Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
Notice: 11/8 Visitor Center Closed — 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
- 83 campsites
- Official site
- dnr.state.mn.us(507) 384-6140
Official page last checked Oct 30, 2026. Details last changed Oct 30, 2026. How we keep this current
Current alerts 1
Closure 11/8 Visitor Center ClosedThe visitor center will be closed on Sunday 11/8. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Posted by the park. Official alert
Overview
In Rice County, about 9 miles southeast of Northfield, Nerstrand Big Woods State Park covers about 1,630 acres.
Popular activities here are wildlife watching, hiking, and picnicking. Camping is available: 83 campsites across 5 camping areas, including 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 | Mon–Wed | 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | — |
| Mon–Wed | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | — | |
| Campground | The main campground, walk-in/cart-in campground, dump station, and campground restroom building are closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring 2027. | ||
| Park | Bathrooms: Water is on to the picnic shelter restrooms. There are 2 vault toilets near the picnic area and 2 vault toilets at the walk-in/cart-in campground available for use. There are flushable toilets available in the visitor center during open hours. Drinking water: Drinking water is available at the red spigot near the visitor center, green water fountains, or from the drinking fountain inside the visitor center during open hours. RVs: The dump station is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring of 2027. Electric hook-ups are 20 and 30 amp. Please check the site length to make sure your camper and vehicle can fit on the gravel spur while unhooked. Parking off the gravel parking spur is not allowed. Water: The picnic shelter restrooms and drinking water spigots are open. The dump station, campground restroom/shower building, and campground spigots are off for the 2026 season and will reopen 2027. Electric sites: The campground is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring of 2027. The park has 27 (20 & 30 amp) electric sites. When looking at sites online or on the map, electric sites will be indicated by an 'e' after the site number. Showers: The campground shower/restroom building is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring 2027 Campgrounds: The main campground, walk-in/cart-in campground, dump station, and campground restroom building are closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring 2027. Programs: Naturalist programs are typically scheduled over the weekends - see the events calendar for more details. Dump station: The dump station is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring of 2027. Trails: All trails are open. Sturdy hiking shoes are suggested as you may encounter rocks, roots, and other natural terrain. | ||
Official wording
Daily from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Mon-Wed:closed Thurs-Fri:9am-2pm Sat-Sun:9am-3pm Hours are subject to change based on staffing levels. Updated: 10/19/2026
The main campground, walk-in/cart-in campground, dump station, and campground restroom building are closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring 2027.
Bathrooms: Water is on to the picnic shelter restrooms. There are 2 vault toilets near the picnic area and 2 vault toilets at the walk-in/cart-in campground available for use. There are flushable toilets available in the visitor center during open hours. Drinking water: Drinking water is available at the red spigot near the visitor center, green water fountains, or from the drinking fountain inside the visitor center during open hours. RVs: The dump station is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring of 2027. Electric hook-ups are 20 and 30 amp. Please check the site length to make sure your camper and vehicle can fit on the gravel spur while unhooked. Parking off the gravel parking spur is not allowed. Water: The picnic shelter restrooms and drinking water spigots are open. The dump station, campground restroom/shower building, and campground spigots are off for the 2026 season and will reopen 2027. Electric sites: The campground is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring of 2027. The park has 27 (20 & 30 amp) electric sites. When looking at sites online or on the map, electric sites will be indicated by an 'e' after the site number. Showers: The campground shower/restroom building is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring 2027 Campgrounds: The main campground, walk-in/cart-in campground, dump station, and campground restroom building are closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring 2027. Programs: Naturalist programs are typically scheduled over the weekends - see the events calendar for more details. Dump station: The dump station is closed for the 2026 season and will reopen spring of 2027. Trails: All trails are open. Sturdy hiking shoes are suggested as you may encounter rocks, roots, and other natural terrain.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 30, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Chicago).
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
- Camping
- Required
- Booking system
- Reserve MN (US eDirect)
- Phone
- 866-857-2757
Reservations are required for all campsites.
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
See the park’s wording
Help us protect and conserve this plant by staying on the trails, keeping your dog leashed and respecting all fenced barriers.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive-in Sites 51 sites — All sites are back-in sites that vary from open to wooded. | 51 | ShowersRVs up to 60 Feet | — |
| Pull-Through Sites 1 site | 1 | Showers | — |
| Electric Sites 27 sites — All electric sites are 30 amp. | 27 | ElectricShowersRVs up to 60 Feet | — |
| Walk-in Sites 4 sites — Farthest site is 200 yards from the parking area. Easy walk-in. All sites are rustic. | 4 | Showers | — |
| Cart-in Sites Six cart-in sites — Six rustic sites, located 150 to 200 feet from parking. | — | Showers | — |
Camping details from the park
Drive-in Sites — 51 sites: All sites are back-in sites that vary from open to wooded.
Pull-Through Sites — 1 site
Electric Sites — 27 sites: All electric sites are 30 amp.
RV Length Limit — 60 Feet: Length is measured from front of tow vehicle to rear of vehicle being towed.
Accessible Sites — 2 sites: The campground has two accessible drive-in sites. One has electric hookup.
Walk-in Sites — 4 sites: Farthest site is 200 yards from the parking area. Easy walk-in. All sites are rustic.
Cart-in Sites — Six cart-in sites: Six rustic sites, located 150 to 200 feet from parking.
From the official park page, checked Oct 30, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
Wildlife viewing and birdingHikingPicnickingCamping
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowmobile (winter) | 4 mi | — | 4 milesSnowmobile |
| Snowshoe (winter) | 1 mi | — | 1 mile — Snowshoeing is permitted anywhere in the park except on groomed trails, and roped-off, sensitive areas. Snowshoe rentals are available at the ranger station.Snowshoe |
| Hiking (summer) | 11 mi | — | 11 milesHiking |
Trail descriptions from the park
Winter — Snowmobile — 4 miles
Winter — Snowshoe — 1 mile: Snowshoeing is permitted anywhere in the park except on groomed trails, and roped-off, sensitive areas.
Snowshoe rentals are available at the ranger station.
Summer — Hiking — 11 miles
Trail conditions: All trails are open. Sturdy hiking shoes are suggested as you may encounter rocks, roots, and other natural terrain.
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Flush toilets
- Showers
- Picnic areas
- Picnic shelters
- Playground
- Visitor center
- Nature center or museum
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
Accessible Sites — 2 sites: The campground has two accessible drive-in sites. One has electric hookup.
Showers — Wheelchair accessible: Showers will be available May 6 through mid-October.
Flush Toilets — Wheelchair accessible: Flush toilets are available May 6 through mid-October.
Picnic Shelter — Open Shelter: Wheelchair accessible.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 9700 170th Street East
Nerstrand, MN 55053 - Nearest town
- Northfield — about 9 mi southeast (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 44.3418, -93.0910
- Phone
- (507) 384-6140
- nerstrand.statepark@state.mn.us
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Take I-35 to State Highway 19 east into Northfield. Go south on State Highway 3, east on State Highway 246, then turn right onto County Road 29.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Minnesota State Parks and Trails — park page — last checked Oct 30, 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