Rice Lake State Park

The campsites is small. There is no dump station. And the park itself is small. However! The hike is a nice stroll to the park where you can fish and the campsites are decent sized. And if you like small parks this would be a good one. But for use to drive a long way we would rather go somewhere else. But still it's a state park and they are amazing We did have a large storm come through and storms can always be fun. But this one we lost our canopy and the site got slightly flooded. The kids loved puddle jumping. But IDK if I cared for it

My Favorite and I visited this lovely state park by Owatonna. The weather was perfect for kayaking or hiking when we left our farm so we brought our boats with every intention of putting in at the landing. We changed our minds when we got there. The edge of the landing was pretty gross, per usual for many southern Minnesota lakes. Plus the lake was pretty choppy on the landing side. The launch itself is pretty cool to kayak through as there is a path through some pretty thick reefs to get out to the open water. Not this day though. So instead of launching, we parked the truck and walked through the park. The first stop was a nice bench overlooking the lake by the cart-in sites. A little further along the path we came across some signs with education about local ducks, along with some great seating from which to view the lake. There was a play set which had chains for swings but no swings. Unfortunate as it was a nice play set other than that. Just past that was a really nice fishing pier. We hung out in the sunshine on the pier until we got too hot and then continued on the path through the woods that follows the shoreline. We came out on a dirt road that led through the campsites and then walked the main road back to our truck. The only not great part of the adventure were the outhouses by the cart-in sites. A mop and a wipe down of the walls would have done wonders for the creepy/gross factor. Overall a great experience! We HAVE to come back because we only saw a tiny tiny portion of the trails and paths that lead through this gorgeous park.

Beautiful park. The trails were all clearly marked and I felt like they were well maintained. The bathrooms in the picnic area were very clean. I was only visiting but I did check out some of the campsites and they all looked well cleared and maintained. The office is not open everyday so sadly I was not able to speak to staff their or see the store but all in all it was a good experience and I will return.

Some State Parks offer excitement, some provide limitless potential for recreational activities, some are great for backpacking, while others are iconic in their history. The uniqueness that each park provides the great state of Minnesota is a testament to the importance of the preservation of our land. So what does Rice Lake State Park offer? The answer, is restorative relaxation. History has been aligning this land to become a place of peace since the Ojibwa people first inhabited it, farming wild rice from the lake, with rumors they would sink their birch bark canoes in the lake before heading south for winter. Unfortunately, the lake can no longer support the growth of wild rice with runoff silting all but a small patch of growth on the North Central side of the lake. Today cattails surround the shore, providing home to the impressive abundance of waterfowl that the lake is now managed for. The land then had its time as farm field and Isaac Walton campground before becoming designated as a State Park in 1963. Now the park provides a variety of camping options; non-electric, electric, cart-in, walk-in, group, and canoe-in sites, so there's a spot for anyone. Be mindful however that, Reservations are REQUIRED and Group, Walk-ins, Cart-ins, and Canoe sites DO NOT have access to the showers as they are considered Primitive Sites and the age of the building's plumbing cannot support all campsite areas. Periodically events are held by the local astronomy club or Friends of RLSP group. With a gorgeous Candlelight Walk held in Jan/Feb along the frosty trails. Canoe and kayak rentals are available during office hours. Check in with the staff during office hours to get helpful info on events, kids activities like Jr. Ranger books, and trail and lake conditions. If you're looking for thrills and frills, I would suggest to look elsewhere. Rice Lake State Park is a quintessential example of peace and quiet. So bring your birding kit or stop by the office to borrow one of theirs, and come enjoy some Happy Trails ✌️