The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Cotton, MN

486 Reviews

Tent campsites near Cotton, Minnesota offer a range of experiences from established campgrounds to more remote sites. Blackberry Campsite provides a secluded tent camping experience accessible by boat on the Mississippi River, while Cloquet-Duluth KOA offers more developed tent sites with amenities like drinking water and showers. The Sanctuary Forest provides primitive tent camping with four designated sites in a forested setting.

Most tent campgrounds in the area have basic amenities, with significant variation between sites. Blackberry Campsite includes a fire ring, picnic table, and even a bear box for food storage, but requires boat access. The Thompson Beach Kayak Site offers free primitive tent camping with fire rings and vault toilets, but no drinking water. A camper noted, "This is the best campsite I've ever seen. No joke," about Blackberry Campsite, which features firewood storage and a latrine. Sites at established campgrounds like Cloquet-Duluth KOA tend to be closer together with less privacy, while backcountry sites offer more seclusion.

In early fall, many tent sites in the Cotton area offer crisp air and fewer crowds. The terrain varies considerably, with some sites positioned on bluffs overlooking lakes and others nestled in wooded areas. A visitor commented that Blackberry Campsite "had a pile of firewood in a useful shelter with a little roof to help keep it from the rain," highlighting the thoughtful amenities at some sites. Tent campers should be prepared for mosquitoes during summer months, particularly at sites near water. Sites like Thompson Beach Kayak Site receive excellent reviews for their scenic locations but require paddling access. Bear Lake County Park offers smaller tent sites but compensates with waterfront locations and activities like fishing, hiking and canoeing. Most tent campgrounds in the region are seasonal, typically operating from May through October.

Map showing campgrounds near Cotton, MinnesotaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Cotton, Minnesota (12)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 12 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Cotton Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Cotton, MN

6 Photos of 12 Cotton Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Cotton, MN

486 Reviews of 12 Cotton Campgrounds

  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 28, 2025

    Jay Cooke State Park Campground

    Lost Lake Backpack Site

    such a fun backpack site! The hike in was muddy and buggy as there was quite a bit of rain in the weeks prior to our camping trip. Picnic table, fire ring, and bear locker provided. Site offers great vies of a little beaver pond where you may get to see some wildlife! Site was able to fit 4 backpacking tents, most of which were 2 person size tents, so it is good for a small group. Private latrine a short walk into the woods.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 26, 2018

    Bear Head Lake State Park Campground

    Secluded in the Northwoods

    Bear Head Lake State Park is just south of the Boundary Waters, and shares a comparable wilderness element.  The shoreline is beautiful and very fun to explore by kayak.

    Campground features: Cabin rentals, tent sites, and RV sites.  The campground is open in fall & winter. The campsites are private, well shaded, and level. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit. Flush toilets, hot showers, dump station, group sites, and electric are also available.

    Hiking at Bear Head Lake State Park

    • Bear Head Lake State Park Trail is a moderate 3.2 mile trail. This hike is a loop route. Dogs are allowed but only on leash.
    • Norberg Lake Trail is a easy 1.5 mile trail. It is a trail for all skill levels and dogs are allowed but only on leash. Mostly wooded.
    • Blueberry Lake Trail is a easy 4.5 mile trail. Longer than the other listed trails. It is an out and back hike that is mostly wooded. Dogs are allowed on leash.
    • Becky Lake Trail is a easy 2.7 mile hike. Beck Lake is a loop hike that is mostly wooded. Dogs are allowed on leash.

    Fishing at Bear Head State Park

    Bass, northerns, walleye, panfish, and trout can be caught at this State Park. Many people fish from the fishing dock or shoreline. Panfish are all over the lake and most likely the first ones biting. Good walleye fishing after 6pm.

    Other activities:

    Boat rentals, cross country ski trail (groomed), snowshoe trails, and snowmobile trails.

