You can’t go wrong visiting any state park in Minnesota. And when it is fall, you really must get out and walk through the woods. Seriously. Do it.
It is amazing how relaxing it can be as you walk through the colored maple, ash, cottonwood, basswood, oak and more. This fall, I spent a weekend solo camping at Camden State Park, and this was my first time doing photography in that park.
The park has a lot of trails from which to choose. I walked a few of the trails and really liked the Blue Bird trail that leads up a fairly steep hill and puts you out on top to walk through the prairie. It was a decent workout to get up the hill, and after that there was a beautiful rolling prairie to explore. I saw lots of sumac, heard the ducks in the restored wetlands and looked out over miles of prairie and farmland as the sun rose higher in the sky.
The Redwood River runs through the park, and it seems you can’t go anywhere without crossing it. Since we have been in a drought this year, the water level was really low. I did, however, find some beautiful trees by the river to capture. My timing for camping there was perfect as the colors were in prime form the weekend of Oct. 8. One evening, I was able to launch my drone while outside the park and capture some landscapes from the sky.
Due to the weather turning cloudy and windy, I only ended up with photography opportunities on Friday night and Saturday morning. There was too much wind, and rain threatening on and off, for me to do do any photography the rest of the weekend. However, the temperatures were wonderfully warm. Unlike our fall camping trip last year to Jay Cooke State Park. Read about that here.
Camden State park is a really nice park. I’d love to see it when the water levels are higher and when the prairie flowers are blooming. One aspect I really enjoyed was that when down in the park, there is no cellular signal. It was very nice to be “unplugged” while down in the river valley. I enjoyed the beauty and solitude.
I will be stopping back at this park since there is more to see, and I want to see that prairie earlier in the year. If you are looking for a great camping spot, a chance to unplug from the electronics, and walk through woods and prairie, Camden State Park is worth a visit.