Sibley 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: 15 miles north of Willmar on U.S. 71, near New London
Mount Tom Trail: 3.3-mile loop, about 200 feet up and down
Campsites: 99 drive-in in two campgrounds, 74 electric
Camper cabins: 4 heated cabins, open year-round
Vehicle permit: $7 a day or $35 a year
Closure: Park closed Dec. 5 and 6, 2026 for a deer hunt

In this guide

The park in brief
Camping and cabins
Mount Tom and the summer trails
Lake Andrew: swimming, paddling and fishing
Winter at Sibley
What is open now (as of November 2026)
Fees and permits
Getting there
Before you go

Short answer: Sibley State Park is on U.S. Highway 71 about 15 miles north of Willmar, with New London the nearest town. Most visitors come for Mount Tom, reached on a 3.3-mile loop with views over forest, farmland and lakes; for Lake Andrew, with a swimming beach, boat launch and fishing piers; and for camping, with 99 drive-in sites (74 electric) and 4 heated camper cabins. A vehicle permit costs $7 a day or $35 a year. As of November 2026, the whole park is closed to the public on December 5 and 6, 2026 for a special deer hunt.

This guide is for campers comparing Sibley's two campgrounds and cabins, families planning a beach or hiking day, and winter visitors looking at ski and snowshoe trails. It covers sites, trails, what is open this season, fees and directions. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR park page and the 2025 summer park map unless a line says otherwise; sources are listed at the end.

The park in brief

Sibley covers 3,419 acres in Kandiyohi County. The DNR says local residents, Peter Broberg among them, persuaded the Legislature to buy the land, and Sibley became a state park in 1919. It is named for Henry Hastings Sibley, Minnesota's first governor.

A Veterans Conservation Corps crew built many of the roads, trails and granite buildings. The DNR gives slightly different dates: the park page says the crew arrived in 1935 and worked for three years; the park map says 1935 to 1938; and the DNR amenities list says the buildings and roads were built in 1937-38.

Address	800 Sibley Park Road Northeast, New London, MN 56273
Phone	320-347-7810
Park hours	8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Interpretive center (upstairs)	Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., closed Sunday
Ranger station	Hours vary week to week; as of November 2026, many weekdays are 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and weekends say "Hours Vary"

Camping and cabins

The DNR lists two main campgrounds: Lakeview, near the lake, and Oak Ridge, with a mix of wooded and open sites.

Site type	DNR count	Notes
Drive-in sites	99 across both campgrounds	RV limit 60 feet, tow vehicle included
Electric sites	40 in Lakeview, 34 in Oak Ridge	No full hookups; sites are electric or non-electric only
Accessible sites	4 in Lakeview (3 electric), 4 in Oak Ridge (2 electric)
Horse camp	9 sites	Tie lines, water and vault toilets
Group camp	3 sites (up to 30, 50 and 20 people)	Tents only; no showers
Group center	Up to 105 people	Seven bunkhouses, dining hall, commercial kitchen
Camper cabins	4, heated	Lady Slipper, Monarch and Walleye sleep six; Loon sleeps five and is wheelchair accessible; no pets

The seasonal update adds that all Lakeview sites are electric except site 32, and that larger RVs will not fit in some sites, so check the site before you book.

Cabins in winter: the DNR says the cabins are open daily from April 1 to October 31, and Thursday to Sunday from November 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.

Reservations: all Minnesota state park campsites need a reservation, made up to 120 days ahead, with new dates opening at 8 a.m. Central, per the DNR reservation FAQ. The park recommends reserving electric sites, especially for weekends and holidays. See the state park reservation guide for how the window works.

Two canoes marked Sibley State Park on the grassy shore of Lake Andrew under a sunset sky — Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mount Tom and the summer trails

The DNR counts 18 miles of easy to moderate hiking trails through woods, hilltop prairie and savanna. The 2025 park map describes these routes:

Trail	Distance	Terrain (DNR map)	What you see
Mt. Tom Trail (Hiking Club)	3.3-mile loop	Steep terrain, gravel, wooden waterbars	Oaks, prairie remnants and the park's best overlooks; nearly 200 feet up and down
Pondview Trail	0.7-mile loop	Mostly flat, gravel, mowed grass	A pond, prairie and oak savanna with interpretive signs; listed as accessible
Parker-Fremberg Trail	2-mile loop	Some hills, mowed grass	Wooded hills on early settlers' farms
Bicycle Trail	2 miles one way	Some hills, paved	Interpretive center to Lake Andrew and along the shore to Shakopee Creek

The map calls Mount Tom "one of the highest points within a 50-mile radius"; the park page says "one of several high points" in that radius. The DNR also lists 1.5 miles of self-guided trail and 7 miles of horse trails, which start and end at the Horse Trail Center.

