Pine Ridge Campground, near Itasca State Park, Minnesota, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying some modern comforts. With sites that are spacious and shaded, it’s perfect for setting up camp and unwinding after a day of adventure.

The campground boasts clean restroom and shower facilities, which visitors appreciate after a long day of hiking or biking on the park's extensive trails. Many campers have highlighted the friendly atmosphere, noting that it’s a great place for families and pets alike. One visitor mentioned, “Great ambiance and real friendly people, dog friendly too.”

For outdoor enthusiasts, the nearby trails lead to the headwaters of the Mississippi River, offering stunning views and plenty of opportunities for exploration. Whether you’re hiking, biking, or just soaking in the scenery, there’s no shortage of activities to keep you busy. Plus, the park is known for its beautiful fall colors, making it a picturesque destination year-round.

While weekends can get a bit lively with families and kids, the weekdays offer a quieter experience, allowing you to truly connect with nature. Pine Ridge Campground is a solid choice for anyone looking to enjoy the great outdoors while still having access to essential amenities.

Open May 6 - November 14, 2023. Select campsites open year-round  
**Arrive prepared.** Go to mndnr.gov/itasca for important visitor alerts and season updates.

Pine Ridge Campground — Itasca State Park

Laporte is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Laporte is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Discover great camping spots near Laporte, reviewed by campers like you.

Laporte

The Best Camping Near Laporte, Minnesota

Itasca State Park offers campgrounds that will give the full outdoor wilderness experience, away from the sounds of cities and cars. It's a wonderful place for hiking,biking, and water activities. Equipment you need for such activities can be rented within the park (canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, bikes). We've been to Itasca State Park multiple times, and it is wonderful for camping from late spring through early fall.

There seems to be an endless amount of hiking trails to choose from, which bring you to into the woods and to various lakes and ponds.

Camp sites are affordable (as low as $15), and you have options from modern sites (e.g., with electrical outlets and shower access) to remote hike-in sites. Standard sites come with fire pits and picnic tables.

Lake Itasca is the headwaters of the entire Mississippi River. Here the river is shallow and narrow enough that you can simply wade across it.

Camp at the Headwaters of the Mississippi River

Beautiful state park! Three separate drive-in style campgrounds. Here you can wade across the very beginning of the Mississippi River.

The beginning of the Mighty Mississippi River 

This was our second visit to Itasca State Park. We have camped in both the tent campsites and the electric ones. We again rented a pontoon boat and drove around the lake which is very beautiful. They offer dog friendly rentals which is right up our alley. They also have a wonderful gift shop at the visitor center with lots of great finds. The headwaters, although usually somewhat crowded, are always fun to visit and just a short walk from the parking lot. This is a very popular state park so book a year in advance whenever possible.

One of the Best State Parks in Minnesota

We were unlucky with our weather and it rained on us the entire time. But we have heard great things and can't wait to come back on a sunnier day!

Rainy Weather

Visited in July of 2017\. Not too crowded or noisy. Rented a canoe for a little paddle.

Awesome place

We were RV camping here, sites were nice sized, bathrooms and showers handy. There is a lot to do- ck out the Mississippi headwaters, the Douglas Lodge, with restaurant. The visitor center has a small historical/wildlife display and you can borrow binoculars to better see the wildlife that abounds. Nice biking trails, hiking. The lake is great for fishing and you can rent canoes/kayaks. There is also a boat tour of the lake with an excellent guide.

Last of the MN old growth forest 

Great fishing. You can rent boats, pontoons, kayaks, paddle boards and bikes for Itasca Sports. There’s a big paddle boat/ferry you can ride on. Great restaurant. Gift shop. Bike trails. Beautiful swimming beach. Nice playground. Walk across the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

Great bike trails

Our fam lives in Clearbrook and we always take a day trip to Itasca when we are up visiting. Great lake tour. Didn’t see any moose, though! 

love it  

Three different people recommended Lake Itasca so I made my way here. It’s the start of the mighty Mississippi with a large natural area surrounding it. There are even a pack of wolves getting started here. Bring your bicycle or your boat or just enjoy the hiking. 

Campground review: 

I showed up without a reservation and was limited in my selection. I went with the rangers suggestions and found myself in a central location. I stayed at pine ridge but there is bear paw campground, cabins or the lodge. Plenty of choice. They do suggest reserving a spot during peak times such as weekends. Sunday night arrival was perfect and I ended up near the shower house (maybe too close for my dog). The sites on the outside of the loops are more private but watch out for the poison ivy. 

