Ann Lake

Very quiet campground, with large peaceful, rustic sites. We stopped for one night while traveling through Minneapolis area. Found several open sites on Saturday, first weekend in June. The road into the campground was a bit bumpy, take it slow it was only about 0.75 miles.

So beautiful and spacious

We were able to find a spot for our 26ft Class C. The sites are very large, good for tenting. Nice shady spots. The road is gravel and dirt with wear and tear, which might make it difficult for large motorhomes. We were pleased for our overnight stop.

Lake Ann Campground, located in the Sand Dunes State Forest north of Big Lake, MN is great for a weekend getaway with the family or a solo walk in trip. There are RV sites, tent sites, handicap accessible, walk in sites and group sites. Camping here is primitive with few amenities you get a fire ring and a picnic table, its great camping too be one with nature. There are several water spickets located around the campground along with outhouse type restrooms. There are no hookups or electric. Camping is on a first come first serve basis and you register at the kiosk located at the front of the campground acrid from the camp host site. There are several trails and Amaya something to do.

Ann Lake State Forest campground is very nice. The roads getting in our rough and the road within the campground is rougher. A lot of branches and potholes in this wavy road to the campsites. I drove around twice to find a site that I could back into. I have a class a 30 foot motorhome. Once back in though, it was a wonderful and cozy forest wrapped around my campsite. All the sites are hidden from each other quite well except from direct road access. There is one site with full sun if you have solar panels. The rest are heavily wooded.

This is a great place! During the week you can almost have the place to yourself. No problem picking a site where your dog will be content. Sherburne Wildlife Preserve is right there.

We went on a Monday so there was Just a few others. It was very peaceful. The lot we picked was big and on a hill. It was very clean and well maintained. We picked this spot as we had dogs with and liked that there was a row of trees where we could tie them away from the fire . Would be a GREAT lot for multiple hammocks. 

One of the few places near the cities that you can camp dispersed! Lots of wildlife, right next to the wildlife nature sanctuary preserve!

I've been camping here since I was a little kid. My family used to host large family camping trips here. Lots of close camp sites for larger groups near the entrance. The further back you go on the road, the more spread out sites get. There are a few walk-in sites that I absolutely love. Show up early on weekends if you want one of the better spots. Pluses: The trails are a lot of fun.. lots to see. The outhouses are kept up well and pump water road side. Minuses: People leave their camps a mess a lot of the time. I usually spend the first hour cleaning up. TONS of poison ivy. Sand fleas.

I still get up once a year, early summer.

We arrived at 2pm on a mid-October Friday afternoon and were shocked to find just two open spots. Our spot was along the side road that cuts through the campground so not on the main loop which I think led to there being fewer cars. Overall, there weren't too many spots that I thought looked amazing, but none of them looked bad either. It felt a little rundown, even by state forest standards, but for us that was fine. The road into the park and within the campground is awful, so especially if you're in an RV or towing a trailer, be prepared to move very slowly. But we had a nice two days, went to the lake/beach area which was maybe a 15-30 minute hike away, and also hiked on the other trails a bit. We have a 3 and 1 year old, so didn't make it far :) I don't know that I feel a need to return to this place, but I was happy with our experience.

I’ve cano d here two or three times. Always in the fall for an overnight solitude retreat. It’s a basic state forest campground. No modern bathrooms Just put toilets and water hydrants. It’s always been fairly quiet when I’m there. But that could be different in the summer. There’s a lake and plenty of hiking trails through the forest.

Took my son on his first overnight camp outside of backyard. During the week so not as many people and not busy at all. Plenty of sites to choose from and the sites have a decent separation between them. You need a state parks pass to stay here plus the overnight fee. 15.00 a night is worth it for the size of your site and room to enjoy. Sites close to water or deep in the woods, sites for hammocks and group sites can be reserved. just about everything you need.

Spacious peaceful campsites in a wooded area near lake Ann. No elect or showers. Vault toilets. Drinking water was not available when we were there

Went on a busy summer weekend. Beautiful rustic campsites but even sites that you can’t drive directly up to were still too close to all of the RVers with loud generators.

Reserved the group campsite and had no regrets about the weekend. My only wish was easier water access. To get to the beach was a decent trek but nothing that's impossible. Fairly worn path that winds through the woods. Had a few hikers wander through our campsite but nothing that was extremely annoying. Would definitely reserve again for a large group of campers again.

Pros: Wonderful State Park. Great beach access, easy to find. Multiple group sites. Lots of trees great for hammock camping. Neighbors were quiet. Great biking around the grounds for youth.

Cons: We arrived after sundown and in the morning, we realized we wouldnt have picked the site if we would have seen all the problems with it. Broken glass under picnic table, grill on fire pit was broken, one half of the bench is about to give way. Also, toilets were yucky. Bring baby wipes and hand sanitizer!

That being said, I would assume not all sites are like that. Just give it a good look before you setup! We were at Site 30.

Have stayed at this campground numerous times and will stay again. Love that it's only an hour from the metro area! Very rustic campground, clean facilities, and water spigots throughout. Really enjoy how quiet it is!

This is a great little rustic campground within an hour's drive of the Twin Cities! It has several potable water sources throughout the campground, but no running water for toilets or showers. There are several vault toilets. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. You can buy firewood & ice at the Sand Dunes Stop gas station, just a 10 minutes drive away.

This is a first-come, first-served campground, so no reservations required. This does mean that there is a chance you won't be able to get a site, but I've only had that happen one time when I got there at 6pm on a Saturday. There are usually sites available.

I love going to this campground - it's family friendly, and there is a swimming beach a quick 3 minute drive away! The hiking trails aren't half bad, either! I love coming here to relax for a weekend, spend some time at the beach, and just enjoy nature. If you go in the early to mid summer, you'll also hear local whip-poor-wills serenade you to sleep.

Overall, 4 stars. The only downsides are no running water and no ice & firewood at the campground itself.

This campground is on a first come, first serve basis. There are no reservations for the regular sites (although I do think they might take reservations for the equestrian and group sites).

I highly recommend the walk-in-sites for the most private tent camping experience. The walk from the car isn’t far, but the sites are off the road and in the pines. If you like to have your car at your site, you’ll find some sites with nice long driveways that can accommodate multiple cars, or even a truck with a boat/trailer. The beach is nice and private, but it’s a bit of a hike from the campsites. I’d recommend just hopping in the car and driving over if you’ve got young kids with you.

There is no store or firewood sold at the campground, so you’ll have to haul your own in from an approved vendor.

The campground is great, and in a beautiful area. However there is a ton of trash throughout the forest. Also a large amount of poison ivy, which I dont mind as much as I did the trash