Fort Ridgely State Park Golf Course

Fort Ridgely is an overall solid state park. The highlight of this state park is definitely the historical aspect of the area. The remains of the old fort buildings, and all of the signs documenting the history behind what the fort was used for are definitely worth the drive to this state park. This is also a great place for horse trail riding. They even have a stable. If you go to the small amphitheater by the large bathroom building, there is some great trails that start right behind the amphitheater and go down the hill. Much of the trails go through the woods and prairies. There was a dec…

This is a very nice state park. Regular and horse camping sites available, and even rustic, bare-bone campsites. The historic fort there is very nice and educational, although a few signs need to be replaced as they are unreadable. Several options for hiking.

Short Review of Fort Ridgely State Park We recently camped at Fort Ridgely State Park and really enjoyed the quiet, peaceful setting. The campground was clean and easy to access, with nice wooded sites that gave us a good amount of space and privacy. We appreciated how close the trails were—perfect for a morning hike with views of the surrounding prairie and bluffs. One of the highlights was exploring the old fort ruins and reading about the history of the U.S.-Dakota War. It's a meaningful place, and the combination of history and nature makes it a unique state park experience. If you're tr…

A nice little historic state park in south-central MN. Busy but quiet, this state park offers decent hiking trails including thru beautiful restored prairie (best in July/Augist when flowers are blooming or grasses are turning golden brown), large campsites (some along the river, some near the restrooms) with large trees and decent amounts of grass, a very nice equestrian campground, the historic Fort Ridgely itself and two lookouts offering spectacular views of the Minnesota River valley. Cell service is spotty in the campground and best at the Fort up on the bluff. Wifi is available at the…

Thank you to the staff at this amazing park. We thank you for all support you gave us on our faith walk. We appreciate the welcoming smiles and conversations we had with you. we pray blessings over all of you and in all you guys do. Amen and thank you again for the support.

We had a great time here. We had wonderful company and the trails were decent. A good park for us has a good amount of trails. There are a couple here that are good. And horse friendly we saw a lot of horses actually here. However with that meant lots of horse poop. Because apparently the horses can just poop on the path no problem. The campground was a straight shot in and then had a roundabout at the end. We were on the river side and the kids loved to play in the creek. They even found a deeper spot and swam for a bit. The dogs had so much fun too. The lookout points were nice and had pret…

I love this state park. The camp sites sit down below the bluff. No wind if there is any. Great trout fishing there also. To catch the trout, you want to fish down by the horse camp. Plenty of trout in the stream!

Small and cozy. Park Ranger could use better communication skills but, still nice. Bathrooms and showers top notch.

Love this park. Very scenic over looking the river valley and full of history. Area around the park is beautiful. I went in the fall and is very vibrant. Great trails and camping is excellent. Day use area is good. Park has a sledding hill and warming shelter. Not sure why this park isn't rated higher. A new shower building is being built and should alleviate some of the complaints.

We stayed at walk-in campsite W1 and it was amazing! The campsite was very secluded from the campground, we never heard a single screaming child or barking dog. If you are parking in the main campground area the walk-in campsites are at the top of a substantial hill which is good because it acts as a deterrent for most people and makes the site feel even more private. We camped there on a Thursday night/Friday morning we saw very few people on the trails, in the campground, and the entire park in general. There are several extensive prairie restorations, wooded floodplain areas, and beautifu…

A simple, yet rich park. While most of the old fort is simply foundations, the signage is very informative. My only suggestion is to read up a bit on the history of that area before going. I think it'll help understand & appreciate everything on a deeper level. I only regret not visiting the cemetery. The fort is just a short drive up from the campground. We stayed in a site closer to the creek, but the whole place is beautiful & well kept. The new restoom/shower building hadn't yet opened, but the vault toilet & porta potty were cleaned & always stocked with toilet paper.

We loved Fort Ridgely State Park! Very nice, large sites. We love the shaded sites and the quiet surroundings. The fort is rich with history and it’s beautiful listening to the prairie grass as you look around. One of our favorite state parks!