State Forest · Minnesota
Rock Lake Campground and Day-Use Area
State Forest · Minnesota, United States · in Pillsbury State Forest
- Sites
- 48
- Cost
- $17 per night, taxes included
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,293 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T good · Verizon good · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Phone
- 218-825-3075
About
The rustic campground adjacent to Rock Lake is considered "primitive," designed to furnish only the camper's basic needs. The campsites consist of a cleared area, fire ring, and table. Vault toilets, garbage cans, and drinking water are available.
The campground has 44 sites, of which 15 are lakeside sites. One-third of the sites will fit a 30-foot RV. There are also swimming and water access, fishing, and nature trails.
Rock Lake Day-Use Area is adjacent to the campground and provides six picnic sites, a swimming beach, and water access to Rock Lake.
Campground and boat landing closed September/October 2026 All recreational access to Rock Lake Campground will be closed as of September 8, 2026 for approximately six weeks. The last night of camping is September 7. Access to the beach and boat launch will also be closed as of September 8. Road construction and culvert replacement is expected to be completed by late October, at which time the boat launch will reopen. For the most recent information once the project is underway, please check the Crow Wing State Park alerts.
48 primitive campsites (44 drive-in), 4 of them accessible. First come, first served for individual sites; pay the camping fee online on the day you arrive, or at a state park ranger station. Managed from Crow Wing State Park (218-825-3075). In Pillsbury State Forest.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19° | -1° | -25° | 42° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 25° | 3° | -33° | 51° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 38° | 21° | -12° | 66° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 46° | 31° | 16° | 76° | 10 of 11 |
| May | 66° | 46° | 31° | 83° | 1 of 11 |
| June | 75° | 59° | 45° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 81° | 64° | 54° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 77° | 63° | 55° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 73° | 57° | 42° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 56° | 41° | 25° | 72° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 38° | 28° | 6° | 60° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 27° | 15° | -21° | 48° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Walter E. Stark Assembly Area and Horse Campground · State Forest · 4 mi · 25 sites
- Gull Lake Recreation Area · Army Corps of Engineers · 6 mi · 43 sites
- Crow Wing State Park · Minnesota State Parks · 14 mi · 59 sites
- Dower Lake Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 18 mi · 45 sites
- Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area · Minnesota State Parks · 24 mi · 29 sites
All public campgrounds in Minnesota · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-09-17. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.