December 11th, 2017 -
Not all state and national parks are closed in winter. Voyageurs National Park, near International Falls, offers just as many exciting winter activities as summer ones. The park is transformed into a winter wonderland in the coldest months of the year, providing world-class snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and countless other winter activities. Don’t save all of your adventures for summer, because Voyageurs National Park is the place to be when snow falls.
Park Details
Voyageurs National Park is open in all seasons; however, the Rainy Lake Visitor Center is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays from Jan. 9 to May 21. The Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center and Ash River Visitor Center are closed from late September through late May.
There are no fees to enter Voyageurs National Park. Although, the campground does require campers to register and pay an amenity fee. Pets are allowed in many areas of the park, including the Frontcountry campsites. They are not allowed in the Backcountry campsites on the Kabetogama Peninsula. Pets must be under control and on a 6-foot leash at all times.
Things to Do
There’s no shortage of things to do at Voyageurs National Park in winter. Visitors who don’t mind the colder temperatures will be wowed by the quality winter trails that are ideal for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Snowmobilers will also find the park an uncrowded and stunning place to ride. The park offers a report on the snowmobile trails and ice roads, so you can check the conditions before you go. Ice fishing and ice road driving are also popular activities for winter fun.
Stop and See Us
Looking for the ideal RV or ice house for the winter of 2017/18? PleasureLand RV Centers, located throughout Minnesota, are loaded with all of the latest and greatest ice houses and four-season RVs. Stop in and see us in St. Cloud, Ramsey, Brainerd or Long Prairie to view our selection of new and used RVs today.
November 28th, 2017 -
They say there’s nothing like home for the holidays, but when you live life on the road in your RV, you’re always home wherever you go. Although, parking your RV at a special campground for the holidays can make you enjoy them even more. These three destinations are some of our favorites to enjoy during the holiday season because of their beautiful scenery and unbeatable holiday cheer.
Steamboat Campground
You can’t beat a holiday season spent on the slopes, and the Steamboat Campground is a year-round Colorado campground that’s close to all of the outdoor winter activities you can imagine. RV sites are steeply discounted in the winter months, and the campground’s unique location in Steamboat Springs, between Yellowstone National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park means you enjoy a winter wonderland that’s unlike anywhere else in the country.
Padre Island National Seashore
If your idea of a white Christmas involves white sand beaches instead of snow, the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas is the place to be this holiday season. Camping is available in five spots on the island, with the Bird Island Basin being the most desired spot for birdwatchers, fishermen, boating, kayaking and drinking in the warm air and gorgeous scenery. The Padre Island campgrounds are open year-round, so fire up your RV and head down to Texas before the holidays get underway.
Mt. Hood National Forest
The Mt. Hood National Forest is one of Oregon’s best kept winter secrets. The area is one of the top in the country for snowshoeing, snowmobiling, snowboarding, skiing, sledding and a slew of other outdoor winter activities. Stay at the Trillium Lake Campground, which offers gorgeous lake-view sites with unbeatable views of Mt. Hood.
Prepare Your RV at PleasureLand
Before you hit the roads this holiday season, bring your RV by PleasureLand RV Center in Minnesota to ensure it’s in top shape for the winter roads. And if you’re in the market for a new or used RV, stop in or log online to browse our huge selection of top-quality RVs in stock.
October 26th, 2017 -
Abandoned by mining companies more than 30 years ago, this area of former mining pits and rock deposit stockpiles now boasts regenerated vegetation and clear lakes that draw a wide range of recreation enthusiasts. Twenty-five miles of natural shoreline can be explored by boat or canoe and anglers can cast a line for trout, northern, bass, crappie, or sunfish.
The lake is surrounded by an extensive trail network that allows for exploration of the shoreline and the woods around the lake. Some are quick hikes while others can take the better part of a day.
As one of Minnesota’s newest State Recreation Areas, Cuyuna’s nearly 5,000 acres are mostly undeveloped. The park has quickly become popular, however, and receives over 100,000 annual visits with over 3,000 of those being overnight stays at one of its campgrounds.
The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including bald eagles, red fox, beavers, great blue herons, kingfishers, turkey vultures, red-tailed hawks, and raccoons.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center before you hit the road for Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area or any other destination in Minnesota or beyond. Whether you need to shop for a new motorhome to take you to all of your favorite fall vacation spots or have an RV already and need it to be checked out before you embark, PleasureLand RV Center can help.
October 19th, 2017 -
The word Minneopa comes from the Dakota language and is interpreted to mean “water falling twice,” referring to the beautiful waterfalls of the Minneopa Creek.
Visitors can walk the trail that encircles the falls, which leads down a limestone stairway to the valley below, and then ascend the opposite side and enjoy a panoramic view of the valley that reveals the underlying geology of this area.
