Beaver Creek Valley State Park, Minnesota

For the best nature experience in the tri-state area, hit up Minnesota’s Beaver Creek Valley State Park for miles of trout-filled streams, dense woodlands, and even springtime morel mushroom foraging! Developed in the 1930s by FDR’s post-depression WPA program to get the country back to work, this park has cerulean warblers and bald eagles flying overhead, hikes that follow crystal clear streams, and plenty of beaver, wild turkey, muskrat, and mink roaming around. See how many of your friends you can fit on the swinging bridge, or get your butt kicked by one of the steep bluff hikes that pay out in stellar views. Bugspray is a must here—pick some up in nearby Caledona, a huge quilting town that has antique tapestries hung on every door.