Big Stone Lake State Park
Notice: Shower Building — details
- Status
- Open (per official listing)Daily 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- 37 campsites
- Official site
- dnr.state.mn.us(320) 839-3663
Official page last checked Oct 30, 2026. Details last changed Oct 30, 2026. How we keep this current
Current alerts 3
Alert Park alertYou may not run a generator in the campground at any time.
Posted by the park 2026-10-27. Official alert
Closure Shower BuildingN The shower building will CLOSED for season Oct 28th.
Posted by the park 2026-10-27. Official alert
Water quality Invasive SpeciesZebra Mussels have been confirmed to be present in Big Stone Lake. Ensure you are following proper watercraft cleaning procedures when moving your… (more)
Zebra Mussels have been confirmed to be present in Big Stone Lake. Ensure you are following proper watercraft cleaning procedures when moving your boat from lake to lake to prevent further spread of this invasive species.
Posted by the park 2026-10-27. Official alert
Overview
Covering about 1,022 acres, Big Stone Lake State Park lies in Big Stone County, about 8 miles northwest of Ortonville.
Visitors come for horseback riding, boating, fishing, wildlife watching, and picnicking. For overnight stays there are 37 campsites across 2 camping areas (RV sites with electric hookups and showers).
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. | — |
| Office | Daily | noon – 4 p.m. | — |
| Park | Trails: The Meadowbrook area contains two trails, the Bluebird Trail (0.8) miles begins near the fill/dump station and wanders through the north prairie. The Prairie Trail begins across from the ranger station and runs for nearly 3 miles through the central prairie. Both of these trails are mowed grass and very exposed to the sun. At the Bonanza Unit the Hiking Club trail can be found, running 2.2 miles in total out and back through the woods along Big Stone Lake, featuring some slight elevation changes and a small waterfall. This trail is largely dirt, and well-shaded. Dump station: Located behind the Ranger Station. CLOSED for the Year Bathrooms: Vault toilets are available throughout the park at both the Meadowbrook and Bonanza units. RVs: No paved pads are available for RV campers. Electrical service at all sites is 30 amp, each box also includes a 20 amp outlet. Average site length is 40 feet. All sites are back-in, there are no pull-thru sites. Buildings: The Bonanza Education Center is located at the park's Bonanza unit and serves as a local environmental education center for school districts and other groups. Water: Water is OFF for the 2026 season. Electric sites: The park has 10 electric sites that each have 20 and 30 amp outlets. Generators are not allowed to be run in the park. Rentals: Canoes and kayaks are available for rent during the summer season. Fishing and birding kits as well as horseshoes are available for loan, no charge. All rentals can be arranged from the office. Showers: Shower Building is CLOSED for the Year | ||
Official wording
Daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Fall Office hours for the park are: Monday-Sunday 12:00PM-4:00PM Hours can vary depending on staff availability.
Trails: The Meadowbrook area contains two trails, the Bluebird Trail (0.8) miles begins near the fill/dump station and wanders through the north prairie. The Prairie Trail begins across from the ranger station and runs for nearly 3 miles through the central prairie. Both of these trails are mowed grass and very exposed to the sun. At the Bonanza Unit the Hiking Club trail can be found, running 2.2 miles in total out and back through the woods along Big Stone Lake, featuring some slight elevation changes and a small waterfall. This trail is largely dirt, and well-shaded. Dump station: Located behind the Ranger Station. CLOSED for the Year Bathrooms: Vault toilets are available throughout the park at both the Meadowbrook and Bonanza units. RVs: No paved pads are available for RV campers. Electrical service at all sites is 30 amp, each box also includes a 20 amp outlet. Average site length is 40 feet. All sites are back-in, there are no pull-thru sites. Buildings: The Bonanza Education Center is located at the park's Bonanza unit and serves as a local environmental education center for school districts and other groups. Water: Water is OFF for the 2026 season. Electric sites: The park has 10 electric sites that each have 20 and 30 amp outlets. Generators are not allowed to be run in the park. Rentals: Canoes and kayaks are available for rent during the summer season. Fishing and birding kits as well as horseshoes are available for loan, no charge. All rentals can be arranged from the office. Showers: Shower Building is CLOSED for the Year
Source: official park page, checked Oct 30, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Chicago).
Pets
Pets allowed on a leash six feet or shorter (or in a portable enclosure) and personally attended; only service animals in buildings, lodging, camper cabins, yurts, tipis, tours and beach areas.
Statewide rule from Minnesota's park system (source). This park’s page doesn’t state its own pet rules, so check for local restrictions.
Fees and passes
Per vehicle: a state park vehicle permit (one-day $7 or year-round $35) is required for every vehicle; same price for residents and nonresidents. Four free park days per year. Iron Range OHV SRA states 'There is no entrance fee'.
