Erin F.
Guide
GuideSpirit Mountain Campground
Great Basecamp
Mountain bikers and hikers will love this beautiful treed campground. Level sites that are spread out enough to offer some privacy. Bath house was old, but adequate.
Cabin Camping near Carlton, MN
4 campgrounds with availability next weekend
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Jay Cooke State Park Campground offers five cabin accommodations set in a wooded landscape near Carlton. These camper cabins are equipped with bunk beds, a small table with chairs, and baseboard heating systems for year-round comfort. "The cabins are pretty basic with bunk beds and a small table with chairs. The cabin we stayed in was heated with base board heaters that you have control of the temperature," noted one visitor. Additional cabin accommodations can be found at Woods and Meadows Farm, which maintains three cabin units, and Mont du Lac Resort across the Wisconsin border, providing water and electrical hookups with private bathroom facilities.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. Most state park cabins require advance reservations, especially during summer months when occupancy remains high. Several campgrounds including Spirit Mountain and Big Lake Shores & The Lounge accommodate pets in their cabin units with specific policies. Reviews indicate popularity varies seasonally with one camper mentioning, "I have grown to really enjoy coming here in the winter. Yes water is shutoff and you don't get to use the awesome shower house but there are hardly any people here!" Park Lake Campground and Anchor Inn also provide cabin options, with varying levels of amenities from basic to more fully-furnished units.
Most cabins include beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries. Cooking facilities vary significantly between locations—some provide only outdoor fire rings while others include basic kitchen setups. Jay Cooke State Park sells firewood on-site, and their market offers essential camping supplies. Big Lake Shores features a market for basic provisions as well. Several locations like Fond du Lac City Campground provide water hookups and electrical service for added comfort. Bathroom facilities range from shared campground restrooms with showers to more private arrangements depending on the specific cabin location and price point.
Best Cabin Campgrounds near Carlton (29)
1. Jay Cooke State Park Campground
"The tent camping is great, the park is amazing for hiking and geology study, and there are camper cabins that I have often stayed at as well."
"We have stayed in a camper cabin in the winter and RV site in the summer."
48 Sites AvailableAvailable next weekend
from $23 - $90 / night
2. Spirit Mountain Campground
"You ride across the road to acsess the trails. We stayed for a week and it helped that the weather was perfect."
"Nice Campsites mostly secluded in the woods. Campsites are not to close to eachother giving you the privacy you want. Great views by the ski lift of Duluth!"
3. Buffalo Valley Camping
"Very Friendly owners and great campsites, pet friendly!"
"This park has a lot to offer. Nice woodsy spots, plenty of restrooms and showers, and a bar/restaurant!! Tents sports are also really nice. Close to downtown Duluth (10 mins.)"
4. Fond du Lac City
"Great place.Plenty to do.People that work there are freindly and helpful.Great mountain bike trails across the road,and hiking trails only right down the road about 6 blocks.Lots of Canoe and kayak rentals.Bath"
"kind campground hosts with quiet but well-used atvs
-easy lake access with docks and shoreline
-free wifi
-this is a good day-of campsite if you’re looking for an adventure or a fun story to tell!"
5. Mont du Lac Resort
"This was my first time at this location and we decided to do a cabin (package) so that we could stay and ski (well, they skied I snowshoed)."
"Water park for extra charge, but a great free playground for non-swimmers"
6. Woods and Meadows Farm
"This is the perfect place to get away from it all. Check them out and come back here to leave them some love 💕"
7. Big Lake Shores & The Lounge
"We always stay in the cabin. It’s a remote paradise! The price is right. Refrigerator, microwave, queen bed along side a bunk; double on the bottom bunk and a twin up top."
8. Park Lake Campground
9. Anchor Inn Campground
"You can't beat the price ($14/night for electric up to 50 amps). The woman I booked the reservation through was really nice and laid back. The campground is quiet, chill and safe."
Check Availabilityfrom $12 - $60 / night
10. Banning State Park Campground
"The campsites are large enough (despite the snow) to set up suitable winter tents, and each site has a picnic table and fire pit. In the park, there's a lot of ice climbing and cross country skiing."
"Nice well maintained State Park."
Check AvailabilityCampground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $80 / night
Drive Time
- 17 min from Duluth, MN
- 1 hr 53 min from Minneapolis, MN
- 2 hrs 7 min from St. Cloud, MN
- 2 hrs 30 min from Eau Claire, WI
Recent Cabin Photos near Carlton, MN
23 Photos of 29 Carlton Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Cabin Reviews near Carlton, MN
238 Reviews of 29 Carlton Campgrounds
- TTanya L.
