Best Cabin Camping near Alden, MN

This is a rustic state park with limited amenities. There are no water or electric hook ups. However clean water is available in the park. The park does have flush toilets and showers. We found these to be in good condition and clean. The showers had warm water. The water stream is on a timer and so are the lights. The shower stalls are Individual stalls. The interior roads are dirt roads with a few potholes they are very narrow. The camping sites are nice sized and relatively private. There is a gravel pad on each site and some have a tent pad. Each site had a picnic table and a fire ring. There are plenty of walking and biking trails and there are walk-in tent camp sites. However, you cannot see the lake from the campground and there is no access to the lake from the campground. We were able to drive through the campground with our 40 foot fifth wheel. But just barely, be careful! 

Sites are approximately 2 miles from parking and the hike it relatively easy with minimal elevation change. You have a choice between a grassy walk or walking mainly on tar and gravel as part of the Blazing Star Trail. They are also accessible by boat.

There are 4 backpacking sites and they are well-spaced so you each have privacy. #3 and #4 are close enough that you could be in a group together but #1 and #2 are pretty isolated. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, wood cabinet/fish cleaning table, at least 1 flat spot for a tent, and a nearby porta potty.

Views of the lake are amazing with a variety of birds making appearances. Harvesting season may bring some farm sounds but otherwise, aside from the occasional train, you'll mainly hear the sounds of nature around you.

If you can make the walk carrying everything, including water, on your back, definitely check out one of these sites.

Minneopa Campground, you’re that poetic hideaway where “water falls twice” and bison roam under the open sky. As a forward‑thinking canine behaviorist and groomer 🌿, I appreciate spaces that embrace nature, community, and a dash of wilderness therapy—for both humans and pups!

⸻

🌲 My Lyrical Dyrt-Style Review

🌟 Overall Mood: 4 / 5 – Rustic charm meets “nature unplugged” luxury ✨ Highlights: • Falls & Forks: A quick half‑mile hike delivers two majestic falls — upper falls tumble a few feet & the lower cascades 40–50 ft into a silent, lush gorge  • Bison Drive: Herds of ~20–40 bison grace the 330‑acre enclosure, accessible via a scenic auto‐drive; brings pure awe from safety of your car  • Camp Setup: 61 wooded campsites (6 with electric hookups), plus 4 group sites and 1 cabin. Non‑electric loops are shaded, rustic, and super private  • Amenities: Drinking water, flush toilets, hot showers (May–Oct), dump station, fire rings & picnic tables  • Wildlife & Trails: Abundant birdlife (213 species!), deer, coyotes, beaver; 4.5 mi of hiking, plus a short falls loop ()

🦟 Minor Caveats: • Mosquitoes and flies can be intense—especially near campground loops after rainfall  • A‑loop sites tucked by a railway cliff; trains rumble at night—not everyone’s quiet retreat ()

⸻

🐾 Humorous & Humble Take • For the pups: Ace and canine clients will love splashing below the falls—just watch for slick rocks and curious beavers joining the party. • Pro tip: Request a B-loop or non-electric site far from the rails—to avoid midnight freight jams and embrace that hammock zen. • Camp vibe: Quirky woodland privacy with rustic charisma—like a corporate retreat, minus the Wi‑Fi.

⸻

🏷️ Hashtags & Emojis

#MinneopaMagic #WaterFallsTwice #BisonBrigade #CampLife #DogFriendly #NatureUnplugged #FallsAndFur #RusticRetreat 🏕️ #TrainTracks 🎧 #BugSprayEssential 🦟

⸻

Final Thoughts: Minneopa is a beautifully raw blend of waterfalls, wildlife, and woodland camp experience—with just the right dash of quirky (trains, bugs, and bison included). It’s a forward‑thinking wilderness escape perfect for unplugging, recharging, and teaching dogs that even nature has its own “social hierarchy.”

Pack the bug spray, grab the pup, and prepare for poetic nights by the fire—this campground is a metaphor in moss.

Final Thoughts: Minneopa is a beautifully raw blend of waterfalls, wildlife, and woodland camp experience—with just the right dash of quirky (trains, bugs, and bison included). It’s a forward‑thinking wilderness escape perfect for unplugging, recharging, and teaching dogs that even nature has its own “social hierarchy.”

Pack the bug spray, grab the pup, and prepare for poetic nights by the fire—this campground is a metaphor in moss.

#MinneopaMagic #WaterFallsTwice #BisonBrigade #CampLife #DogFriendly #NatureUnplugged #FallsAndFur #RusticRetreat 🏕️ #TrainTracks 🎧 #BugSprayEssential 🦟

We visited Minneopa state park because a) I love hiking b) I’m trying to get as much state park time in before the summer hordes descend and c) my back is dying from working at home out of a dining room chair so I preordered an office chair for curbside pickup at an office store which is on the way home from this park. 

