Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Crosby, MN

I've stayed in both the cabins and the camping area. The cabins are my favorite because of the lake views, proximity to the bathhouse, and heat/AC units. Cabin #5 has the best unobstructed views of the lake. Cabins have WiFi. The campground is nice but only has a primitive toilet adjacent to the campsites. There are no electric or sewer hookups, but there are a couple of tent sites than can accommodate small campers. I camped in site #18 and it either isn't very level or I just did a poor job of setting up my tent because we were slanted all night. Great stargazing at both the cabins and the tent sites. 

Check-in information is shared via email (key codes for the bathhouse and the cabin locks). The emails are very informative and the owners have been prompt to reply when I had questions. They even offer up the option to have firewood delivered to your site (either cabin or tent site) before you arrive.

This is my favorite place to stay in Crosby because it's so close to both the Rally Center Trailhead and Crosby. My favorite places in town are Red Raven (great coffee shop with good breakfast and lunch food options), Crosby Pub (wide variety of food - burgers, salads, appetizers), Rafferty's Pizza (pizza and beer plus a couple of arcade games in the back), and Iron Range Eatery (a little fancier than Crosby Pub (but not by much) and offers great food as well). All of these restaurants offer outdoor seating.

Our RV GPS brought us right to the campground(CG). We arrived about an hour early of their 3:00 PM check-in time with no issues checking in. We drove to FHU site 38 and backed in one and done. Our utilities were at the back of the site, and we needed about 35’ of electric and water hose. The sewer was more central, and I needed about 18’ of sewer hose for our rig. Our area had a few shade trees, but we had no problem hitting the north sky for Starlink. The water pressure was good, and we put on a reducer. Our nightly rate is based on an average over the weekday and weekend rates with no discounts offered. We stayed here three years ago when the CG was fairly young and not so built up. The clubhouse had gone to a full-service restaurant and bar, and when we were there around 10:30 AM, quite a few people were eating breakfast. We were told that the seasonal guests can golf on the weekends/holidays for free as part of their package, so tee times are needed. We saw a few seasonal folks going out, but just about every seasonal guest here has a golf cart, and they drove them around continuously during our Labor Day stay. Many of the seasonals also had ATVs, which they took off to ride the local trails. With the pool, new putt-putt golf, and other family activities, the CG was full of people. We were pleasantly surprised that the kids who rode on all sorts of electric bikes and scooters plus golf carts behaved themselves, and the parents seemed attentive. Everyone was friendly, and we happily noticed that the seasonal guests kept their sites clean and picked up after their dogs. They had expanded their dog park that’s up near the clubhouse, basketball court, and playground, but the dog area was not very convenient to the backside of the CG now that there are about 142 sites plus cabins/trailer park models available(with plans for more sites). However, there was plenty of room and little trails to walk your dog. The original/older sites 4-12 and the 30-40 area are currently being used for short-termers. Sites 1-3 are now cabins/park models. They have WiFi, but the signal was not very strong in our area. The golf course was under new design construction due to adding additional sites, but it was playable. Based on this CG becoming a seasonal golf cart community, we probably will not return.

First the negatives. No internet, medium phone signal. The campsites are too small and too crowded. The adults let their young kids drive their cold carts and atvs back and forth from the campground to the beach all day long. I counted one particular one make 34 trips in less than 6 hours. I used to golf and I occasionally used a cart but usually I walked. Kids and young parents are way too lazy now, because it's a small campground and short walk to the beach from the farthest site. I think they do it for 2 reasons, they are bored, and they can. There is only one road in and out so there is constant traffic, and the road is gravel so prepare to eat dust. The sites aren't paved or even gravel, you park on the grass. Now for the positives. Some sites have 50 amp, most just 30 amp or less. Water hookups at most. No full hookups or dump site. There is a beach and swim area on Skunk Creek. A playground by the bathroom and showers. That building is clean, showers are free. Lots of shade from all the trees. Mosquitoes are few, flies plentiful. It is a quiet park after 10pm, but although they say closed after 8pm there was traffic all night long. Ask for a site in the back to avoid headlights shining on you all night long. Rates are $40/night for the pull through site we had w50 amp service. It has a few seasonal sites, all located at the rear. There is a golf course right next door across the creek. That is where the office is located. The town is small, only a gas station and small grocery store, so bring what you need. A Subway and nice drive-in are close by. Oh, the water is in me/my dogs opinion not for drinking. I wouldn't suggest weekends here unless you're into hearing every conversation your neighbors have or want to sleep in. Maybe the week days are better? They do allow leashed pets.