My kids and I stayed at the walk-in sites. I highly recommend this park and area. The view over the prairie was lovely and the shaded sites were just what we needed for a hot July weekend. A fellow campsite even had a mini concert for us! Love!

This is my first Minnesota State Park and I loved it. I camped at the first walk in site and it was perfect. I never saw the lake but just all the plants and trees it was such a lovely place. Also the lady at the check in window was completely wonderful. I've never had a State Park call me up and tell me I could check in early. Then I checked in and she gave me great information concerning upcoming parks that I planned on visiting. Thank you Minnesota State Parks.

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 it all away. Today cattails surround the shore, providing home to the impressive abundance of waterfowl that the lake is now managed for. The land then had it's time as farm field and Isaac Walton campground before becoming designated as a State Park in 1963. Now the park provides a variety of options; non-electric, electric, cart-in, walk-in, group, and canoe 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 could not support larger numbers. 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 Fri-Sun. Check in with the Ranger 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 can honestly say, 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 ✌️

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.

Peaceful place to walk with my pup. Excited to see a pair of Sandhill Cranes and their colts. Always a mix of waterfowl and other wildlife to see. Beautiful well kept park.

Great campground. Good trails for hiking. Super nice staff. It rained and was cold all weekend but we still had a good time. My dog loved it too. Bring your fishing pole.

Easy hike through maple/basswod forests that turn into oak savannahs. I didn't kayak the lake but from the views from shore I would definitely want to bring my kayak next time. At the time I visited it was mid- summer so most of the wild flowers had faded but would recommend hitting this state park early spring since this would be a good location to view spring ephemerals.

For hiking, I thought it was a good park. There was hiking along the lake through a prairie area and quite a bit of woodland areas. I think if you hit it at the right time this fall, there would be some very beautiful colors. The bathrooms probably could use a bit of an upgrade though.

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.

It's pretty awesome always has events and different kinds of entertainment going on throughout the year family friendly

Small campsite, Only 1 tent allowed; no real spots for hammocks, the bugs were really bad here. Which would be expected next to a lake but these were the worst I've encountered in MN so far. The boat landing was less of a boat landing and more of a swampy entrance only thing getting in there would be kayaks or canoes. Okay time overall

Definitely one of the weaker state parks within 2 hours from the Twin Cities. Some of the camp sites are right on the walking trail with no seclusion. The hiking trails are your typical MN flat trails. Honestly, if you're not here fishing, it's probably not worth it.

The overall theme of this state Park is disrepair. All the facilities are run down. The restroom/ shower facilities had missing ceramic tiles, clogged drains, and were not cleaned during our stay. We stayed in the RV campground and we had to walk to the tent campground (which was pretty far) to get to those showers because there weren't any in the RV area. The campsites aren't bad, there is vegetation dividing most of them so that wasn't bad. we didn't have any issues with the park staff but they listed a lot of strict rules about how we were supposed to park on our site and acted as though every camper was up to no good. it seemed a bit excessive. As far as the natural environment there isn't a lot to see here. The trails are shaded and made for a decent hike but the lake is unremarkable. The playground near the lake has broken swings and loose chains hanging which doesn't seem safe for the kids. I wouldn't recommend visiting this park.

Although it's usually misqitoe infested after it gets warmer, it is a great place to see many varieties of water fowl. They have some nice hiking paths and a play set for the kids. Go early or wear misqitoe repellent.

Beautiful park and nice camping sites in the woods/lake side. Awesome bird watching. Fun hiking trails but limited as park is small. Very friendly park staff. A hidden gem.

Very interesting and well done.

Good but small without a lot of interesting information.

Cool place with lots of interesting period pieces.

The staff was nice in the village of yesteryear was very cool to see. Unfortunately they only have one short window during the week where they give tours of it. To $5 donation to see their exhibits and to stroll through the village of yesteryear. Worth seeing even without the tour.

Very nice, interesting displays, just a fun place to visit.

