Best Tent Camping near Austin, MN

Recent Tent Reviews in Austin

315 Reviews of 10 Austin Campgrounds

• 

  Chloe T.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Myre State Park Campgrounds

  Beautiful and easy to get to backpacking sites

  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.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 8, 2024

  Clear Lake State Park Campground

  Surprisingly quiet campground on a summer weekend

  We tend to stay at campgrounds during the off or shoulder season for a quieter experience so it was with some apprehension that we reserved this campground for a summer weekend so that we could meet friends for Paddlefest. We were happy to discover that despite being a full campground, it was quiet at almost all hours of the day and night. It was, however, an entirely different story on the lake itself, where boats gathered all day to party!

  There is little separation between the sites but there are trees located throughout, some of which provide shade to the site. The camper pads were a mix of dirt and gravel and mostly level. We were lucky to snag Site 34 (reserved about three months in advance) – it was on the end, making it a much larger site than the interior sites (all end sites in our section were larger) and we had plenty of shade trees, a welcome relief on a very hot weekend. 

  The paved roads leading to the sites are very narrow and would appear to be one-way but are not designated as such, resulting in some confusion. The site numbers are only listed on one side, even though most of the sites appeared to be pull-through. 

  The restrooms and showers were clean and had soap and (dated) air dryers. 

  Overall, we had a very pleasant two-night stay even though we were prepared for a different experience.

• 

  Katherine T.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 1, 2024

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Nice weekend get away

  Nice distance from the twin cities for a weekend away with some nice hiking trails. The tent pads have been upgraded to pea gravel by the friends association (which seems to be quite active based on signage around park improvements). Showers and bathrooms were clean. Wi-Fi near the park entrance and spotty T-Mobile service throughout. The outside of the loop is good for tent camping but could be a little noisy if the campground had been fully booked.

• A

  Amos K.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2024

  Schmidt Farm by Forestville

  A very peaceful camping experience

  If you're looking for a simpler camping experience focused on getting away from everything and solitude, then this is the place for you.   You can tell that the hosts have put a ton of work and love into their property and I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know them.   The campsites are large and kept up and I picked campsite two so that I could hear the creek behind me and I enjoyed hearing it the whole time I was there plus the Forestville State Park was just across the creek.   The peace and quiet allowed me to have one of the best nights of sleep while camping that I've had, 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.

• 

  Karen S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  Schmidt Farm by Forestville

  A quiet, back to nature experience under dark skies.

  This location offers the opportunity to explore both private trails and less traveled areas of Forestville State Park. Secluded campsites so you are not camping side by side with others. Site locations offer ample space for multiple tents. The native wildflowers are a special treat.

• 

  Chloe T.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 16, 2024

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Beautiful and Quiet

  We 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!

• R

  Roger

  Guide

  

  Sep. 16, 2024

  Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve

  Great place!

  Standard site without electric was only $10.00 a night which includes a nearby water spigot to fill your tank with. Put toilets and showers available. The friendly hosts made a point to come by to chat. Two fawns were born there, under one of the picnic tables and they were around all weekend. I’ll be back !

• R

  Roger

  Guide

  

  Sep. 14, 2024

  Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve

  Great site to camp - non electric sites are $10.00 -“and electric are $18.00

  Nice place to spend the weekend or a week! Came in late and a resident helped me find a great spot. When driving to my site two fawns were laying near the playground.

• J

  Janet K.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 15, 2024

  Clear Lake State Park Campground

  Nice but crowded campground

  Nice campground with grassy pull thru sites. But very close together. If full, you would have no privacy. Fortunately, it was 1/4 full, so no problem. Bathrooms clean, nice warm showers! Nice beach, lots to do. Would be a fun place if you don’t mind camping next to neighbors!

• 

  James P.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 13, 2024

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Wooded hideaway

  Roomy gravel sites. A mix of electric and non-electric sites. Commercial fire rings. Electrical needs refreshing. We had an issue with the 30A breaker not resetting on site 46E; eventually relocated to 47E. Park employee Noah was very accommodating and pleasant to deal with. He came out to the site to discuss options with us and eventually made some site reservation changes to resolve the situation. Close to town, nice historic district.

