Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park lies approximately 10 miles north of Columbia Heights, offering camping in a heavily wooded setting within the northern suburbs. This regional park features both electric and non-electric sites with tent pads and has well-maintained trails for hiking throughout its 5,500 acres. Water fill stations are positioned strategically throughout the campground for easy access.
What to Do
Hiking and biking trails: Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park offers extensive trail networks that connect to the broader area. "Wonderful site! Feels very secluded in spite of being so close to the cities. Great beach & sunrise. Highly recommend!" notes Max P.
Explore the nature center: When weather turns rainy, the nature center provides indoor activities. "The nature center is nice and a great place to spend some time if it is raining during their open hours," says Krista T.
Visit nearby attractions: William O'Brien State Park is within driving distance and offers additional recreational activities. "We love this park!! very friendly and well kept! Two campgrounds to chose from. Tons of hiking, fishing, and great picnic area next to the river!" writes Michelle S.
What Campers Like
Private, wooded sites: Campers appreciate the natural screening between sites at many campgrounds. "The sites are decently private and there is nice bathrooms/showers. We camped here while our friends used a camper cabin and they loved it too," shares Bryan S. about Afton State Park.
Seasonal landscape variety: The area offers different experiences throughout camping season. "We walked some trail through a frozen marsh landscape and happened upon a railroad that passed above our trail with a beautiful tunnel-overpass," recalls David K. about winter camping at William O'Brien.
Wildlife viewing: Local campgrounds provide opportunities for animal sightings. "This campground is lovely. You can hear frogs all night and we even saw a turtle laying eggs in a different campsite," reports Laura E. about William O'Brien State Park.
What You Should Know
Reservation tips: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially on weekends. "Reserve early online, most weekends were already reserved by mid May," advises Blair about Lebanon Hills Regional Park.
Bug preparedness: Insects can be intense, particularly during summer months. "Deer flies were thick around the water filling station," notes one camper, while another mentions, "Lots of mosquitoes but it's MN so that's to be expected."
Construction updates: Check for ongoing park maintenance before visiting. "The east part of the park was all closed for construction. Everything on the east side of the highway was closed so we could not hike a lot of the trails or use the beach which was a challenge with kids."
Tips for Camping with Families
Playground access: Baker Campground offers multiple recreational facilities for children. "With great fishing, playground, swimming, and biking trails very nearby, the kids were kept as busy as they wanted to be," recommends Bryan S.
Water activities: Many area campgrounds feature swimming beaches or water parks. "The waterpark is a blast and we were able to find discount passes online," shares another camper about nearby attractions.
Tent camping with kids: Choose sites with natural features for added entertainment. "For our first time camping, this was a great site! It was very clean, had friendly staff, and was close to a really fun park for our kids," writes Heather V.
Tips from RVers
Site selection considerations: Review site specifications carefully when booking. "The reservation system is weird and the sites are much bigger than they say. All rv sites are the listed length plus 16' for your tow vehicle, which you need to call to find out," advises Davis D. about Lebanon Hills.
Hookup options: Several dog friendly campgrounds near Columbia Heights offer various levels of services. "After picking up our new (to us) teardrop trailer in Minneapolis on a Monday, we wanted to stay someplace local just to test everything out. Thankfully Lebanon Hills had a space available... We had full hookups, even though we only needed water and electric," shares Joanne M.
Dump station access: Most regional parks maintain sanitary facilities for RVs. "The campground features clean restrooms and shower facilities, with a sanitary dump station available for RV users," confirms a visitor to the area.