Afton State Park Elopement

If you are looking for an adventurous outdoor elopement location in Minnesota, consider Minnesota State Parks and Recreation Areas! For waterfalls and sweeping views of Lake Superior, there’s Tettegouche State Park on the north shore. For rocky riverbanks and secluded potholes, check out Interstate State Park in Taylor’s Falls. If you want something closer to the cities, consider an Afton State Park elopement.

Lexi and Matt initially planned on a small, spring elopement with their immediate family at William O’Brien State Park. The weather had other plans. With heavy snows in February and March, the trails were incredibly muddy and not accessible. It’s important to always be aware of trail conditions in the area you plan to elope! 

They opted for the lovely Afton State Park in nearby Hastings. This park also has a variety of rustic camper cabins, yurts, and a seasonal wall tent available for reservation. Not only does this provide you with a place to rest your head for the evening, it means you have a small section of the park reserved for you to have a more private elopement experience!

These accommodations can book out quite far in advance, especially during summer and fall. If you are interested in staying in one of the cabins or yurts, we recommend reserving your date ASAP! Lexi & Matt eloped during the off season in early March, so they were able to get a last-minute reservation for Bluebird Cabin.

This cabin is accessible and can sleep up to 5 people. It has two bunkbeds, a small indoor dining area, private fire pit, outdoor picnic table, and parking area. There are no flush toilets nearby, which may be a dealbreaker. There are large, accessible pit toilets just up the hill, however. For more information about the cabins and yurts at Afton State Park, click here.