Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Cottage Grove? Find the best tent camping sites near Cottage Grove. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Cottage Grove's most popular destinations.
Located on the St. Croix River, just 20 miles east of Saint Paul, Afton State Park is great for those looking for camping near Minneapolis and is 1600 acres of rolling prairies, oak woodlands, and limestone river canyons amid an ancient glacial landscape. The land for the park was acquired in 1967, but it took almost 15 years of planning revisions and compromises with local residents before the park finally opened in 1982. Little development has gone into Afton State Park in an effort to maintain its natural characteristics, and former farmland atop the bluffs are continuously being restored to their original state. This makes Afton an ideal destination for campers looking to experience the outdoors in a wilder setting.
Load up your backpack with all you’ll need for your stay, as camping at Afton State Park requires a hearty, 0.75-mile hike in from the parking area. The year-round campground offers 27 rustic sites with picnic tables and fire pits, with options for pitching your tent in either open or wooded areas. There is drinking water, a vault toilet and firewood is supplied within the camp area. There is also three boat-in campsites, and two group campsites that can accommodate up to 60 people each. If you’d rather not rough it, the park also offers four camping cabins and two yurts, some of which are wheelchair accessible. There are also several picnic areas and restrooms within the park. Campsite rates range from $15–$23/night; cabins range from $55–$70/night, and yurts $50–$65/night.
When you’re ready to explore, start at the park’s Nature Store where you can pick up information about the park’s flora and fauna, or join a nature walk. Then choose from more than 20 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, as well as a short barrier-free path. If you’re visiting in winter, many of these trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Bring your GPS and go on a geocaching treasure hunt, or bring your binoculars and go on safari for a variety of migratory birds, waterfowl, and wildlife, including deer, foxes and badgers. And little ones will love becoming Junior Park Naturalists and learning about bugs, birds, plants and other critters. If you’re looking for a real outdoor adventure, Afton State Park has what you’re looking for.
The space is in the backyard of my private property on Elliot Avenue in Bloomington, MN.
The yard is almost entirely fenced-in & has lots of folliage for general privacy.
Street parking is free.
$45 - $60 / night
$50 / night
$50 / night
Tent only campground.
$22 - $132 / night
$15 / night
For the adventurers spending the weekend climbing at Interstate State Park, the cyclists on a bike tour, or anyone wanting to spend the night amidst the stars and owls, rent a campsite at Lily Springs Farm and pitch your tent on the lakeshore! Bring your tent or your hammock and set up a cozy nest on the lakeshore. Campsites have easy swimming access.
$70 / night
Ranger
We tent camped here for a night while passing through. It’s a basic KOA with a few amenities. The lots were really big and we had no one near us, so it was nice and private. Most of the lots near the front were occupied but the back was almost empty, which is where the more wooded lots are. Only 1 bath house and it’s not close to most of the tent sites.
Staff was nice and helpful. It has a small pool and game room but not much else for kids. The bugs are aggressive here, especially near the tent sites which are located near a swampy area. Definitely more of a place to stay as you are passing through, not really a destination campground.
Guide
Lebanon Hills is a great park and has a lot of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Our family selected this camp ground to test out some gear -- if we had problems or if we forgot something it was a short drive home. Turns out this is a wonderful camp ground and offers a lot of seclusion.
Tent camp sites are far enough from each other that neighbors can't be seen, and we didn't hear them either.
The bathroom facility near the ranger station was very well maintained and cleaned several times a day.
The only criticisms we have are that you can hear road noise -- and depending on your site you'll hear the alarm of one of the access gates for the Minnesota Zoo.
We went here as an experiment, but will definitely be coming back throughout the year. Reserve early online, most weekends were already reserved by mid May.
Scout
This was a great spot for our first time camping with our kids! We camped in a tent so booked a site on the river side (no hookups) but it was very spacious and was perfect for our group! Bathrooms seemed fairly decent. They weren’t too far away. I would definitely stay here again!
Scout
We experienced wonderful customer service, tent camping, nature center and waterfalls.
