Top 10 Things To Do In Taylors Falls, Minnesota with Kids

Hey, family fun-seekers! Come along with us as we explore the very best things to do in Taylors Falls, Minnesota, with kids!

When polling readers on their favorite day-trip destinations from the Twin Cities, several of them suggested the lovely St Croix River Valley town of Taylors Falls — It is an easy hours drive between Taylors Falls to Minneapolis with some of the area’s top attractions, including a State Park with camping, world-renowned art, places to hike and canoe, snow tubing, a waterpark and fun restaurants. It was fate that I had just returned from a jaunt there with two of my four children, fresh and already inspired to highlight some of the fun family activities we’ve enjoyed in the area over the past several years. Note that this is primarily an outdoors itinerary. Grab your sturdy shoes and cross your fingers for gorgeous weather to make the most of this day trip around some of the popular things to do in Taylors Falls with kids.

Discover the Pothole Trail at Interstate State Park - Taylors Falls, Minnesota

Taylors Falls Hiking: Discover the Pothole Trail at Interstate State Park

Family fun at Interstate State Park:

Keep your little ones close and you can have a great (if quite alert) time exploring the natural glacial potholes that dot the cliffs along the rushing St. Croix River in Interstate Park. My 3-year-old wanted to climb every rock staircase she could find and gaze into the depths of such geological marvels as the “Bake Oven” and the “Bottomless Pit”. The Pothole Trail is an easy walk from the parking lot, but there are a great number of steps to navigate in order to reach the best vistas. If you’ve got pre-walkers in the group, we recommend a hiking backpack. As kids get bigger, families can go rock climbing, canoeing or hiking for views of unique rock formations around the river.

Bonus: Want to learn more about glaciers? The Minnesota DNR offers “The Glacier Did It” article for kids, teachers guide and study questions to dive a little deeper into this fun geological site.

Taylors Falls, MN
Tons of fun for rock climbers, but hold on tight to your little ones.

Fall is an especially glorious time to visit the park and catch the fall colors in the river gorge. To experience other areas of Interstate, our family has camped overnight, geocached (check out a free GPS unit from the park office), and taken a paddle boat ride up the St Croix on the “Taylors Falls Princess”. Open daily, year-round. There is a $7 per vehicle day permit to explore Interstate State Park. Milltown Road, Taylors Falls, MN 55084.

Learn More about Paddle Boat Tours: Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours

Taylors Falls Canoe & Kayak Rental

Make this one a must-do with your often hard to please tweens and teens. They’ll be proud to have the stamina it takes to paddle the 7-mile one way trip from Taylors Falls to Osceola, Wisconsin. The rental company makes it super easy to book online and jump right into your watercraft at Interstate State Park. When you’ve reached Osceola, the shuttle will return you right back to your car. The paddle will take about 2-3 hours depending on how often you pull over on a sandbar to swim or just rest in the very gentle current and soak up the scenery of the river valley.

taylors falls canoe and kayak
Canoeing is one of our favorite things to do in Taylors Falls

TIPS FOR BRINGING KIDS:

For those of you with younger kids, definitely rent a canoe. They can duff with the cooler and pass out the snacks! Make sure to wear your swimsuits under clothing for spontaneous dips – much of the route is very shallow and sandy. 2 lifejackets per canoe are included with rental. 307 Milltown Rd, Taylors Falls, MN 55084.

taylors falls canoe and kayak

Wisconsin Interstate State Park

Family fun at Wisconsin Interstate State Park:

Placidly sharing a border with the river to the east lies Wisconsin’s Interstate State Park. The attractions, scenery and geology mirrors most of what you will find on the Minnesota side with a few notable exceptions. Points go to Wisconsin for having a sandy swimming beach on Lake O’ the Dalles. It’s always a win if the kids can swim. There’s also a diversion called the Ice Age Interpretive Center that’ll give you an idea of how the park’s signature potholes were formed and families can hike the Ice Age Trail. Cost to enter the park is $8-$11 for a daily vehicle permit. 1275 State Highway 35, St Croix Falls, WI 54024.

Wisconsin Interstate Park

Franconia Sculpture Park

Family fun at Franconia Sculpture Park:

This is the best place to stop for a picnic! What’s cool and uniquely child-friendly at Franconia Sculpture Park is that visitors are encouraged to interact with the art. Children are naturals at this — and there are many sculptures in the 43-acre park that they are free to clamber over, crawl through, and swing from! While the kids are simply having fun, parents will love viewing these unique sculptures by both internationally-recognized artists and local artists. Note that sculptures are frequently swapped out as new resident artists are brought in annually to create art onsite. The sculptures you see in our photos are likely not what you will encounter, but rather give you an idea of the often playful and interactive spirit of Franconia. Open daily, year-round. Free admission for a self-guided tour or free guided tours on Sundays, 2pm, early May-late Oct. 29836 St Croix Trail, Shafer, MN 55074.

