Cross Lake Recreation Area
Mississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake · Minnesota · 122 sites
Photos: Recreation.gov
Overview
Cross Lake Recreation Area is a US Army Corps of Engineers campground in Mississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake, Minnesota, with 122 sites. Very shady: nearly every site is under trees. T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T report coverage at every site.
120 of 122 sites shaded
0 of 122 sites in full sun
0 of 122 sites with clear sky
Map of the campground
Every site from the Recreation.gov listing. Choose a layer to see it across the campground; tap a site to open it in Roam.
Layers
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Questions
Which sites at Cross Lake Recreation Area are the shadiest?
Nearly all of them. 120 of 122 sites at Cross Lake Recreation Area have good shade from the trees, including from the hot afternoon sun.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Cross Lake Recreation Area get the most sun?
None are truly sunny; the sunniest still have trees over most of the site.
See the tree canopy in RoamWill Starlink work at Cross Lake Recreation Area?
Hard. No site has a fully clear gap; 2 have a partial one where Starlink may drop out. Satellite texting on a phone needs less open sky, but still works best from the most open spot you can find. This is our estimate from tree heights — check with the Starlink app's obstruction check when you arrive.
See the tree canopy in RoamWhich sites at Cross Lake Recreation Area are the most level?
34 of 122 sites are flat, and 41 more have a gentle slope most RVs can level with blocks; 47 are steeper, better for tents. Sites that take RVs or trailers fit rigs up to 80 ft.
See the slope at each site in RoamDoes Cross Lake Recreation Area have cell service?
Yes. T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T all report coverage at every site at Cross Lake Recreation Area. That's the coverage each carrier reports to the FCC, not a measured signal, so under trees or below a ridge it can be weaker.
See the coverage map in RoamWhat’s the weather like at Cross Lake Recreation Area in October?
In October, expect highs around 54°F and lows around 36°F, with about 2.7 inches of rain over the month and 1 inch of snow. Every month’s averages are in Roam Premium.
Open Cross Lake Recreation Area in RoamCampground facts
- Sites
- 122
- Kinds
- 116 for RVs or trailers · 6 tent-only
- Hookups
- 98 with electric
- Longest rig
- 80 ft
- Accessible
- 2 sites
- Elevation
- 1,230–1,248 ft
- Every site
- Campfires allowed · Check-in 1 PM, check-out 12 PM
- Managed by
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- Booking
- Reserve on Recreation.gov
How we know Sources and limits
Shade, sun and Starlink are our estimates from Meta and the World Resources Institute’s canopy-height model (about 2 m pixels, from satellite imagery calibrated with space lidar; CC BY 4.0). From 2 m above each site we trace 72 lines out to 60 m and note the tallest tree in each direction. Shade counts trees overhead, the canopy within 30 m and how much of the afternoon sky is blocked. Sun counts how open the southern sky is. Starlink needs open sky above 35°, with the northern half counted twice because US dishes tilt north, and we keep the best spot within 8 m of the site’s post. The model sees tree heights only, not trunks, buildings or hills, so check with the Starlink app when you arrive.
Slope is the ground at each site’s post over about 4 m, from USGS 3DEP 1 m lidar: level under 2%, gentle to 4% (most rigs level on blocks), sloped to 8% (fine for a tent), steep beyond.
Cell coverage is from the FCC Broadband Data Collection (carrier filings as downloaded May 2026): each site is tested against each carrier’s modelled outdoor 4G/5G coverage. It is what the carriers report, not a measured signal.
Weather is NOAA’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the campground. Sites and facts are from Recreation.gov’s open data (July 2026). Map imagery: USGS The National Map. Photos: Recreation.gov.
From the campground’s Recreation.gov listing: “The sizable campground has 122 campsites including 97 with electric hookups. Additional amenities include two accessible hot shower facilities, a boat ramp, playground, floating docks for boat parking, 2 picnic shelters, a dump station and accessible fishing piers. Cross Lake Recreation Area is nestled among tall pines on the eastern banks of Cross Lake on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. The area has tremendous appeal, with access to 13 natural lakes, 13,660 acres of water and 119 miles of scenic shoreline. The collection of lakes help form the Headwaters of the Mississippi River.”
Page data as of October 15, 2026. Full source notes are in each layer’s info in the app.