Traveler
A couple weeks ago we spent some time at the Northwest koa...that one had private tent sites surrounded on 3 sides by trees, quiet spaces etc. Looking at the Southwest koa website they advertise as the tent sites back into the woods. So imagine our surprise when we were shown our site. It did indeed back up into the woods however the woods were 20ish feet behind a rope and we were told all set up had to be done in front of the rope. Our tent was inches from the road and wide out in the open. Other then the tent site itself this koa is wonderful...the staff were very friendly, the pool was clean and heated, the grounds were kept clean etc
RangerThe office was open till 9pm very friendly. A little pricey for tent camping. The sites are private. Great biking and hiking trails. Great amenities. Close to the zoo as well as the city.
Scout
This campground is clean and well maintained. It has a boat landing; indoor and outdoor bathroom facilities; playground and large tent sites.
RangerDefinitely check this place out great campsites for tent camping right next door to the MN Zoo campsites nicely wooded spread out nicer than some state park campgrounds. Definitely going to check it out again.
ScoutSome nice hiking and beautiful landscapes of wildflowers, grasses, and the river Typical state campground set up, not a ton of privacy but enough. Stayed 3 nights, tent camping. Biy certified firewood outside the park if you plan on using a lot. A nice weekend getaway close to the metro!
Traveler
Love this place.
Close to the Twin Cities, right on the Rum River.
Great tent sites right on the river.
Tubing! They have a bus that takes you into town float back to the campground, love it.
LegendGreat location, near Red Wing Minnesota. However, it's your typical Mississippi river camping -- you're there for river access and not much more. If noise bothers you then this is not the place for you. It is situated directly under the highway 63 bridge.
Full hookups and tent camping available. Bathrooms are pretty clean. There are also train tracks along the MN side of the river with several trains running during the day and at night. The perks for the campground are the water access and you can walk to the Harbor Bar for some good food.
Legend
Be sure to check out Franconia sculpture garden if you're staying here and have the time! It's such a fun and quirky place. Some of us stayed at an RV site and some of us stayed at a tent site this trip 😁
TravelerWe’ve stayed at Country Camping for years! Great variety of things to do for everyone. Group sites, tent sites, covered wagon sites! Floating on the Rum River, swimming pool with splash pad, little camp store, Golf cart rentals! Our grandkids love it too!
ScoutWe tent camped for two nights in site CC, which had a small quiet creek beside it. These primitive sites are down a small dirt road away from the main RV camping area and are nicely wooded, but you can still see neighboring sites. The staff were friendly and kind, the facilities were clean, and it was a convenient location.
ScoutIn demand park close in to cities. RV portion has full hook ups. No hook up sites for up to 24ft RVs also available. Non hook up sites are wooded and well spaced. RV sites similar to private campgrounds. Must reserve months in advance as usually full. Have secluded tent sites too.
Traveler
Great tent sites some along river lots of activities for children and adults tubing down the river, man-made lake with blowups, scooters, swimming poolAnd jumping pillow. Mini mart has many items from camping necessities, rain gear as well as groceries and ice cream. Bathrooms with showers are very clean.
RangerThree campgrounds, first come first serve. $10/day entry $40/daily for electric hook up (non-resident); no full hook-ups, no water, only 1 vault toilet open per campground. Year round availability, however- tough to find! Very hard to get a cellular connection (T-mobile). Beautiful views of the river, right along the edge if you tent camp. Multiple playgrounds, hiking trails and loads of nature, large beach and waterfalls.
GuideWhat a wonderful park for being surrounded by the cities! We had previously come for walking and kayaking, but this was our first overnight here. The site and restroom/shower are well kept and there are enough trees/plants between the (tent) sites to make it feel private. It's always fun seeing deer, turtles, fish, gardner snakes here.
Guide
Nice distance from the twin cities for a weekend away with some nice hiking trails. The tent pads have been upgraded to pea gravel by the friends association (which seems to be quite active based on signage around park improvements). Showers and bathrooms were clean. Wi-Fi near the park entrance and spotty T-Mobile service throughout. The outside of the loop is good for tent camping but could be a little noisy if the campground had been fully booked.