Hubby and I made the short jaunt over on a recommendation from a coworker. Loved it! The trails and birds were just wonderful and the views :) will be back again to try getting out on the water!

Got married here. Staff went out of the way to make everything just right. Couldn't be happier with the experience and service.

Great little place for speciality ice cream.

(Translated by Google) It is a beautiful place full of history. (Original) Es un lugar hermoso lleno de historia .

Very helpful in finding info on my family.

Always interesting exhinits.

Excellent venue for a meeting, party or other gathering.

I use to visit this place weekly! Love it!

Food and Brews night!

very well maintained. fun to see the historical items

Great pieces of Steele County history.

Sunday Worship Service at the Steele County Fair. A special time with God's people.

We had a very nice stay even with the thunderstorms rolling through. Joel was so helpful and friendly at check-in even though he didn't have to LOL He provided a lot of information. We were able to setup our tent near the shower house and get a hot shower. Yeah, there's some bugs and spiders, but that's to be expected when you're in the middle of the woods! I thought the bathrooms and showers were very well maintained compared to other remote campgrounds we've stayed at! The campground is very quiet and wooded so there's plenty of shade and it helped give extra cover from the rain. Great for fellow nature lovers!

Went on Sunday, January 10, 2020. Only 9 cars in parking lot. We took the hiking club trail. It is a 2.4 mile trail that is level and easy walking. It starts near the boat landing and goes through the woods along the lake. Eventually moves away from the lake, through a beautiful meadow, then back in the woods.

Beautiful and well maintained. Nice camping and picnic sites with restrooms and kids playground.

This a good state park to visit, but considering some of the other state parks Minnesota has to offer, this one isn't even in the top 20 of Minnesota state parks. Good trails, always clean, the lake is nice and all, but it's kind of bland compared to many of the other state parks Minnesota has to offer.

Lots of different trails to hike many places to stop and rest and different things to do reasonably priced for one day admission, and plenty of parking

This is a small(ish) state park with nice (flat, easy) hiking trails. The park offers canoe rentals off of the lake, there is camping available, and nice (small) picnic areas. This is a minimalist park, nothing elaborate as far as playground or picnic areas. There are fishing docks and there is a nice hiking trail around the park.

Well maintained park with unchallenging trails for those who’d like to hike without elevation. Lots of wildlife and foliage to enjoy! Don’t forget the bug spray if you go in the summertime. I anticipate it will be very beautiful in the fall, and an exciting cross country skiing course in the winter!

Nice place to camp for a night or two. The hiking trails are quiet and well maintained. The park is a good example of the forests and prairie lands lost to industrial agriculture. We liked that they lowered the lake level to allow more nesting areas for wildlife.

Do not take more than a 20' trailer here. Site access angles and widths are too tight and narrow. This older campground has long sites but you can't get into them with a long rig. Recommend going somewhere else if you have a longer setup.

We had a very nice hike here. Some said it was poorly marked but while we were there today we saw each arrow pointing us in the right direction. It was a nice hike. Combine it with the North Loop and you have a great hike.

So much good fun and history for an entire family.

Smaller park that's just OK. No swimming or fishing. Not much for trails. Campground is small and cramped. Decent day use area and park is very quiet.

If you're are bringing a trailer of any kind, you better plan on walking a long distance from the over flow parking area to your campsite. They don't allow you to park next to your camper or sideways. They will threaten to tow your vehicle if you don't park in the overflow parking. Most of the sites in b group beyond site 13, are poorly designed and hardly feasible.

Nice camp sites, more suitable for tents and smaller campers. Picnic area is nice, but lake is now more of a duck sluegh.

This one exceeded expectations. I didn't expect this park to be so good. It has a nice combination of loops that total just under four miles, I would recommend hiking so you see the lake last. The dock out at the end of the point is the best part, provides many good views of the lake and shoreline. Hidden gem that not as many people know about.

