Cross Lake Recreation Area

great time with the family

great time with the family

We found the campground at Crosslake Recreation Area in CrossLake, MN to be a clean, well maintained and effectively managed USACE campground. Unlike many of the USACE recreation facilities in the western US, CrossLake is adjacent to the decent sized town of CrossLake. The town offers some niceties that helped make the visit to CrossLake Rec area a hit. We were able to walk from our campsite to a seasonal fruit and vegetable stand that offered some very nice fresh produce; there was also a locally owned coffee and sweet shop within walking distance which was an unexpected luxury. Cross Lake also offered a grocery store, laundromat, Dollar General, gas stations, bait shops, a propane fill station (part of one of the gas stations) and a couple of locally owned restaurants all within an easy walk from the campsite. As a heads up, the town's major thoroughfare, MN-66, runs along the eastern edge of the campground, but we did not even notice the traffic noise from our campsite. We stayed in campsite 87 which was right across from the shower house containing flush toilets, free hot-water showers and an exterior utility sink for campers to use for washing dishes. The facilities are definitely aging and will likely need updating within a couple years, but the recreation area staff did a wonderful job keeping the facilities clean and well stocked. There is ample shoreline and a couple piers set up for fishing, although we did not have much luck using nightcrawlers during our early October visit. Perhaps fishing is better during the warmer months ... or perhaps we just aren't very good anglers! 😂 The campground offers a mix of sites with some offering electric hookups, some with no amenities and some set aside just for tents. There are two dump stations near the campground check-in cabin, with potable water for filling tanks, and there are also several potable water spigots throughout the campground if you need to fill water jugs or similar.

We found the campground at Crosslake Recreation Area in CrossLake, MN to be a clean, well maintained and effectively managed USACE campground. Unlike many of the USACE recreation facilities in the western US, CrossLake is adjacent to the decent sized town of CrossLake. The town offers some niceties that helped make the visit to CrossLake Rec area a hit. We were able to walk from our campsite to a seasonal fruit and vegetable stand that offered some very nice fresh produce; there was also a locally owned coffee and sweet shop within walking distance which was an unexpected luxury. Cross Lake also offered a grocery store, laundromat, Dollar General, gas stations, bait shops, a propane fill station (part of one of the gas stations) and a couple of locally owned restaurants all within an easy walk from the campsite. As a heads up, the town's major thoroughfare, MN-66, runs along the eastern edge of the campground, but we did not even notice the traffic noise from our campsite. We stayed in campsite 87 which was right across from the shower house containing flush toilets, free hot-water showers and an exterior utility sink for campers to use for washing dishes. The facilities are definitely aging and will likely need updating within a couple years, but the recreation area staff did a wonderful job keeping the facilities clean and well stocked. There is ample shoreline and a couple piers set up for fishing, although we did not have much luck using nightcrawlers during our early October visit. Perhaps fishing is better during the warmer months ... or perhaps we just aren't very good anglers! 😂 The campground offers a mix of sites with some offering electric hookups, some with no amenities and some set aside just for tents. There are two dump stations near the campground check-in cabin, with potable water for filling tanks, and there are also several potable water spigots throughout the campground if you need to fill water jugs or similar.

I was surprised that the campground is literally on the main highway. I could see Holiday gas station across the road. I was asked to move and ended up in some weird host site with creepy Weber grill art and bottle caps in a stump left from last year. I don’t think I could go back with that strangeness vibe. I couldn’t wait to leave the voodoo camp.

I was surprised that the campground is literally on the main highway. I could see Holiday gas station across the road. I was asked to move and ended up in some weird host site with creepy Weber grill art and bottle caps in a stump left from last year. I don’t think I could go back with that strangeness vibe. I couldn’t wait to leave the voodoo camp.

Great campground, really enjoyed the time.

Great campground, really enjoyed the time.

We have been there several times. Alway friendly staff, clean sites. Like the new addition of sewer sites to choose from. Lots of restaurants in town, lots of lakes. So much to do. We rented a camper from Pleasureland in Brainerd this time and they delivered to our campsite and had it all set up for us when we arrived and came and picked it up when we left.

We have been there several times. Alway friendly staff, clean sites. Like the new addition of sewer sites to choose from. Lots of restaurants in town, lots of lakes. So much to do. We rented a camper from Pleasureland in Brainerd this time and they delivered to our campsite and had it all set up for us when we arrived and came and picked it up when we left.