Sandy Lake

Photo · USACE St. Paul District

Not publishedStatus

ReservableAccess

61Sites

92 ftMax rig

The place

The Sandy Lake Dam and Recreation Area is situated at the outlet of Big Sandy Lake in northern Minnesota, 13 miles north of McGregor, MN. The dam is a part of the Mississippi Headwaters Project, one of the first reservoir systems in the country, and the Sandy Lake Dam structure dates back to 1895. Today the grounds have been developed into a park and campground that is noted for its clean, family-friendly environment and access to fishing and boating on both the lake and nearby Mississippi River. It offers the only public campground and beach on Big Sandy Lake. Keep reading

The area is also a part of the historic canoe route that connected the Mississippi River to Lake Superior and major fur trading companies. Artifacts from the area's long history are kept in a small museum located near the dam. Recreation Sandy Lake offers many recreational opportunities including camping, boating, swimming, picnicking, birding and hiking. Anglers enjoy fishing the lake and river for Northern pike, walleye, small mouth bass, bluegill, crappie and even catfish. Playgrounds are located on both sides of the dam and are located near the beach and visitor museum areas. The old lock house has been converted into a free small museum containing historical artifacts from the area. Educational programs are offered seasonally and are open to the public. Facilities This recreation area and campground offers a variety of facilities with water access to Big Sandy Lake and the Sandy & Mississippi rivers. The campground features 43 single family sites, five double family sites and two group sites - all with electric hookups. Eight primitive walk-to tent sites (four of which have electrical hookups), a camper cabin with bunk beds and a day-use group picnic shelter are also available. The campground is divided by the Sandy Lake Dam into a north and south side, each with separate vehicle access roads. Only pedestrian traffic is permitted across the dam. Amenities include flush and vault restrooms, showers, drinking water, laundry facilities and a dump station. Day use facilities are intertwined within the campground and contain two lake boat ramps, one river boat ramp, docks, a fishing pier, beach, playgrounds and a short hiking trail. NOTE: Campsites 1-21, tent sites 1-4, and the south group campsite are accessed via the “South Entrance”. Campsites 22-49, tent sites 5-8, the north group campsite, and the camper cabin can be accessed via the “North Entrance”. Natural Features Big Sandy Lake is a reservoir that was created in the late nineteenth century from the waters of a naturally exisiting lake and the Sandy River. A forest of mixed hardwoods and towering red and white pine covers the area. An abundance of wildlife can be found including bald eagles, white-tail deer, black bears, chipmunks, loons, mink, river otters and many others. Wild rice is harvested from the lake seasonally and wild berries are occasionally found. Nearby Attractions Nearby attractions include golf courses, shopping and dining venues, Savannah Portage State Park, Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and many acres of state and county forest land.

SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23

The sites · 61

Loop	Site	Type	Max rig	Electric	ADA
NPOI	22	standard electric	49 ft	50
NPOI	23	standard electric	47 ft	50
NPOI	24	standard electric	52 ft	50
NPOI	25	standard electric	37 ft	50
NPOI	26	standard electric	56 ft	50
NPOI	27	standard electric	48 ft	50
NPOI	28	standard electric	53 ft	50
NPOI	29	standard electric	58 ft	50
NPOI	30	standard electric	72 ft	50
NPOI	31	standard electric	42 ft	50
NPOI	32	standard electric	75 ft	50
NPOI	33	standard electric	66 ft	50
NPOI	34	standard electric	80 ft	50
NPOI	35	standard electric	39 ft	50
NPOI	36	standard electric	40 ft	50
NPOI	37	standard electric	76 ft	50
NPOI	38	standard electric	60 ft	50
NPOI	39	standard electric	68 ft	50
NPOI	40	standard electric	30 ft	50
NPOI	41	standard electric	54 ft	50
NPOI	42	standard electric	73 ft	50
NPOI	43	standard electric	61 ft	50
NPOI	44	standard electric	52 ft	50
NPOI	45	standard electric	72 ft	50
NPOI	46	standard electric	54 ft	50
NPOI	47	standard electric	65 ft	50
NPOI	48	standard electric	45 ft	50
NPOI	49	standard electric	69 ft	50
NPOI	Camper Cabin	cabin electric	—	30	yes
NPOI	N-GROU	group standard electric	92 ft	50
NPOI	Tent 5	walk to	—	—
NPOI	Tent 6	walk to	—	—
NPOI	Tent 7	walk to	—	—
NPOI	Tent 8	walk to	—	—
SPOI	01	standard electric	52 ft	20/30/50
SPOI	02	standard electric	44 ft	50
SPOI	03	standard electric	40 ft	50
SPOI	04	standard electric	31 ft	50
SPOI	05	standard electric	35 ft	50
SPOI	06	standard electric	32 ft	50
SPOI	07	standard electric	27 ft	50
SPOI	08	standard electric	24 ft	50
SPOI	09	standard electric	19 ft	50
SPOI	10	standard electric	25 ft	50
SPOI	11	standard electric	27 ft	50
SPOI	12	standard electric	33 ft	50
SPOI	13	standard electric	35 ft	50
SPOI	14	standard electric	41 ft	50	yes
SPOI	15	standard electric	56 ft	50
SPOI	16	standard electric	60 ft	50
SPOI	17	standard electric	60 ft	50
SPOI	18	standard electric	58 ft	50
SPOI	19	standard electric	58 ft	50
SPOI	20	standard electric	47 ft	50
SPOI	21	standard electric	40 ft	50
SPOI	S-GROU	group standard electric	78 ft	50
SPOI	Tent 1	walk to	—	15
SPOI	Tent 2	walk to	—	15
SPOI	Tent 3	walk to	—	15
SPOI	Tent 4	walk to	—	15

SHOWING 60 OF 61 SITES

SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23

Booking

183 daysBooking window before arrival

Recreation.gov default: most campsites can be booked six months prior to arrival date. Most campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT / 8am MT / 10am ET, but not always; check the facility Seasons and Fees tab. Some locations also offer shorter supplemental booking windows.

Book on recreation.gov

SRC · Rules verified against recreation.gov · 2026-08-24

Your representative

This campground sits in MN-08. This member’s public-lands record →

SRC · U.S. Census TIGER · MTJP Scorecard