Statewide fee rule from Minnesota's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
Minnesota park passes
- Year-round vehicle permit — $35. Unlimited visits to every Minnesota state park and recreation area for 12 months from the month of purchase Details
- One-day vehicle permit — $7. One day, one vehicle Details
- Additional year-round vehicle permit — $26. Additional vehicles owned by a year-round permit holder Details
- Year-round motorcycle permit — $30. Motorcycle, 12 months Details
- One-day group permit — $5. Group vehicles, one day Details
From the Minnesota state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- Reserve MN (US eDirect)
- Phone
- 866-857-2757
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive-in Sites 37 sites — Thirteen sites are lakeside, boat landing and beach are nearby. Campground road is not plowed in winter. Generators may not be run at any time, day or night - the campsites are all close together, and the noise will bother other campers. | 37 | ShowersRVs up to 48 feet | — |
| Electric Sites Ten sites — Near shower building. | — | ElectricShowersRVs up to 48 feet | — |
Camping details from the park
Drive-in Sites — 37 sites: Thirteen sites are lakeside, boat landing and beach are nearby. Campground road is not plowed in winter. Generators may not be run at any time, day or night - the campsites are all close together, and the noise will bother other campers.
Electric Sites — Ten sites: Near shower building.
RV Length Limit — 48 feet: Length is measured from front of tow vehicle to rear of vehicle being towed.
From the official park page, checked Oct 30, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
CampingFishingWildlife viewing and birdingPicnickingHorseback ridingBoating
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Guided (summer) | — | — | The self-guided Prairie Trail is up to three miles, depending on which branches you choose. The trail meanders through the park's prairie reconstruction and pollinator plot and then winds lakeside through the woods.Self-Guided |
| Hiking (summer) | — | — | Bluebird Trail This trail is one mile long, and consists of two loops that wander through the wildflowers and past the bluebird boxes in the park's western prairie. Bonanza Hiking Club Trail Located in the park's Bonanza Area, twelve miles north of the main Meadowbrook Area. This two-mile trail runs along the lake through the oak savannah, offering a cool, shaded hike through the old trees before looping back on itself near the waterfall. Learn more about the Hiking Club.Hiking |
| Snowshoe (winter) | — | — | Anywhere in parkSnowshoe |
Trail descriptions from the park
Summer — Self-Guided: The self-guided Prairie Trail is up to three miles, depending on which branches you choose. The trail meanders through the park's prairie reconstruction and pollinator plot and then winds lakeside through the woods.
Summer — Hiking: Bluebird Trail
This trail is one mile long, and consists of two loops that wander through the wildflowers and past the bluebird boxes in the park's western prairie.
Bonanza Hiking Club Trail
Located in the park's Bonanza Area, twelve miles north of the main Meadowbrook Area. This two-mile trail runs along the lake through the oak savannah, offering a cool, shaded hike through the old trees before looping back on itself near the waterfall. Learn more about the Hiking Club.
Winter — Snowshoe — Anywhere in park
Trail conditions: The Meadowbrook area contains two trails, the Bluebird Trail (0.8) miles begins near the fill/dump station and wanders through the north prairie. The Prairie Trail begins across from the ranger station and runs for nearly 3 miles through the central prairie. Both of these trails are mowed grass and very exposed to the sun. At the Bonanza Unit the Hiking Club trail can be found, running 2.2 miles in total out and back through the woods along Big Stone Lake, featuring some slight elevation changes and a small waterfall. This trail is largely dirt, and well-shaded.
Boating and paddling
Boat Access — Drive-in
Boat Docks
Fishing
Fishing — Big Stone Lake
A state fishing license is usually required.
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Flush toilets
- Vault or pit toilets
- Showers
- Picnic areas
- Playground
Water
- Marina or boat slips
Camping
- RV dump station
- RV camping
- Electric hookups
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Showers — Accessible: Available seasonally, in the campground.
Flush Toilets — Accessible: Available seasonally, in the campground.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 35889 Meadowbrook State Park Road
Ortonville, MN 56278 - Nearest town
- Ortonville — about 8 mi northwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 45.3916, -96.5304
- Phone
- (320) 839-3663
- bigstone.statepark@state.mn.us
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
From Ortonville, go 7 miles northwest on Hwy. 7. Follow signs to park. Attention GPS navigators: GPS coordinates frequently direct campers to a county road with no access to the park. When traveling north to the park from Ortonville on MN Highway 7, stay on MN Highway 7 and look for large brown highway signs that direct you to Big Stone Lake State Park Meadowbrook Area.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Minnesota State Parks and Trails — park page — last checked Oct 30, 2026; page says updated Oct 27, 2026
- MN DNR A-Z list of state parks and recreation areas (park IDs in server-rendered <noscript> links) + state waysides page; details from the compass feature_detail JSON API used by park.html
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. “Last changed” (Oct 30, 2026) is when the information shown here last differed from the previous check. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology