rice lake state park

Well it's not a bad park but the insects are bad. Just make sure you have some strong insect repelent on hand. There were some nice trails here and the lake was nice. There were some nice grasslands here and the forest was cool to hike through. Not my first choice for a state park hiking adventure but it's alright.

We stayed here in site 20 (I think!) as a stopover on our road trip. A seemingly not-busy campground. The lake is for fishing, but not swimming. A few trails and they are nice. My husband tried to take a shower but the button was broke and apparently the water ran all night without stopping making for an ice-cold shower.All the MN state parks are nice. I could see this as a nice fall weekend spot which bugs not so bad. If you live nearby, I'd recommend it!

We stopped here last weekend to get in one more state park as well as the hiking trail and the geocache. It was fairly wet as the snow is melting away but that's expected in early April. ;) The lady working was just closing shop but was kind enough to let us purchase a patch while we were there. She was very friendly and helpful and a delight to talk to. She could have just as easily said, that she was off duty or that the shop was closed but chose to help us instead. Much appreciated!

Each year in mid-February the Friends of Rice Lake State Park (RLSP) host a weekend ski and snowshoe event. There is access to several miles of trails that are groomed for several days before the event. The Friends host a warming house, ski and showshoe rental and free hot chocolate and cookies. This year the weather was perfect...and there were no mosquitos.

Stopped in Rice Lake State Park for a one night camp between destinations. Got in around 7PM, later than I would have liked, and self registered. As I drove into the campsites the car was attacked by flies. Never seen anything like it in my life; it was like something out of a horror movie. Checked out early the next morning, as planned, and got back on the road.The restrooms were the best I have seen in a campground in a while. The staff were wonderful on the phone when I called to double check reservations in advance, though I didn't see them in person until checkout. The park looked very beautiful in the morning, but the bugs were too thick to walk or cook breakfast, even after applying a ridiculous amount of OFF. I'm not squeamish about insects, either. I expected lots of bugs; after all it is the woods by a lake. But the number, size, and aggressiveness of these flies exceeded anything I could have anticipated. I would not camp there again unless I find out the flies were a fluke.

Rice Lake Park is an easy 15 minute drive from Owatonna and a great place for a relaxing walk in the woods. There's no special natural features, but it's a well kept place with a variety of trails and lake views.

Nice state park on the outskirts of Owatonna, MN. The park is tucked around farm land which is evident when hiking the unmarked trails. I do not get why some of the parks lack signs marking trails. The lake does not allow gas boats, but you can load a canoe or trolling powered boat. Has few amenities, but is a nice park to visit. Plan on camping, hiking, and fishing.

This is a nice state park, though, far from perfect. It is only about 15 minutes from Owatonna. It is pretty and is a nice location to wander around. The camping is lousy, unless you're a local. They don't seem to mind that lack of privacy and the fact that hiking trails go through the camping sites. Some sites sit on top of each other. We camped there just once. We thought we had a spectaccular spot. That is until the next morning when people started hiking through our spot beginning at 8:00 am on a sunday morning. As it was, we had to hike through another occupied camping spot to get to the restrooms. It sits on Rice Lake where one can cayak or canoe, though I wouldn't fish there. Kayaking is nice though. There are bathrooms.All in all a nice way to spend a day, though I wouldn't camp there again.

It's a nice place to go out for a walk in the woods. Everything in Minnesota is pretty and this is no different

Wonderful hiking trails. Enjoyed the geo catching.