Interstate Park is a state park that sits on the St. Croix River on the Minnesota and Wisconsin boarder. Half the park sits in Minnesota and half of it is in Wisconsin. The two sides are administered by their respective states so it is kind of like one park but actually two. We visited the Minnesota side while we were there.
How to get to Interstate State Park
The Interstate State Park visitor center is in the town of Taylor Falls in Minnesota. This is where the most parking is for the park so it is a good place to start. Taylor Falls is about an hour outside the Twin Cities. If you come in to Taylor Falls from on Highway 8 the visitor center will be on your right just before you cross the river. If you are coming from Wisconsin it will be on your left just after crossing the river.
The visitor center was closed for Covid-19 when we were visiting, so we don’t know what is there, but from the far end of the parking lot you can get on several trails around the park.
What You Will See at Interstate State Park
There are several trails between 1 and 3 miles long in the park. The shortest and most popular is the Glacial Potholes area trail. We were short on time the day we visited so this is the only trail that we were able to complete.
The Glacial Potholes area trail is a network of several paths in the area close to the parking lot. They lead around to several potholes (which are geological formations). On this trail you can also go down by the St. Croix River.
These trails are not difficult, but they do involve going up and down several stairs to reach some of the potholes. The potholes are cool to see and there are beautiful views of the river.
The other trails in the area are a little bit longer but don’t look particularly difficult. The longest is the Walter F. Mondale River Trail which leads along the river down to the picnic area and campsite. You can make this trail shorter by hiking just one way and having a driver pick the hikers up at the other end.
Sum Up
Minnesota has many great state parks. Interstate State Park is unique because of its location on the state border and the potholes that are found here. It is conveniently on the way to other places and if you are in this area you should stop and at least do a short hike.
