1
Pull-thru
USACEMississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake · Minnesota
Cross Lake Recreation Area
Overview In Central Minnesota's popular lakes area, the Cross Lake Recreation Area is best known for its picturesque sunsets, beautiful beaches and well-maintained campsites.
Sites122all reservable
Elev.1,234ft
Comf.n/a
Max rig87 ft1 pull-thru
Electric9897×50-amp
From Duluth2h44real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
Sits at 1,234 ft. All 122 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Of the sites, 1 pull-through, 97 with 50-amp, and the longest takes a 87-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Duluth
124 mi
2h44
02
Minneapolis
149 mi
3h14
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 10.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 122 SITES
Color byShow only
122 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
97
50-amp
2
Accessible
0
Prime
122
Sites
★ The standout
Site 121
CROSSLAKE · shaded.
To neighbor
130 ft
Max rig
51 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
22
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
10.1 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.