TravelerJay Cooke State Park Campground
Crowded but lovely stop
A weekend in October...peak color but the campground is crowded and pretty noisy up until 8 pm ish when it does quiet down a bit. Would stay again, just when it's less crowded.
- TTimGuide
St Croix River Resort
Great Family Campground
Many activities throughout the day for the family. Kids enjoyed the pool. The store has a nice selection of items for sale. Firewood is $8 a bundle.
The campsites are close but there is enough trees between sites to make it seem like you are not so close.
There are atvs and utvs but at night they are not moving around.
- AAnita L.Guide
Spirit Mountain Campground
Spirit Mountain Campground
Private sites, W/E, Close to downtown Duluth. Our site was just big enough for our 38' 5th wheel with slides on both sides. They delivered wood which was $9 for 5 pieces. RR and showers close to this site. Toilets fairly new, but showers paint peeling and could use remodeling.
- JJeremy J.
ScoutOld Logging Trail Campground — St. Croix State Park
Nice campground, but…
The campground is nice and has more woods/bushes and more privacy than the other two campgrounds in the park. The bathroom/showers were relatively clean and functioned well with nice hot showers. The electric sites functioned as expected but, they all seem very well used. Not much in the way of grass (bit of a drought at the time) and lots of little bits of garbage all over our campsite. All the electrical sites were occupied while we were there and a lot of the other sites near the modern bathroom were occupied. If you want privacy and a less worn campsite I would suggest booking a non-electrical site further away from modern bathroom. Oh, another plus water from spigots around campground was good.
Cari E.
RangerSpirit Mountain Campground
Convenient when the SP are booked
If you’re hopping between state parks in the north shore area and need something near Duluth, this campground is a solid option if there’s nothing else available. Time has not been overly friendly and the park and campground are somewhat run down, but there are still upsides. It’s close to local stores and the sites are shaded and actually quite lovely, but beware that MANY of the sites on the far west loop (45-70) will not be level. Most also do not have a dedicated space for a tent, but there is usually ample space on the gravel drives (bring extra padding). This loop is also not ideal for larger RVs. Verizon cell service was manageable and if you scout the site images online, you can find spots with northern-facing openings in the trees for Starlink if needed. Water spigots in this loop are also well placed and the water was quite chilly. Now for the ugly…the bathrooms in this loop are serviceable, but if you touch the wall or floor while showering, you might want to star over. If you forgot your shower shoes, you won’t be showering. Older bath houses are acceptable, but this one was plain filthy beyond simple age.
Alysia B.ScoutMont du Lac Resort
Nice paved spots
Nice campground with flat paved spots and good facilities. Water park for extra charge, but a great free playground for non-swimmers
- Cari E.Ranger
Jay Cooke State Park Campground
Everything is convenient
I stayed at two sites, the second being 41E, which has electric. This loop is perhaps the most central to the bath house, but all are conveniently located nearby and the dump station isn’t too far (but far enough to stay out of sight, out of mind). The bath house is fully handicap friendly and the shower heads can all the raised and lowered, and there are wheelchair ramps up to the facility. The dirt roads are miraculously pothole free and the drinking water spigots are blissfully cold if you’re here during a heatwave. Site 41E, like quite a few actually, has the fire pit behind/on the wrong side of your rv door, but no biggie. The biggest downside is that the site is rather unlevel, but if you are able to scoot all the way to the right (closest to the electrical tower), it’s not so bad. The bridge/park office/store is a quick 7 min walk, and the bath house is less than a 2 min walk.
When I was staying, we were hit with hazardous levels of wildfire smoke, and I was so impressed that the park staff opened visitor’s center early so that campers would have a place to escape the smoke. I’ve never stayed at any park where the staff goes so far above and beyond.
- Cari E.Ranger
Jay Cooke State Park Campground
Woodsy Perfection
Every site is nestled into the woods, which is cozy and adds the added benefit of privacy. That said, the extra big rigs wouldn’t be a good fit—one loop only allows for rigs under 25’ in length due to a tight corner. Another oddity is that some fire pits are on the opposite side of your doors, but no biggie.
The bathrooms are wonderfully new and central to all the camping loops. There are men’s and women’s sides for toilets/sinks and independent shower rooms—all handicap friendly. The park really outdid themselves here, even the building is beautifully designed.
Firewood is for sale at the camp office along with your typical camping goods and souvenirs, and the park staff is wonderful to interact with. There are black bears, but no bear boxes, so be smart with your food. I had 1-2 bars of LTE on Verizon, and if you need Starlink access, try to find a site that runs north/south more than east/west because there are obviously trees everywhere.
Site 5 is near a small dumpster, which turned out to be rather convenient—there is a line of trees/brush for privacy, so don’t let that stop you. There is also an ice cold water spigot behind the site, which was even better—again, trees/brush for privacy. Mostly level, with just the smallest tilt toward the fire pit. 2 minute walk to the bathrooms, conveniently located near a walking path to the park office/bridge.
