Visiting Lac Qui Parle and Big Stone Lake State Parks

I recently visited the 28th and 29th State Parks on my 25 Things List: Lac Qui Parle and Big Stone Lake State Parks. I decided to write about both within the same post, as Big Stone Lake was a smaller park, and both parks are pretty close in proximity. I’d recommend hitting both of them in one day if you live far away from both parks, so you don’t have to make the drive twice.

Lac Qui Parle State Park

Lac Qui Parle State Park was a very unique park.

Each park is obviously different, but many of them have similar setups, and you kind of begin to know what to expect when you arrive. However, Lac Qui Parle shook things up a bit. Whereas most parks have the main park office at the entrance, you drive pretty much through the entire park before getting to the park office.

1. Check out the park office

The park office at Lac Qui Parle State Park was probably the nicest one I’ve visited so far. They had a really nice gift shop, with lots of information and brochures on the area and things to do. There was also a cool side-room with huge windows to look out over the prairie-like landscape. They also had a lot of information on the area plants and wildlife, including a pretty extensive collection of taxidermied animals. I picked up a free poster of the area’s plants that I plan to frame eventually – it was pretty cool looking.

2. If you’re in it for the hike…

Start at the park office. You can park at the main park office and hike all the way down to the lookouts along Lac Qui Parle, which are definitely the park highlights. It’ll take you a few hours for sure, but the views are worth it.

3. If you’re in it for the views….

Drive through the park and end at the park office. There are three spots I would recommend stopping at before heading to the park office. The first is a lookout on the left-hand side of the road – about 200 feet past it is a grassy area that you can pull over and safely park on.

It has some pretty views, but you can also walk to a short trail a few feet past the grassy parking area, and take it all the way down to the lake.

The trail is short but pretty, and just a little hilly, which I liked.

It brings you right out onto a little beach along Lac Qui Parle Lake. There were a few eagles patrolling the skies when I visited, which was pretty neat to see.

I spent some time walking along the beach – it’s a beautiful area.

4. See Minnesota’s largest cottonwood tree

From the lookout, cross the road to see Minnesota’s largest cottonwood tree.

There’s a little sign indicating where the path is.

I’m not exactly sure how they verify that this is the largest cottonwood tree in Minnesota. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a massive tree and it was super fun to visit, but how can they really be sure that there isn’t another cottonwood tree out there that’s just a little larger? There’s a lot of trees out there.

I attempted to climb the tree, but I didn’t make it very far – just a little beyond this point, but there wasn’t a lot to grab hold of. It was a little challenging. Also, for those of you who don’t know me – I’m six feet tall, so this is a pretty damn big tree.

It was fun to attempt to climb it – the little area I’m standing in was actually pretty spacious, and the sky looked super beautiful from my point of view.

Remember to look up.

5. Stop at the second lookout

I liked the second lookout much better than the first. It felt much more wide open and free.

Once you get back on the road from the first lookout, drive up a little farther, and on your left-hand side, you’ll see a paved parking lot. Stop there and enjoy the expansive views of the lake. The wind is crazy wild from the top of the hill here, but it’s beautiful.

At the lookout, if you turn around, you will see a massive lit up, blinking arrow. Perplexed and intrigued, I found out that it points to the most randomly located sports bar, possibly ever. I didn’t investigate further, but it appeared to point to a house and shed in the middle of nowhere. I’ve discovered that in the crevices of Minnesota, there are a plethora of small towns that have “bars” or “restaurants” that are mildly renovated homes or sheds instead of actual commercial buildings. It’s pretty interesting.

Back to the views.

I could have stayed at that lookout and watched the water and flying eagles for a long time. The lake feels massive, and the landscape is so open, it’s a pretty addictively free feeling.

Other amenities at Lac Qui Parle State Park:

Interpretive exhibit
Lac Qui Parle Mission Historic Site (adjacent to the park)
Naturalist programs
Picnic shelter
Swimming beach

Big Stone Lake State Park

Big Stone Lake is definitely one of the smaller state parks I’ve been to – but, despite its size, it was a pretty cute park!

It’s limited in amenities in comparison to other parks, but it’s still a great place for Minnesotans to get outdoors and enjoy our beautiful state.

1. Hit the beach or catch some fish

I’d say the two biggest reasons to visit Big Stone Lake would be to swim at their cute little beach, or to go fishing. It seemed like there were quite a few campers, as well, but the vast majority of the action was definitely along the small fishing pier or from swimmers in the lake.

2. Take a little stroll

The park’s trails were limited in comparison to some other parks, but they were definitely just as beautiful.

There were lots of little monarchs fluttering along the trails – it was super cool.

I have a thing about butterflies where I’ve always been obsessed with them.

As I walked along the trail, I nearly walked into a deer right on the path. I turned a corner around some foliage, and right in front of me, just a few feet away, was a large doe. We made eye contact and she paused before leaping into the prairie. To my right, another doe leapt up from where she’d been laying in the grass, and followed her friend. Just as I processed what had happened, another deer ran out in front of me from the field to my left. I watched them run across the prairie, and saw them joined by a fourth deer from a set of trees about ten feet away from where the second deer had been laying.

It was a short trip to Big Stone Lake State Park, but the trails were beautiful, and the interaction with the deer was definitely worth it! I would definitely recommend Big Stone Lake if you live in the area and are looking for a nice place to camp or go fishing.

Other amenities at Big Stone Lake State Park:

Horseshoes
Lakeside campsites
Picnic area
Sandbox for little ones

Want to read more about my 25 Things list? Click here for more adventures.

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