2 Days, 2 States, 6 Parks: A Midwest Mini-Adventure

If you’re itching for a quick getaway that mixes peaceful nature, quirky landmarks, and a dash of local history, I’ve got the perfect 2-day route for you: Southwest Minnesota into Southeast South Dakota. In just 48 hours, we explored six unique parks (crossed 3 more MN State Parks off my list!), crossed a state line, and made more “wow, this is actually really cool” comments than we could count (it’s the best hearing it from my 9-year-old, who is now too often too cool to go exploring with me). Tristan "T" (said 9-year-old) and I made this journey together 😊 Let’s dive in.

Day 1: SW Minnesota

Jolly Green Giant – Blue Earth, MN

Since we were heading West, T hadn’t seen him before, and I knew he wouldn’t want to stop on the way home the next day… we kicked off our trip with a quick stop in Blue Earth to see the Jolly Green Giant (and for fuel). This quirky landmark offers a fantastic photo opportunity!

Some fun facts about the Jolly Green Giant:

• He stands 60 feet tall, weighs around 8,000 pounds, wears size 78 shoes, and his smile stretches a whopping 4 feet across.

• The Green Giant mascot dates back to the 1920s when the Minnesota Valley Canning Company adopted the name to highlight their jumbo peas.

• In 1935, an ad agency reimagined him as the friendly, leaf-clad "Jolly Green Giant" with a booming "Ho, ho, ho!" laugh.

We didn’t go in the museum this time. I have been in there before and explored the wall-to-wall memorabilia dating back decades which is a lot of fun to see. If you are planning to stop just for a quick photo op, it should only take a few minutes. If you want to explore the museum, plan for 30+ minutes.

Lake Shetek State Park – Currie, MN

Next stop: Lake Shetek State Park (pronounced “she-tek,” I’ve definitely been saying it wrong, and it means “pelican” in Ojibwe). The lake itself is the largest in southwest Minnesota, but the real gem here was the walk across the causeway to Loon Island. It’s about as peaceful as you can get—water lapping on both sides, birdsong, and just enough breeze to remind you you're outside and not dreaming.

We didn’t hike it, but I read that the island loop is short and sweet (1.4 miles and 25 minutes) and there’s even a monument honoring early settlers. When we arrived on the island, there is an informational plaque telling why the island is named after the Common Loon, when Loon don’t really live in that area 😊 I’ll let you discover the details for yourself. I love when the parks add in little slices of history along the trails.

Camden State Park – Lynd, MN

Next stop: Camden State Park, it’s tucked in a river valley, so the moment you drive in, everything turns lush and green. The trout stream that flows through is stocked by the DNR—perfect if you’ve got a fishing pole. We didn’t fish, but we did relax for a minute and take in the sights and sounds.

We wandered over to check out the swimming pond and then T hit the playground (A+ for getting road trip wiggles out), but one of the more unexpected highlights was the bridge that goes over the railroad track. The view from the top is pretty neat (and very high), it surprised me when we were driving through the park and crossed over it.

We didn’t hit any of the 3 hiking trails, but we drove the majority of the park and the two campgrounds looked pretty nice (and full). There is a bike trail that leads into the park, it looks like it is the Camden Regional Bike Trail which offers 10 miles of trail over gently rolling hills, so if you plan on camping here, maybe bring your bicycle(s).

Split Rock Creek State Park – Ihlen, MN

This little park was our home for the night. This park is pretty small and not too far from a highway and railroad (so it sounded a bit like home) but was overall pretty peaceful. The mosquitoes were tolerable as long as kept up with the bug spray.

After we set up camp, we paddleboarded on the small reservoir—super calm water, perfect for beginners. Also, shout out to the park ranger that let us borrow a paddle, because I forgot ours. There was a dock right off the campsite next to us for easy access to the lake. It was all so picturesque with the cattails surrounding the one side of the dock and another camper’s canoe to the right side. You can rent paddleboards, kayaks, and canoes at this park and there were plenty of people out earlier in the afternoon. T went out with me for a bit and then headed back to shore (and took some pictures for me😊). When I went back out on my own, either all paddlers were out of sight on the other side of the tall grass or off the lake for the evening. The setting sun glistened on the water and as I was about to turn back to shore when I spotted some white pelicans across the way. I slowly paddled over to them and sat and watched as they swam around. Very luckily, I was able to capture them taking flight from the water (and even more luckily, didn’t flip my board during this process haha). It really was the perfect ending to my paddle!

We also enjoyed the hammock, campfire, and the playground which was right across from our site (bonus!).

