Campground host program

alt="Campground hosts discuss their experiences"

 

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/Shost site # / campground mapAprMayJunJulAugSepOct
Banning State Park (tour)ECH1E / mapfullfullfullfullfullfullfull
Bear Head Lake State Park (tour)Emap  fullfullfullfull 
Beaver Creek Valley State Park (tour)E14E / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Big Bog SRA (tour)E30E / map fullfullfullopenfull 
Big Stone Lake State Park (tour)E19E / mapopenfullfullfullopenfullopen
Birch Lakes State ForestE/W/SBirch Lakes / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Blue Mounds State Park (tour)E23E / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Bowstring State Forest Moose Lake / map openopenopenopenopen 
Bowstring State Forest Cottonwood Lake / map openopenopenopenopen 
Buffalo River State Park (tour)ECH8E / mapopenopenfullfullopenopen 
Camden State Park (tour)ECH14 / Lower  openfullopenopenopen
Camden State Park (tour)E/WCH55 / Upper  openopenopenopenopen
Carley State Park (tour) 2 / map  fullopenopen  
Cascade River State Park (tour)ECH18 / map fullfullfullfullfullopen
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park (tour)E14 / mapopenfullfullfullfullfullopen
Crow Wing State ForestEGreer Lake / map fullfullfullfullfullopen
Crow Wing State Park (tour)Emapopenopenopenfullopenopenopen
Cuyuna Country SRA (tour)E/S2E / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Father Hennepin State Park (tour)E/W/SCH51 / map fullfullfullfull  
Flandrau State Park (tour)E33E / mapopenopenopenopenfullfullopen
Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park (tour)ECH51E / mapopenopenopenopenopenopenopen
Fort Ridgely State Park (tour)ECH25 / map fullfullopenfullfullfull
Fort Ridgely State Park (tour)E/WH2E / horse camp fullfullfullfullfullfull
Franz Jevne State Park (tour) map       
Frontenac State Park (tour)E1E / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
General C.C. Andrews State Forest Willow River / map  fullfullfullfull 
George Washington State Forest Bear Lake / map fullfullfullfullfull 
George Washington State Forest Buttonbox / map openopenopenopenopen 
George Washington State Forest Larson Lake / map fullfullfullfullfull 
George Washington State Forest Lost Lake / map openopenopenopenopen 
George Washington State Forest Owen Lake / map fullfullfullfullfull 
George Washington State Forest Thistledew / map fullfullfullfullfull 
George Washington State Forest Togo horse camp / map openopenopenopenopen 
Glacial Lakes State Park (tour)ECH03 / map openfullfullfullfull 
Glendalough State Park (tour)ECart-in site map fullfullfullfullopen 
Gooseberry Falls State Park (tour)ECH57 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Great River Bluffs State Park (tour)E6E / map       
Hayes Lake State Park (tour)ECH19 / map openopenopenopenopen 
Interstate State Park (tour)ECH7E / mapfullfullfullfullfullfullfull
Itasca State Park (tour)E/W22E / Bear Paw fullfullfullfullfull 
Itasca State Park (tour)E/W141E / Pine Ridge fullfullfullfullfull 
Jay Cooke State Park (tour)ECH3E / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Judge C.R. Magney State Park (tour) CH1 / map  fullfullfullfullopen
Kabetogama State ForestEWakemup Bay / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Kabetogama State ForestEWoodenfrog / map fullfullfullfullopen 
Kilen Woods State Park (tour)E27 / map fullfullfullfullfull 
La Salle Lake SRA (tour)E/W/SCH11 / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Lac qui Parle State Park (tour)E/W/SCH21 / Upper fullfullfullfullfullfull
Lake Bemidji State Park (tour)E/W49E / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Lake Bronson State Park (tour)ECH10 / Lakeside openopen    
Lake Bronson State Park (tour)EH158 / Two Rivers openopenopenopenopen 
Lake Carlos State Park (tour)ECH77 / Lower fullfullfullfullfullfull
Lake Carlos State Park (tour)ECH34 / Upper fullfullfullfullfullfull
Lake Louise State Park (tour)ECH20 / map  openopenopen  
Lake Shetek State Park (tour)E/W/SCH17 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Lake Vermilion - Soudan Underground
Mine State Park (tour)
E/W/SC300 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Land O' Lakes State ForestE/W/SClint Converse / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Maplewood State Park (tour)E/W/Smap openfullopenfullfull 
McCarthy Beach State Park (tour) B2 / Beatrice Lake openopenfullopenopen 
McCarthy Beach State Park (tour)ECH18 / Side Lake fullfullfullfull  
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park (tour)ECH33 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Minneopa State Park (tour)EA32E / map openopenopenopenfullfull
Monson Lake State Park (tour)ECH19 / map openfullfullfullopen 
Moose Lake State Park (tour)ECH17 / map openfullfullfullfullfull
Myre-Big Island State Park (tour)ECH5E / Big Island fullfullfullfullopenfull
Myre-Big Island State Park (tour)ECH37 / White Fox fullfullfullopenfullopen
Nemadji State Forest Gafvert / mapopenopenopenopenopenopenopen
Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park (tour)E/W/SCH45 / map fullfullfullfullopenfull
Old Mill State Park (tour)E/W5 / map  openopenopen  
Paul Bunyan State ForestE/WMantrap Lake / map openopenfullfullopen 
Pillsbury State Forest Rock Lake / map openopenopenopenopen 
Red River SRA (tour)E/W/SCH94 / map fullfullfullfullfull 
Rice Lake State Park (tour)EB1E / mapopenopenopenopenopenopenopen
Richard J. Dorer Memorial
Hardwood State Forest
 Kruger / map       
Richard J. Dorer Memorial
Hardwood State Forest
EZumbro Bottoms / map       
St. Croix State Park (tour)ECH2E / Riverview openfullfullopenopen 
Sakatah Lake State Park (tour)E33 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Sand Dunes State ForestE/W/SAnn Lake / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Savanna Portage State Park (tour)ECH31 / map  fullfullfullfull 
Scenic State Park (tour)E/WCH68 / map openopenfullfullfull 
Schoolcraft State Park (tour) CH22 / map openopenopenopenopen 
Sibley State Park (tour)EOF2 / Lakeview       
Sibley State Park (tour)E100 / Oak Ridge fullopenopenfullopenopen
Split Rock Creek State Park (tour)E/W/SCH7E / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Split Rock Lighthouse (tour)E/W/S101  fullfullfullfullfullfull
Temperance River State Park (tour)ECH38 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Tettegouche State Park (tour)ECH34 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
Whitewater State Park (tour)E/W/S228E / mapopenfullfullfullfullfullfull
Wild River State Park (tour)ECH59 / map fullfullfullfullfullfull
William O'Brien State Park (tour)E28E / Riverway       
William O'Brien State Park (tour)E74E / Savannaopenopenfullfullfullfullopen

Grid updated April 30, 2024

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