Paradise Canyon
This slice of 'paradise' on the Medina River began allowing public camping around 1945. Josephine and Edward John Zizelman had operated the store and gas station at Cliffside above the bridge near the old town of Red Wing and leased the property from the Nichols family.
From memories of smoked deer sausage, the vegetable garden and workshop to uncle Alfred's BBQ pit, as well as the old telephone number KE82097 where there was a party line to folks up the hill, Paradise Canyon has been home to many a good time and many dear memories. The canyon is also home to many a fish, turkey, deer and once to an old white ram that used to live on the bluffs.
Once 1 or 2 dollars at the gate for the car load and a light bulb that you rented and could screw into the empty socket above your campsite for power, this idyllic riverside camping ground has grown significantly since it first opened. Having served generations of families, the campground now boasts a lodge built in the 1990s, cabins for rent, live music concerts, and other outdoor events.