Two paved-trail figures: the map gives the bike trail as 2 miles one way, while the DNR park page describes a 3.5-mile paved trail from the interpretive center to the corner of Highway 71 and County Road 40. They may describe different stretches; the DNR does not explain.

Lake Andrew: swimming, paddling and fishing

The DNR lists a swimming beach, trailer boat access, docks and wheelchair-accessible fishing piers on Lake Andrew. In summer, the beach store rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, and a canoe route continues to Henschien Lake and Swan Lake. Free fishing kits, birding kits and kids' discovery kits can be borrowed at the visitor center.

In winter, the DNR calls Sibley "the gateway to ice fishing on Lake Andrew," with crappie and occasional walleye and northern pike. For more fishing parks, see Minnesota fishing guides.

Winter at Sibley

Activity	DNR detail
Classic skiing	8 miles groomed, intermediate to challenging, mostly one-way loops
Skate skiing	2.5 miles from the ranger station to Mt. Tom
Snowmobiling	6 miles, connecting to the county trail system
Snowshoeing	Anywhere except groomed ski and snowmobile trails; rentals $6 a pair when there is enough snow
Sledding and warming house	Sliding hill by the interpretive center; warming house in the trail center below it

Skiers 16 and older need a Great Minnesota Ski Pass on groomed trails. The DNR trail listing says Mt. Tom Trail "closes in the winter," while the November 2026 seasonal update says it is open; check before you go.

What is open now (as of November 2026)

Alert: the DNR says the park is closed to the public on December 5 and 6, 2026 for a special muzzleloader deer hunt, with all trails closed (updated November 3, 2026).
Camping: open in Lakeview and Oak Ridge; horse camp and primitive group camp open.
Water: off in the campgrounds, but you can fill tanks year-round at the outdoor spigot on the ranger station. Campground water and the dump station are scheduled to reopen May 7, 2027.
Showers: closed until May 7, 2027. Toilets in the ranger station and interpretive center basement are open, and vault toilets are open year-round.
Fishing docks: taken in; back by May 8, 2027.
Beach store: closed; the DNR says it reopens mid-May 2027 (the amenities list gives its season as Memorial Day through Labor Day).

Fees and permits

From the DNR vehicle permit page and fee schedule, tax not included:

Item	Price
Vehicle permit	$7 one-day (the DNR also sells an overnight permit at the same price, valid through 4 p.m. the next day) or $35 year-round
Drive-in campsite	$20 to $35 a night; add $10 for electric
Equestrian campsite	$22 to $25 a night
Camper cabin	$80 to $90 a night
Group center	$180 to $600 a night or $5 a person, whichever is greater
Reservation fee	$8 online, $10 by phone; none for same-day bookings

Example (derived from the fee ranges above): two nights in a camper cabin cost 2 × $80 + $8 = $168 to 2 × $90 + $8 = $188, plus a vehicle permit ($7 overnight or $35 year-round). For multi-night stays, ask the park which permit covers your whole stay.

Getting there

From Willmar, the DNR says to take U.S. Highway 71 north 15 miles to the park entrance. From St. Cloud, take State Highway 23 to New London, State Highway 9 west to County Road 40, west on County Road 40, then one mile north on Highway 71 to the entrance. Monson Lake State Park has no office of its own; the DNR sends its visitors to Sibley for information and firewood pickup and puts the two parks 14 miles apart. Browse more Prairie and Minnesota River parks or use the park finder.

Before you go

Check the DNR alert; the park is fully closed December 5 and 6, 2026.
Buy your vehicle permit online, since ranger station hours vary.
Reserve electric sites early for summer weekends; confirm your RV fits the site.
Winter campers: fill water at the ranger station spigot.
Skiers 16 and older: buy a Great Minnesota Ski Pass.
Buy firewood at the ranger station or through Yodel; gathering it is against park rules.