Smaller park with enough easy hiking to take up an afternoon. The toilets were clean and in good condition and there was plenty of wood at the ranger center. Lastly, the walk in sites were quiet and great for hammock camping under the trees.

It was a great place for the fair meeting.

Beautifully designed friendly people. Love the yesteryear village. So much fun.

Great building with a wonderful mission.

We took the hiking club trail, a pleasant walk through flat woods with a couple of stops along the lake. A couple of bathrooms lay on the route.

Wonderful place for a meeting or company event.

Peace and quiet with not many people around.

Awesome park. Great trails.

My family and I loved the park. A nice picnic shelter and nature trails. Diligent staff and well maintained.

Nice place. A good alternative when Nerstrand was completely full. Bring bug spray.

Spacious, lots of paths, camping. Parking, and of course, decent size lake. Not actually made of rice though..

Nice for a picnic or hike. No swimming.

Wonderful campground with more privacy than most state parks. There is a T shaped dock that brings you out past the cattails and give a great view of the lake. 10/10, would camp at again!

The lake is sometimes low, call ahead to check levels.

Nice easy hike. Fun wildlife including a group of pelicans. Beautiful tree lined paths.

Trees, snow and deer sign. Pert much

Love camping here, just beautiful!

Great peaceful place

Decent park, but no dump station for RV campers. Had to go to Cabela's to dump waste.

Very nice camping!

Its a great place for fall and spring migration of birds.

Great place to duck hunt, boat ramp is only good for canoes/kayaks, or boats equipped with mud motors.

Small but very nice park. I took the 2 mile hike. The hike by the lake was so nice and through the field was pretty cool with the different flowers. Camping looked good even though I didn't do that. It was a great place to visit nature.

Great hiking trail along the lake among the trees that then goes around a beautiful prairie. Good way to spend a few hours with the family.

Small State Park only about an hour South of the Twin Cities. Just went for the day & was able to hike all the trails in a couple of hours. Lake is a hot spot for Fall Migration & was lucky enough to see a huge flock of American Pelicans. Trails are flat & easy to hike.

Nice park. Clean and close to our home.

This is a wonderful facility. I had the pleasure of attending a Lunch &Learn session presented by KOWZ.

A short ride from Owatonna, nice little trail for hiking. Great view of the lake.

I like this place they have been helping me with my genelogy research

Nice display on country school 's

Wonderful facility with great exhibits, gift shops, and talented staff

It is a nice facility that they rotate fairly often. They keep researchers on staff to keep the content fresh. They also use the dining room often for pu lic events and fundraisers.

This is such a special place in Steele County. They tell the Owatonna, Ellendale, Blooming Prairie, and Medford stories.

This is a good space for conferences. The large open windows can make the PowerPoint screen hard to see in the daytime.

Love my decaffeinated coffee, the made it fresh, great customer service!

I was there with my husband and brother-in-law for their rural school program. Lots of information excellently exhibited and a rural school setting where you could answer questions on a chalkboard that was electronically operated. Very clever! There was chicken soup, which was excellent and cookies to decorate, crafts to do. All were donations accepted. It was fun.

Great place to bring the kids!

Great place for a quick getaway

If your into rules and regulations this is the place to camp. Beautiful, clean but whoa, my friend and her two kids wanted to swing by and roast marshmallows and staff said they would need to be out by 10, then the park patrol drove past numerous times to make sure we were parked correctly " facing out" and then we were parked side by side we needed to " line up" a little over the top and too strict for my kind;)

Well kept trails. Lovely scenery.

Great state park. We went on a short hike down to the water. There is a cute little playground. Beautiful fall colors.

A very nice park, with flat trails along the lake and fantastic Fall colors.

More walking than hiking, but beautiful views of the lake, some prairie lands, and some woods. Really enjoyed the fall colors and would love to kayak here, looks like they offer rentals for that!

A nice quiet hike. The terrain is very flat and makes for an easy stroll through the woods.

Beautiful location!

Nice