Best Dispersed Camping near Altura, MN
Several state forest areas around Altura, Minnesota provide free dispersed camping opportunities. Zumbro Bottoms State Forest offers sites off a low maintenance dirt road, with best access from the south as the northern river bridge gate is sometimes closed. A parking area connects to a dispersed site with vehicle access, intersected by hiking trails. The Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest contains multiple dispersed camping options, with the Isinours Management Unit featuring both drive-in and walk-in sites with picnic tables, toilets, and drinking water.
The Reno Unit of Richard J. Dorer Memorial State Forest provides more secluded hike-in camping with spectacular views. According to one visitor, "This is a hike in camping spot with steep trails and drop offs. Not for those scared of heights." The area offers "beautiful hikes overlooking the driftless and Mississippi." For paddlers, the Root River Canoe Campsite and Crater Island provide boat-accessible primitive camping. The Root River site features pit toilets, picnic tables, and a fire ring, though recent reviews note the river has changed course, moving further from the campsite than in past years.
