We visited in October so the campground wasn’t completely full but most sites where occupied and it was still quite. We had a great time!

*no phone reception*

Big site with great hiking and fishing!

Such a beautiful place to camp! The park is clean and kept up nicely! Brand new bathrooms, nice beach and fishing, great hiking trails. Lots of pretty wildflowers throughout it. Would definitely go back!

Beautiful and remodeled 

We stayed here over Memorial weekend and had a blast--there were so many fun things to do!  We hiked, took trout fishing lesson, sat at the beach and had relaxing evenings by the fire.  If you can give up electricity for a couple days I think the best sites are along the water.  Theres a slow flowing spring fed river running behind site 70 (and a couple sites on either side of it) that have paths down to the water where you can sit and fish or just enjoy the sound of the water running past.  There are 2 campgrounds at this State Park and the older one where we stayed will unfortunately be closed for the 2020 camping season for renovations.

Beautiful State Park

Campsites are beautiful, each one seems to have unique qualities. We stayed in site 42, it didn’t seem to have very much privacy. I was also hoping for a view of the river but I couldn’t see it from the site. We found a dream catcher in the trees, so we made another one to leave. The tent sites along the river are amazing! Each one has a path down to the river. Site 69 has a private beach and it’s deep enough to swim in. For being a stocked river, we didn’t get a single bite all weekend. I only saw 1 person actually catch a single fish. 
We did a couple trails while we were there. It says Chimney Rock has “over 100 step” I think it’s 199 each way! We tried using the campground’s GPS units but couldn’t figure them out. Others said the same thing. 
We drove through the newer campground Minneiska, the pictures online made it look bare, but it was beautiful! It was a prairie full of wild flowers! The trees were newer but old enough to still create shade. 
There was an abundance of staff always driving around yet there was a bathhouse that had clogged up toilets all weekend long. 
There is also ZERO cell phone reception. Whether that is a plus or a minus, that’s up to you. 

Beautiful park

Nice river with lots of sites right on it. Campsites nestled in trees so pretty private. Campsites are a bit tightly packed for my taste, but a nice spot for sure. 

Lovely, bit crowded

About the park Whitewater State Park is a much sought-after place to camp for those that know about this region’s#1 feature- MINIMAL MOSQUITOES. I won’t say zero mosquitoes because there might be one or two that wander in there, but we did not encounter a single one on our overnight stay there. We kept on exclaiming how weird to not hear and contribute to the camping soundtrack of bugs getting slapped. Basically what you need to know is that the last set of glaciers missed this region, which left behind limestone that absorbs rainwater quickly- and since mosquitoes breed in warm shallow water they don’t really have a lot of opportunities to do so in this region.

  

This region also has many more bluffs and valleys than the rest of Minnesota- this is also the result of a lack of glacier activity during the last glacial era that filled the flat parts of our state with“drift” sediment. What this means is that a lot of the hikes have a lot of elevation gain. We hiked to Inspiration Point from the Cedar Hill campground- if you do this I would not recommend taking the staircase that you encounter way before the picnic area parking lot UNLESS you really like having to climb over things.  

  

The trail also comes across Chimney Rock- if you are hiking on a hot day you might as well give yourself a few minutes to cool down by climbing into the rock- it is much cooler and there is often a breeze that is funnelled through it. If you aren’t terribly afraid of heights you should definitely keep going to Inspiration Point! In order to get back down the trail quickly you can go down the staircase that is visible from the last part of the trail to the point- you can also completely bypass all the strenuous hiking if you would rather just take this(relatively strenuous) staircase up to the point, look around, then go back down.  

  

A river runs through the park that plenty of people were wading in and there is a swimming hole that we didn’t participate in. I have Verizon cell service and I did not have reception- I think people who have AT&amp;T did though. The visitor center does have free wifi and a free phone to use outside the building.  

  

About the campground Much of Cedar Hill campground is for both tents and RVs, if you don’t need an electric site then the BEST spots are along the river. I specifically liked 66, 67, and 69. Some of them had foot paths down to the river, some didn’t, but either way you get to hear the water and the sites are quite spacious. We wound up staying in site 37 which has electricity(perk of this is being able to make macaroni and cheese in an instant pot!). One thing I hadn’t considered is that 74 cuts through the park, and we were pretty close to it so at a few times there was definite car noise. It wasn’t nearly as bad as camping along the north shore though when your site is squished between Lake Superior and Hwy 61 and you hear fast traffic all. day. long.  

