Lake Shetek is the largest lake in southwestern Minnesota and is the headwaters for the Des Moines River.

Garden Island State Recreation Area is an island in Lake of the Woods, at the tip of Minnesota. It’s limited to day use with a beach and picnicking area for visitors.

Visitors can hike the continental divide trail and see the division of water flow at the continental divide overlook. Water from the west flows to the Mississippi and water to the east flows to Lake Superior.

Minneopa State Park’s name, which refers to its two-tiered waterfall, comes from the Dakota language. The park contains beautiful waterfalls hikers can view along the Minneopa Creek.

St. Croix State Park is Minnesota’s largest state park with over 34,000 acres. Visitors have a lot of ground to cover at the park with the option to explore 127 miles of hiking trails!

Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area stretches over 800 acres and was an abandoned mining area. Cuyuna boasts 25 miles of shoreline cyclists can trek along, and it’s also a popular destination for water recreation activities such as canoeing and kayaking.