The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Altura, MN

439 Reviews

Tent campsites around Altura, Minnesota offer diverse experiences ranging from hike-in sites to walk-in tent areas along riverbanks and forested landscapes. Established tent-only areas include Houston Nature Center Campground, located at the trailhead of the Root River State Bike Trail, and Aefintyr, which features secluded hike-in tent sites approximately 35 minutes from Rochester. Whitewater State Park's Gooseberry Glen offers cart-in tent camping with streamside sites that provide a balance of accessibility and seclusion.

Tent campers should prepare for varied terrain at most sites. The cart-in sites at Whitewater State Park feature short trails from parking areas to tent pads with fire rings and picnic tables. Most tent-only campgrounds provide basic amenities like drinking water and toilets, though some primitive areas may lack facilities. Hok-Si-La City Park Campground restricts vehicles at campsites but allows temporary drive-up loading and unloading before parking in designated lots. Many tent campgrounds in the region maintain seasonal operations, typically open from May through October or November, with some sites requiring reservations while others operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

Areas farther from town provide deeper seclusion and minimal noise pollution. The cart-in sites at Whitewater State Park offer privacy with limited visibility between neighboring campsites. One camper noted that "the sites were quiet, woodsy and secluded... We could see site 4 from our site, but all we could hear was the stream." The Schmidt Farm by Forestville provides particularly peaceful tent camping, with a review mentioning "I didn't hear a person or a vehicle the whole night and the crickets, frogs, and occasional hooting owl just added to the nighttime experience." Several tent-only campgrounds in the region feature proximity to hiking trails, swimming areas, and wildlife viewing opportunities, making them ideal bases for outdoor activities while providing the authentic tent camping experience away from RV generators and traffic.

Map showing campgrounds near Altura, MinnesotaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Altura, Minnesota (14)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 14 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Altura Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Altura, MN

36 Photos of 14 Altura Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Altura, MN

439 Reviews of 14 Altura Campgrounds

  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 31, 2024

    Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

    Nice state park

    Stayed here for a couple nights on a mini state park road trip. Nice place, like most of the MN state parks. Spotty cell service. Hiked a trail with lots of steps. Fire ring and picnic table are provided at each site. Restroom with showers also available in campground. Site was large and easy to back into and offered some tree cover for shade during certain times of the day. Was unable to hang hammock in specific site we stayed at, but some of the sites looked like they would be suitable.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 23, 2019

    Prairie Island City Campground

    Great introductory campground

    Prairie Island has all of you basic amenities without being too far from town. This campground isn’t for everybody -- if you’re looking for extreme adventure and wilderness, this is not the place for you. If you’re interested in getting into camping and not investing the money into all the gear or having direct river access, this is the place for you! They seriously rent it all. Paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and dutch ovens. The camp store sells all of the basics and fishing supplies. The shower house has flush toilets and pit toilets are located throughout the campground.

    Personally, this campground is not the type that I like to stay at but it is really great for the type that wants to get into camping or the camper trailer type. Unfortunately, not enough activities to do besides boating on the river.

  • ERolf P.
    Aug. 29, 2016

    Perrot State Park Campground

    Group Camping, Hiking, and Water Sports

    Wonderful time in Perrot State Park. Camped in the group campground, site A. Plenty of room for many tents, and nice level ground to pitch tents on. Huge fire ring for large group fires, and both a large grill on the fire ring, and freestanding charcoal grill. Lots of options for hiking and walking in the park with more than 13 miles of trails. We did a 5 mile hike up and over two of the more popular bluffs. We also did a two-three hour canoe/kayak trip and had a blast.

    There is not a swimming beach at the park, so if you're into that, you'll have to leave the park, but there is more than enough to do at Perrot State Park.

  • K
    Sep. 5, 2020

    Hidden Meadows RV Park

    Hidden Gem

    This is very convenient if you have Mayo Clinic appointments. The campground was nice with grassy sites along with electric and water hook ups, there was a dump station also. Portable toilets spaced around and a centralized bath house by the office. There are seasonal guests and everyone was friendly. We saw deer by the primitive camp areas and had nightly campfires in our fire ring. We will return the next time we are up in MN.

  • R
    Aug. 30, 2019

    Merrick State Park Campground

    Nice Walk-In site but bring your bug spray!

    Very nice walk-in site right on the river. LOTS of bugs to the point it was uncomfortable so make sure to bring bug spray. Tent pad, fire ring and picnic table available. Trees available that are good for those who hammock.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 14, 2018

    Houston Nature Center

    Great location!

    The Nature Center campsite is located at the trail head for the Root River State Bike Trail. Trail Head Park is a nice tent only campground with walk-in sites. A majority of the sites have picnic tables and fire pits. The Nature Center has clean bathrooms and free showers. They recommend donations for the use of the showers.

    $20 per night camping fee. You can pay inside the Nature Center or at the slot between the restroom mirrors. The sites are first come, first serve. Local firewood is available near the restrooms as well; take what you need and leave the center a donation.