Franconia Sculpture Park - Taylors Falls day trip

 Fresh picks at Pleasant Valley Orchard

Family fun at the orchard:

On our very first strawberry-picking venture years back with our young family, we had the good taste to choose Pleasant Valley Orchard. The berries were so fresh and fantastic we still refer to them as the best we’ve ever tasted. Not a morsel made it the trip back home. 17325 Pleasant Valley Rd, Shafer, MN 55074.

Pleasant Valley Orchard

Plus, fall fun in the pumpkin patch:

The orchard is also open for apple picking, a pumpkin patch and other activities in the fall. Drive time to or from Taylors Falls is about 10-15 minutes. Admission to the orchard is free.

Baby by pumpkin patch at Pleasant Valley Orchard in Shafer, Minnesota
Pumpkins at Pleasant Valley Orchard

The Drive In Restaurant & Mini Golf

Easily our favorite Taylors Falls restaurant, it’s possible the joint hasn’t changed noticeably from its opening day in 1956. Carhops outfitted in poodle skirts serve up baskets of burgers and fries, the root beer is brewed onsite, and the music piped in takes you back to a different era. If your kids are old enough, they might play a round of Adventure Falls Mini Golf (also onsite) while you savor a sundae at the outdoor counter and reflect on all the family fun packed into this Minnesota-Wisconsin border town. Open mid-April through mid-October. 572 Bench Street Taylors Falls, MN 55084.

The Drive In Restaurant & Mini Golf

Wild Mountain’s Alpine Slide & Waterpark

Family fun at Wild Mountain:

Wild Mountain has the monopoly on four seasons of fun in Taylors Falls. Below is evidence of a fall family swoop down the 1,700 ft Alpine Slide – enjoying the autumn colors of the St. Croix River Valley along the way. Riders have control of how quickly the sled descends through more than 20 banks, so breathe easy while the big kids coast solo. Kids between 36″-54″ can ride free on the lap of a paid adult. Cost for adults or kids over 54″ is $9.99/single ride plus tax.

Visit during the summer months and splash the day away at Wild Mountain’s waterpark (tube slides, lazy river, kiddie splash zone all included) or get behind the wheel at the go-kart track. Packages are available if you’d like to mix and match attractions. 37200 Wild Mountain Rd Taylors Falls MN 55084.

Wild Mountain's Alpine Slide & Waterpark
In the summer, Wild Mountain’s Waterpark and Alpine Slides are a special treat.

Finally, for the winter enthusiasts, Wild Mountain is notable for its ski slopes and is the Taylors Falls tubing hill ($19-$21/pp for a 2-hour session).

Cheap mini golf and swimming at Wildwood RV Park & Campground

Twice we’ve used Wild Mountain’s Wildwood RV Park & Campground as a base for our explorations around the Taylors Falls area. Big and little give it up thumbs up for a great family camping experience that makes a day trip into a family vacation. Camping in Taylors Falls, MN BUDGET FAMILY FUN: Though we chose the campground as our lodging in Taylors Falls, you need not be a guest to drop by and play. The mini golf is a no-frills course, but you can’t beat the price ($3) for 18 holes. Plus, there’s a playground adjacent if you’ve got kids too young to putt. Take a dip in the campground’s swimming pool for $5 more, a budget alternative to the waterpark down the road. 20078 Lake Blvd, Shafer, MN 55074. Cheap mini-golf and swimming at Wildwood RV Park & Campground

Fawn-Doe-Rosa Wildlife Park

One of the most popular places for families, we like to slow our family’s tempo in Taylors Falls down a bit with a trip to Fawn-Doe-Rosa. Its mission is to care for and educate the public about the park’s resident animals. My kids tend to slow their tread on the paths and lower their voices as they encounter the critters. In many cases, they are encouraged to get hands-on with them. Meet farm animals, wild animals, and the most peaceful yard of deer this side of a Disney flick. You can even feed them.

Open early May-October. Admission is $9.50/ages 2-12 & $10.50/adults – making this not a bargain outing, but one you can feel good about knowing much of the cost goes towards the care of these lovely creatures. Stop by the gift shop if you want mementos of your trip. 2131 US Hwy 8 St. Croix Falls, WI 54024.

Delicious donuts at Lindstrom Bakery

We stumbled upon this sweet little Scandanavian bakery on, get this, National Donut Day! True story. And good thing we were able to scrape together enough change for a treat — Lindstrom Bakery accepts only cash or checks — because these donuts are melt-in-your-mouth good. On your cruise through Lindstrom en route to Taylors Falls, keep an eye out for the tall yellow relic of a sign. 12830 Lake Blvd, Lindstrom, MN 55045.

Delicious donuts at Lindstrom Bakery

3 thoughts on “Top 10 Things To Do In Taylors Falls, Minnesota with Kids”

  1. This website is really helpful for the people living in twin cities. We had really a great weekend by just following the places on this website. I really appreciate Anne for putting together this wonderful plan for weekend fun.

  2. Can I just say…THANK YOU for posting this article! We are headed there this weekend and I was so unsure what to do there with a 3 year old. So helpful and informative. I’m just going to print this out and GO!

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