  

If you are camping on the weekend expect the campground to be quite full- we camped on a Sunday night and while the majority of the neighboring sites were occupied by RVs, the campground wasn’t even halfway occupied. Most of the sites had enough tree cover to be considered private. One weird thing is that a few of the sites are kind of like adjoining suites with tiny clearings between them- it was kind of startling to look up and see two people taking a shortcut(not really though!!) through our clearly occupied site to get to theirs. Weird.  

  

One of the negative aspects about this park is that the bathroom facilities in cedar hill haven't been updated in ages, so they are finally getting updated in 2020 so this campground is closed for the season.  The newer campground is open, but I don't like it as well since there isn't much privacy or shade.

Awesome- minimal mosquitos 

We had a great cart-in site (Gooseberry glen site 4). There weren’t a lot of signs to get us there, but we were able to figure out where to go with the state park map. The cart-in distance is long; probably about a half mile with lots of tree roots to try and drive your cart over. 

Site 4 is right on a rushing creek, which was perfect, and provided a great noise to fall asleep to, and to cancel out the close neighbors (site 3 is pretty much right next to it). 

Heads up that we had a lot of raccoon and mice visitors, who didn’t seem afraid of people. The food/wood locker had plenty of access points for mice, so make sure to secure your food at dusk. 

Other than animal issues (and a not ideal restroom situation), this was a great spot with awesome hikes (chimney rock, inspiration point) and great access to water. 

I’d recommend site 2 or 4 if you want river access. 

Great Campground, Great hiking, Aggressive animals

We were in Gooseberry Glen cart-in site 4. As other reviewers have said, it's a fairly long walk in with your gear, and the trail is challenging when pushing a cart. Once at the site, it's beautiful: right on the water, completely shaded, and spacious. However, we could clearly see our neighbors at site 3, which you don't expect at a cart-in site this far in the woods. It rained while we were there, and the site became quite muddy. Our gear and ourselves were filthy when we left. Finally, as another reviewer said, the animals in the area are not shy: mice, raccoon, squirrel, all were scampering around very close and in clear view of us throughout our stay. We kept our food in the car as there was no secure food box at the site.

We enjoyed hiking the challenging Dakota Trail during our stay. It was about a 3.5-4 hour hike with aggressive elevation changes and beautiful scenic overlooks. The majority of the trail is well shaded in the woods.

Great hiking, ok camping

We stayed at Minneiska campground since Cedar Hills is under construction this year. It's a newer campground so the vegetation hasn't grown in fully yet - your neighbors are visible but there's good distance between sites so it wasn't a problem at all. The grounds themselves are really well-kept with nice bathroom facilities and hot showers, which was perfect for the cooler fall days. It's a busy park so you'll need to reserve early or plan on visiting during the week.

  

The hiking itself was awesome. We did the Dakota trail, which was a tough up and down hike with really incredible views of the fall colors. There's also a nice park/picnic area with beach access. I'm hoping to come back next summer to enjoy the swimming. All in all it was a great stay!

Great hiking, no mosquitoes!

This campground is small and quaint...plenty of space without being too close to your neighbors.  Super easy to social distance here.  

  

We visited in winter (February) and while there was snow on the ground, the spaces were kept plowed with easy access to the electric boxes.  We were in a teardrop trailer.  Plenty of space for the car and the teardrop in space #202, but all spaces that were plowed had plenty of room to pull in.  Some were even "pull through" which would be extra nice if you wanted it (either big rig type RV or pull behind).  

  

As with State Parks in MN, it's best to make the reservation online, especially with office staff being spotty these days. Price is $35 for the space/night with electric, and this time of year, there are no other options besides electric spaces. The bonus of making "day of" reservations means there is no extra service fee.  But waiting that "long" to make the reservation also means there are no refunds if you can't get there. You are far better off as a "no show" than "cancelling", since there is actually a cancellation fee on top of losing your nightly rate if you actually "cancel".  
  
The campground has far more spaces than you can reserve this time of year (typical of "winter" camps at State Parks in MN). But the loop that had the openings was super easy.  Just literally a loop around one side of the camp with a vault toilet on one side that was super easy to get to from anywhere you were plugged in.  It was fairly clean (dirty floor understandable this time of year due to wet boots and slush).  
  
I was surprised at the nature of the young trees.  Lots of them, but all very small.  That said, in the winter this is more obvious due to lack of leaves, but in summer, I suspect it's lovely. Still, there are plenty of them and with the huge spaces between sites, even without leaves it wasn't an issue. I don't think there are any trees big enough to hammock in.  
  
