Looking to get away and reconnect with nature? Glamping near Austin is the perfect choice. Camping has always been a favorite form of travel for many, but Austin, MN glamping is a new and unique way to do it. The Dyrt's camping photos, reviews, and tips are an easy way to find the right Minnesota glamping spot for you.
$35 / night
$16 - $22 / night
Clear Lake State Park offers diverse activities on one of Iowa’s most popular lakes. The 3,000-acre lake is a draw for boating, fishing and windsurfing. The park features 50 acres of open spaces and mature oak trees along with a highly popular campground. Several acres of picnic grounds with tables and grilles are available for day-use. The nearby town of Clear Lake is a summer tourist destination with numerous stores and restaurants. Camp in one of the most popular campgrounds in Iowa’s state park system. The campground contains two modern restrooms, shower facilities and two dump stations. A quarter of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and advanced reservations can be made online through the online reservation system for Clear Lake State Park.
Traveler
Beautiful shaded campground near the lake, not far from town if you forgot something. We stayed in one of the two yurts- bunk bed plus a futon and table/chairs inside. Picnic table and grill outside. Walk to small town/restaurants.Clean bathroom facilities in area. Short hikes. Fishing nearby.
LegendClear Lake is a popular place to spend time in North Central Iowa. McIntosh Woods State Park is right on the lake front. The campground is not on the lake, but it has some nice shade with open space.
It also has Yurts to rent as well. There is a large station for cleaning fish and a huge picnic area with wide open space and a nice playground. There is a beach for swimming but there is no lifeguard on duty. There is also a boat ramp and a few docks for launching.
This is a great campground if you like to boat or fish. Before you get in the water make sure you check with the locals to make sure there is no harmful algae. This is a great place to spend the weekend.
Scout
Everything was beautiful. We camped for a week in southern Minnesota state parks, but this one is our favourite.
Guide
I loved the campground area which nestled in a small valley. On top of that it has this awesome living history 1800's village managed by the Minnesota Historical Society. There's also a very interesting cave with a museum and all the talactites, stalagmites, and underground pools you can imagine.
Ranger
This campground was really good. It was located right on the Root River Trail System which we liked for biking and running. It has an indoor/outdoor heated pool, a big barn with a restaurant and bar, and clean restroom and shower facilities. The sites weren't huge but they had full hook-ups. The campground is near Lanesboro which is a really cute little town. Beautiful part of Minnesota.
GuideBeautiful, small state park less than an hour south of Twin Cities. Sites are wooded and shady but some are close to neighboring sites. Not too many mosquitos or flies for August in Minnesota! Sakatah Singing Hills paved trail runs through the park. It was pouring on Saturday so most of the other campers checked out and we had the campground mostly to ourselves. Super friendly and helpful staff, clean restrooms. Faribault is 15 minutes away so we went antique shopping at Keeper's Antiques downtown and had cocktails at 10,000 Drops Distillery for rainy day activities.
Guide
We arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available.
$34/night plus Minnesota State Park pass @ $8/day.😩
Not super spacious but very comfortable distance between spaces. Well maintained dirt road in campground. Grassy and mowed. Nice big trees! Water spigots. Very nice individual, clean rooms for showers.
Two separate campground loops in the White Fox area and another couple loops half mile down the road
The lake is gorgeous but just a few places to get to the water. Saw a sign on the park door saying kayaks and canoes available to rent.
Six miles of paved, but badly in need of care, is a bike path that meanders through thick forest and open grassy fields. Follows the lake and heads close to the town of Albert Lea.
We saw a guy setting out electric scooters that were available to rent which looked like fun!
Birds and deer abound.
Walmart 2 miles away!
GuideWe tent camped at Myre-Big Island State Park in Minnesota from September 30 to October 3, 2022. The weather was warmer than usual at this time of year, and the fall color development was a couple weeks behind normal. It was cool but beautiful during the daytime (light jacket/sweater weather). The temperature dropped at night but didn’t require anything more than our sleeping bags to keep us warm. The earlier sunset meant meal cooking and cleanup needed to be a bit earlier, but it also meant longer time for beautiful campfires in the evenings.
The trails were in great shape and beautiful with past-peak grasses and developing colors in the trees. Most of the wildflowers were done for the year, but some were still in bloom. Deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and lots of birds were active near the trails and campgrounds.