Guide to Carlton
Cabin camping options near Carlton, Minnesota offer year-round accommodations within 30 miles of the city. The area sits at approximately 1,100 feet elevation with summer temperatures typically ranging 65-80°F and winter temperatures often dropping below freezing. Fall foliage peaks in late September through mid-October, creating optimal hiking conditions on established trails.
What to do
Explore riverside trails: Jay Cooke State Park Campground features multiple hiking options along the St. Louis River. "I spent a day trip with friends at Jay Cook. The water levels were low, so we clambered around on the sculpted granite rocks that line the river and falls, dipping on and out of pools and up slick rock faces," notes one visitor.
Winter recreation: Spirit Mountain Campground maintains skiing and snowboarding facilities during winter months. "Open in winter for sking and snowboarding as well," reports a camper who visited the area.
Paddling access: Fond du Lac City provides direct river access with kayak and canoe opportunities. "We had a nice site on the corner, very close to the river to drop in our kayaks," explains one reviewer.
Historical exploration: Banning State Park Campground features remnants of a 130-year-old sandstone quarry. "The Quarry Loop along the Kettle River has a ton of history, allowing you to explore the remains of the 130+ year old sandstone quarry. Seeing the drill holes in the cliffs was really cool," shares a visitor.
What campers like
Wooded privacy: Most camping cabins near Carlton feature natural tree cover. At Spirit Mountain, "Campsites are not to close to each other giving you the privacy you want. Great views by the ski lift of Duluth!"
River views: Several waterfront cabin sites provide scenic vistas. At Oak Lake Campground, "Spots were right by the lake and the lake was awesome."
Winter solitude: Off-season camping provides quieter experiences in several locations. "I have grew to really enjoy winter camping here," states a Banning State Park camper. "This is a great place for winter camping! The campsites are large enough (despite the snow) to set up suitable winter tents."
Wildlife viewing: Woods and Meadows Farm and surrounding areas offer nature observation opportunities. Other campers mention "beautiful beaver ponds" and opportunities to "see some wildlife" at various backcountry sites.
What you should know
Reservation requirements: Most camping cabins near Carlton require advance booking, especially at state parks. At Jay Cooke State Park Campground, "It is a very popular campground - we stayed on a Monday night and less than 5 campsites were vacant."
Noise considerations: Some campgrounds experience intermittent train noise. "One of the only things that was obnoxious about this park is that there is a frequently used train track nearby - and the trains really lay on whistle. I slept with earplugs in because of this."
Weather preparation: Seasonal conditions affect cabin camping experiences. At Lost Lake backpacking site, "It was pretty buggy and ticks were bad, but that's to be expected. Bog/marsh was beautiful with some wildlife and was generally a very pleasant place to camp."
Variable amenities: Cabin facilities range from rustic to fully equipped. At Mont du Lac Resort, "Cabin 1 was an RV Cabin (as they call it) which is sort of RV shaped but not on wheels. Wooden cabin, 2 bedrooms and a loft with plenty of space for sleeping."
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Big Lake Shores & The Lounge and several nearby campgrounds offer child-friendly recreation areas. At Fond du Lac City, a camper noted, "Very kid and dog friendly" with "many families with children who were playing on the small playground, shooting hoops, fishing, and riding bike."
Swimming options: Water access varies by location. One camper mentioned, "This campground provides boat rental and a swimming beach. Sites are a little small but have a nice view of the lake. Playground for the kids was decent. The beach was ok."
Educational opportunities: Historical sites provide learning experiences for children. "Seeing the drill holes in the cliffs was really cool and the remains of the old buildings were a highlight even to our small children."
Game facilities: Some campgrounds provide outdoor recreation equipment. "Horseshoes, ladder toss, and bag toss provided by campground."
Tips from RVers
Site selection: Carefully research cabin locations before booking. At Spirit Mountain, one camper advised, "There was a big slope to get down to our firepit which we didn't care for. If we would stay again we would book site 50 or 52."
Winter utilities: Seasonal services vary. "Yes water is shutoff and you don't get to use the awesome shower house but there are hardly any people here!"
Hookup variations: Mont du Lac Resort provides electrical and water connections with private bathroom facilities in some cabins. "All linens provided. Ah yes - and it's heated/cooled too! Not with a wood stove, but an actual thermostat adjustable heater."
Size considerations: Capacity varies between cabins. At Anchor Inn Campground, "Very tight getting into spaces for a large rig" while Woods and Meadows Farm cabins offer more spacious arrangements.
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Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Carlton, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Carlton, MN is Jay Cooke State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 72 reviews.
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