Red Jacket Valley Park

Considering this is a new park in the Mankato region, it's a good start. The beaches are decent with room for groups and families to swim at. Getting to the beaches is very easy as a short walk down a sloped hill is all. The water quality is amazing and the temperature of the water is pleasantly warm. Garbage cans and rest rooms are in perfect locations and easy to spot. Great place for kayaking and canoeing as the wind is generally not bad at all. Overall a great place for a day out but it lacks things like permanent restrooms, showers, rental of fishing gear, bikes or water craft, pavilions. A TON of opportunity is here for this park to be one of the best in the area but it just needs to be done.
9 years ago (15-08-2017)

Nice addition to the area. It's not in too bad of shape after the mining operation left. The water is clear and full of fish. Plenty of mature greenery and rolling hills. The beach needs some improvements before I'd recommend it for a family. The water depth drops off quickly, the beach itself is steep and ungraded, and there are no picnic tables/grills or anything like that. Overall, as long as you are OK with and expecting a rustic undeveloped experience, you will like this place! It really is beautiful!
9 years ago (08-07-2017)

Fun little area, not so much there for really little kids, but for hiking, biking, walking, etc, this is a great option. varying levels of terrain and different options for trails. My family had a great time!
9 years ago (25-09-2017)

A nice quiet park out of town with lots of water and a few trails. Great place to bring a dog.
9 years ago (19-10-2017)

This is going to be a pretty nice park, but work is still being done. The lake/pond is really nice for kayaking or canoeing. The water was pretty warm and there's lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Bring your fishing rod to catch sunnies and smallmouth bass. There is also a beaver dam on one of the islands, so keep your eyes open for them swimming around.
9 years ago (23-06-2017)