Lake Carlos State Park

Facts checked against official sources on November 11, 2026

Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Location: 10 miles north of Alexandria on Highway 29, then 2 miles west
Campsites: 121 drive-in (81 electric), plus 7 horse sites
Camper cabins: 4, open year-round
Trails: 14 miles hiking, 9 miles horse, 6 miles groomed ski
Vehicle permit: $7 a day or $35 a year
Park hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

In this guide

The park in brief
Camping and cabins
Trails and things to do
When to go
Fees and permits
Getting there
Before you go

Short answer: Lake Carlos State Park is on Lake Carlos in Douglas County; the DNR's directions are 10 miles north of Alexandria on Highway 29, then 2 miles west. It is a lake-and-campground park: 121 drive-in campsites (81 with electricity), 4 year-round camper cabins, a swimming beach and two boat accesses on Lake Carlos. Inland there are 14 miles of hiking trail, 9 miles of horse trail and, in winter, 6 miles of groomed ski trail. A vehicle permit costs $7 a day or $35 a year.

This guide is for families planning a lake camping trip in the Alexandria area, for riders looking at the horse camp, and for winter visitors. It covers the two campgrounds and their rules, trails, seasons, fees and directions. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR park page, the DNR park map and the DNR fee and reservation pages, listed at the end.

The park in brief

The DNR park page says the state bought the land in 1937, during the Great Depression, and five WPA-era buildings in the park are on the National Register of Historic Places. The landscape is glacial moraine in the transition zone between prairie and northern conifer forest, with a tamarack bog, marshes, woodland ponds and maple-basswood forest. The DNR adds that the lake's outlet at the northeast corner is the source of the Long Prairie River.

DNR sources disagree on two numbers. The park's size is 1,214 acres in the DNR feed, 1,231 acres in the park narrative and 1,154 acres on the park map. Lake Carlos is "150 feet deep in places" according to the park page; the park map says it is the largest and deepest lake in the Alexandria chain, at 2,520 acres and up to 163 feet deep.

Address	2601 County Road 38 Northeast, Carlos, MN 56319
Park hours	8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Phone	320-993-3750
Office hours (winter)	9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; weekday staffing may be intermittent
Pets	6-foot leash; not allowed in buildings, camper cabins or at the beach

Camping and cabins

The park has two drive-in campgrounds. The DNR says the lower campground "is near the lake," while the upper campground "is more secluded and wooded."

Site type	Count and details (DNR)
Drive-in sites	121
Electric sites	81: 59 in the lower campground, 22 in the upper
Accessible sites	2 electric sites, one in each campground
Camper cabins	4 in the upper campground; one accessible cabin sleeps five, the others sleep six; electricity, heat and a screened porch
Horse camp	7 sites, up to 30 people
Group camps	2: Pioneer (up to 35 people) and Lakeview (up to 50)
Group center	Hidden Lake Group Center, up to 60 people
RV length limit	50 feet, tow vehicle included

Campground rules that catch people out

One unit in the lower campground. The DNR allows strictly one camping unit per site there and says it "is strictly enforced." The upper campground allows two sleeping units (two tents, or one camper and one tent) and no more than six occupants.
No pull-through sites. Every site has a gravel spur; park on the gravel, not the grass, and put a second vehicle in the visitor lot.
Check-in times. Campsites and group camps check in and out at 4 p.m.; camper cabins check in at 3 p.m. and out at 11 a.m. All campers check in at the ranger station first.
Cabins in winter. The cabins are open daily April to October and Thursday to Sunday in the winter season. No pets.

Reservations: the DNR says you can reserve a campsite or cabin up to 120 days before arrival, online or at 866-857-2757. On the first day a date opens, online booking starts at 8 a.m. Central, per the DNR reservation FAQ. For how ReserveMN works, see the state park reservations guide.

Trails and things to do

Trail type	Miles (DNR feed)	Notes
Hiking	14	Rolling hills through forest, mature hardwoods and restored prairie
Self-guided	3	Maple-Basswood Interpretive and Wetland Overlook trails
Accessible	0.5
Horse	9	Can be too wet to ride; call the park for conditions
Groomed classic ski (winter)	6	Moderate, rolling terrain
Snowmobile (winter)	9	Connects to the 500-mile Douglas Area Trail Association system

The DNR park map highlights four walks: the Maple-Basswood Trail (1.1 miles one way, self-guided), the Hidden Lake Trail (1.4-mile loop from the beach parking lot, past a bald eagle nest and sugar maples that make it "a must in the fall"), the Prairie Pothole and Prairie Ridge Trail (2.8-mile loop through 160 acres of restored tallgrass prairie, best for wildflowers in July and August) and the Wetland Overlook Trail (0.6-mile loop to a view over Schumacher's Slough).

On the lake: there is a swimming beach with a picnic area and volleyball, a fishing pier, and two boat accesses on Lake Carlos. In season the ranger station rents canoes and paddleboats during office hours (the DNR lists rentals as closed for the season as of November 2026). The park also lends fishing kits, birding kits and GPS units for free, and has an all-terrain track chair for designated trails that can be reserved. The DNR notes that zebra mussels are in Lake Carlos and the Alexandria chain, so clean and inspect boats and trailers.

The park has a year-round naturalist, and the visitor center with exhibits is open seasonally, May to October.

When to go

As of November 2026 (DNR alert updated October 28, 2026), bathrooms and showers are closed in both campgrounds, water is off across the park, the dump station is closed, and all docks have been pulled for the season. Vault toilets stay open year-round, and drinking water is available all year from the spigot in front of the solar panel near the visitor center. The DNR says showers and flush toilets are "generally mid-May through mid-October."

The park holds a special permit firearms deer hunt in November; the 2026 hunt ran November 7 to 10. The DNR advises blaze orange or other bright clothing during a hunt even if you are not hunting.

Winter brings ski and snowmobile trails, snowshoeing anywhere off the groomed ski tracks, and a picnic shelter that is partly enclosed and heated by a wood stove. Snowshoes rent from the ranger station.

Fees and permits

From the DNR vehicle permit page and fee schedule, with camping and lodging prices before tax:

Item	Price
One-day vehicle permit	$7
Year-round vehicle permit	$35
Drive-in campsite	$20 to $35 a night
Electric hookup	add $10 a night
Equestrian campsite	$22 to $25 a night
Camper cabin	$80 to $90 a night
Reservation fee	$8 online, $10 by phone; none for same-day bookings

Two nights at an electric site, booked online in advance: 2 × ($20 + $10) + $8 reservation fee = $68 at the low end, or 2 × ($35 + $10) + $8 = $98 at the high end, before tax and plus a vehicle permit. ReserveMN shows each site's price. Firewood is sold at the park office year-round; any wood you bring must be certified.

Getting there

The DNR directions: go 10 miles north of Alexandria on State Highway 29, then 2 miles west on Highway 38 to the entrance. The ranger station is about 500 feet inside. Alexandria is the nearest town. For other parks in the region, see the lakes country guides or the park finder; Glendalough State Park near Battle Lake offers cart-in camping and yurts instead of drive-in sites.

Before you go

Count your tents and campers: one unit per site in the lower campground, two in the upper.
Book cabins for Thursday to Sunday only in winter.
Check in at the ranger station before setting up.
Call ahead about horse trail conditions after rain.
Clean boats and trailers for zebra mussels and aquatic plants.
Bring a Great Minnesota Ski Pass for groomed ski trails.