We have camped here previously, in early summer. Then the bugs were abundant and aggressive on the Big Island trails. During this fall trip, there were very few.
LegendMystery Cave State Park is surrounded in in a lush green forest with huge oak and maple trees that hang over the road like a huge living canopy. My new word while we stayed there was “Forresty” due to feeling like we had entered a different world. There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails. (Word to the wise, some of the trails are hiking/equestrian so watch your step😂) We didn’t do our homework, but if we would have known, we would have brought our fishing rods as the rivers were full of trout!!
We arrived at 2:00pm on Saturday, after a long 5 hour drive from northern Minnesota. It was amazing to watch the landscape change from iron ore mining pits to countless acres of corn and potatoes!! Check in time is 4:00pm, but our spot was empty when we arrived, so the park rangers let us set up early (Friendly and most helpful!!) We grabbed a bundle of wood for $6.00 for a campfire while we were at the park office. (that is pretty normal rates as you can’t bring in your own wood at State Parks in Minnesota) There are 3 different loops, an additional equestrian loop, and 5 cabins. We stayed in loop “C” with has bigger sites for RV’s and offers electricity. Loops “A” and “B” have smaller sites (still big!!) and both of those loops are non-electric. None of the sites are “full” hook up, but there is a dump station & fresh water fill right off the park office. The restrooms and showers are just off of the “C” loop, as was the amphitheater, and there are garbage/recycling bins every 4-5th site. The park was very noisy, but that all changed when most of the folks left Sunday. It was very peaceful the rest of the week.
There are so many things outside the park to do too!! We were not aware, but the Mystery Cave is a short drive from the state park. We took the scenic tour, and our guide Kip was fantastic!!! Hey let everyone ask all the questions they wanted to, and didn’t rush us at all!! The rate is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids 5-12, and kids under 5 go for free. The pictures just don’t do it justice!! The next day we drove to Masonic Park in Spring Valley and we were amazed by the sheer size of the rock face!! There is no charge to picnic or visit there and there is one spot for camping, but you need to get permission from the city before doing so. We also toured Niagra Cave which is a longer drive, but well worth it!! The underground waterfall was super cool!! They charge $16.00 per adult, kids 4-12 are $10.00, and children under 4 are free.
All in all this was a great get away for our family, and I highly recommend staying at the park:)
Scout
Arrived Sunday evening and found the campsite mostly empty, (season pass members had campers here but there was only one other active camper). Staff was very friendly and helpful. TOILETS FLUSH! Showers clean, basketball court, horseshoes, and volleyball all provided. Could see the sites being kind of close and it being a little pricey but more than worth it in my mind. Site 6&7 were perfect for hammocks
GuideNice campground out in the woods. Not many sites but they are very roomy. Water and electric hookup only. They offer a dump station as well. There is only one road through the grounds so when leaving it can get backed up at the dump station. Small playground and bath/shower house in the center of the grounds. Seemed a little costly for the amenities offered. The owners are very interested in everything at the campground from guests to any traffic in or out. Seemed almost overbearing.
ScoutThis is a great campground with lots of shade and spacious tent pads! The large oak trees throughout the campground made for beautiful scenery and nice spots to string a hammock up. My site was right next to the bathroom building which did have a light on all night, but I had an eye mask so that didn’t bother me. $25/night for a tent site
GuideClean and well maintained campground about a quarter mile past owner’s farm buildings. Signs for registration are easy to follow, stop at the Office (garage) to check in. Cash or check only, no cards. Campground was very nice with mature trees. Bathroom and shower available. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Some sites suitable for hammock camping. If you need a level site for a rooftop tent be sure to ask, my site was easily switched after I did. Overall very nice experience.
ScoutMy partner and I were on our way out West and we stopped here for a night. The campground was extremely clean and well maintained. This sites are spread out enough that you have a little privacy and each site has a fire pit and picnic table. This area is actually part of the owners farm.
Bonus, it’s dog friendly. There is a small but we’ll maintained playground and horseshoes.
Note: it is cash or check only so make sure you have money to pay (we stopped at a nearby gas station to use an ATM). They do sell firewood and ice if you need it.
