Whitewater State Park?

[AndrewMay]

Has anyone camped at Whitewater?
I checked the park page and it didnt have any information about biking. Are there any paved or dirt trails to ride?
Anyone have any suggestions or insights on where to camp?
Is it a pet friendly park?
I'm looking to take the girlfriend and dog camping sometime soon.
Thanks

[Crash]

I camped there a couple years back with the family in the Fall. It wasn't a bike trip so I don't know for sure, but I don't remember seeing any mtb trails. They do have nice hiking trails and lookouts.

I would check with them before booking - they got hit bad by the flooding last Fall and I'm not sure if everything is back open yet.

[igor]

It's been a while since I've been to Whitewater. From what I remember there was no mtn. bike trails. Closest trail would be Cherry Hill close to Winona/MN City where they used to run the Cherry Bomb race or Holzinger trails in Winona. You could always put together some killer road rides down that way. The hiking there is good. There is a 6-8 mile loop that is pretty cool. It takes you to a bluff top, Eagle Pt I think, that is always a fun place to relax. They have camping and there are some walk in sites too. I assume if you want to go on a weekend between Memorial and Labor Day make reservations. Not sure on pets.

If you want to bike a better place would be Lanesboro. You can camp and bike the Root River paved trails. I usually camp in Lanesboro.

[hockeynut]

No specific mountain bike trails in the park. Before the flooding there were some amazing hiking trails though. Just checking on the openness of the park on the DNR website, it looks like the main campgrounds are open, but it some of the hiking trails are out of commission still.

Note, when I have been to Whitewater it has been extremely busy with trout fishermen/women so book in advance.

Also, their claim of being mosquitoless has been accurate (at least before the flash flooding last year) in my experience. Bugspray is not needed (at least for the MN state bird maybe for ticks it would still be a good idea).

[Digger]

I have camped there a lot. There are no mountain bike trails, but a lot of hiking trails. I'm not sure if the state campground allows pets, but I think the Lazy D campground does. It is about a mile north of the state park. Pretty nice campground, especially on side of the river opposite the office. (If it is still there after the flood.) No mosquitoes, but the biting flies are really bad.

[ppgc]

DNR Site: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/whitewater/index.html

Rules: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/rules.html
Pets
Pets are welcome in state parks but must be kept on a leash of not more than six feet and must be personally attended at all times. No pets other than hearing or seeing-eye dogs or other service animals are allowed in state park buildings, lodging, cabins, camper cabins, on tours or in beach areas.

Enjoy, it is a nice park, hopefully it is still nice after last years floods.

[anythingxc]

:confused:Does anyone know of any good camping/biking parks near lake superior?

[AndrewMay]

Thanks for all of the input! I think most of the park has re-opened, with the few remaining closed areas opening in the next few weeks. Looks like we'll just be hiking, which is just fine, the dog can participate in that so she'll be happy. We can just drive another 30 miles down the road and ride in La Crosse.

If you're looking for camping on the Lake check out Tettegouche camp grounds, but book early, they fill up fast. Lutsen is the only place to bike that I know of, but I haven't ridden it.

[ryno lite]

Thanks for all of the input! I think most of the park has re-opened, with the few remaining closed areas opening in the next few weeks. Looks like we'll just be hiking, which is just fine, the dog can participate in that so she'll be happy. We can just drive another 30 miles down the road and ride in La Crosse.

If you're looking for camping on the Lake check out Tettegouche camp grounds, but book early, they fill up fast. Lutsen is the only place to bike that I know of, but I haven't ridden it.

Lutsen is closed to mtn biking as of this year.

[FarmerBEN]

:confused:Does anyone know of any good camping/biking parks near lake superior?


Copper harbor MI is on lake superior. a bit far but a great area for biking hiking kayaking, most outdoor activities.

[MisterClaw]

. We can just drive another 30 miles down the road and ride in La Crosse.

But then you'll miss Holzinger! It should be clear and ready to ride.

[AndrewMay]

I've never ridden Holzinger. I was told that it can be quite a confusing trail system, I'm a little worried I'll ride off a cliff! I would want to ride with someone who has a little experience on the trails.
I'm a big fan of the HPT trails in LaX!

[TML]

My wife and I were thinking of heading down there to camp this weekend but we're leaning towards letting it warm up a bit more.

We usually make a trip down there in the spring to fly fish and pick morels, MMmmm good!

Like others have said there's also some good hiking in the area. If you do go to the Whitewater area, make sure and climb to the top of the Elba Firetower. It's a neat experience with a great view!

[FarmerBEN]

with a little notice I would be glad to meet anyone and show them around 'zinger. it's hard to compare hpt and zing though. Hpt is amazing and fun, but very well groomed and managed. Zinger has such a rugged feel that is like nothing else I've ridden around here, both very fun though and worth the trip.

[Thewavebb]

Holzinger was my stopping grounds the 5 years I lived in winona. It is by far my favorite place to ride. Like Ben said, it has raw feel to it and you feel like your out in the middle of nowhere for most of the ride. Fantastic views too.

~Ben

[AndrewMay]

Well if you guys are serious about it I will probably take you up on the offer.
Maybe in a week or two we could meet after work and get a ride in. Provided we get some dry conditions.