The entrance to the campground is literally right inside the park.  Across from the visitor center, so you can't miss it. And although it was close to the road, very little road noise.  The only noises we were actually aware of were natural ones...some cows in the distance, lots of birds and at night, Barred Owls and a few coyotes.  All welcome noises for us!

  

This time of year, water is not on in the campground, but there is a spigot right across the road at the visitor center that is on (easy 2 min walk). They also have firewood for sale with an "honor" box, but the bundles the day were were there were $6 and the small bundle was basically small kindling. Not idea for a winter fire.  

  

All spaces had a nice picnic table and fire ring. We had to "dig" to ours with a small snow shovel in the car, but it wasn't an issue.  

  

\*\*NOTE:  You do need a MN state park sticker or day pass to stay at the campground\*\*

Small and quaint with plenty of space

Enjoyed a difficult but fun hike, went fishing, and camped out in group site 3 which is the one with the most shade.
Keep watch on the ground to not accidentally step on a snake. 
They do have Timber Rattlesnake  but they are so rare I didn't see one. Mostly water snakes, one was sleeping in the path and I almost stepped on him!
Saw a mink on trout run creek, and a tortoise in the river in the South picnic area from the bridge.
Didn't have much luck fishing. Only nibbles but no catches.
A doe dropped by our group site and there are golden eagle nests at the top of the Pine trees behind the group sites next to the trail that goes to the beach. 
Very eventful trip, and a great view at inspiration point if you have the energy to get there!

Beautiful park and lots of wildlife

One of the most amazing parks in the state! With its fun but difficult hiking trails and beautiful rivers to fish from you might be lucky to catch a rainbow or brook trout but be ready to go very early or near dusk if you hope to land a bite. For those who enjoy wildlife and nature I highly recommend but warning the wildlife is very friendly and get very close to you especially raccoons at all times of the day . The beach has really soft sand and the water is nice and cool but this time around a lot of people had mix reviews about it saying it had pockets of warm temperatures and pretty buggy. But for sure one of the best features are the restrooms always cleaned everyday and the showers water always hot and enough for multiple family’s so never any waiting time 

Girlfriends family reunion 

Had a great long weekend every sight was booked but it rained all weekend which really thinned out the herd and made the more challenging trails slick and muddy but I loved it all the same.

Hiking 

Enjoyed the cart-in experience. Made it feel like you were out a bit more and not totally dependent on your car. Also further away from the road. Couldn’t hear any traffic at night or day. The creek helped with that too. Enjoyed putting up our REI kingdom 6. Grilled hot dogs and s’mores. Read star Bible and Brian Jacques’ Redwall to our little boys. In the morning we did a little hike before taking off. Just 1 night stay. 


Cart-in #2

Whitewater State Park Campground is amazing. It's very clean, well kept and the sites are all mostly private with trees which is so much nicer than being in a giant field of tents and RVs like most campgrounds. There's toilets all over the place and water available in many spots. There's beautiful hiking trails right next to the campground and a lovely beach for kids. I'll definitely be back. 

Absolutely wonderful campground tucked inside a state park. 

We are new to tent camping and are fortunate to live a short drive away from Whitewater State Park. We have heard from our friends who go camping that this is a highly sought after destination and I can see why. Beautiful lookouts on trails, quiet camp sites (non electric sites are much more peaceful), and very nice amenities. The main shower/restroom area looks brand new and is very nice. 

Perfect weekend

We camped at Whitewater State Park August 14-17, 2022, in drive-in campsite #53 of the Cedar Hill campground.  The campsite was great!  We were surrounded by mature trees, shrubs, and wildflowers on three sides.  We could hear the flow of the river as it tumbled along its course behind the campsite.  It was very peaceful.

Lots of birds, butterflies, and squirrels visited our campsite daily.  We heard raccoons at night but never saw them.  There were no mosquitos and very few other flying insects.

It was a long walk from our site to the new restroom/shower building.  There was water and a vault toilet closer, about four campsites away.

The park has many hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty.  We hiked to Chimney Rock and Inspiration Point and found the trails more challenging than we expected from their descriptions.

We greatly enjoyed our time at Whitewater and plan to return.

Cedar Hill

Stayed here for a couple nights on a mini state park road trip. Nice place, like most of the MN state parks. Spotty cell service. Hiked a trail with lots of steps. Fire ring and picnic table are provided at each site. Restroom with showers also available in campground. Site was large and easy to back into and offered some tree cover for shade during certain times of the day. Was unable to hang hammock in specific site we stayed at, but some of the sites looked like they would be suitable.