Warner Lake Park
1485 County Rd. 143
Clearwater, MN 55320
About the Park
Warner Lake County Park site is a 241 acre site surrounding the 30 surface acres of Warner Lake. Download the Summer Trail Map or the Winter Trail Map (both are Adobe Acrobat files).
For a precise hike or run, we have maps with 1-mile and 5-k routes:
Warner Walking and CC Ski trail map.pdf (2.64 MB pdf)
Warner 1-mile walking trail (2.64 MB pdf)
Warner 1-mile walking segment (2.65 MB pdf)
Warner 5-kilometer loop (2.66 MB pdf)
Warner 5-kilometer segment (2.65 MB pdf)
Warner trail distances labeled map.1 (2.31 MB pdf)
Warner trail distances labeled map.2 (2.36 MB pdf)
Warner trail distances labeled map.3 (2.60 MB pdf)
Key to labeled maps (130.2 KB pdf)
The initial establishment of this site occurred in 1973 when the Campfire Girls Inc. donated the 33 acres known as Camp Suima to Stearns County for public recreation purposes.
Reserve the Shelter
The park contains:
• A large open-air shelter
• Two small picnic shelters
• One campground shelter
• A group camp
• Eight tenths of a mile of year-round trail
• 300 feet of swimming beach,
• A boat launch
• Prairie restoration site
• Two-thirds of the park are forested with a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees.
Warner Lake Park also has a Nature Center available for rental. It's great for company picnics, graduations, youth events, birthdays, etc.
Hours
Warner Lake Park is open year round and is open 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Parking
Free parking is available in the parking lot inside the park
Shelters 
Warner Lake Open Air Shelter
Warner Lake Open-Air Shelter Facts:
• Open on three sides
• Enclosed counter area with electricity
• Seats 100 people comfortably
• Large grill near shelter
• Parking lot capacity 30 cars
Reserve this Shelter
Fees
• Friday - Sunday $60.00/per day when caretakers on duty.
• Monday - Thursday $55.00/per day when caretakers on duty.
• $50.00/day when no caretaker on duty.
• $.50 per person damage deposit.
• Full payment is needed when reserving the shelter.
There are also two small shelters at Warner Lake, available on a first come first-served basis, each with 1 large picnic table. No fee is charged for the use of the small shelters.
Warner Lake Nature Center
Reserve the Nature Center
Details about the Nature Center:
• Building capacity is approximately 120.
• The parking lot capacity is 35 cars.
• The meeting space has 20 six-foot folding tables and chairs available for your use.
• The building has ceiling fans (note: no air conditioning) and a wood stove.
• Across from the meeting space is a full kitchen.
• It is equipped with stove, refrigerator (no freezer), sink and counter space.
• At the front of the kitchen is a pass-through counter / additional workspace / serving area.
• Restrooms are next to the kitchen, near the entrance.
Fees:
• First four hours: $100.00 (minimum)
• Additional hours: $20.00 per hour
• 50% discount for certified non-profits.
• 50% surcharge for weddings.
• $.50 per person damage deposit.
• Full payment is necessary when reserving the shelter.
Nature Center Meeting Space
The Nature Center kitchen Nature Center view
Camping
Warner Lake offers group camping for bona fide youth groups and educational groups (e.g. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Church youth groups, 4-H Clubs, etc.) Advance notice is required, please contact the Park Office at 320-255-6172 for more information.
Westside Camp - 8 sites
Eastside Camp - 6 sites
Picnic Facilities
Warner Lake has one large and two small picnic shelters. See above for details. The park also has seven picnic areas, with tables and grills available for picnicking throughout the park.
Fishing
Fishing is allowed in Warner Lake. No gas motors allowed. Electric motors are allowed. You must have a valid fishing license to fish at Warner Lake. You may fish from the fishing dock in the park. Follow Minnesota DNR lake rules for fishing at Warner Lake Park. If you have questions, please contact the DNR website.
Skiing:
The 2012 Skl Patrol season is now over. THANKS to our voulunteers! If you would like to sign up for the 2012-2013 season, please check back in late October.
Cross-Country Skiing Facts
• Warner Lake County Park offers approximately 5 miles of Cross Country ski trails.
• It's groomed with double tracks. There is not much room for skaters.
• The trails traverse woodland and prairies as they circumnavigate the lake.
• The north hill loop adds challenge for expert skiers.
• The entire trail system is a wonderful area for families. There is a remote outhouse near the large shelter.
• There is no warming house.
• There are no lighted trails.
• No ski pass or parking permit required.
Directions
CR 75 (Roosevelt Road) from St. Cloud:
Travel to St. Augusta on Stearns County 75. When you come to Stearns County 7 continue south through St. Augusta to Stearns County 44. Travel approximately 2 miles to the intersection of CR 44 & CR 143, and veer left on CR 143. Travel 1-1/2 miles. Warner Lake County Park is located on right. Look for brown "County Park" signs.
I-94 (from Minneapolis/St. Paul):
Exit I-94 at Clearwater. Go right about 500 yards on MN 24. Take a left on County Road 75. Go about 1 mile. Take a left on County Road 143. Go about 1 1/3 miles. You will cross a bridge over I-94. The park is immediately on your left.