Looking for the best campgrounds near Brainerd, MN? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Brainerd is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$21 / night
"I live close so I visit frequently to use the trails for running."
"Tent camp here once and a while, but finally got around to officially doing the hiking club trail."
$32 - $50 / night
"It is a short 10 minute drive into Brainerd. If you are looking to eat out we love The Boulder Tap House and Rafferty’s pizza! You will love staying at this campground."
"Minnesota in the summer the parks are very full of large RVs. Our teardrop fits inside one. Nice clean campground. Friendly rangers. Nice showers."
"What a beautiful, peaceful sight in the woods next to the lake. Sit back and relaxing camping at it finest"
"Only drawback was the lake was too mucky and weedy to swim in but has to be a great fishing lake. The owner's were awesome. Seriously great family rv campground."
"The cabins are my favorite because of the lake views, proximity to the bathhouse, and heat/AC units. Cabin #5 has the best unobstructed views of the lake. Cabins have WiFi."
"A great little campground right near the town (easy to bike in for coffee or beer) but it feels like you're deep in the northwoods! Some sites are better than others in terms of privacy."
$22 / night
"This is a canoe campsite that is part of the Mississippi River Headwaters Water Trail, one stop on the paddle trail which allows canoers and kayakers to paddle from Lake Itasca to to the north, all the"
"We were bike riding the Paul Bunyon Trail and rode into Crow Wing in the dark. I self registered because the office was closed (wrote in canoe site since you can't reserve it online)."
"Stayed at RV site 4 which is bordered by trees on one side which was nice for privacy."
"Easy access to both single track and to paved cycling path. Sites are close but still felt private, especially when leaves fill in. Nice shower house, and a sauna we didn’t use."
"There is a trail for maintenance workers to drive in (they come by regularly to empty the trash cans!), but I don't know if it's for drive in traffic as well."
$60 - $80 / night
"Sites are huge, very dog friendly, quiet, ice and firewood on site, cute little lake with gorgeous sunsets, huge kiddy play area on water, free kayak and paddle board use, nice little onsite store."
$15 / night
"There are about 10 sites that are next to the water giving you access to fishing, swimming and docking a small watercraft. Most of the sites are surrounded by trees. Which is great for privacy."
"This a rustic campground with no showers and vault toilets. some sites are open and next to each other. there are RV people who think that because it’s rustic that they can run their generators all day"
LegendLots of fun amenities, most notable are disc golf and a small zoo with some bison and deer. Sites are fairly spacious and the tent sites are closest to the river. A couple of cute cabins to rent. Picnic tables at each site (some are warped). There is a bike trail nearby. No fire pits at each site so bring one of you can! There is a large community one though. Full hookup sites available.
ScoutCould just be the current political budget restraints but I tent camped Gull Lake RA for four nights never saw a Ranger. Here there is a security gate you have to go through before you enter and multiple Rangers. Could be that were so close to town here. highway traffic noise even at furthest site. I will ask about dispersed camping and try to report back. They have shower facilities here just like a gull lake. Yes that means noisy Motorhomes, and travel trailers at all sites.
GuideI was looking to take a solo camping trip for the weekend and paddleboard on the Cuyuna Mine Lakes. I booked the trip pretty late because of a lot of different factors, but Crow Wing State park still had plenty of availability. The park is nothing spectacular, but it was nice, wooded, and the staff were great. It was my first time solo camping in awhile, so I opted to stay at a state park where there would be rangers. I noticed that the rangers stopped and talked to me night one, and remembered me- which made me feel very safe as a solo female camper. The campground was overall pretty quiet, and my site was wooded so that I normally could not see other campers from my site, which was great! It felt decently quiet . If you visit in the summertime, expect hellish mosquitoes and pack accordingly!
You can join the hiking club trail straight from the campground, which was nice- I went on a few beautiful sunset walks to watch the sunset over the river
The bathroom and shower were clean and easily accessible.
The park was a 20-30 minute drive from the Cuyuna Mines area, so I was able to easily drive over Saturday morning and spend the day paddleboarding.
This park is not one of the most spectacular in Minnesota, but I had a great stay and it was very relaxing. It was great for a weekend getaway for a solo female camper looking to do some paddle boarding in the area
LegendI stayed here years ago with some friends who reserved the site. We had a large tent and a site close to the lake. I remember this being mid to late summer and the campground not being super busy. Not sure if that has changed as camping in general has become more popular in recent years. Overall was quiet and no road noise. The lake was nice and we did some swimming at the boat launch one night before bed.
LegendThis park features fishing in Whiskey Creek, (stocked with rainbow trout, crappies, and sunfish), picnic area, children's playground, semi-enclosed shelters, campground area with full hook-up and tent sites, two camping cabins, softball fields, frisbee golf, volleyball area and a children's zoo, which includes buffalo, whitetail deer, peacocks, and golden pheasants. Site had picnic table and fire ring.
Camping with the whole family so there may be some familiar rigs from other reviews of mine.
Legendoffers sites with no hookups and sites with electric (no water, but potable water station is provided to fill up prior to parking) bathrooms and showers in the campground. Fire ring and picnic table provide for each site. Firewood and sewage dump station also provided for free to registered campers. There is a dock, sand swimming beach, horseshoe pits, disc golf, basketball court, and softball field.
LegendThis is one campground in Minnesota that offers a handful of electric hookups for winter camping. The beauty of this campground, is that while the campsites available are in a row, there's plenty of space between sites and some of them are even pulled through. Making it easy for RVs to pull in and hook up.
The vault toilet is not easy to find from where the electric openings are in the winter. While these spaces are right next door to a shower house with toilets, this is closed in the winter. The vault toilet is several rows over and down, making it hard to find if you don't already know where it is. But it was clean, and it was available.
The campfire rings seemed clean, and each had a picnic table as well. We loved the pull-through site because then we were a little more protected from the road, although it's not busy this time of year at all. So it was very quiet except for our neighbors, and they didn't make much noise at all.
There are trails nearby that are easily accessible on foot from the campground, and you can make loops that come back to the campground as well.
There are two campgrounds at this park, but this is the one that has availability in the winter time. Ironically, they also have a couple of walk-in spots that are also open this time of year. If you're willing to brave the temps without an electric hookup. Not hard to find, not hard to access, but no electric hookups at these sites.
TravelerThis Campground is closed permanently
ScoutWas here every summer in the late eighties and early nineties as a kid with my family and it’s still as nice and peaceful as it was then. I’ll continue to keep coming back every summer
Camping near Brainerd, Minnesota, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, this area has something for you.
Camping near Brainerd, Minnesota, offers a great mix of nature and activities. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the beautiful surroundings!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Brainerd, MN offers a wide range of camping options, with 155 campgrounds and RV parks near Brainerd, MN and 9 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Brainerd, MN is Crow Wing State Park Campground with a 3.8-star rating from 26 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 free dispersed camping spots near Brainerd, MN.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 parks near Brainerd, MN that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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