Jay Cooke State Park, Carlton

Easy access off of 35, approx 15 minutes down the road. Well kept, and miles upon miles of trails, mostly scenic. Neat rock formations, and good terrain changes. Walked the hiking club trail, it was pretty good. A few trails bring you right along the rivers edge also. Parking reg is at the park office, as you drive into the public parking. Seven I think for the day.

Overall a very nice park. The campground has plenty of sites, but still offers a fair amount of privacy thanks to well placed tent boxes and picnic tables. Each site has a fire ring. Like most state/national parks, gathering firewood is not permitted. However, you can purchase firewood from the campground host. Another positive is that the campground stays very dark at night. This provides excellent views of the night sky. New restrooms were just built at the beginning of the 2019 season. There are multiple single stall-showers, a men's, women's, and family restroom all located in one building. The backside of the building also features 2 sinks, with an area to wash dishes. Aside from the camping, Jay Cooke SP offers miles on miles of hiking trails (cross country skiing in the winter). It is also located off of the Willard Munger state trail. This is a very well maintained, multi-purpose trail. Some of the highlights of the park include a Swinging Bridge over the St Louis River, a hike to Lost Lake, an 1800s pioneer cemetery, and an educational information center.