1 campground with availability next weekend
The Old Barn Resort near Chatfield houses luxury glamping accommodations set along the picturesque Root River with direct access to miles of biking trails. Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging provides upscale glamping options including safari-style tents with comfortable bedding, electricity, and private decks overlooking the water. Both locations feature resort-style amenities uncommon to standard camping, including heated swimming pools, on-site dining, and fully-equipped bathrooms with hot showers. The glamping sites include comfortable beds with linens, climate-controlled environments, and premium outdoor spaces for relaxing. Forest Mystery Cave State Park also offers unique glamping structures with modern conveniences while maintaining a natural setting. According to a camper, "The sites were a perfect size, not overcrowded. Nice pool and shed area. The restaurant had good food and nice atmosphere."
Root River access provides glamping guests with exceptional recreation opportunities, including tubing, kayaking, and fishing directly from several of these upscale accommodations. The Root River Trail System runs alongside multiple glamping locations, offering easy biking access to charming towns like Lanesboro and Whalen. The Old Barn Resort combines glamping with resort amenities including an indoor/outdoor heated pool, golf course, restaurant, and bar service that delivers directly to glamping sites. Eagle Cliff Campground organizes activities like bingo and features live music events throughout the season. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound with guests regularly spotting bald eagles, turtles, and other river wildlife from private glamping decks. One visitor noted, "Beautiful part of Minnesota. It has an indoor/outdoor heated pool, a big barn with a restaurant and bar, and clean restroom and shower facilities. The campground is near Lanesboro which is a really cute little town."
"Drinking water had already been turned off for the season, but the bathroom still had running water and flush toilets in mid-October. Easy access to hiking trails."
"Site 53 was close to the showers and water spigot and it was a big enough spot for 2 tents while being private. It was a 10-20 minute walk to anywhere else."
Available next weekend
from $25 - $250 / night
"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."
"It can be a little confusing because the camping and mystery caves are a distance apart. I highly recommend going to the caves."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $25 - $90 / night
"Located on the Root River. Cliff View has very clean bath houses. Lots of sites to choose from. 50 amp service, sewer hook up and of course water. If your close enough to the office wifi available."
"Situated right along the Root River next to the bike trail. They offer kayak, canoe and tube rentals and shuttles. They also have bike rentals. This facility is clean and very well kept."
from $30 - $46 / night
"Our site was very large, which was nice as it gave us more than enough room to set up our tent, leaving space between us and the neighboring sites."
"It was located right on the Root River Trail System which we liked for biking and running."
"Nice park for everyone’s type from tents, cabins and all size RV’s. Electric only at the camp sites but have water and dump station on site. Clean bathrooms and showers."
"It has a campground and man-made lake (created when Bear Creek was dammed for a flood control project) with hiking trails, a horse trail, picnic shelters, a beach, and a playground."
"The cart in sites all have a fire pit with a grill, picnic table, and are a short walk from the primitive toilets. There is a water spigot in the parking area."
"I enjoy camping away from the hub bub of the family campground and opting for the backpack or cart in sites. Luckily, Great River Bluffs has some of the nicest cart ins I have encountered."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 / night
"Excellent staff. One of the best kept campgrounds I've been to. Between the campground and the nearby towns, there is easily two weeks of activities to do. More depending on the time of year you go."
"We prefer to stay down by the river sans electricity. We have done this for years in a tent and now in our hybrid camper. There are cabins, electric sites, showers and a dump station."
"There is a restaurant/bar on site. The river is behind the property."
"Mark, Sheri and the staff are good people who work hard to make sure you have a great time. The food is excellent and comes out SO FAST; bravo to the kitchen staff!"
"The camping sites also have large tall trees where a camper should be parked which causes you to park way to close to the fire pit."
"Gorgeous bluffs and river to camp right next to! Can’t wait to go back!"
from $25 / night
"Fire rings have attached grills. Lovely walking trails. Near Lake Pepin. One negative was orange/rusty water from hand pump well. $14 a night!!! We plan to camp there again."
"Nice and tucked away. Sites are very private. Has beautiful trails. Next to the river great for exploring and fishing."
from $14 / night
RangerThis campground has large private sites, most are shady or partially shaded. Bathrooms are large and well maintained. There’s lots of good hiking trails and the historic town of Forestville was interesting to explore. Absolutely no cell coverage for T-Mobile or AT&T but luckily our site had a good opening in the trees for our Starlink. Would definitely recommend.
TravelerWe tent camped one night, midweek late August. Our site was private, close enough to the shower house but far enough away that we didn't hear any noise from the exhaust fans. Was a lovely quiet night. On a tight schedule so we weren't able to sample any of the hikes. Would stay here again. #33 also looked like a prime tent camp spot.
GuideNice campground sites are smaller & you will need to level. Nice clean flush toilets & showers. Can hear the highway below. Road in is gravel & narrow not for big rigs.
GuideThis park is very nice. It has long gravel FHU sites. Bathrooms/shower house is fairly new, but they must have high iron levels b/c the toilets and walls already have brown stains. Kid friendly. walking path. Downfalls: Not much shade yet. You have to register online and some older folks don't like that.
ScoutOriginal plan was to make it to Magnolia MN and camp there, but a few small setbacks occurred and needed to find a camp site sooner than that. Found this place on the Dyrt app, and called the owner. He was friendly and let me know he had a few spots available. Once I got there, I checked in, put a pin on the map for where I was from, and after he loaded the bunch of wood, he led me to my site.
Place is very clean. Flush toilets and shower stall. Lots of things for campers to do here as well.
Would recommend if you prefer a nice quiet campground away from busy roads.