• 

  Nate H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 12, 2024

  Oakwoods Trails Campground

  Really Great Campground

  The 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!

• 

  Kim R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 7, 2024

  River View Campground

  Great family campground

  Lots of activities for kids and teens. Teen social on Fridays to help them meet friends. Nice pool. The campground is on a hill if you have mobility issues. Many spots along the river.

• J

  Jordan M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Oakwoods Trails Campground

  Late weekend excellence

  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

• T

  Tracy B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 22, 2024

  Riverside Co Park

  Great little city/county park!

  Beautiful large sites along the river so you can fish as well as has a pond that you can swim in with three beach entry areas. Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites. Nice walking trails on the east and south side of the park. Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate. It appeared that some of the campsites were seasonal but couldn’t confirm that.

• R

  Richard R.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2024

  Myre State Park Campgrounds

  We loved it

  We were here mid week and pretty much had the place to ourselves. Beautiful old growth forest with lots of shade. For July the bugs weren’t bad. After traveling across South Dakota and dealing with 100 plus temperatures with no shade this was a welcome change. The rangers and hosts were welcoming and helpful. The bathrooms and showers are ultra modern and clean. We are planing on stopping back here on our way home.

• 

  Niki S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  R Campground, Inc

  Very clean, friendly owners, great co-campers

  Randy was amazing and very attentive to my questions. Check in was super easy and the directions for check in were clearly spelled out. Everything was mapped out and the website was easy to use as well. The pond itself was pretty to look at and made for great photos, however it was loaded with geese which made it not user friendly. I would recommend this campground, and I will definitely go back to camp again!

• S

  Steve S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 11, 2024

  Maple Springs Campground

  WiFi intermittent

  WiFi intermittent At far end of campgrounds. Very clean showers and bathroom near office

• P

  Pad F.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 27, 2024

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Peaceful weekend camping

  Stayed on non electric site which looking at the whole campground are the better sites. Sites are wooded so you don’t have neighbor issues. All have large pea gravel tent pads - very nice. Good fire rings with lots of room for lounging. Many trails to hike but due to prior heavy rain the only trail open was down to Hidden Falls - they were roaring. No cell/ very patchy cell signal and could only get WiFi signal when standing next to Ranger station. Would definitely visit again, maybe in the fall as I’m told the colors are wonderful.

• 

  Heather S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 24, 2024

  Hidden Bluffs Resort

  Babbling Brook and Hosts Activities!

  This campground became our favorite site in quite a while! Minimal bugs, very nice staff, beautiful sites with lots of nature! Dog friendly. Playground, mini golf, and pool all complimentary! 2 trails and babbling brooke were peaceful. They had kid and adult activities scheduled for Friday and Saturday which was a cool surprise when we checked in!

• 

  Emelia O.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 15, 2024

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Early Spring Camping

  We 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.

• 

  Jaime P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 3, 2024

  Hidden Meadows RV Park

  Staff friendly, but the park is not so great

  Campsites are very closely spaced together. I was thankful no one was placed near our campsite to give us more room. The permanent campsites are practically on top of one another. If you’re bringing the kids there is literally nothing to do there. They do have a play-set but that’s where it ends. I think this campground may be under new ownership and it may be nice to see what they do with it in a year or two. For now the picnic tables are run down. The parking pads are very unlevel. WiFi signal is weak at best. If you have Verizon don’t count on service. Antenna strength is weak. Also oddly spaced power hook up with sewer and water placements. Overall not a horrible experience but not a great one. Mostly like will not return.

• C

  Carly G.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 2, 2024

  Myre State Park Campgrounds

  Nice Campground

  Ok cell coverage for Verizon, no issues web surfing. Site 7E was larger with a good size and distance from others. Not the fault of the campground, bugs were in full force. Tons of tree coverage and very humid making it a great place for the little buggers. Would probably visit October/November when cold gets rid of them and the tree coverage. Hard to see the amazing views in the summer. Again, no fault of campground, just a consideration. Also, no real potty spots for pups. Either weeds/woods or muddy spots attempting to be grass/weeds. Best was around the showers/restrooms. Those were by far the shining gem of this campground. Fantastic bathing facilities. We’re self contained, so didn’t need it but my spouse did go use the restroom there instead of waiting. We peeked in the showers and they were really nice looking.