Day 1 was exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time. I am very thankful we had unseasonable weather all day, partly sunny and around 72 degrees with a nice breeze and relatively low humidity. If it were hotter and more humid, we may not have been as adventurous 😉

Day 2: Cross the Border, SE South Dakota

Split Rock Creek State Park Continued

We also explored the historic dam and stone bridge at the edge of the park this morning before taking off across the border. There are some hiking trails that lead you here along the edge of the small lake, but we drove and parked in the 1-2 spots available near here. A short trail leads you to a view of the bridge made of Sioux Quartzite, the pinkish rock that pops up all over this part of the Midwest. There are some small portions of exposed quartzite between the dam and the bridge.

Split Rock Park – Garretson, SD

Just across the border, Split Rock Park is right on the outskirts of Garretson, SD and shares the same creek as the Minnesota park but has its own flavor. The dam is smaller here but still scenic, and the playground… Top-notch for a small-town park. The area is part of the Sioux Quartzite Belt, so the pink cliffs show up again here. There was a sign for Jesse James cave tours here that we did not partake in, more about Jesse James in the next section… this park also has a campground along the hillside.

Fun fact: the creek eventually feeds into the Big Sioux River, which winds its way down through Sioux Falls.

Devil’s Gulch Park – Garretson, SD

Devil’s Gulch has Old West lore swirling around it—legend says Jesse James jumped the gorge on horseback while fleeing a posse. The hike down to the gulch is short and beautiful. Water ripples through and over clusters of boulders, and one side of the creek is flanked by sheer quartzite cliffs that make you feel small in the best way.

We wish we could have lingered here longer but the mosquitoes were wild. Beside the mosquitoes, listening to the water ripple through the gulch had a very calming vibe. I wish we could have stone stepped much longer than we did.

On the way out of the park, I pulled over quickly to take a picture of the bridge that Jesse James is said to have jumped from with his horse. And to make it even more storybook, there are cottonwood trees along the entrance and the cottonwood was floating magically entering and leaving the park.

Palisades State Park – Garretson, SD

We ended our adventure with a visit to Palisades State Park, and wow, did we save the best for last. This park is known for its dramatic pink cliffs and narrow rock formations, especially the iconic Balancing Rock. It looks like it shouldn’t be standing—but it is, right on the edge of a cliff.

We did a couple of short walks to the overlooks and checked out the old iron bridge over the creek. We also drove through the campgrounds. The original one near the cliffs seemed the most scenic, with super cute cabins tucked into the woods—they would be absolutely perfect for a future cozy fall weekend.

Driving through the prairie is beautiful as well! Especially with the flowers and grasses blowing in the wind. Each of the lookouts are a short distance from parking, so the park in itself is very accessible. Even Balancing Rock is not too far from the trailhead, making a quick but very scenic little hike.

Day 2 definitely felt more like your typical mid-July weather – sunny, 82+, and a bit more humid 😊 but each of our stops included shade and we stayed well-hydrated!

Potential Itinerary Additions

Not included in this itinerary but able to tack on for a very full 2-days, or maybe add a 3^rd day 😉 We’ve been there before so we didn’t stop again (this time).

Pipestone National Monument – Pipestone, MN

This is a must see, it’s just beautiful, and you can feel the magnitude of the 3,000-year-old history walking through the quarry. Pipes used in prayer and ceremony to this day were/are carved from the rock here. We did the self-guided tour when everything was shut down, I would love to go back and learn more.

Blue Mounds State Park – Luverne, MN

See more of that quartzite in a cliffside but along a grand prairie plateau scape instead of a river or creek bed. This park protects a bison herd which grazes on one of Minnesota’s largest surviving prairies. The land on this park was untouched due to poor soil quality, it really is a throwback to what the prairies of past looked like. It also makes me thankful for the current prairie restoration projects occurring returning some areas to what they once were.

Fun fact: there is a Blue Mound State Park in Wisconsin, we haven’t been here yet, but it looks very different from the prairie of SW MN.

Final Thoughts

In two days, we:

• Walked across a lake to an island.

• Drove high above a railroad.

• Watched white pelicans take flight from a paddleboard.

• Explored cliffs with outlaw legends.

• Stood beneath a rock that looks like it might fall (but hasn't in centuries).

This region is often overlooked but trust me—it’s full of low-key gems and makes for a fantastic adventure. If you’ve got a weekend, a tank of gas (or 2 if you have a Jeep), and a taste for small-scale exploration, this loop through southwest Minnesota and southeast South Dakota is absolutely worth your time.

And final fun fact: I planned this trip in less than 2 days, starting on the Thursday evening prior to the weekend and we started our adventure that Saturday morning. The big boys had other plans for the weekend so I figured we’d at least get a day trip in if we couldn’t get a campsite. I think all 3 I checked had at least a few open but chose Split Rock Creek State Park because of the vicinity to the parks in South Dakota.

Be sure to check out some Shorts on YouTube from this adventure at https://www.youtube.com/@mntrailfam1128/shorts

Until next time!