RangerBeautiful setting along the Mississippi River. A few campsites right on the river edge. Also sites with Electric.
Across the railroad tracks is the nice little village of Stockholm which is famous for the PIE Shop. The village also has a wonderful bakery and other small shops and cafes.
A very nice Nature Center outside of town with great prairie trails and views overlooking the Mississippi River up high in the bluffs.
The campground does NOT have showers.
Campground does not have sewage dumping station.
The campground is located close to the railroad tracks but the trains go through fast and were not as bad as we expected.
LegendThis campground is on the opposite side of the road as the park office… but on the same side as the beach. Nice new shower building and nice roads. Some sites are a bit on the smaller side, but there are some drive through sites as well. There are also group sites and cabins.
LegendThis is in a rural area and has many seasonal sites. Transitional sites too. There is a restaurant/bar on site. The river is behind the property.
LegendThis is a county campground near Rochester. It is in a county park that has a swimming beach, boat docks, fishing piers, hiking trails, playground, biking trail. There are showers available. Pretty park-like setting.
Camping options near Chatfield, Minnesota span across southeastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa, with sites situated at elevations between 700-1,300 feet. The region features karst topography with limestone bluffs, sinkholes, and underground cave systems. Fall temperatures range from 30°F to 65°F, while summer temperatures typically hover between 60°F and 85°F with moderate humidity.
Explore underground caves: $15 for adults, $10 for children. Mystery Cave State Park offers guided walking tours through 13 miles of underground passageways. "I came here to explore the caves and it blew me away. I think the cave was around 12-13 miles long and there was water and different formations. The floor was really wet so bring shoes you won't slip in," notes Kevin T.
Hike Chimney Rock: 2-3 hour roundtrip. Chimney Rock Campground serves as a basecamp for hiking the impressive 80-foot limestone bluffs. "We visit on memorial day weekend with a large group. Camp right along side the Upper Iowa River....80 foot limestone bluffs! Campground shuttles and rents canoes/kayaks," says J.T.
River tubing: $25-30 per person. During summer months, multiple outfitters run tubing operations with shuttle service. "We rented canoes and went on a four hour trip but next time we will Deff go on a longer canoe trip and leave earlier. The scenery and the clear water on the river and we went fishing and caught one after the other," shares Laura P. from Chimney Rock Campground.
Private riverside sites: Book 3-6 months ahead for weekend spots. Riverside camping spots remain the most requested accommodations, especially sites with direct water access. "The sites are a bit too close to each other, but do offer enough privacy. We saw a cardinal and 3 hummingbirds because they came to hang out right in our campsite! The fireflies at night were an added bonus!" notes Mi S. at Great River Bluffs State Park.
Year-round yurt camping: $65-95 per night. Several parks near Chatfield offer yurt accommodations that remain available through all seasons. "We spent a day here hiking and had a blast! I hiked up chimney Rock and then looped bacj to tackle park of the Dakota trail! The hiking paths were well taken care of," says Sarah C. at Whitewater State Park.
Off-season solitude: 70% fewer campers October-April. Many campers appreciate the seclusion of off-season camping. "I thought I was getting punked. I had the entire State Park to myself. It was super cool be eerie. Great hikes and the view from the top was worth it," shares Erik R. about his experience at Whitewater State Park.
Limited cell service: Most campgrounds have spotty coverage. Cell reception varies dramatically throughout the region's bluff country. "We had no cell service at our site, but 2 bars plus WIFI outside the visitor center," reports Karla J. B. from Whitewater State Park.
Water quality varies by location. Some rustic campgrounds have mineral-heavy water systems. "One negative was orange/rusty water from hand pump well," notes Neen K. about Kruger Campground.
Road and rail noise at some sites. Campgrounds closer to major roads or rail lines experience periodic noise disturbances. "Highway noise from the highway running along the river and from I-90 (while not really noticeable during the day) is ridiculously loud at night... Added to this were the half dozen trains that ran through the night," warns Bryan P. about Great River Bluffs State Park.
Fishing access: No license needed for children under 16. Many campgrounds offer shore fishing with easy access. "The lake offers the opportunity to fish for panfish, catfish, and bass. There are a lot of submerged trees from before the Creek was dammed that provide good habitat in deep water," explains Brian K. about Chester Woods Park.
Choose campgrounds with nature programs: Usually free with park entry. Some parks offer scheduled interpretive programs ideal for children. "We hiked, took trout fishing lesson, sat at the beach and had relaxing evenings by the fire," shares Melissa H. about her family's experience at Whitewater State Park.
Reserve shower facilities: $0.25 buys 7 minutes. Many campgrounds operate coin-operated showers. "The shower house is the newer style - individual shower rooms and then a separate mens/women/handicapped bathroom. Showers were clean," notes jim C. at Mystery Cave State Park.
Limited full hookup options: Reserve 6+ months ahead. Most campgrounds offer electric-only sites with central water and dump stations. "Nice place but it is a campground not an rv park, 30 & 50 amp service but no water hookup (fill when you come in) and dump tanks when leaving," advises Kevin about Chester Woods Park.
Large sites available at The Old Barn Resort: Sites accommodate up to 40-foot rigs. This resort offers amenities unusual for the region. "Great experience- the sites were a perfect size, not over crowded. Easy to get in and out of. Nice pool and shed area. The restaurant had good food and nice atmosphere," shares Tracy B.
Be prepared for unlevel sites in some areas. While many campgrounds have worked to level their RV pads, some still require adjustment. "Good level campsite and in walking around all the ones in the electric loop looked pretty level," notes jim C. about Mystery Cave State Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Chatfield, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Chatfield, MN is Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 51 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Chatfield, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 glamping camping locations near Chatfield, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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