• 

  Vanessa B.

  Scout

  

  May. 27, 2024

  Kamp Dels

  Camp Dels

  Camp Dels Review

  Worth the read!

  Charges:

  They charged us half of what my cousin next to us got charged and we got the same thing but mine should have been more because I had 3 more adults. And it was 500$ for 3 nights. We should have just went and rented out a house. 

  On the last day we went up to get our bills fixed and it took 40 min for them to figure out the issue, wrote down the totals and said we'll charge the cards at 11 am when the other guy comes in. At 11am we went back up for our receipts and it took them another 20 min to figure it out. He wanted to send us away saying. I'll figure it out and email it to you. I said no that doesn't work for me I'll take it now. He said what would you like me to do. So I had to spell it out for him and said "I want you to take the full amount your charging me, subtract the deposit, then subtract the payment I made when I came on Friday, and now tell me what I owe today, run that amount on my card right now and give me the receipt and do the same for the other site we had too. It's not hard. However you have to do it in your computer you figure it out, I just want to go home. I'll wait" he said your right it's not hard. I said start over completely if you want I don't care. I just want my receipts. (They couldn't even figure out math and how simple it was. What are they going to do if there computers ever fail totally) it was painfully funny to endure both times I sat through Watching with my bill!

  Night time:

  So at night get ready to be harassed every 30 minutes to a hour by workers trying to bully you to bed every night if you choose to stay up past 11pm. And they pick out the 1 drunk guy in your group to try and cope with when the sober one is saying "hey I'm sober. I don't drink. Can you please answer and talk to me" but they are rude to you and refuse. They pick at the drunk guy. But that was every night. All 3 nights. 1st time they come it is 1guy. 2nd time 2guys. 3rd time 3guys come. 4th time 4guys. 5th time 4guys come. They start at 11pm telling people to turn off all music (even on the phone turned way down. Even watching a video outside. Even if your humming/singing together, lol he said no/off, now). Of course we complied though.

  At 12am they say time for bed and then start tying to reason with you about coming back for a time when it's going to be all over at. At 12:30/1am they will come back a 3rd time and start bullying again. And say put it out now and throw a fit when you don't completely comply. So they say "I'll be back in 15 min and we are done, fire goes out and you are all going to bed". So at 1:15 perfectly on time their gang comes to harass you adults to go to bed. He screams I'm not leaving until your fires out and your all in bed. I tell him to shhhhhh! And now the drunk guy who paid 500$ to be here gets his wood doused with water and is livid. And some of us drop off every time they come because they are so rude and don't want to deal with it but I'm sober and an adult and No one is going to put me to bed. All the adults there are waisted all day and not watching their kids. And now I know why. We talk to all our neighbors plus we are there with about 10 other scattered around sites and every neighbor couldn't believe what they were doing saying we weren't even loud. We had no music and a small fire with a few people. I kept walking 5 away to go pee and I couldn't hear our group any of the nights. And we weren't even all at 1 fire either.

  * And throughout every interaction the non-drinker asks respectively (me) where in your rules or on the website does it say adults have a bed time by 1am and you guys go around harassing repeatedly trying to cause problems starting at 11pm and bully them them to bed???? Maybe you should be more transparent or be more humble and kind with your discretion. No one is being loud and belligerent. But I was ignored. Because if it had sad that on line or had I been warned about the worker's behavior after 11pm we wouldn't have came. We ourselves had 2 spots. The guy we knew who invited us had like 8 spots with him and needless to say none of us and anyone we know will ever come to 

  Camp Hels. 