    Trail Head Park has a 1 acre natural playground near the campsite. When I visited during the week, I only saw a small group of people using the playground. The playground has a zip line, tree house, small rock wall, and more. Inside the Nature Center, they have interactive and interesting displays. The highlight of this campground is the Root River State Bike Trail and the Owl Center in the town of Houston.

    I'd give the campsite 4/5 review. The location, the bluffs, the bike trail, and center get 5/5 review.

  • J
    Oct. 24, 2017

    Sylvan City Park

    Close to bike trail and downtown

    Stayed here in a tent while on a bicycle camping trip and it was adequate. It is located in a city park within a couple minutes walk of the downtown area. The bike trail crosses the south end of downtown so close to that too. This would not be a good place to camp if you'd like to be out in nature

    Biggest gripe is the slope of the tent sites. The majority of the tent sites are on an incline around a pond. There are also a lot of ducks that aren't very afraid of humans. None got into my gear though. There are fire rings at the tent sites. No picnic tables at the individual sites but there are some nearby in the park and there's also a covered picnic shelter. Hammocks would be difficult to impossible as the tent area is a strip of grass between pond and bluff, which has mostly brush or too whimpy of trees to hang from at the base. There are a couple huge oaks but none in pairs.

    Quarter showers and clean restrooms are available. $20/night/tent which seemed a bit steep to me considering how slanted the sites were and quarter showers. It is cheaper than the other places within immediate biking distance which were $25/night.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 14, 2025

    Nelson's Landing RV Park

    Convenient location for our stay

    General: There is a main campground and a bonus sites section; we stayed in the Main campground and this review is based on that. There are approximately 90 sites laid out in typical RV park fashion with the sites close together and no physical privacy between sites. 

    Site Quality: Sites tend to be very long and could accommodate even large-size Class A rigs. The “driveways” are a mix of grass and gravel and were not very well defined. Each site has a picnic table on a concrete pad. Our site had water and electric hookups. Our challenge was that we arrived after dark, and the site numbers were posted at the back end of the sites, necessitating a sleuthing operation with my flashlight to find our site. Only a few sites had fire rings that I could see. 

    Bathhouse: The women’s area had three “all-in-ones” with a toilet, sink, and shower. They were very clean with hooks, soap, and paper towels. The entire bathhouse appeared to be in a state of remodeling, and it wasn’t clear what was going to happen with the remainder of the space (plumbed but not completed when we were there). Did not use the shower so cannot comment on that. 

    We arrived after dark and left the next morning but our stay on a Friday in August was quiet except for the loud trains running along the Mississippi. We heard two around 10 pm and either there were no more until the next morning, or we mercifully slept through them! This RV Park is located in the small town of Nelson and accessed through a residential neighborhood. Although not our preferred camp stay, we chose it since we knew we wanted to eat at Stone Barn Pizza (a must if you are in the area!) which is why we arrived after dark!

  • Jessica H.
    May. 23, 2018

    South Bear Creek

    South Bear Creek Entrance

    The South Bear Creek entrance is located near Highlandville, IA off of Quandahl Road. This is Iowa Department of Natural Resources land and offers primitive camping only. There are no shower or restroom facilities and we brought our own water. There was a makeshift fire ring made out of rocks and so we used this to build our campfire. Be sure to bring a camp shovel for bathroom breaks. There was no fee at the time to camp here. It might be a good idea to call ahead to the Iowa DNR to see if that has changed.

    Bear Creek is known for trout fishing and is stocked by the DNR. Bear Creek runs for a little over 5 miles at this entrance. Highlandville does have a general store, so you can stock up on items such as snacks, firewood, and angling supplies if you plan to fish the creek.

    Note: There is also a Bear Creek Campground which offers electrical sites along with restrooms, showers and a playground as well as Bear Creek Cabin rentals if you're looking for something with more amenities.

    We camped the last weekend in October and had the entire area to ourselves. We walked along the creek and Quandahl Road. It was a quiet area and we enjoyed camping in a more primitive setting.

Guide to Altura

Tent camping near Altura, Minnesota offers a blend of natural beauty and unique amenities, making it a perfect getaway for outdoor enthusiasts.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

Tent campers should check out Aefintyr

  • Aefintyr provides hike-in sites that allow for a peaceful retreat into nature, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle.
  • The campground's shared space around the fire pit encourages socializing and making new friends, enhancing the camping experience.
  • With stunning views and access to hiking trails, Aefintyr is an ideal spot for outdoor activities and relaxation.

Tips for tent camping near Altura

  • When visiting Northend Campground, be prepared for a drive-in experience that offers easy access to local attractions and activities.
  • For a unique experience, consider the hike-in sites at Aefintyr, but remember to wear sturdy shoes for the trek.
  • If you're looking for a quiet spot, the Oak Ridge / Wet Bark Recreation Area is typically less crowded, especially outside of hunting season.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Altura, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Altura, MN is Aefintyr with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Altura, MN?

TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Altura, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring