Crow Wing State Park

This guide is for campers and families based around Brainerd, cyclists on the Paul Bunyan Trail, and history travelers. It covers the campground and cabin, trails and historic sites, the river, current seasonal status and costs. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR park page, its live data feed and the DNR park map (2023 edition) unless noted; sources are at the end.

The park in brief

In the mid-1800s a frontier town grew up here to serve travelers and traders. The DNR explains the town died when the railroad chose to cross the Mississippi at Brainerd instead. A 1957 archaeological investigation uncovered many of the old town's foundations, and the park was established in 1959. Both the town and the park take their name from the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing rivers.

The DNR data record lists 3,291 acres; the 2023 park map calls it "the 3,119-acre park." The map says the Old Crow Wing Town Site and the Red River Oxcart Trail are both Historic Districts on the National Register of Historic Places.

Camping and the camper cabin

The maximum RV length is 45 feet, measured from the front of the tow vehicle to the rear of the towed vehicle. Showers and flush toilets are seasonal in the campground, vault toilets are open year-round throughout the park, and the dump station is seasonal.

Season status: as of November 2026, the DNR lists the campground as closed for the season; its seasonal update gives the closing date as "Sunday November 2nd" without naming a year. Water in the campground and picnic area is off, the dump station and shower building are closed, and fill water for campers is available year-round behind the ranger station. The Rock Lake campground the park manages in Pillsbury State Forest is also closed for the season.

Reservations: the DNR recommends them for holidays and weekends. The DNR reservation FAQ says state park campsites can be booked up to 120 days before arrival, starting at 8 a.m. Central on the first day a date opens. See the state park reservations guide for how ReserveMN works.

Old Crow Wing, Chippewa Lookout and the trails

History on foot

The DNR suggests two short stops for a one-hour visit:

• Old Crow Wing town site: start from the picnic area parking lot. Signs along a 300-foot accessible boardwalk tell the story of the frontier town, and the DNR lists interpretive signs at the Beaulieu House.
• Chippewa Lookout: from the boat landing, climb the stairs for views high above the Mississippi River.

The park also keeps a section of the Woods Trail, which the DNR says carried ox cart supplies between St. Paul and the Red River settlements.

Trails

The park has 18 miles of hiking trail in all, through the old town site, along the Mississippi and through the woods. The DNR says the park's section of the Paul Bunyan State Trail is its southern end and connects to an additional 115 trail miles; the map says the 115-mile trail links Crow Wing State Park to Lake Bemidji State Park.

On the water

The DNR describes the Crow Wing and Mississippi as calm water for novice canoeists. The park has drive-in and carry-in boat access and docks, and boat and canoe rentals are available seasonally at the ranger station. Fishing is one of the park's listed highlights. The map warns that rivers are unpredictable and swimming is not recommended in the park.

When to go

The park is open year-round, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. As of November 2026 the campground is closed for the season, and the DNR has not yet posted a reopening date.

Winter: the Paul Bunyan State Trail through the park is open to snowmobiles, and snowshoeing is allowed anywhere in the park, with snowshoe rentals at the ranger station. The picnic shelter has a wood-burning stove and serves as a place to warm up; it rents for $45 a day and has electricity and an indoor toilet.

The park has no naturalist on staff, but the DNR says activities are offered occasionally. The map advises watching for ticks and poison ivy. Free birding kits and kids' discovery kits can be checked out at the ranger station.

Fees and getting there

From the DNR vehicle permit page and fee schedule, before tax:

Buy firewood at the ranger station when it is open, or pay through Yodel; gathering firewood in the park is against state park rules.

Directions: the DNR says to go 9 miles south of Brainerd on U.S. Highway 371, then west on County Road 27 for one mile to the park office. Crow Wing is one of the parks in Minnesota's lakes country. The DNR names it as the backup contact for Charles A. Lindbergh State Park in Little Falls, and Mille Lacs Kathio State Park and Lake Bemidji State Park, at the far end of the Paul Bunyan Trail, round out a central Minnesota trip. Compare them in the park finder.

Before you go

1. Plan a spring trip; the campground is closed until next season.
2. Practice backing up a trailer; all drive-in sites are back-in.
3. Check your rig length against the 45-foot limit.
4. Reserve the camper cabin early; there is only one.
5. Expect occasional loud noise from Camp Ripley.
6. Skip swimming in the rivers, and check for ticks and poison ivy after hiking.

Related guides: Charles A. Lindbergh State Park · Mille Lacs Kathio State Park · Lake Bemidji State Park · Itasca State Park

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Sources

• Minnesota DNR, Crow Wing State Park (camping, trails, seasonal update, alerts): https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/park.html?id=spk00139
• Minnesota DNR, Crow Wing State Park map and guide (PDF, 2023): https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00139.pdf
• Minnesota DNR, Reservation FAQ: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reserve-faq/index.html
• Minnesota DNR, State park fees: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fees.html
• Minnesota DNR, Vehicle permits: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/permit.html