Big Stone Lake State Park

Tucked on the western edge of Minnesota near the South Dakota border, the Big Stone Lake State Park is a puptastic place to enjoy the outdoors with your canine best friend. Featuring diverse prairie habitats and access to the 12,000-acre Big Stone Lake, the park comprises three unique units: the Meadowbrook Area, which is the largest and offers camping; the Overlook Area, a rest stop with furrific views of the water; and the Bonanza Area, where visitors will find wooded hillsides and tallgrass prairie.

Both the Meadowbrook and Bonanza Areas contain trails for adventurous puppers to explore. The 1-mile Bonanza Area Hiking Club Trail, which traverses rolling hills, will have you and Fido trekking over a creek and through the woods. Many wildlife species can be spotted here, so keep your eyes peeled for white-tailed deer, pileated woodpeckers, and wild turkeys. Head southward to the Meadowbrook Area, and you and your pooch will find the Bluebird and Prairie Trails. As you and Fido stroll through prairie on the 1-mile Bluebird Trail, you will encounter bluebird boxes along the way and catch glimpses of pollinator species in the plum thickets. It's especially pretty in the late summer, when wildflowers abound. For a longer hike, check out the 2-mile Prairie Trail. This mostly flat loop will have you and your pooch walking among Indian grass, switchgrass, big bluestem, and various wildflowers.

Whichever paths you take, always keep your pupper on a 6-foot leash and clean up after them. Other activities that you can enjoy with your doggo are paddling, picnicking, and camping. The campground in the Meadowbrook Area contains drive-in and electric sites, and showers and flush toilets are available during the peak season. Unfurtunately, the swimming beach is off-limits to canine visitors, so water-loving woofers will have to leave their barkinis at home.

Experience the natural beauty of western Minnesota with your furry friend at the Big Stone Lake State Park!