The shower and restroom were older but well kept. Love the water pressure! The garbage/recycling areas are convenient. It’s a large park so expect to drive to destinations if you don’t bring your bike. This was a crowded time in the campground but we found our own space in the park. There is plenty of space to spread out. 

Insider tips: I wish I brought my bike. The paved bike path is beautiful and you can continue around Wilderness Drive. We were all alone at the headwaters by getting there between 9 and 10 am. You can rent a canoe or take a boat tour. 

This turned out to be an ok place to visit. There are a lot of people and it stressed out my dog. She calmed down once people left on Monday morning.

A popular destination with many available activities

Visited Itasca State Park in July 2016\. It was an awesome trip, despite our 3yo getting sick and having to go to Park Rapids for Urgent Care.

We camped with three other families at Pine Ridge Campground and had sites next to one another. It was awesome to be just a path away from our friends. There were eight adults and nine kids age 1.5-6 and there was so much to do, despite the young age of the kids. We hiked to the Fire Tower, with several of the group making the climb to the top. The park was a lovely setting for afternoon drives to catch a nap. The beach was crowded, but a lot of fun. We attempted fishing for the first time and played at the playgrounds. One of our favorite activities was visiting the Headwaters of the Mississippi and walking across the "river" on the rocks.

Sites were nice and large, as two of our four had the REI Kingdom 8 tent. Our site had a large screened canopy.

We haven't been back yet, but it's definitely on the list of campsites we would revisit. Just trying to get to all the MN State Parks first!

Great park with awesome activities

Campground is not private. Shower houses close by. We had raccoon visitors both nights. Took advantage of the bike trail as a means of travel. Lots of opportunity for foraging.

Large park with lots to do for families

Itasca State Park is a jewel in the state park system of Minnesota, and the park’s Pine Ridge campground is where hordes and crowds of visitors stay when visiting it in summer. The park is very quiet and lightly used in winter, but wow, its the best time of year! The paths to famous spots like the headwaters of the Mississippi River and the visitor centers are plowed and maintained, and there are myriad groomed trails from cross country skiing and snow shoeing. A lot of people go ice fishing too. There is not a big demand for camping so mist if the campsites are closed, but Pine Ridge does maintain a selection of campsites with hookups for those who do want to venture forth. The campground bath houses are closed for the winter and water is shut off, but you can car camp and rv with hookups if you want, or tent camp if you know how to do so comfortably in winter and dint mind using outhouses in the campground. There is running water and regular bathrooms at the main visitor’s center so that is an option, but several miles drive from the winter campsites. So, bottom line, come prepared with all your own supplies, and make sure you know how to stay warm if car or tent camping. A winter visit to the park is well worth it! 

Winter camping at Itasca? Why not! 

We wanted to get a jumpstart on the 2019 camping season so we booked a backpacking site (Friday) and two sites here (Saturday) for the first weekend in May. In hindsight, it may have been a bit ambitious as temperatures dropped to the low 30s at night - but hey, it was retrospective fun!

Our sites, E119 and E120, were pretty standard as far as drive-in sites go, and perhaps a bit expensive ($25). That said, after backpacking the previous night, it was nice to be able to charge our electronic devices. Each site has its own picnic table and fire ring, and ample room to place a tent (or two!). If you're camping outside shoulder season, make sure you stock up on firewood as most of the local convenience stores don't seem to have it in stock. Overall, solid spot - but nothing overtly special.

Lone Tents in a Sea of Campers [May 2019]

For a State Park, this campground within Itasca State Park is nice and clean in the area that we were in. Farther to the back of this campground, it is heavily wooded with small lots and no electricity. Overall I would stay here again, but would remember that it is not really Big Rig friendly due to the tree branches hanging down and into the road. So it means slow travel and alot of dodging tree branches. This campground does not have a dump station which means that you have to go to the Bear Paw Campground to fill up and empty. 

Nice Campground 

- This is the headwaters of the Mississippi, which is a neat experience. 
- Itasca Rentals is here. This is a great option for pontoon, kayak, canoe, SUP, bike, and child/ pet carrier rentals. 
- TONS of hiking throughout the massive park. 
- The wilderness drive is very scenic.
-  Some k the best hiking included: preacher’s grove and the fire tower
- This would be a great location to host an event such as a family reunion, because there is something for everyone. 
- Very nice playgrounds for the kids.

Can’t skip the Headwaters

Decent car camping location.  Offers large hiking area and fishing opportunitys. Can check out the beginning of the Mississippi river which is pretty cool.  Campsites are right on top of each other.  Good for a night or two.

Itasca campground

Albeit it wasn’t the easiest place to navigate at times, it’s an amazing location. Great hiking, swimming, lots to do &amp; see. Nice clean park. 10/10 would recommend. 

