Campground host program

Campground hosts standing next to their trailer

Do you have what it takes to live in a state park or state forest campground for a month? You could be a campground host! Campground hosts volunteer for a minimum four-week stay and are on duty four to five days each week, including weekends and holidays. In exchange, you get to camp for free in the campground host site. Your on-duty days and hours will be established by the campground manager.

Typical campground host duties

  • Tell campers about local points of interest and where they can find things like fuel, bait and groceries.
  • Perform light campground maintenance: pick up litter, sweep, restock toilet supplies, make minor emergency repairs.
  • Help with naturalist programs and other duties as needed.
  • Set a good example. Follow all rules, and practice good housekeeping at all times in and around the host site.
  • Be observant. Advise campers of any rules they may not be aware of, and report major violations to staff. Campground hosts do not perform any law enforcement duties.
  • Duties may vary based on campground needs and your personal interests. For example, hosting at a highly popular park will be much different than hosting at a more remote, primitive park or forest.

How and when to apply

Applications are accepted all summer, but must be received at least 30 days before the date you'd like to start serving as a campground host. Please note that you will be asked to consent to a background check.

Email any questions to the campground host program coordinator at [email protected].

Table key

  • Open - host is needed
  • Full - host position is filled
  • E - electricity at host site
  • W - water available at host site
  • S - recreational vehicle (RV) sewer hook-up at host site
  • Tour - virtual tour of the area
  • Host site - site location on map

2024 campground host openings

Location and (virtual tour)

E/W/S

host site # / campground map

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Banning State Park (tour)

E

CH1E / map

full

full

full

full

full

full

full

Bear Head Lake State Park (tour)

E

map

  

full

full

full

full

 

Beaver Creek Valley State Park (tour)

E

14E / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Big Bog SRA (tour)

E

30E / map

 

full

full

full

open

full

 

Big Stone Lake State Park (tour)

E

19E / map

open

full

full

full

open

full

open

Birch Lakes State Forest

E/W/S

Birch Lakes / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Blue Mounds State Park (tour)

E

23E / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Bowstring State Forest

 

Moose Lake / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

Bowstring State Forest

 

Cottonwood Lake / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

Buffalo River State Park (tour)

E

CH8E / map

open

open

full

full

open

open

 

Camden State Park (tour)

E

CH14 / Lower

  

open

full

open

open

open

Camden State Park (tour)

E/W

CH55 / Upper

  

open

open

open

open

open

Carley State Park (tour)

 

2 / map

  

full

open

open

  

Cascade River State Park (tour)

E

CH18 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

open

Charles A. Lindbergh State Park (tour)

E

14 / map

open

full

full

full

full

full

open

Crow Wing State Forest

E

Greer Lake / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

open

Crow Wing State Park (tour)

E

map

open

open

open

full

open

open

open

Cuyuna Country SRA (tour)

E/S

2E / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Father Hennepin State Park (tour)

E/W/S

CH51 / map

 

full

full

full

full

  

Flandrau State Park (tour)

E

33E / map

open

open

open

open

full

full

open

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park (tour)

E

CH51E / map

open

open

open

open

open

open

open

Fort Ridgely State Park (tour)

E

CH25 / map

 

full

full

open

full

full

full

Fort Ridgely State Park (tour)

E/W

H2E / horse camp

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Franz Jevne State Park (tour)

 

map

       

Frontenac State Park (tour)

E

1E / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

General C.C. Andrews State Forest

 

Willow River / map

  

full

full

full

full

 

George Washington State Forest

 

Bear Lake / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

George Washington State Forest

 

Buttonbox / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

George Washington State Forest

 

Larson Lake / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

George Washington State Forest

 

Lost Lake / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

George Washington State Forest

 

Owen Lake / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

George Washington State Forest

 

Thistledew / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

George Washington State Forest

 

Togo horse camp / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

Glacial Lakes State Park (tour)

E

CH03 / map

 

open

full

full

full

full

 

Glendalough State Park (tour)

E

Cart-in site map

 

full

full

full

full

open

 

Gooseberry Falls State Park (tour)

E

CH57 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Great River Bluffs State Park (tour)

E

6E / map

       

Hayes Lake State Park (tour)

E

CH19 / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

Interstate State Park (tour)

