Best Tent Camping near Chatfield, MN

Southeastern Minnesota's bluff country offers several tent campgrounds near Chatfield, with options ranging from established campgrounds to walk-in sites. Houston Nature Center provides tent-only camping at the trailhead of the Root River State Bike Trail, while Whitewater State Park's Gooseberry Glen features cart-in tent sites along a peaceful stream. Schmidt Farm by Forestville offers secluded tent sites adjacent to Forestville State Park for those seeking solitude.

Most tent sites in the area feature picnic tables and fire rings, though amenities vary significantly between locations. Houston Nature Center provides clean bathrooms with free showers (donations suggested) and firewood available for purchase. Walk-in sites at Hok-Si-La City Park require campers to park in a main lot and carry gear to their sites, though temporary drive-up loading is permitted. Whitewater State Park's cart-in sites provide push carts at the parking area for a short walk to secluded campsites. Several campgrounds maintain a tent-only policy that eliminates vehicle traffic and generator noise, creating a more peaceful camping experience.

The region offers excellent hiking opportunities with access to state parks and trail systems. At Schmidt Farm, campers can explore both private trails and less-traveled areas of Forestville State Park with ample space for multiple tents at each site. The cart-in sites at Whitewater State Park provide both privacy and convenience, as one camper noted: "The sites were quiet, woodsy and secluded... We could see site 4 from our site, but all we could hear was the stream." Tent campers at Houston Nature Center enjoy direct access to the Root River State Bike Trail, clean facilities, and a natural playground nearby. A review mentioned that "the nature center is tent camping only but they do have nice spots with picnic tables and grills. Everything is extremely clean and the town of Houston is so sweet."

Best Tent Sites Near Chatfield, Minnesota (15)

    1. Schmidt Farm by Forestville

    2 Reviews
    Preston, MN
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 273-6278

    $35 / night

    "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."

    "If you're looking for a simpler camping experience focused on getting away from everything and solitude, then this is the place for you.   "

    2. Aefintyr

    4 Reviews
    Elba, MN
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 513-5598

    $29 - $139 / night

    "We're so excited to have this unique property on our platform. Offering hike in sites with Bell Tents or pitch your own, this is a great place to view the stars."

    "A beautiful cabin, hike-in glamping or bring your own gear.

    I was able to stay in the cabin for a couple nights with two friends. The cabin was cozy even during winter."

    3. Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park

    2 Reviews
    Elba, MN
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 312-2300

    "We wanted a quiet, secluded campsite, but one we wouldn't have to backpack into."

    "Right when you park you see the push carts and it is a very short walk to the campsite. You are able to slightly see 1 cart-in site neighbor, but besides that it was very private and quiet."

    4. Northend Campground

    1 Review
    Rushford, MN
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 864-7949

    5. Houston Nature Center

    5 Reviews
    Houston, MN
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 896-4668

    "The Nature Center campsite is located at the trail head for the Root River State Bike Trail."

    "This campsite is at the trailhead for the Root River Bike Trail. This bike trail is so awesome and by far the best in the tri-state area!"

    7. Chimney Rock County Park

    1 Review
    Cresco, IA
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (563) 534-7145

    8. Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground

    7 Reviews
    Lake City, MN
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (651) 345-3855

    $22 - $132 / night

    "The campground was very full that weekend but the group sites are spacious and well spaced out, (if you can I would recommend G4 or G5 right on the lake for group sites) you definitely don't feel like"

    "This is one of my favorite campgrounds in Southern Minnesota! It is only 1 1/2 hours away from the TwinCities which makes it an ideal getaway."

    9. Oronoco City Park

    1 Review
    Pine Island, MN
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 367-4526

    10. Shady Rest Acres

    2 Reviews
    Hokah, MN
    45 miles

    $40 - $120 / night

    "If you want to meet the barnyard critters, please only look at them from the outside of the fence unless guided and escorted by the owners. "

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Tent Camping Reviews near Chatfield, MN

469 Reviews of 15 Chatfield Campgrounds


  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 31, 2024

    Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

    Nice state park

    Stayed here for a couple nights on a mini state park road trip. Nice place, like most of the MN state parks. Spotty cell service. Hiked a trail with lots of steps. Fire ring and picnic table are provided at each site. Restroom with showers also available in campground. Site was large and easy to back into and offered some tree cover for shade during certain times of the day. Was unable to hang hammock in specific site we stayed at, but some of the sites looked like they would be suitable.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 23, 2019

    Prairie Island City Campground

    Great introductory campground

    Prairie Island has all of you basic amenities without being too far from town. This campground isn’t for everybody -- if you’re looking for extreme adventure and wilderness, this is not the place for you. If you’re interested in getting into camping and not investing the money into all the gear or having direct river access, this is the place for you! They seriously rent it all. Paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and dutch ovens. The camp store sells all of the basics and fishing supplies. The shower house has flush toilets and pit toilets are located throughout the campground.

    Personally, this campground is not the type that I like to stay at but it is really great for the type that wants to get into camping or the camper trailer type. Unfortunately, not enough activities to do besides boating on the river.

  • ERolf P.
    Aug. 29, 2016

    Perrot State Park Campground

    Group Camping, Hiking, and Water Sports

    Wonderful time in Perrot State Park. Camped in the group campground, site A. Plenty of room for many tents, and nice level ground to pitch tents on. Huge fire ring for large group fires, and both a large grill on the fire ring, and freestanding charcoal grill. Lots of options for hiking and walking in the park with more than 13 miles of trails. We did a 5 mile hike up and over two of the more popular bluffs. We also did a two-three hour canoe/kayak trip and had a blast.