Get lost in the woods. 

This is a very large park that is super interesting to visit and the campground was a very nice place to spend a few nights while we were in the area.  The bathrooms were clean and the campsite was in a nice location right across from the shower house/bathrooms.

Nice Campground - Fun Park to Visit

I lucked out.  I was wanting to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi it was getting late in the day and I didn't have a reservation.  Lucky for me they had one site left with no electricity which was perfect.  I was near the bathrooms and shower house, both very clean.  Campsites are close together, but wooded making for a little privacy.  Overall Itasca State Park is very nice with lots of trails and a scenic drive.

Nice, But Crowded

The campground is massive with hundred of people, but it’s possible to get a more private site in the furthest loop- poplar. Ours wasn’t too private and we were surrounded by families with small kids. But the staff park has plenty to do and is well-worth a visit! 

A small city

A campground away from it all.  The sites clean and well maintained.  Showers and restrooms were sufficient and clean.  It was extremely quiet with heavy wooded areas.  All of the sites felt secluded from each other and you really got the outdoor feeling.  

Fun in the great outdoors

A big park with lots of campsites and plenty of campers.  Most of the day visitors congregate in a few areas and, by late afternoon, it's not difficult to find some quiet spaces.
While you are camping in the woods, you are always aware that you are sharing the space with many other campers.  Your enjoyment will depend upon your patience and tolerance of what your fellow campers feel is "camping".

Minnesota's Headwaters Park

Itasca is a beautiful park. Gorgeous scenery to enjoy. We saw lots of deer within the park. We loved our stay at the Pine Ridge Campground. We were close to drinking water and the very well maintained modern showers/toilets. There are other campsites within the park that are more rustic if that is what you’re looking for. We will definitely be back!

Wonderful Visit

There are a lot of things to do/see here. Headwaters, fish on lake itaska miles and miles of hiking/biking trails. Now the camping its really nice on weekdays and its ok on weekends but weekends have more kids and noise as expected. The major downfall was the FLIES they were insane there were so many one day we had to go inside just to get away. So plan on some fly deterrent method. This trip tought us we need it.

Nice place busy 

Great campground,  clean restroom and shower house, clean spacious and shady sites

Great

This place is all around a nice place to camp and lots to see and do I’ll be back

First time here

Why don’t they water or oil the roads. Dust is thick in the air. All over everything. Our black pickup is white.  ￼￼
Only one dump station for Bear Paw and PineRidge. 
We won’t be back. ￼

Dust dust dust

This was a great campground. We stayed in site 77e, this was semi wooded. The bathrooms and water spigot were near the campsite. There are a lot of great hiking and walking trails. The walking trail from the campground will bring you to the headwaters. 

Great park with lots for hiking

Nice level site, clean bathroom/shower facilities, park is beautiful!

Beautiful scenic drive!

We were on the main part of the loop with more traffic and  no barrier to the dusty road.  Less wind made the next day better but I’d recommend being further in. Great ambiance and real friendly people, dog friendly too. We were here when fall colors peaked, beautiful! 

Great getaway in a beautiful park with amazing bike trails and hiking .

Large open campsite with some great tree cover. Lots of campers, but plenty of access to clean showers and bathrooms. Our kids have loved the bike trails, 2 playgrounds, the beach, and ice cream at the Headwaters! 

Great state park

We camped at Site 171 in the Pine Ridge Maple Loop. While the site was decent in size, it was right along the main road, so there was quite a bit of car and foot traffic—we didn’t feel as secluded as we’d hoped. Site 167 seemed to be the most private in the Maple Loop, though it looked like it might be a little close to the trash area and pit toilet.

Overall, Maple Loop seemed to cater more to RVs, so it wasn’t our favorite for a tent camping experience. The bathroom was about 500 feet from our site and felt like the perfect walking distance—not too far, not too close.

What really stood out at Itasca was everything there was to do: canoe rentals (dog-friendly!), bike and boat rentals, and plenty of other activities to fill your day. 

If we return, we’d aim to book Bear Paw #61 or try one of the nearby walk-in sites for more privacy. Poplar Ridge would be our next choice, followed by Maple Loop #167. If going with a group, the Bear Paw sites in the 30s and 60s are great options since some looked to be more connected to make group camping easier.

Maple Loop 171

We like the Pine Ridge Campgrounds because of how dense the trees are between campsites compared to Bear Paw Campgrounds. There is also less traffic going on. The only downside is a further walk to showers/bathrooms. 


Photos of Pine Ridge Campground — Itasca State Park

Real photos from real campers