Minneopa is a unique state park. A River Runs Through it. So does a train(choo chooo). And a neighborhood(kind of). If you have never visited the park before you need to decide what you are going to prioritize first because all of a sudden there are two different park road signs pointing you to either turn left or right depending on what you want to do. 

One direction is the waterfall part. It is a nice waterfall. The parking lot is right by the waterfall- so it is very accessible for people who are unable to hike to a lot of waterfalls. However, because the parking lot is RIGHT THERE it isn’t the most rewarding waterfall that I’ve been to, it’s kind of like a less impressive Minnehaha. On this trip we didn’t visit the waterfall because it’s plague time and I figured that it might be busy. Tip: On the weekends get to state parks as early as possible during social distancing time! Most people don’t roll out of bed at 6 am like we did, so it will be fairly easy to socially distance yourself. We got there at 8 and only encountered 4 other hikers that were just heading out when we were almost back to our car. 

The other direction is the BISON DRIVE. Yes, you can actually drive amongst bison if the road is open. It wasn’t on our trip on 4/10/2020 because the road conditions are still gross from the winter thaw. Instead we hiked the entire loop(I think it’s 3.3 miles) because it goes around the entire bison enclosure, and I wanted to guarantee that I would see me some bison. 

Other highlights about this section of the park are the views of the magnificent Minnesota river, an old windmill(the blades are gone), and the campground is also situated here. This section isn’t as popular as the waterfall section, as evidenced by the relatively small parking lot. The hike was enjoyable while we were there- if it is a hot hot day you might want to just do the Minnesota River Bluff Trail for the shade- the Seppman Mill trail is exposed and you can drive and park at the mill. 

As I mentioned before there is also an access point to drive into the bison enclosure. We were able to see the bison herd once we got to the mill area, unfortunately for my photos the bison were just far enough away that I didn’t get a quality photo. 

Now onto the campground. Loop A is superior for tent camping in every which way, unless you happen to want electricity or want to rent the cabin which is in loop B. Loop A has trees, large sites, a bathroom, and several sites have awesome views of the river. One thing to keep in mind is that the sites on the outside of the loop are much more private and have way more trees- the inner loop is relatively open in comparison and would be good sites to choose if you are group camping. I would be prepared with lots of bug spray and a screenhouse if you are camping here in the worst of mosquito season- there was quite a bit of standing water and swampy pond nearby. 

Site notes(see pics/videos): A2 is nice and spacious, but next to the swampy water 

A4 is the immediate neighbor and is distinctive because it’s up on a hill 

A3 is on the inner loop and is visible to the road, but I liked it anyway 

A5 is a nice spacious site on the inner loop that is less private, I’m pretty sure A19 butts up behind it if you are looking to get a few sites 

A12 is the type of site that I would love to camp at- view of the gulley and of the river 

A14 is the site that you need to reserve a year in advance if this campground were more popular- amazing location with a spectacular view of the river 

A24 also has a good river view 

A26 is large and has some badass oak trees 

The B Loop is weird- a lot of the campsites don’t seem to even have space for a 2 person tent unless you are ok with not having a campfire(or burning down your tent). If you have a tiny scamp you might be ok? 

Site notes: B3 is a good pull-through site for an RV 

The cabin is here! It has a screen porch and a propane tank for heating it in cold weather! Also has a decent view of the river- inside is just some bunk beds and a table. There is a pit toilet next to it that I’m guessing other campsites use too. 

B20 is definitely the best site in the loop for tent camping- I actually would camp at this one. 

There are also 4 group campsites that could probably fit 2-3 tents on them that are only a short hike-in from the parking area. Nice pit toilets are nearby. Minneopa is definitely either a nice day trip or camping trip from the Twin Cities! I was extra pleased that the drive down 169 is interesting- the terrain is beautiful, there are some really random touristy places and showrooms(giant yellow barn/extended structure that is without a doubt indeed Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store), and driving through Saint Peter is a nice old-timey experience.

General: A mixture of tent (non-electric) and electric sites, mostly arranged in several rows. 

Site Quality: Mixed. Not all sites are level, and most do not have delineated parking pads (there is a small pavement indent to show where to access the site). A fire pit and picnic table complete the site. Most of the sites are too close together for our liking, however, when we were there (a Monday at the end of August, the day before school started), we were only one of three sites occupied so for our stay it didn’t matter. 

Bathhouse: Basic but clean. My biggest complaint is there were no hooks or shelves for toiletries by the sinks. The showers looked nice but we did not use them. 

Activities: Horseback riding (there are trails for this), hiking, fishing. Although we did see several trailheads, I did not have a map so didn’t explore them. There is an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads; I didn’t try to find hiking trails to get there). 

Misc: A shout-out to the great host, Pam, who greeted us as we arrived. The observation tower, entrance gates, and picnic shelter were all constructed by the CCC and were beautiful. It almost seemed like the campground was an afterthought as it is outside the entrance gates and nowhere near the tower. The layout of the campground would be challenging if all sites were occupied.