We tent camped at Sibley State Park from August 31 through September 3, 2022, in drive-in campsite #91 of the Oak Ridge campground. It was a last minute trip for us, right before the Labor Day weekend. We had the non-electric loop all to ourselves from Wednesday through midday Friday, and then the campground was a non-stop hub of activity as more campers arrived for the holiday weekend.
The park has two campgrounds. Oak Ridge is mostly wooded with some prairie sites and is more private. Lakeview is very open without privacy between campsites, but it has some mature trees for shade and is close to the beach and picnic area.
The reservation website mostly does not include tent pad dimensions, so we took a chance on a site not knowing whether our 10x14 tent would fit. Luckily, it did. Site #91 was spacious and wooded on three sides. We walked both campgrounds to check for non-electric sites that would accommodate our tent. If you have a large tent, consider these campsites: Oak Ridge 77, 78, 81, 83, 84, 87, 88, 90, 91, 93, and 94; Lakeview 46, 66, and 70.
The park is beautiful. There are lots of trails, a very nice beach and picnic area, and lots of wildflowers. We saw a lot of wildlife, including deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, turkeys, song birds, butterflies, and frogs.
The high point in the park is Mt. Tom, and there is a trail to its peak. If you don’t want to do the hike, you can drive most of the way then walk a short, paved, moderately inclined path to the top. The view is lovely.
The biting bugs weren’t too bad during the day, but they were plentiful and aggressive in the evening. Remember your insect repellent!