  • E
    Jul. 4, 2018

    Pattison State Park Campground

    Beautiful, quiet

    A great campground! There is a beach, playground, as well as drive-in and hike-in sites. The waterfalls are very cool, and they have nice signage and pamphlets to learn more about them. I recommend taking the time to read about the geology. I haven't stayed in a car camping sites, but we thought they looked very nice.

    The hike-in sites are great, not too far to walk but you have privacy. One thing to note about the hike-in sites is that the trails aren't well marked. Once you're on the trail for a while, they start having regular signage, but the start of the trails themselves aren't marked. You park in an area behind the car camping sites, next to what I assume is a storage building or old house. There are two starts to the trail, the one I found best is down the service road maybe a couple hundred yards. There's also one on the other side of the lot, but it winds a bit, forks into another trail, and all in all seems a little more confusing. I'd recommend just talking to the campground host when you get there, they can explain everything. The walk is short enough (a mile and a half) that we hiked out and back a couple times when camping, either to access the beach or to fill up water. Another important note is that while it's in an area where hanging a bear bag is recommended, the woods aren't thinned enough to where there are strong branches low enough for a bag. It took quite a lot of looking to find a suitable spot for our bag. There's a fire ring and picnic table at each site, which was nice. The bathrooms outhouses, which was a nice surprise, as I was expecting an unenclosed vault toilet.

    There's a separate trail to the beach from the sites as well, but I went back the main way anyway. The beach isn't anything special, but is nice enough. There's a nice, small playground near the beach as well.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2023

    Lake Vermillion - Soudan Mine State Park Campsites — Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park

    Spacious Sites

    There were no problems getting to this state park. We pulled into the dump station just before entering the campground(CG) area to get fresh water. While we were there, a park ranger stopped to check us in, including processing us for a free annual MN state park pass for disabled veterans. We followed the site signage to electric(50/30/20 AMP) only site 110, which was an easy back-in. The site was long enough for our 40’ toy hauler to include putting our back patio down and parking our F-450. We especially liked how ample trees and bushes were separating the sites, and you are well away from your neighbors. The site gave us plenty of space to set up our chairs around a nice fire pit and one fine picnic table. Get water as you come into the CG, as the spigots throughout the park do not have threads. The 300 loop has pull-throughs that will handle large rigs, with 312 being the best. We got 5 bars 4G. on Verizon. We put Starlink on the roof and got a decent signal. There was a nice shower house/restrooms where the park also sold firewood. Formal trail systems are throughout the CG and park, and we enjoyed walking our dogs. We really like the variety of RV sites for all sizes of RVs, but it's too bad the CG area has no water views.

  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 1, 2023

    Bear Head Lake State Park Campground

    Beautiful and secluded backpacking spot

    Tough hike in to the backpack site. But once we arrived we had a beautiful little lake all to ourselves. Didn't pass another person in the 1.5 mile hike in. Quiet, secluded, and relaxing. Site had some log benches and a table if I remember correctly as well as a bear box.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 26, 2021

    Gooseberry Falls State Park Campground

    Nice state park along the North Shore

    General: Located on Lake Superior (with access to the lake from the campground). The main draw to this campground is the five waterfalls that are accessible via a paved bike path, riverfront trail, or you can drive to the Visitor Center parking lot and explore from there. During the summer of 2021, drought conditions made the falls less spectacular but still worth seeing.

    Site Quality/Facilities: The sites are all heavily wooded which provides more than sufficient privacy; although you can hear your neighbors, you won’t see them (at least during months with full foliage). The sites all have gravel drives and are very generous in size. Site 54 is just slightly sloped sideways, a small challenge for sleeping in our van. Each site has a very generous-sized picnic table and fire grate (although there was a strict fire ban due to severe drought in Minnesota in the summer of 2021). There is a large Visitor Center and store, and you can park here for two hours without a pass which is required for all other activities (including camping) in the park. The pass is $7 daily or $35 for an annual pass. Good cell service throughout the park. 