Visit Seppmann Mill, a wind driven grist mill fashioned in German style from native stone and lumber, or hike through oak savanna and native prairie grasslands overlooking the scenic Minnesota River Valley.
The southern part of the park is hilly and wooded, with Minneopa Creek and its waterfalls as the major feature that attract visitors. The northern sections of the park feature prairie and the Minnesota River. Once the land was tall-grass prairie, interspersed with marshes, lakes and streams. Today, extensive farming has replaced the prairie with cultivated fields.
The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including wild turkey, ring-necked pheasants, and white-tailed deer. There are also various beaver, various snakes, and waterfowl that call the park home.
The park gets nearly 200,000 visitors per year who come to explore its 2,600 acres of land and water.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center before you hit the road for MinneopaState Park or any other destination in Minnesota or beyond. Whether you need to shop for a new motorhome to take you to all of your favorite fall vacation spots or have an RV already and need it to be checked out before you embark, PleasureLand RV Center can help.
October 17th, 2017 -
Looking for that fall color in Minnesota? Just look around you. If, however, you want to find some of the best fall foliage in the state, look no further than Maplewood State Park. The maple tree forest turns into brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold in the fall and the scenery is absolutely phenomenal when paired with the eight major lakes and dozens of ponds dappled throughout the park.
These lakes and smaller bodies of water make Maplewood State Park a prime location for fishing, boating, and swimming (though the water is probably a bit nippy in the fall!). Even if it’s too late in the year for jumping into the water, there are plenty of sandy beaches and expansive picnic areas that you can take advantage of on a lovely fall day.
The park is also home to an extensive trail system, perfect for hiking, horseback riding, and even cross-country skiing later in the year. There are also vehicular routes that run through the park that lead to scenic overlooks.
However you choose to see the park, wildlife is abundant and makes observation easy. From 150 species of birds that call the park home to the 50 species of mammals (including raccoons and beavers), you’re likely to encounter a few natives as you tour the park’s ten thousand acres.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center before you hit the road for Grand Portage State Park or any other destination in Minnesota or beyond. Whether you need to shop for a new motorhome to take you to all of your favorite summer vacation spots or have an RV already and need it to be checked out before you embark, PleasureLand RV Center can help.
October 13th, 2017 -
Big Bog State Recreation Area has been called Minnesota’s last true wilderness. This two-part recreation area includes a northern unit and a southern unit.
The 500-square-mile peat bog, the largest in the lower 48 states, is located in the northern unit. A mile-long boardwalk, completed in 2005, enables visitors to get a first-hand look at the unique plant and animal life of this rare resource. The bog, which has long been a source of medicinal plants for the Ojibwe Indians, represented a barrier to European settlers who tried in vain to drain it. Today, many of the native plants, including yellow-eyed grass, bog rush and two kinds of sundews, are on Minnesota’s endangered or threatened species list. From orchids to carnivorous plants to rare birds, visitors will see a mixture of fascinating and rare resources.
The southern unit includes a campground with 31 campsites (26 electric sites) winterized camper cabins, a sandy beach, picnic grounds, and great fishing.
The park offers a rare opportunity to check out a landscape you’ve probably never explored before. Learn more about the bog, the plantlife that resides there, and the history of the region when you visit.
The park comprises over 9000 acres and receives close to 100,000 annual visitors.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center today before you hit the road to any destination, such as Big Bog State Recreation Area. Tour a motorhome or travel trailer and find the one that’s perfect for you or schedule some maintenance service with our PleasureLand RV Center technicians.
October 6th, 2017 -
If you want your next RV outing to be extra special, you’ve got to head towards one of America’s renowned national parks. While there are plenty to choose from, might we suggest Wind Cave National Park? It’s not as well known as some parks, but that’s not indicative of its quality at all. It’s the perfect spot for some early fall RV camping.
Wind Cave National Park is a United States national park 10 miles north of the town of Hot Springs in western South Dakota. Established in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, it was the seventh U.S. National Park and the first cave to be designated a national park anywhere in the world. The cave is notable for its displays of the calcite formation known as boxwork. Approximately 95 percent of the world’s discovered boxwork formations are found in Wind Cave. Wind Cave is also known for its frostwork. The cave is also considered a three-dimensional maze cave, recognized as the densest (greatest passage volume per cubic mile) cave system in the world. The cave is currently the sixth-longest in the world with 140.47 miles of explored cave passageways. Above ground, the park includes the largest remaining natural mixed-grass prairie in the United States.
