Last updated on May 20th, 2026
We took a bit of time to explore the rolling prairies of central Minnesota last week, spending much of our time at lovely Glacial Lakes State Park. The park is located in an area known as the Leaf Hills, which is a transition area between the western prairies and the eastern hardwoods.

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Many people come here during the summer to enjoy the crystal clear lake and heavily wooded campgrounds.





However, I think the star of the show here is the rolling prairie dressed in its finest fall colors.





It is a lovely and rare landscape.
Glacial Lakes State Park offers a full range of activities throughout the year, with campgrounds, camper cabins, a variety of trails, a dock, and boat and snowshoe rental available on-site.
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I grew up in Starbuck and spent a lot of time as a kid running through Glacial State Park. Love the photos. Are they available for purchase yet?
What a lovely spot for a kid to explore! I grew up in the country near Sauk Centre, so spent a lot of time in a similar landscape. I don’t have any of the Glacial Lakes photos up for purchase yet – I’ll be doing that at the end of August.
Thanks, Suze. The reds were amazing – so much sumac at its peak color!
Beautiful! <3 especially with all the red!