Hi friends! Next stop on trip two of 2026 is Fort Ridgely! I don’t usually prioritize going to historic sites while on hiking trips. If I end up seeing it, cool. However I’m glad I stopped here. I learned a lot about a place I had never heard about before. It’s am important part of the history of the area and worth visiting.
Fort Ridgely State Park Information
Fort Ridgely State Park is located in Fairfax, MN in the bluffs on the Minnesota River Valley. It’s the fourth oldest state park, being established in 1911.
Until 1872, Fort Ridgely was used as an active military post (if you couldn’t tell by the name) and in the 1930’s both the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Veterans Conservation Corps (VCC) worked on the land to improve the park. Some of the structures are still around today!
Activities
If you’re looking to hike, there are nine miles of trails to explore! Biking more your speed? There’s a half mile paved trail to ride on. Equestrians, you’ve for 13 miles to trail ride on.
During the winter months, there’s eight miles of trails for snowmobiling, five miles of ungroomed trails for skiing, and snowshoeing is allowed throughout the park as long as you stay off groomed trails.
If you’re looking for wildlife, there’s lots to see here! You’ll have the opportunity to find white-tailed deer, gray foxes, beavers, red-tailed hawks, snapping turtles, Eastern bluebirds, nesting birds, and so much more! Bring your check lists!
Camping here? Well, you’re in luck. Fort Ridgely has 33 drive-in sites, 15 electric sites, three walk-in sites, 14 horse camp sites, a group camp, a chalet, and a farmhouse!
Other offerings at Fort Ridgely State Park
Fort Ridgely also offers a ranger station, picnic area, picnic shelter, historic amphitheater (with flush toilets and parking nearby), a sliding hill, gift shop, and firewood sales.
All of this info came from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website, so credit where credit is due. Click here to view the original source.
Accessibility of Fort Ridgely State Park
Parking
The parking lot I used was a well groomed gravel lot. It was flat, even, and has ample spaces.
Bathrooms
Vault toilets are located throughout the park. Flush toilets are available in the camping areas, most are accessible, some are not.
Getting to the fort
The fort is right off the parking lot. There isn’t a curb or anything to climb/step over to enter the fort, so as long as you’re good with gravel, you should be good. However, here’s a video of the entrance from the parking lot. Check it out and see if it’s for you.
Fort Ridgely
Fort Ridgely is located down the road from the ranger station. You can’t miss it. It’s the big building on the right. I wasn’t feeling up to the trails here, so I went right to the fort instead of hiking to it from one of the trailheads.
The path around the fort is a wide, flat, and evenly packed gravel in these grey tube things, which makes it easy to navigate. There’s even a bench to sit at across from the main building. Since I was the only person there for almost my whole visit, I took my time wandering around and reading the interpretive exhibit signs.
It’s a place where you can stay for a long time or a little, it depends on you. I chose to stay a while and take it all in. Surprisingly, I started feeling some sort of way. Maybe it’s the stress and trauma that happened here, I’m not sure. That being said, there was also a relaxing air about it too. Was it the fresh air and sunshine? Probably. Was it doing a lower effort activity after the rough hike at Flandrau? Also, probable. Either way, it’s a place worth a visit.
My rating
This area would fall into the easy category of my rating scale for several reasons. First, the path is easy to navigate with no change in elevation. It’s packed with no tripping hazards and less than a mile in length. Second, a bench is available to rest, if needed. Third, it’s close to the parking lot and easy to get to from the car. Now, if you want to get up close to the memorial, there is a small step as shown in the photo. This could be a barrier if you can’t navigate that. However, you can get to the memorial in general easily so this may or may not be an issue for you.
Be safe out there! REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3
Also, if you feel called to help a sista out with her travels, check this out!
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