Hiking Club Trail

The Hiking Club Trail at Rice Lake State Park is a 2.4-mile-long loop that runs by Rice Lake, through a deciduous forest and through prairie habitat. The trail is mostly flat with mowed grass and packed dirt surfaces. A wide variety of birds and wildflowers can be seen along the trail. Parking for this hike can be found near the picnic shelter. There is a fee to enter the park; a day use or annual permit can be purchased at the park office. Dogs are allowed on the trail, but must be on a leash.

The trailhead for the Hiking Club Trail is located south of the picnic shelter near the lake. Look at the blue Hiking Club signs while taking this hike. Start this hike by heading east, the trail runs in the woods near Rice Lake for about a mile. After the trail moves away from the lake it enters prairie habitat for about a third of a mile. The trail enters the woods again; after another third of a mile, the trail crosses the entrance road to the park. The trail is a mix of woods and prairie as it heads to the boat launch. The remainder of the trail runs by the lake again ending at the trailhead.

The Minnesota State Park’s Hiking Club program encourages hikers to hike a designated Hiking Club Trail at most state parks. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. You can earn patches, free camping, and even a plaque (if you hike all of the Hiking Club trails) for participating in the club. A Hiking Club kit can be purchased at most state parks for $14.95 (as of 2023). More information about the program can be found here.

A map of the park and its hiking trails can be found here.