Open year-round, Rye Patch State Recreation Area is situated on a 22-mile long reservoir that has 72 miles of shoreline and 11,000 acres of water surface when full. Visitors enjoy camping, picnicking, swimming and water-skiing, and fisherman delight in the available white bass, catfish, black bass and walleye. Trails around and throughout the park make it easy to enjoy the waterfowl and wildlife that abound, including hawks, eagles, owls, great egrets, antelope, deer and fox. The park also serves as a popular base camp for off-road vehicles, ghost town exploration and gold prospecting.
The river campground below Rye Patch Dam has 22 units, a restroom with flush toilets and hot showers. The campground on the reservoir's west side has 25 units, a restroom with flush toilets and hot showers. A sanitary dump station with potable water is located on the dam's west side. A camping limit of 14 days in a 30-day period is enforced.