Banning State Park

Banning State Park has some of the most beautiful landscapes and is one of the most exciting Minnesota state parks out there. Park in the picnic area parking lot and hike to the lookout, then hike down towards the river for some of the most fantastic views you'll find in Minnesota. The Kettle River has some beautiful rapids here. The rock formations down the hill from the lookout are breathtaking as well. Hiking up and down the banks of the river are some great trails with beautiful views. If you hike far enough south, you'll come across two sets of amazing waterfalls. If you like hiking beautiful and exciting scenery, I'd highly recommend here.

Absolutely gorgeous! I came here as a kid and I've been wanting to visit again for a long time. Clean, clearly marked trails, lots of natural beauty; you can spend an hour or take it all in and spend the whole day! Definitely worth checking out!

Love this place! Trails are marked well. It was great hike in the winter!

Wonderful place to visit. Lots of history and great views of the river and the woods. Plenty of trails to choose from and most loop back around. Good signage along trails too

Love this place. Hiking trails for all levels of skill and ability. So much beauty here... ❤ And so much to explore!!!

This park is far enough out of the cities to make it a most-of-the-day trip for us with young kids. That said, the 80ish minute drive rewards you with fresh air, beautiful forest, and a dramatic rushing river cut through stone.

I love the historical loop trail. At about two miles it's perfect for a 1-2 hour leisurely pace with plenty to see along the way. We like to grab a snack among the fascinating old buildings and moss-cushioned stones.

Although the bathrooms aren't open yet for the season, pit toilets are available year-round. It's also obvious that crews are already out maintaining the trails after our rough winter storms downed a lot of trees.

I've seen Banning from 35 over the years on the way to and back from Duluth but never got there until this wonderful spring day. This park has great hiking trails, feel very wooded and secluded from the outside world. The rapids are quite rapid. I'm no good with trail maps but I found our way with Roxy on our couple mile hike. Roxy lives for this kind of trail-park-woods exploring.

My favorite State park so far
south of Duluth

Lots of fun packed into this awesome smaller park. Park is right of the interstate near the town of Sandstone and the highlight is the Kettle river and its banks. Park has some serious class III + river rapids at the base of Rock cliffs. This makes for some very scenic views. Hiking along the river is wonderfull as well as the hike to a small waterfall. There is also a small campground. Park could use a trail/visitor center but overall is a great place to stop for a one day visit.

Best hike of the year for me. I loved this place. The trails had many different choices. You could choose hard or easy. I loved climbing up rocks, crawling thru small caves, walking by the river, and learning all the history thats within this park.

The waterfall was great. So much to see. I have never seen so many different kinds of mushrooms in one park. That was really cool. This was a difficult hike for us. We did 8 miles, but man it was so cool to do & see. I would give this park 10/10. Great bathrooms, looked like good camping, and well maintained.

Thank you staff for the experience and keeping the park clean.

This was such a great and relaxing choice for the day. Weather was nice, sun was partial, plenty of tree cover, wide trails, clear signage that's easy to follow, and bugs were really at a minimum. We took Spur Trail to Wolf Creek to make it down to the waterfall. Trails were pretty easy though some have you climbing up or down rocks depending on where you come from. They're big enough but some required a bit more legwork. The waterfall is really open and multiple groups can stand around at the same time. Different quick trails around it offer different views. Definitely recommend. Restrooms are there at the picnic entrance but have signage posted that they are not maintained daily so toilet paper and sanitizer can run out. Just check before you go or bring some sanitizer with you. Always a good idea. Enjoy!

Always enjoy stopping at Banning State Park that stretches along 10 miles of the Kettle River near the cozy town of Sandstone, MN. This nature reserve features camping, picnicking, hiking, skiing, canoeing and kayaking along with Wolf Creek Falls and the historic Sandstone Quarry. Beautiful in any season. Check it out!

Beautiful state park, wasn't crowded at all. We had so much fun hiking the trails, seeing old quarry remnants, and sticking out feet in the waterfall. Highly recommend, as long as you bring bug spray!

Gorgeous state park with great trails through abandoned quarry and ruins. Ranges from easy trails that are old railroad grades / skiing trails, to medium hiking only trails by the rivers and falls, to freeform bouldering and off trail places of scenic solitude and beauty. Great in all seasons. Parking lots can fill up quckly.

The hiking paths are amazing. Absolutely gorgeous. The fishing isn't too bad either. There are a lot of great places to take a kayak out all around. Had a great time at the campground.

I can't get enough of this park. I've been there seven times in the last year more than any other park. It is very large and plenty to see the parking is lacking. But the river provides good opportunity for photos there is also remains of a quarry and a waterfall. Overall the best park in Minnesota

Banning is on the list of favorite state parks. Great history to read about along the trails. The views in the early fall are exceptional. Just a heads up for those that prefer an easier hike - there are some more rocky parts to this trail.

I love this park. We ended up walking 6.3 miles on a couple of the trails. Since we were there in mid-April, there were a couple muddy and flooded trails but the main quarry loop was dry and well maintained. Lots of interesting shifts in environment, and some cool old landmarks/ruins. There are beautiful little patches of sandy beach hidden among the rocks on the river. I can’t wait to go back.

What an amazing state park. The park reminds me of hiking through the white mountains, except it's flat and no mountain(s) to summit. The fall foliage is fantastic, lots of grouse, deer and squirrels. Quite a number of Amanita muscaria scattered about. Lots of downed trees, perfect for some future chicken of the woods...

Well worth the drive from the cities, you won't be disappointed.

“Mom, are we still on Earth?” This is what my daughter asked on the hike. We’ve been here multiple times and the rocks, beautiful tree canopy, waterfall, and babbling brooks never disappoint. Our favorite time to hike is in the Fall. Spring time can get buggy if it has recently rained.