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
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- 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
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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.
- Apply online (preferred, but not available at all locations), or
- Complete the application form and email or mail it in.
Email any questions to the campground host program coordinator at [email protected].
- Table key
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- 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 | full | 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 | open | open | open | open | open | ||
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 | open | open | open | open |
Crow Wing State Forest | E | Greer Lake / map | full | full | full | full | full | full | |
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 | open | open | |||
Flandrau State Park (tour) | E | 33E / map | full | full | 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 | open | open | open | open | open | |||
George Washington State Forest | Buttonbox / map | open | open | open | open | open | |||
George Washington State Forest | Larson Lake / map | open | open | open | open | open | |||
George Washington State Forest | Lost Lake / map | open | open | open | open | open | |||
George Washington State Forest | Owen Lake / map | open | open | open | open | open | |||
George Washington State Forest | Thistledew / map | open | open | open | open | open | |||
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 | open | open | ||
Itasca State Park (tour) | E/W | 141E / Pine Ridge | full | full | full | open | 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 | open | ||
Lake Bronson State Park (tour) | E | CH10 / Lakeside | |||||||
Lake Bronson State Park (tour) | E | H158 / Two Rivers | |||||||
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 | open | open | open | open | open | ||
Maplewood State Park (tour) | E/W/S | map | open | open | open | open | open | ||
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 | open | 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 | open | open | open | open | open | open | |
Myre-Big Island State Park (tour) | E | CH37 / White Fox | open | open | open | open | open | 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 | open | |
Old Mill State Park (tour) | E/W | 5 / map | full | open | open | ||||
Paul Bunyan State Forest | E/W | Mantrap Lake / map | open | open | open | open | 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 | open | full | open | open | |||
Scenic State Park (tour) | E/W | CH68 / map | open | open | open | open | open | ||
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 | open | |
Tettegouche State Park (tour) | E | CH34 / map | full | full | full | full | full | open | |
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 | full | full | full | full | full | open |
Grid updated March 25, 2024