E

CH7E / map

full

full

full

full

full

full

full

Itasca State Park (tour)

E/W

22E / Bear Paw

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Itasca State Park (tour)

E/W

141E / Pine Ridge

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Jay Cooke State Park (tour)

E

CH3E / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Judge C.R. Magney State Park (tour)

 

CH1 / map

  

full

full

full

full

open

Kabetogama State Forest

E

Wakemup Bay / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Kabetogama State Forest

E

Woodenfrog / map

 

full

full

full

full

open

 

Kilen Woods State Park (tour)

E

27 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

La Salle Lake SRA (tour)

E/W/S

CH11 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Lac qui Parle State Park (tour)

E/W/S

CH21 / Upper

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Lake Bemidji State Park (tour)

E/W

49E / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Lake Bronson State Park (tour)

E

CH10 / Lakeside

 

open

open

    

Lake Bronson State Park (tour)

E

H158 / Two Rivers

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

Lake Carlos State Park (tour)

E

CH77 / Lower

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Lake Carlos State Park (tour)

E

CH34 / Upper

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Lake Louise State Park (tour)

E

CH20 / map

  

open

open

open

  

Lake Shetek State Park (tour)

E/W/S

CH17 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Lake Vermilion - Soudan Underground
Mine State Park (tour)

E/W/S

C300 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Land O' Lakes State Forest

E/W/S

Clint Converse / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Maplewood State Park (tour)

E/W/S

map

 

open

full

open

full

full

 

McCarthy Beach State Park (tour)

 

B2 / Beatrice Lake

 

open

open

full

open

open

 

McCarthy Beach State Park (tour)

E

CH18 / Side Lake

 

full

full

full

full

  

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park (tour)

E

CH33 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Minneopa State Park (tour)

E

A32E / map

 

open

open

open

open

full

full

Monson Lake State Park (tour)

E

CH19 / map

 

open

full

full

full

open

 

Moose Lake State Park (tour)

E

CH17 / map

 

open

full

full

full

full

full

Myre-Big Island State Park (tour)

E

CH5E / Big Island

 

full

full

full

full

open

full

Myre-Big Island State Park (tour)

E

CH37 / White Fox

 

full

full

full

open

full

open

Nemadji State Forest

 

Gafvert / map

open

open

open

open

open

open

open

Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park (tour)

E/W/S

CH45 / map

 

full

full

full

full

open

full

Old Mill State Park (tour)

E/W

5 / map

  

open

open

open

  

Paul Bunyan State Forest

E/W

Mantrap Lake / map

 

open

open

full

full

open

 

Pillsbury State Forest

 

Rock Lake / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

Red River SRA (tour)

E/W/S

CH94 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

 

Rice Lake State Park (tour)

E

B1E / map

open

open

open

open

open

open

open

Richard J. Dorer Memorial
Hardwood State Forest

 

Kruger / map

       

Richard J. Dorer Memorial
Hardwood State Forest

E

Zumbro Bottoms / map

       

St. Croix State Park (tour)

E

CH2E / Riverview

 

open

full

full

open

open

 

Sakatah Lake State Park (tour)

E

33 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Sand Dunes State Forest

E/W/S

Ann Lake / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Savanna Portage State Park (tour)

E

CH31 / map

  

full

full

full

full

 

Scenic State Park (tour)

E/W

CH68 / map

 

open

open

full

full

full

 

Schoolcraft State Park (tour)

 

CH22 / map

 

open

open

open

open

open

 

Sibley State Park (tour)

E

OF2 / Lakeview

       

Sibley State Park (tour)

E

100 / Oak Ridge

 

full

open

open

full

open

open

Split Rock Creek State Park (tour)

E/W/S

CH7E / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Split Rock Lighthouse (tour)

E/W/S

101 

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Temperance River State Park (tour)

E

CH38 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Tettegouche State Park (tour)

E

CH34 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

Whitewater State Park (tour)

E/W/S

228E / map

open

full

full

full

full

full

full

Wild River State Park (tour)

E

CH59 / map

 

full

full

full

full

full

full

William O'Brien State Park (tour)

E

28E / Riverway

       

William O'Brien State Park (tour)

E

74E / Savanna

open

open

full

full

full

full

open

Grid updated April 30, 2024

 

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