Maplewood State Park, Minnesota

Go get your atlas. Turn to the Minnesota pages and find Moorhead/Fargo just above the fold on the left side. Follow I-94 as it goes downhill to the right and look just a little bit more to the right when you get to Barnesville. You’ll see Pelican Rapids and if you look real close, you’ll also see Maplewood State Park, which is what we Norse call Heaven.

Maplewood State Park

Maplewood State Park is nearly 13 square miles of gorgeous. It’s rolling hills and trees, hiking trails and horse trails, deer that’ll steal your hearts and raccoons that’ll just steal. It’s fishing for any kind of fish you care to go after, within limits, and it’s the peace you crave, without limits. It’s that slice of perfect you always heard about, the one you never knew how to get to.

Camping Isn’t Always Roughing It

There are over 70 camping sites at Maplewood, and 32 of them have electricity. If you like your alone time, there are 3 backpack sites where the silence will consume you. If you like the comfort of an RV, make sure it’s shorter than 50 feet, then come on over, but call first. Everyone, call first, make your reservations a long time in advance. This is a popular spot with those of us who enjoy life without traffic.

Cabins, too

The park has 5 newly built cabins to rent, some with electricity, some without. There are no real amenities in these cabins, but a roof in the rain can qualify as one. Next June, at the peak of the walleye season, we’ll be staying in one of them for a week, with electricity.

Hiking, Swimming, Fishing

There are 25 miles of hiking trails at last tally, and about 30 miles of horse trails, plus miles and miles of paved or gravel roads. You like to walk? Walk. There’s a very pretty swimming beach among the cottonwoods, complete with a rope to show off on.

Maplewood is the home of muskie, northern, bass, sunfish, crappie, bullhead, perch, and walleye. Lake Lida is a famous walleye lake, capable of adding ooh and aah to anyone’s vocabulary, and you’ll be just a few feet from it, no matter where you camp in the park. If you decide to stay in South Lida, you’ll still be in some of the best walleye water in the world.

Come and Play

Call them. 1-866-857-275. International: 1-317-249-9327. TDD/Telecommunications Device for Deaf: 1-866-672-8213. Get more info on the net: Maplewood_State_Park. Do it now.


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