Afton State Park
| Afton State Park | |
|---|---|
Afton State Park's swimming area on the St. Croix River | |
| Location | Washington, Minnesota, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°51′45″N 92°47′1″W / 44.86250°N 92.78361°W |
| Area | 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 938 ft (286 m) |
| Established | 1969 |
| Governing body | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
Afton State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the St. Croix River in Washington County. Its hiking trails offer views of the river, rolling glacial moraine, and bluffland it preserves. It is a popular place for birdwatching, picnics, camping, and other typical outdoor recreational activities. To deter overuse of a state park only 20 miles (32 km) from downtown St. Paul, there is no vehicle access to the camping area or swimming beach.
The park is located approximately five miles (8 km) south of the town of Afton, Minnesota. The park surrounds the unaffiliated Afton Alps ski area on three sides. The name "Afton" was given to this area by its settlers as a reference to the Robert Burns poem "Afton Water", which is about the River Afton in Scotland.