Banning RV Park and Campground, near Finlayson, Minnesota, is a solid choice for families and outdoor lovers looking for a comfortable camping experience. With a mix of tent sites, RV spots, and cozy cabins, there’s something for everyone, whether you’re rolling in with a big rig or pitching a tent.

The campground boasts clean facilities, including bathrooms and showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of exploring. Many campers have highlighted the friendly staff and the well-kept grounds, making it a welcoming spot to unwind. One happy camper noted, “The staff was extremely friendly and helpful,” which really adds to the overall vibe.

Just a stone's throw away is Banning State Park, perfect for hiking and enjoying the scenic beauty of the Kettle River. The campground also features a fantastic dog park, complete with agility equipment, so your furry friends can join in on the fun. Plus, with picnic tables and fire rings at each site, you can easily gather around for s'mores and stories under the stars. 

While some sites can be a bit uneven, the spaciousness and natural surroundings make it a great alternative to the busier state park. Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Banning RV Park and Campground offers a friendly atmosphere and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure.

Banning RV Park and Campground

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Finlayson. Finlayson is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Finlayson camping trip.

Finlayson

The Best Camping Near Finlayson, Minnesota

We discovered this campground while researching the area, it is fairly new and not only not reviewed on the Dyrt but not listed on it yet either. If you are planning to explore the Kettle River and Banning State Park nearby, this is a good alternative to camping within the State Park itself. With easy access to both the Twin Cities metro area and Duluth, with desireable whitewater paddling and rockclimbing both available in the area, Banning State Park campground fills quickly especially in summer and on weekends, and the Banning RV Park is an excellent backup alternative for overflow demand. And, actually, it may be your go-to option even if campsites at Banning are available, because this RV campground is located only½ mile from the Banning State Park entrance, and because it is at a higher elevation further from the river it is remarkably less buggy which Banning State Park can be in springtime or after recent rains. This campground is quite large, geared towards RVs and trailers but also has dozens of tent sites and is currently adding more! There are also several nice new camper cabins available. We stayed in site 297, a very large double tent site with soft grass for tenting, big shady trees, picnic table and fire ring, with possibility for water and electric hookup but we didn’t use it. We had two families with 3 tents and two vehicles, plus bought firewood(which was delivered in generous quantities) and the total price was$48, which would have been the cost of the two campsites we would have needed if camping at the nearby state park. We were located near the campground pavilion, which included picnic tables, family bathrooms with showers, playground, activity center with craft classes etc, and laundry room. Remarkably, in addition to playgrounds for children in different places around the campground, there was a huge dog walking and play area that was grassy and beautifully clean—and, of special interest, included a complete“dog playground” with all the standards elements of a dog agility course! Very cool—and an expense and effort most places wouldn’t go to. The campground itself was very clean and well landscaped and maintained, however the bathrooms do get heavy use and, though nicely cleaned a few times during the day, are in need of attention in the evening. The campers are mostly family oriented so the campground itself is very quiet in the evenings—however, it is not far from nearby Highway 35, so there is a fair amount of road noise despite a barrier of pines planted as a buffer. I was a bit concerned that folks camping there were not too concerned about covid precautions, no one was wearing masks even when participating at close range to others during some of the campgrounds organized group activities, and there was lotion soap but no hand sanitizer in the bathrooms. You may want to bring your own. Overall, nicely maintained, reasonably priced, conveniently located, and less buggy than the nearby state park! We would camp here again if returning to the area.

Alternative to Banning State Park

This was our first time out, we stayed with our RV and really enjoyed this place. The staff was great and willing to help with any questions or concerns we as rookies had! They have pull through sites that made our first time that much easier. Great people, nice lots, and we absolutely loved the dog park. It was not just some small dog area it was top of the line dog park, we are going back again for our 2nd visit. Loved it! Close to stores and town but surrounded by enough of the outdoors to feel secluded. Would highly recommend this campground. 

First timer 

We decided to come back for a 2nd visit and our 1st visit was great but this time was even better! We love this campground, our spot was spacious and had plenty of room to enjoy, people are great and very nice here, staff helpful as always, very relaxed place! Can’t say enough about the awesome pet park, also has nice walking trails, stores nearby, honestly just a great place to camp!

2nd visit 

Our stay was okay. Office and store was clean and well cared for. Check in was smooth and we were shown to our sites. We were spending the weekend with friends and the campground was very accommodating.

Campground was very dark in the area of campsites which made setting up a bit difficult. Our sites were grass that was a little long and rutted from what seemed from previous tenants. This made getting leveling a little difficult and out fold out stairs touched the ground before fully being deployed. After leveling in the dark we began searching for our full hookups. Found the sewer in the tall grass and electric , but the water supply was no where to be seen. Gave the office a call and they were prompt to respond.

We were quick to learn that water hookups were shared with other sites and required “y” connections at the spigots. Our host(s) were prepared with the connectors in hand but seemed a bit surprised that we might need them and we were a bit confused that they didn’t mention this to us when reached out sites.

Then we all collectively began searching for our water source. Ours source ended up being 75’ plus from our RV. Thankfully I just happened to be carrying the extra hose for several years but never had to use it before. It was a little uncomfortable to turn off someone’s water supply, unhook their hose and place the “y” adaptor in line so both of out rigs could be hooked up to the water spigot. Because of the distance our hoses were run over by four wheels and side by sides. The campground host also seemed to be a bit uncomfortable too and really didn’t want to be the ones to do it. 

After we were setup our stay was good.

Great proximity to Banning State Park. Enjoyed a great day of hiking around this state park and enjoying the water and ruins of old buildings.

We would stay here again for a quick get away from the Twin Cites but would want to arrive before it gets dark a d bring a lot of hose. 

Mixed experience

Got exactly what we were looking for, a quiet wooded site.

Very versatile 

Our site was a fairly level pull through, full hook up site. The office had a camp store inside of it. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The bathrooms were very clean. The fenced in dog park was a big bonus for our pup. The grounds hosted outdoor games and volleyball/basketball courts. Would stay again. 

5 Stars

Office staff and store were clean when we came through in the summer months. It is a mixed bag of tricks here as the sites can be level and some others are not at all. All and all it is a great place. Nice people and super helpful. Great alternative if the state park is full. 

Good family campground

We spent a long weekend here. The sites seemed to vary a lot. We had picked a specific site but when we got there were told that we were in another spot. It was difficult to see where we should actually park on the site. The water hookup was so far away that I needed to buy another hose to reach it. The bathrooms weren't kept up well but were ok. Banning State Park is really close and is very nice. We also drove up to Duluth on two of the days.

Photos of Banning RV Park and Campground

Real photos from real campers