ScoutThe owners Jan and Brian are super nice. The campground is a ways from their home and quite secluded and quiet. There weren’t any kids when we were there though, I imagine they could change the quiet aspect. The bathrooms and showers are very nice as are the sites. Well worth the $25 we paid!
Traveler
We stopped for the night driving between Black Hills and Chicago and the service was awesome. The hosts called to tell us about construction and give us alternative directions. In the morning they had a goody bag for our kiddos which made their whole day! Clean bathrooms, friendly campers, easy pull through sites and lots of charm.
TravelerWe stayed at this KOA on the first night of our trip. Definitely the best KOA experience we've had so far. Check in was quick, spots were easy to pull into, the bathrooms were really clean, and it was surprisingly quiet despite the proximity to the highway. They even had some huge Halloween decorations and gave us some awesome free flannel coozies at check-in.
GuideThis campground has some negative reviews, but we thought it was just aces! Yes, the pool is closed for the season- it is disclosed. The showers are one temperature but it’s comfortable and the water pressure is awesome. The dressing room is big enough to actually dress in and your stuff can remain dry. It was clean and got the job done! They are really nice and friendly here and even pick up the bagged garbage from your site. We would stay again.
GuideThis is a nice little campground, but it’s location (although convenient) right off the freeway is less than ideal. The background noise isn’t terrible but it’s always there. I like to camp away from civilization not next to a freeway.
TravelerGreat spot for nature seekers. Great bike trails. Well spaced, quiet sites. Electric hookup for RV and easy dump station. Showers were what you can expect but good pressure and hot water. No where to swim in the lake.
GuideWe visited in early April so the sites were quite exposed, I can imagine they would be more private in the summer. Water and showers were not open yet as it was too cold but the vault toilets were well maintained.
TravelerWe stayed in White Fox Site 97 from September 13-15. No one was nearby until late in the evening on the 14th, so it felt very private and quiet. Although I know that is because the people in the campground were quiet... thank you! Tons of trails; paved, gravel, or grass; you can explore the entire park. We had a bit of rain and then it got hot again so it was super muggy. Of course that is the weather, not the park. The ranger was friendly and helpful. Great worry free trip, just like camping should be!
GuideWe stayed on the mainland campground White Fox in site #78, bordered on 3 sides by trees and shrubs for privacy. The bathroom/ shower facilities were very recently done. This park is unique as you can drive across a causeway and get on the Big Island which has more trails and another campground. We were here in May and the bugs were awful (I get it, they're part of being out in nature). At one point I just had to yell "RUN" at my partner as I fled with our dog because the may flies were swarming so thickly that it was all you could hear and see. Great park with lots of history, check it out and enjoy.
TravelerThis state park was a wonderful surprise! We first selected a site on Big Island however it wasnt for us. Due to the dense foliage there was little sun able to peak through, no grass for our dog to lay in, but it is beautiful if you like seclusion.
We moved to site 60E in the White Fox campground which is a perfect mix of sunshine, tree cover, wildlife and mowed grassy area. We have seen deer each night out the back of our rig. They offer Electric only sites but in White Fox there is water available between some of the sites. We have a hiking trail directly behind our site that we can hike for miles on. The hiking/biking trails are a mix of mowed grass, asphalt or through the dense forest - you can choose. Cell service has been very good just a bit slow at times. Shower and restroom facilities are extremely clean and well maintained.
TravelerThe facilities and space are beautifully kept. If you are looking for a swimming destination it might not be in my top ten, but they have tons of availability of watercraft! Most impressive part to me is their accessibility! They have a trek chair/track chair? Which for anyone wanting to hike with mobility issues it offers a lot of access.
GuideI've been using this as a night over stop before going on to the Black Hills or on my way back home. The first time I stayed the night over there it was a nightmare just because of this family or group of people showed up late and didn't comprehend quiet hours. So needless to say I had little to no sleep.
The other times I've stayed there it was quiet and not too many people around. Kind of buggy but that's expected with the water and all the shade.
TravelerMy best friend and I camp all the time with our pups! This park was lovely, it's on an island and we had a pretty amazing view!! We did a little hiking and enjoyed the semi empty campground only 10-15 people!! We saw a ton of wild life many many many deer!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Austin, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Austin, MN is White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 21 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Austin, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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