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Judge C.R. Magney State Park

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Park Info

Judge C.R. Magney State Park home to Devil’s Kettle, which is a famous waterfall with some mystery around it, if you didn’t already know. The park offers hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.

The wildlife in the area consists of large animals, such as moose, white-tailed deer, black bears, and timber wolves; small animals, including woodchuck, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, and chipmunk. If birding is your thing, year round you can see chickadees, nuthatches, jays, woodpeckers, and ruffed grouse. In the spring and summer, warblers grace us with their presence. For you anglers, brook and rainbow trout are hanging, so best of luck and share those fish tales.

There is so much to see and learn about this amazing park, so please check out the website linked below and the park office when you go!

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.

Rapids on the Brule River from the walking bridge.
Rapids on the dark brown water of the Brule River
White sign with black lettering that reads ATTENTION HIKERS Hiking the park trails can be a strenuous activity. The one-mile trail to Upper Falls and Devil's Kettle leads in and out of the Brule River Valley. Be prepared to encounter elevation changes and a long, steep stairway. PLEASE...stay on the designated trail, stay hydrated...carry drinking water, hike within your personal abilities and limits, be aware of possible heat exhaustion, take your time and enjoy your hike!
White sign with black lettering that reads Welcome to Judge CR Magney State Park One of the main attractions in the park is the Devil's Kettle Trail. The trail to the falls is approximately 1 mile in length- 2 miles round trip. The hike will take at least an hour, more if you take in the sights. Stay on the trail. Keep children in hand and pets on leash at all times. There are many steps along the way. Expect to find large staircases that will take you into the valley. You will be ascending the stairs on your way back. Benches are located several places along the trail. The trailhead begins on the northeastern side of the parking lot. You will cross the Brule River on the footbridge before you head upstream. There are many wildflowers, birds, and animals to be observed along the trail. Enjoy your hike.
Full and rushing waterfall centered between lush, green trees.
Steep and rocky dirt trail going uphill toward Devil's Kettle.
Dirt trail through the forest at Judge CR Magney State Park
Wooden staircase to Devil's Kettle
Wooden staircase with hand rail
The rushing water of the Brule River through the trees.
Brown sign with yellow lettering that reads Devil's Kettle Falls 700 ft with an arrow pointing to the left.
Dirt trail with wooden plank stairs with minimal hand rail and bench
Devil's Kettle Falls at Judge CR Magney State Park

Accessibility

  • Parking is on a gravel lot and limited. We had to park a ways down, and walk to the trail head.
  • The bathrooms are vaulted toilets in the parking area.
  • Getting to the trail is pretty straight-forward if you start by the kiosk. There is a map and all the information you’ll need to know about the trail posted.

Trail Info

Devil’s Kettle….what can I say? It is a 2 mile trail (round trip) and it 1000% lands in the hard category on my rating scale. A word to the wise…BRING YOUR STICKS. Don’t be like me and not listen to my hiking buddy.

The trail starts out by crossing the Brule River via foot bridge and turns into a dirt trail from there. The incline is steep and there are plenty of rocks, roots, and the like to maneuver over (as shown in the pictures above). It is mostly up hill with a few resting benches at lengthy intervals. Believe me, I sat and rested at each…stretched too because I forgot to stretch before any of these trails I was SORE by the time we got here. I didn’t plan on doing the stairs (all 175 of them) at all initially, but my hiking buddy wanted to and I decided to follow along.

Going down wasn’t so bad. We got great pictures and met other hikers along the way. We were all each other’s cheerleaders. You can see the spectacular views in the gallery, but seeing it in person is a different story. The water was raging and it was so cool to see.

Is this one I am going to do again anytime soon? Probably not. It was super hard for me at my current level of functioning, but my hiking buddy said it wasn’t as bad as she’d anticipated, so she may do it again. This trip has been the most exercise I have gotten in three years (since my diagnosis) and my body definitely felt it. Days….I was sore for days. Worth it though.

Be safe out there! If you have stuff to say, comment below :) REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3

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