    There is not a swimming beach at the park, so if you're into that, you'll have to leave the park, but there is more than enough to do at Perrot State Park.

  • K
    Sep. 5, 2020

    Hidden Meadows RV Park

    Hidden Gem

    This is very convenient if you have Mayo Clinic appointments. The campground was nice with grassy sites along with electric and water hook ups, there was a dump station also. Portable toilets spaced around and a centralized bath house by the office. There are seasonal guests and everyone was friendly. We saw deer by the primitive camp areas and had nightly campfires in our fire ring. We will return the next time we are up in MN.

  • R
    Aug. 30, 2019

    Merrick State Park Campground

    Nice Walk-In site but bring your bug spray!

    Very nice walk-in site right on the river. LOTS of bugs to the point it was uncomfortable so make sure to bring bug spray. Tent pad, fire ring and picnic table available. Trees available that are good for those who hammock.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 14, 2018

    Houston Nature Center

    Great location!

    The Nature Center campsite is located at the trail head for the Root River State Bike Trail. Trail Head Park is a nice tent only campground with walk-in sites. A majority of the sites have picnic tables and fire pits. The Nature Center has clean bathrooms and free showers. They recommend donations for the use of the showers.

    $20 per night camping fee. You can pay inside the Nature Center or at the slot between the restroom mirrors. The sites are first come, first serve. Local firewood is available near the restrooms as well; take what you need and leave the center a donation.

    Trail Head Park has a 1 acre natural playground near the campsite. When I visited during the week, I only saw a small group of people using the playground. The playground has a zip line, tree house, small rock wall, and more. Inside the Nature Center, they have interactive and interesting displays. The highlight of this campground is the Root River State Bike Trail and the Owl Center in the town of Houston.

    I'd give the campsite 4/5 review. The location, the bluffs, the bike trail, and center get 5/5 review.

  • J
    Oct. 24, 2017

    Sylvan City Park

    Close to bike trail and downtown

    Stayed here in a tent while on a bicycle camping trip and it was adequate. It is located in a city park within a couple minutes walk of the downtown area. The bike trail crosses the south end of downtown so close to that too. This would not be a good place to camp if you'd like to be out in nature

    Biggest gripe is the slope of the tent sites. The majority of the tent sites are on an incline around a pond. There are also a lot of ducks that aren't very afraid of humans. None got into my gear though. There are fire rings at the tent sites. No picnic tables at the individual sites but there are some nearby in the park and there's also a covered picnic shelter. Hammocks would be difficult to impossible as the tent area is a strip of grass between pond and bluff, which has mostly brush or too whimpy of trees to hang from at the base. There are a couple huge oaks but none in pairs.

    Quarter showers and clean restrooms are available. $20/night/tent which seemed a bit steep to me considering how slanted the sites were and quarter showers. It is cheaper than the other places within immediate biking distance which were $25/night.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 14, 2025

    Nelson's Landing RV Park

    Convenient location for our stay

    General: There is a main campground and a bonus sites section; we stayed in the Main campground and this review is based on that. There are approximately 90 sites laid out in typical RV park fashion with the sites close together and no physical privacy between sites. 

    Site Quality: Sites tend to be very long and could accommodate even large-size Class A rigs. The “driveways” are a mix of grass and gravel and were not very well defined. Each site has a picnic table on a concrete pad. Our site had water and electric hookups. Our challenge was that we arrived after dark, and the site numbers were posted at the back end of the sites, necessitating a sleuthing operation with my flashlight to find our site. Only a few sites had fire rings that I could see. 

    Bathhouse: The women’s area had three “all-in-ones” with a toilet, sink, and shower. They were very clean with hooks, soap, and paper towels. The entire bathhouse appeared to be in a state of remodeling, and it wasn’t clear what was going to happen with the remainder of the space (plumbed but not completed when we were there). Did not use the shower so cannot comment on that. 

    We arrived after dark and left the next morning but our stay on a Friday in August was quiet except for the loud trains running along the Mississippi. We heard two around 10 pm and either there were no more until the next morning, or we mercifully slept through them! This RV Park is located in the small town of Nelson and accessed through a residential neighborhood. Although not our preferred camp stay, we chose it since we knew we wanted to eat at Stone Barn Pizza (a must if you are in the area!) which is why we arrived after dark!

  • B
    Jun. 12, 2022

    Lake Meyer County Park Campground

    Great spot, tents included

    This is a great little park if you need a place to stop for the night. It was very inexpensive for tents ($10 I think) and the tent camping area was very nice with 3 giant pine trees and some picnic tables and fire rings. As someone who bicycle tours I appreciated fire wood being on site and close to where the tent area is. The bathrooms aren’t the best but they worked. Overall its a safe, clean, welcoming campground for both tents and RV’s.


Guide to Chatfield

Tent camping near Chatfield, Minnesota offers a blend of serene landscapes and well-equipped sites, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape into nature.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

Some prices for tent camping range from $10 to $20

Explore these unique campground features

  • Aefintyr boasts cozy cabins and hike-in glamping options, making it a versatile choice for different camping styles.
  • At Schmidt Farm by Forestville, you’ll find large, secluded campsites that allow for a more private camping experience.
  • The Houston Nature Center features a bike servicing station and is located right at the trailhead for the Root River Bike Trail, perfect for cycling enthusiasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Chatfield, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chatfield, MN is Schmidt Farm by Forestville with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Chatfield, MN?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Chatfield, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.