Frontenac State Park
Frontenac State Park
4.5
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A scenic park located on the Mississippi River.
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2 within 5 kms
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10 within 10 kms
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
77 reviews
Excellent
39
Very good
28
Average
8
Poor
1
Terrible
1
jay r
Saint Paul, MN56 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
We like this park for camping and hiking. The campsites are good in size and clean. However, when it rained there was a puddle in front of our site. They could add more sand or rocks or just level some of the area. Also, the restroom is new but 3 toilet doors have broken locks at least in the women’s side.
Written July 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amanda G
7 contributions
Sept 2022 • Friends
Friend and I stayed in cart-in campsite C3 for one night in late September. Will definitely go back. All the cart-in sites were really nice and private. If you are traveling with another group I would recommend getting C3 and C4 as they share the same trail and would not require too much walking to get back and forth. There is a pretty long gradual hill to push the carts to and from the car, so something to keep in mind. When at the park, it's worth it to drive through Old Frontenac which is a neat historic town right next door. Frontenac State Park is overall a great park with wonderful views.
Written September 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda W
1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Couples
We understand that the check in time is 4 pm also is time check out for people to leave. We arrived early and patiently waited . A group of six had six spots taken . No one left until 4 pm
This created a huge problem since other campers arrived and wanted to also move into their reserved spots. This created a huge problem with people coming and going. Then one camper decided to turn around in this mess.
We were planning to leave on Wednesday. We were packing up our stuff and almost ready to leave when we found the campground host posted a tag on our window that my husband was parked partially on the grass. Come on .... We were trying to hook up the camper. We have camped at Frontenac for years. None of the sites are very well kept. Grass? No grass there weeds ? Yes. Many times the sites are muddy after a rain.please tell the campground hosts to back off. The check out time and check in times need to be different.
Thanks for reading this.
This created a huge problem since other campers arrived and wanted to also move into their reserved spots. This created a huge problem with people coming and going. Then one camper decided to turn around in this mess.
We were planning to leave on Wednesday. We were packing up our stuff and almost ready to leave when we found the campground host posted a tag on our window that my husband was parked partially on the grass. Come on .... We were trying to hook up the camper. We have camped at Frontenac for years. None of the sites are very well kept. Grass? No grass there weeds ? Yes. Many times the sites are muddy after a rain.please tell the campground hosts to back off. The check out time and check in times need to be different.
Thanks for reading this.
Written August 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Henry W
1 contribution
Jun 2022 • Friends
Great view and lots of hiking. Watch out for the raccoons they come in the camp site like they live there. Lol
Written June 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SharnRol
Park Rapids, MN584 contributions
Sept 2021
Easy walks from the main parking area for nice views of the Mississippi River area. Lots of picnic spots.
Written September 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN3,477 contributions
May 2021 • Solo
Great hiking on the Bluffside Trail with beautiful views of the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin further south. There is a upper and lower bluff trail and hiking both in a clockwise fashion involves descending and later ascending steep wooden and rock stairs. The upper trail offer spectacular views from high above the river but the lower trail provides access to the banks of the Mississippi at one point.
Written June 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1JWThomas
21 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
Camper cabin was clean. Needed some maintenance. Door was falling off hinges. Had to use state certified firewood but the wood was always locked up and unavailable. Was a 1/2 mile hike to a so so beach.
Written June 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nostalgiyeah
Bothell, WA1,898 contributions
Apr 2021
The Frontenac State Park is situated a leisurely hour drive mostly along the Mississippi River from the Twin Cities. The park has a nice picnic area with benches and a fantastic view of a winding Mississippi River. There were a few trails which would have lead to the river but we were too tired to check out the trails on the day we visited the park. But sitting on the picnic benches overlooking the giant river was indeed a relaxing way to spend an evening. The view is simply fantastic, with lot of lush green trees adorning either banks of the river. There are some camping sites available here as well. This park is also famous as a spot for bird watching, including bald eagles. There is a $7 charge for a day pass but it is totally worth it to spend a few hours at the Frontenac State Park!
Written May 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Momof4Girls23
Washington, IN230 contributions
Oct 2020
We were excited to check out this park. We pulled into the parking lot expecting to be able to easily find the trail we were looking for like we have at similar places. We were wrong. I read through these reviews and thought we'd be able to drive up and find what we had come for, but that just wasn't the case. The signs we saw didn't match what the site said and the map didn't help at all. We were so frustrated we ended up turning around and leaving.
Written October 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony Z
11 contributions
Sept 2020 • Family
Went to the parking lot and checked out the short trail with the lookouts along the bluffs. Was busy Labor Day weekend but was able to stay apart for the most part. Beautiful park would like to explore more next time with older kids. Steep steps and sharp drop offs.
Written September 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LB+SB
Saint Paul, MN34 contributions
How bad are the mosquitoes, flies and ticks at this park in late July? Tolerable?
Bonnie A
Rochester, Minnesota
Can you kayak?
William N
Ely4 contributions
The park is on a bluff with no water access or kayak rentals. If you have your own kayaks, there is a boat access in the town of Old Frontenac, which is adjacent to the south end of the park. I believe there is a launch fee. There are several boat access ramps a short distance south of the park, near Lake City. North of the park, there are several access points in Redwing.
Keep in mind that Lake Pepin is a large lake. You will be sharing it with speed boats, jetskis, etc. On a windy day, the waves can be of considerable hieght.
Is there a beach?
Wavetamer9999
Appleton, MN30 contributions
There is NO beach at Frontenac State Park, it's situated up on a bluff 200' above the river! Closest beach is about 10 miles away. Also a beach at Hot-Si-Lah city campsite just north of Lake City.
Any place to ride motorized toys around the park?
Noreen O
Hager City, WI51 contributions
Yes, lots of trails for walkers, hikers, 4 wheelers etc.
Jeff L
Glenview, IL4 contributions
Can you dock a boat at the park?
Greg T
Minneapolis, MN286 contributions
You should contact the park. There isn't a boat launch or dock in the park , as far as I know, but the area has many marinas.
The river bluff here is very steep and most of the park is up on the bluff. Access to the river is not easy.
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Claim your listingFrontenac State Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Frontenac State Park
- Hotels near Frontenac State Park:
- (9.28 km) Round Barn Farm
- (15.60 km) Pratt-Taber Inn
- (9.22 km) John Hall's Alaskan Lodge
- (15.59 km) St. James Hotel
- (1.67 km) Vintage Lake Cottage On The Shores Of Lake Pepin
- Restaurants near Frontenac State Park:
- (1.80 km) Whistle Stop Cafe
- (1.67 km) B Wells Bar
- (8.14 km) Stockholm Pie & General Store
- (15.47 km) Hanisch Bakery and Coffee Shop
- (4.92 km) Smiling Pelican Bakeshop
- Attractions near Frontenac State Park:
- (2.77 km) Lake Pepin
- (1.67 km) B-Wells Bar & Grill
- (1.82 km) Lake Pepin Kayak and Paddle Boards
- (15.52 km) Red Wing Shoe Store & Museum
- (15.32 km) Barn Bluff