  The workers/people:

  Some shouldn't work with the public. But they are all family! All related just about! And they let you know it! Some of them also let you know that they aren't saposed to be working but that they are there working anyways! So I put money in for the batting cages. Nothing happened so i swiped the playing card again. A guy and lady walk out. I said excuse me. Im not sure im doing it right but i think it took my money. She yelled at me that "we are having problems, dont I see that, give us some time". So i waited. It looked like they were going to leave so i told the guy what happened to my card and he said sure we'll refund it. The last ones not working. (But they didnt put a sign on it) and he told the lady to deal with my refund. And she came and yelled at me again. I tried to explain myself but there's no talking to her. Pretty sure she was drunk. She said stay right here. Ill be back. I waited for 30 min for a refund at the batting cages. Come to find out no one works up there. She went to the office to get a refund. But I had to call the front desk to see if someone was even coming back. And he asked her while holding the phone "do you got people waiting on you up there? We'll get going there still waiting." When she got back she yelled "so who's waiting on me!" Like she didn't ask me to stay put like a dog. And was rude again. But I got a new card and 20 new mosquito bites.

  There was other little things that were observed and overhead from other guests like at the pool, concert, petting zoo and other places too. We couldn't mention them all. We are very social and people loved all the stuff to do but hated the way they were all treated. We talked to a few seasonal owners and they say they get treated the same and hate it. 

  The sites/cleanliness/activities:

  Lifeguards were nice. Business and all activities inside the campground ran smoothly and weren't awful at all. The kids enjoyed themselves using the amenities and activities. The bathrooms were ok and pretty clean. Some trash cans had overflowing garbage and a lot all over after events. I never saw anyone picking it up. But you could always see someone riding a golf cart being bossy. It was nice to see they gave their zoo animals long breaks from feeding and petting. Some of the birds looked like they had Veterinarian feather/skin illnesses. They call it a petting zoo but there's really no petting. 

  Recommendations:

  Don't ever go. Or camp next door or close or get a house then just pay for a day pass if you can.

  If CAMP DELS is reading this you should be more transparent on your site and train your family/workers to be more kind and just walk by reminding people to stay quit at night. Insted of being on a power trip demanding adults have a bed time, pretending you don't have discretion and choices yourselves on who and where you are actually creating the problem, bullying and then playing victim. Because the only thing your accomplishing every night is pissing people off. There is a better way. Weather your there or not trying to throw your authority around, people will go to bed. Example PD dont go into bars after 12am harassing people saying "times a coming guys! I'm going to close you down". You should only be keeping people from getting out of hand. Not causing it. Another fantastic idea is have an adult camping section where quiet time is 11pm and adults can go to bed when they choose! Instead of trying to take away people's freedom, especially on Memorial weekend! God bless and hope I never see any of you at Camp Dels ever again.

• 

  Renee H.

  Ranger

  

  May. 23, 2024

  Sylvan City Park

  Small city park campground right in town

  Walking distance to downtown and easy access to Root River Trail. RV sites were close to each other with little privacy. Many tent sites around the perimeter. Short walk to bathhouse. Showers are not free, 4 quarters for 5 minutes. No laundry available. Campground is first come/first serve and doesn’t take reservations or online payment. Payment is made at adjacent city office.
  Sites are gravel, fairly level. Water and electric available at rv sites.
  Nice park nearby with stocked fishing pond. There is some noise due to the park being tucked into the city. Garbage and dump station free for campers. They ask for a donation for dumping if not camped there. Tight access at dump station might make it difficult for larger rigs. Strong Verizon signal.

• c

  corey

  Traveler

  

  May. 3, 2024

  Camp At The Woods

  Open year round

  Very accommodating super nice people helped us back in and set up in middle of winter after dark after we had drove 2 days from the east coast. Our spot was on an incline but the water worked when temp was below freezing the camp was nice with new park for kids new basketball court new pavilion wish we could have been there in the summertime I’m sure the pool is nice when uncovered. I saw laundry and bathrooms by the river.

• c

  corey

  Traveler

  

  May. 3, 2024

  Twins Campground

  Serene

  Serenity, nature at its best, birdsong all day long wildlife at every turn our campsite was level the owners and manager were great hosts. We stayed several weeks the price was very reasonable, honey wagon service was included ; riding/ hiking trails from campsite.

• 

  Greg K.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 13, 2024

  Twins Campground

  Twins campground- cresco,Iowa.

  Very friendly and helpful owner. He even drove to town so we could follow him in. Has playground community area fire pit and a structure built to cover picnic tables. atv trails. Turkey river right there was 20 feet from my site. Porta potty and shower water is hot. 30/50 amp power with water on each site. Water fill station and dump station. Garbage .