The park got its name from the cave systems, which are said to “breathe,” that is, air continually moves into or out of a cave, equalizing the atmospheric pressure of the cave and the outside air. A large cave (such as Wind Cave) with only a few small openings will “breathe” more obviously than a small cave with many large openings.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center today before you hit the road to any destination, such as Wind Cave National Park. Tour a motorhome or travel trailer and find the one that’s perfect for you or schedule some maintenance service with our PleasureLand RV Center technicians.
October 3rd, 2017 -
Named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt, who founded our modern national park system, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in the badlands of North Dakota.
Teddy Roosevelt had an intimate relationship with the land that would one day bear his name. He came to the Dakota Territory in 1883 when he was a skinny young man and left a little older and a lot tougher. His adventures in the rugged landscape of North Dakota forever altered his life and, ultimately, the course of the nation.
The park offers visitors scenic drives, over 100 miles of foot and horse trails, wildlife viewing, and opportunities for back country hiking and camping. There are three developed campgrounds for use: Juniper Campground, Cottonwood Campground, and the Roundup Group Horse Campground.
Wildlife viewing is especially popular, as the park is home to many native species, including bison, coyotes, cougars, feral horses, badgers, elk, bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, mule deer, prairie dogs, golden eagles, sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkeys.
The park also preserves the history and artifacts of Roosevelt’s time there, including the cabin he lived in and the lands his ranch occupied.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center today before you hit the road to any destination, such as Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Tour a motorhome or travel trailer and find the one that’s perfect for you or schedule some maintenance service with our PleasureLand RV Center technicians.
September 28th, 2017 -
Whether you want one last day at the lake before the weather gets too cold or you’re on the lookout for your first fall camping road trip, McCarthy Beach State Park is an ideal candidate for either scenario.
With its wonderful beach, it’s perfect for a warm day of swimming and sunbathing. In the fall, the forests around the lake come alive with color as the leaves turn.
In the 1930s, “McCarthy’s beach” became a popular picnic and swimming spot for families living along the Mesaba Iron Range. Named for former property owner John A. McCarthy, the park was established in 1945 as a living memorial to area servicemen that lost their lives in World War II.
Walk along the half-mile of shoreline, or venture out into the shallow water that extends hundreds of feet into the lake.
Launch a boat on Side Lake or Sturgeon Lake to explore the five connected lakes of the Sturgeon chain. Hikers, mountain bikers, and snowshoers enjoy scenic trails that wind along pine-covered ridges and through stands of birch. Snowmobilers and horseback riders take advantage of the Taconite State Trail to access miles of trails outside the park. Located near many tourist attractions, McCarthy Beach State Park offers opportunities for both relaxation and exploration.
The park protects a northern boreal forest with stands of red and white pine, leatherleaf-black spruce lowlands, birch and aspen.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center before you visit any state park in Minnesota to make sure that your RV is in good shape to travel. If you need to upgrade your rig, PleasureLand RV Center is the place to shop. Tour our wide inventory of new and used RVs, from Class A motorhomes to fifth wheel trailers.
September 21st, 2017 -
Continuing the series on Minnesota’s state parks, we’ve got Judge C.R. Magney State Park up next. Sprawled across 4,695 acres, the park attracts nearly 70,000 annual visitors and over 6,000 overnight stays.
Come for the quiet, the solitude, and the famous Devil’s Kettle waterfall. The most popular hike leads from the trailhead upstream along the Brule River to Devil’s Kettle, where the river splits around a mass of volcanic rock. Half of the river plunges 50 feet into a pool, while the rest pours into a huge pothole. Anglers can catch brook and rainbow trout in the Brule River or its tributary, Gauthier Creek. The park offers camping, picnicking, and hiking.
The park is a wildlife observer’s dream. Moose, white-tailed deer, black bears, and timber wolves are among the larger animals that inhabit the park. Smaller mammals that visitors may see include the woodchuck, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, and chipmunk. In the spring and summer, listen for the songs of warblers. All year round, chickadees, nuthatches, jays, woodpeckers, and ruffed grouse can be seen in the park.
The scenic Brule River races through the park, forming whitewater rapids and waterfalls on its way to Lake Superior. Along the lower stretches of the river are a series of spectacular waterfalls.
Visit PleasureLand RV Center
Stop by PleasureLand RV Center before you visit any state park in Minnesota to make sure that your RV is in good shape to travel. If you need to upgrade your rig, PleasureLand RV Center is the place to shop. Tour our wide inventory of new and used RVs, from Class A motorhomes to fifth wheel trailers.
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About Me
Hi, my name is Dan Pearson and I am the Owner of PleasureLand RV Centers based out of St. Cloud, MN. We have three other Minnesota locations to serve all of you RV needs. I look forward to providing you with all your RV information from buying an RV to tips and maintenance. If you would like to contact me, be sure to leave a comment.
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