    Bathhouse: The bathhouse closest to our site is a CCC marvel. Very clean with three stalls, two sinks, and two showers. There was a bench by the sinks which was very handy for holding toiletries. The shower had good water pressure (almost too hard) and although it took a few minutes to warm up, the water was warm. You have to repeatedly push the button (every three minutes or so) but there is no extra charge for the shower. Although the campground was full our entire stay, I often had the bathhouse to myself.

    Activities: Hiking and biking! The Gitchi Gami paved bike path winds through the park and if you want to go further, it continues all along MN 61. You can hike to the falls from the campground (approximately a three-mile roundtrip to see the Upper and Middle Falls (the Lower Falls were completely dry due to the drought conditions when we were there). Access to the lake for water activities.

    This is a nice state park on the North Shore. We drove two hours north to Grand Portage State Park and back with a stop at another state park for a full-day trip, making Gooseberry Falls a good jumping-off point. Make reservations as soon as you can as this is a popular park!

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 28, 2019

    Jay Cooke State Park Campground

    Working on being spectacular

    This is a beautiful park with tons of great hiking trails and amazing waterfalls. The campground is also really nice, and very popular. It was sold out the day I was there. I was surprised it was sold out considering there was no water, no showers, and no toilets due to major construction to fix the plumbing of the entire campground and to build new bathrooms. The campground is set up with a series of loops in a wooded area, so most campsites have nice privacy. You need to check in at the ranger station to get your campsite and learn about the water problems/solutions, as well as pay for your site and pay for the day use permit. I was kind of glad it was sold out as I found it to be very pricy for a campground that had no water or toilets (they did have porta potties). But, the hiking trails and waterfalls were definitely worth the visit.

  • Tina N.
    Aug. 5, 2020

    Turbera Vista - CLOSED

    Great location for exploring Sax-Zim Bog! Private, beautiful & easy access

    What a treasure! I was the first person to stay at this campsite and loved it! I am a full-time solo camper in my 5th year. I love off-grid camping. My rig is a GMC Yukon and 17' Casita camper. 

    Directions:

    Address for house just beyond campsite is 8214 E. Stone Lake Rd. Forbes, MN 

    Coordinates are: N47.286675, W092.549313 

    Turn on E. Stone Lake Rd. from Highway 7 and where the blacktop turns to gravel drive 2.5 miles then bear right at the fork to remain on E. Stone Lake Rd. Just beyond the fork watch for the red 8217 address marker. The drive into the campsite is directly across the road and before you get to 8214. Park and walk in to get a feel for the site. 

    A big rig could back in as far as they want. Smaller rigs will probably pull in and then back into the site on the side with the lovely clearing. The area has some residential housing but the campsite is isolated and very quiet. There is a fern-filled clearing for the campsite which is surrounded by trees. My suitcase solar panels worked reasonably well. I used my generator sparingly. 

    I had deer, squirrel, chipmunks and birds including Pileated Woodpeckers, Barred Owls and Common Loons on the lake. I had less than expected mosquitoes. 

    The campsite is very close to the north section of Sax-Zim Bog and about 20 minutes from the Visitor's Center. Further down E. Stone Lake Rd. is the Blue Dasher Bog trail. The lake, left fork of the road, has a lovely picnic area with vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables and boat ramp. 

    This was just the kind of hidden gem I love to find.

  • Scott M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 13, 2020

    Burlington Bay Campground

    Not Private, but beautiful setting

    The campground is located in a very nice small town and the water sites are amazing for sunrise. The campground has all the amenities you need; Full hookups, water, dump station, fire rings, and picnic tables. Tent sites were the most numerous, but there were several RVs. We saw everything from big RVs to motorcycles here. Things were clean but it was a super packed when we were there. You can't sit outside without getting to know your neighbors inner secrets! 

    The view and access to water is what would bring us back.

