Free Black Friday Hike at Afton State Park, Then Lunch by the River
On Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, Minnesota waives the state park vehicle permit at all 73 state parks and recreation areas — the gate fee, and nothing else. Afton sits forty minutes east of the Twin Cities, where the ground drops three hundred feet to the St. Croix. Walk the river trail, drive ten minutes into the village, and eat lunch in an 1867 inn; the food is on you.
📍 Two Stops, One Tank of Gas
🥾 Walk the River Before Lunch
North River Trail leaves the visitor center on a flat former railroad grade beside the St. Croix, passes two railroad bridges, then climbs to overlooks above the valley. The winter map measures 1.2 miles one way, so plan on about 2.4 miles and ninety minutes at family pace. Nothing about late November is promised: the path can come bare, glazed with ice or knee-deep, hikers keep off the groomed ski lanes, and rangers suggest ice cleats once the cold sets in. Ask at the office — or call (651) 201-6780 — which track is packed that morning.
🍽 Lunch in an 1867 Inn
CURRENT Restaurant sits inside the Afton House Inn, a 4.8-mile, ten-minute drive from the trailhead on St Croix Trail — you drive this leg, you do not walk it. The building dates to 1867. Its November-to-March schedule runs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, closed Monday and Sunday, so Black Friday lunch falls inside normal Friday hours; the restaurant has posted no separate holiday hours, so call (651) 436-8883 before you go. Burgers run $16-17 with fries. Reserve on Tock, linked from their site, or by phone.
🕓 Walk First, Eat Second
Friday, Nov. 27 fits inside a morning. Leave Minneapolis after breakfast, reach the trailhead around eleven, walk ninety minutes, then drive ten minutes into the village and sit down at one. Sunset is 4:34 p.m., so head home by two. Gates close at ten at night. The free day covers the vehicle permit only — camping, lodging, gear rentals and lunch are still billed. The photographs here are winters past, not a forecast for Nov. 27.