There are 3 reasons Rice Lake State (MN) Park is attractive to me:
1) It is 90 miles, about an hour and forty minutes, from my home;
2) There are canoe-to campsites, and;
3) Cabela’s in Owatonna is 15 miles away

It is a State Park so you need a vehicle permit and pay a nightly fee. Since I’m a MN resident, for me it’s not a big deal.

The paddle-to campsites are OK. There are 5 campsites that share one landing and one outhouse. Mature oak trees provided shade and tie points for a tarp. The floor is grassy.

Even though it has paddle-to campsites, Rice Lake is not ideal for canoeing. It is surrounded by a cattail marsh and floating bog. Once past that you reach an area of seaweed and scum (freshwater sponge?). This stuff is like paddling in mud. Beyond that, the canoeing is acceptable, though the lake is shallow and seaweed is evident below the surface. It’s impossible to fish. The scenery along the shoreline is flat. There are some woods, mainly the state owned land. There is also some private land along the shoreline, so at least one house and one farm are visible.

However, the big attraction are the birds. I always see great blue herons, green herons, ducks, geese, and pelicans. There are lots of them! If you’re a photographer, you can get some great shots. You can get pretty close. I just love seeing them.

The other attraction is Cabela’s in Owatonna. I’ll get camp set up, canoe a bit, and head to town for a shopping trip. Then it’s back to camp for the night, and pack up and go home the next morning.

It’s not a great canoe trip, but I find it enjoyable to combine canoe-camping and shopping, and you can do it in a normal weekend. It’s a great opportunity for a shakeout trip before a BW trip. You can see how your gear performs, practicing packing, and try out the new stuff you just bought at Cabelas.

For me it’s a nice overnight trip. Easy. Alone time. Cabela’s. Pelicans.

Thanks - that park has been on my "to do" list for all the reasons you mentioned (including Cabela's). I didn't have a clue what to expect of the water, so thanks for the detailed summary. Probably better to get in there early or late in the season to avoid the vegetation blooms.

Some day!

6 years ago i spent a nice weekend on rice lake.
great paddling, scenic wildlife, pelicans were awesome to watch.
my wife and i had returned a few years ago.
they put a hog confinement south of the lake.
the summer south breezes blow the foul smell in the direction or the lake and camping area.
it was very dissapointing.