Guide to Cotton

Tent camping near Cotton, Minnesota offers a diverse range of experiences from remote paddling destinations to family-friendly county parks. Located in the transitional zone between Minnesota's northern forests and lake country, the area experiences average summer temperatures in the 70s-80s°F with cooler nighttime temperatures in the 50s. Most campgrounds in the Cotton area are seasonal operations, closing by mid-October when overnight temperatures begin to drop near freezing.

What to do

Canoeing and kayaking access: Thompson Beach Kayak Site provides free primitive camping accessible only by water. A camper noted, "Beautiful campground," making it ideal for paddlers seeking solitude on the water.

State park exploration: McCarthy Beach State Park offers a group campsite on Sturgeon Lake with excellent facilities. According to one visitor, "The group campsite has a nice log building for group gatherings, plus plenty of space for tents to accommodate up to fifty people," making it perfect for larger gatherings.

ATV trails: Jacobson County Campground connects to local ATV trail systems. One rider reported, "We rode ATV to this site and it empty. Right on the river and we needed bug spray for sure. There is a nice spring fed water hose that was close enough to hear while falling asleep."

What campers like

Waterfront locations: Bear Lake County Park offers campsites along the shoreline with water recreation opportunities. A visitor shared, "We enjoyed the fishing, hiking, and canoeing (rental from the park). The sites were on the smaller side but being on the water made up for that."

Secluded boat-in sites: Blackberry Campsite provides a unique Mississippi River camping experience. A recent visitor commented, "Great campground - bear locker, pit toilet, equipment to cut wood. You have to tie your kayak to the shore - it's quite muddy and there is no place to pull it up."

Amenity variety: The recently renamed Sandy Pines (formerly Sal's Campground) offers lakeside camping with recreational amenities. A camper noted, "This sweet lady had a beautiful spot with all hookups! On a beautiful lake and free beach and paddle boats!"

What you should know

Maintenance varies significantly: Some public areas receive minimal upkeep. A visitor to Stubler Beach reported, "I found syringes & glass bottles in the fire pit upon arrival. There's house trash scattered around the woods including a queen mattress & tv."

Bug preparation essential: Nearly every campground review mentions mosquitoes, particularly during summer months. Pack ample repellent, especially for sites near water bodies.

Campsite availability challenges: The best tent camping near Cotton, Minnesota often requires advance planning. Sites at The Sanctuary Forest are limited to just four designated tent areas, making early reservations crucial during peak season.

Tips for camping with families

Pool and recreation options: Cloquet-Duluth KOA offers family-friendly amenities. A visitor mentioned, "This campground is great. Tons of trees for shade. Everything you need to enjoy a weekend away. Pool, hot tub, WiFi, showers, arcade, laundry, c store, and lots more."

Shoulder season advantages: Fall camping offers fewer crowds and cooler temperatures. One family noted about Bear Lake County Park, "Visiting in the fall was ideal - I bet this place is packed during the summer months!"

Nearby attractions: Position your campsite as a base for exploration. A KOA visitor shared, "Not far from Duluth and other amazing North Shore locations," making it convenient for day trips to regional attractions.

Tips from RVers

Limited full-hookup options: Most primitive tent camping sites near Cotton lack facilities for larger RVs. A camper at Cloquet-Duluth KOA observed, "Full hookup sites are only out in the in the open spaces," with less privacy than tent areas.

Proximity to amenities: When RV camping without full hookups, proximity to services matters. A KOA visitor mentioned, "Kwik Trip down the road has everything you forgot to bring but there's a full grocery just a few miles from the campground...small but well stocked."

Site privacy considerations: Many RV areas offer less seclusion than tent sections. One camper noted, "The RV sites are close with no privacy. The cabins and tent area looked better," suggesting tent campers may find more isolated spots than RVers at developed campgrounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cotton, MN is Cloquet-Duluth KOA with a 3.9-star rating from 9 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Cotton, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring