Schoolcraft State Park
Schoolcraft State Park is a state park in Cass County, Itasca County. It was established in 1959. 8 lakes with water-quality readings are within 15 miles of the park, including Leighton Lake, Vermillion Lake, Sugar Lake.
Schoolcraft State Park is a Minnesota State Park covering an unrecorded acreage acres. State parks are the most heavily-developed of the public-land designations — campground, picnic, boat-launch, interpretive-center. 8 measured lakes are within easy reach of the park. Sugar Lake has the lowest nutrient and algae readings of the set.
For visitors planning around water quality, the nearby-lakes list below is the practical tool: a park is only as good as the lake you intend to use it from, and the readings for that lake give you the clarity, nutrient, and algal-pressure context you need.
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Official Resources
Nearby Lakes (within 15 mi)
Lakes closest to Schoolcraft State Park, weighted by size. Click a lake for its water-quality readings, fish species, and depth.
| Lake | County | Surface Area | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leighton Lake | Itasca | 245 acres | 2.5 mi |
| Vermillion Lake | Cass | 410 acres | 4.5 mi |
| Sugar Lake | Cass | 699 acres | 5.3 mi |
| Rice Lake | Itasca | 863 acres | 6.1 mi |
| Siseebakwet Lake | Itasca | 1,210 acres | 7.3 mi |
| Blackwater Lake | Itasca | 601 acres | 6.6 mi |
| Pokegama Lake | Itasca | 6,721 acres | 10.7 mi |
| Bass Lake | Itasca | 2,715 acres | 9.8 mi |
Other Parks in the Area
- Hill Annex Mine State Park— State Park, 26.1 mi
- Scenic State Park— State Park, 36 mi
- Savanna Portage State Park— State Park, 40.4 mi
- McCarthy Beach State Park— State Park, 47.4 mi
Where to stay near Schoolcraft State Park
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Schoolcraft State Park — find a place to stay close to the park and its nearby lakes.
Top-rated places to stay near Schoolcraft State Park
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.