By:
Submission
From Brainerd go 9 miles south on U.S. Highway 371. Then west at County Road 27 for one mile to the park office.
I’ve learned to really like this park. I visit it maybe 10 times a year, most of those being fall and winter. The ticks and mosquitos aren’t issues then. There are some nice hiking trails ( I don’t camp at the park). The river is mostly undeveloped here, so it is nice to kayak and canoe. There are some beautiful, large silver maple trees along the Mississippi River shoreline and flats.
Trumpeter swans concentrate on the River when all the other lakes lock up with ice or when the River is the first to thaw in spring. I’ve seen (and heard) fifty or more of these swans on some days.
This is a wonderful place to snowshoe. There are some rolling hills that give great overlooks. Chippewa Lookout (next to the public access) is one great view, especially in fall and after an early snowfall when the river isn’t iced over. There are other nice vantage points as well.
The park also includes land that is on the other side of the river. You have to use the Camp Jim Road west of Baxter to access it. From there, there are a couple different sections to hike, with one of those being a stretch at the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers. I like going here because it really doesn’t get a lot of traffic... not that the rest of the park does anyways. This was a former farm, so you can still see some indications of that.
The paved bike trail on the eastern side of the park is a fun ride.....it has enough curves and smaller hills to make this more interesting than other parts of the Paul Bunyan Trail.
You will see multiple type of habitat and tree stands in this park.
The park ranger we spoke to was a very lovely man! He was extremely helpful in pointing us in the direction of our campsite as well as giving us some fun local ideas for things to do! The park itself is clean, the other campers were friendly when ran into but mostly kept to themselves. The sites are a tad to close together for my liking but our specific site was perfect for us! We even made a little chippy friend! Absolutely would stay again if we ever find ourselves in Brainard.
A very nice state park. Most campsites are spacious and wooded. The river borders some sites. Flush toilets and hot showers. A paved bicycle trail connects the park to Brainerd and the Paul Bunyan State Trail.