Traveler
I camped here in April and got a camping spot on the edge of the River Campground facing the woods. I loved this spot and it was plenty big for parking two cars, tent, hammock, chairs, you name it! It appears that most tent camping is on the outer edges and RV camping is in the middle. No one was noisy, wasn't a "party" campground which was great for peace and quiet. It was great being so close to the river trail. Great views and fresh air!
GuideWe were here for a night to see a concert at the amphitheater and everyone was super friendly. It was easy to check in, and we were able to do laundry and shower which was great. It’s mostly gravel but they have some tent sites on the grass. They are dog friendly and have some grassy areas to walk your pets which was great.
ScoutThis is one of the few places that you can camp in twin cities metro. Both car and RV camping is allowed. Some of the tent sites do have power as well. Bathrooms and Showers are centrally located. Firewood is available for purchase. The camp grounds are located near the Lebanon Hills mountain biking area and miles of day hiking trails. Camping is only permitted in this area and it's not open in the winter.
TravelerThe hosts at this campground were very nice. We had a tent site with no hook ups. The site was spacious and private-surrounded on 3 sides by trees. The bathrooms were clean. The pool area was clean and without issue. There were no extra walk ways or special features in those regards but the roads had enough of a country feel that they were fun for walking around with my kids and dog
Scout
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. The campsites are wooded and have enough distance between them that noise is minimal. I especially love the view of Lake Pepin and the nice little swimming beach. On our last stay, we were able to watch eagles from our campsite, which was amazing. They have recently added 3 small cabins to rent which would be a nice alternative to tent camping. If you do plan a camping trip to Hok-Si-La and you're driving in from the Twin Cities, be sure to take Wisconsin Highway 35 through Maiden Rock, Stockholm, Pepin, and other small towns. You can loop back into Minnesota through Wabasha. This adds about an extra half hour to your drive but it is definitely worth it!
Traveler
I have stayed here a couple times before memorial day and after. I tent camped by the river. #67 is extra large and perfect. Electric and water was $35/night for electric and water for a weekday. Bathrooms near by need updated. But brand new showers by main entrance. Very clean, nice staff. They have a little restaurant that I saw but didn't eat or see open.
This is the prettiest campground I've been to so far in this area. But there is a lot of construction so watch your maps. 1 mile was 15 miles bc of an important road closure. Get everything you need before you settle. A gas station alone is a trip.
GuideTent sites line the exterior of this campground while electric, RV sites are close by. While I was at a riverside spot, the amount of RVs across the road can really detract from the experience. People in RVs (this is a generalization made after many'a'night in campgrounds) tend to not recognize their voices penetrate tent walls with incredible ease -- many lack the personal experience that their voices are disruptive at midnight and should speak in hushed voices while their neighbors try to sleep. Not to mention, what's with the bright lights they shine on their exterior? Camp Hosts (who slept in an RV as well) were useless to manage quiet hour expectations. Bathrooms have a shower and while I did not use, seemed in good condition.
GuideI love this park and use it frequently for our "test runs". We have a new puppy and a new teardrop, so this was the perfect place for us to have our maiden voyage within 20min of our home. But besides just being close, it's also a really nice campground. It's very wooded and feels private. The RV section has sites that are a bit close together and open, but the tent sites (where we stayed) are much more secluded. The facilities are clean and well-kept.
The park itself is also really nice. There are lots of hiking trails, mountain biking, lake access for kayaking/paddle boarding... In the winter we love coming here for day trips to take advantage of the cross country skiing and snow shoe rentals.
Cottage Grove, Minnesota, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a peaceful retreat in nature. With well-reviewed campgrounds nearby, you can enjoy scenic views, hiking trails, and a range of amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cottage Grove, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cottage Grove, MN is Afton State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 36 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 18 tent camping locations near Cottage Grove, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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