My husband grew up spending almost every weekend of his summer vacation camping or at the lake. I did not. Part of loving him has meant learning to love the things he is passionate about. As parents, we also think it’s important to share our passions with our kids and give them as many experiences as possible. Their first camping trip was when they were just 3 years old and 7 months old. We drove about three hours north of our home to Minnesota’s North Shore for 2 nights of camping at Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse State Parks.
The bestest part about camping is everything camping.
Paxton Ament, age 3
We packed our camping gear and a ton of patience for this adventure. Our baby camping survival kit included; toys, sunscreen, bug spray, clothes for all types of weather, oodles of snacks and a positive attitude. The Gooseberry Falls State Park campground afforded us easy access to the falls area. From the campground, the River View Trail is 1.25 miles one-way to the lower and middle falls.
Our campsite 
Lower and Middle Falls 
Baby camping 
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is about 7 miles from Gooseberry Falls. On our second day, we drove to the lighthouse for foggy views of the lake and a misty trail hike.
Though it required more gear and we didn’t do any long hikes, our time at both Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse gave us the confidence to continue to explore the natural world with our young boys.
Since this first camping trip to Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse State Parks, we’ve ventured to Manitou State Park and Interstate State Park, as well as several state parks in southeastern Minnesota.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle