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True North Basecamp connects directly to Cuyuna's mountain bike trails with pet-friendly tent sites and cabins. Dogs are welcome throughout the campground with designated waste stations and access to swimming areas. Campers reference The Dyrt for top tips on camping near Cuyuna, Minnesota. Red Rider Resort offers more secluded pet-friendly options with tent sites bordered by trees for privacy, plus cabins that accommodate dogs. Both campgrounds maintain clean facilities with hot showers—important for campers and their dogs after exploring trails. Leashed pets are permitted at all tent and RV sites, though a pet fee applies at True North Basecamp.
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area allows pets throughout Portsmouth Campground with direct access to both paved bike paths and hiking trails suitable for dogs. The campground provides water stations near pet-friendly sites, though sites lack privacy with an open, grassy layout. Crosby Memorial City Park offers full hookup sites within walking distance of downtown shops and restaurants that welcome leashed dogs. The park features a swimming beach on Serpent Lake where many campers bring their dogs to cool off after exploring nearby trails. Clean bathrooms and shower facilities are maintained at all locations, with most campgrounds requiring pets to be leashed at all times and owners to clean up after their animals.
"A great little campground right near the town (easy to bike in for coffee or beer) but it feels like you're deep in the northwoods! Some sites are better than others in terms of privacy."
"Great rustic campground with trail access to Cuyuna MTB trails. Offers hot showers. No water/electric hookups. A couple sites allow for smaller RVs and pop-ups but mainly tent sites."
"We love camping at Cuyuna Range Campground. We stay at Cuyuna a couple of times each year. It is clean, quiet and so relaxing."
"My dogs loved exploring the woods. The other campers were fun and social. And, this campground is close to the fun downtown in Crosby and the great bike trails and parks there."
from $57 - $65 / night
Check Availability"Definitely a bit more private than other Cuyuna options. MTB access to the Yawkey section was nice and will be even better after more trail is added to the zone."
"Most people come here to ride the red dirt mtb trails of Cuyuna so the showers are a great amenity! Beautiful views of the lake (mine pit) and swimming off of the private dock."
"For someone who likes to do it all Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area is the place to be!!!"
"The mountain biking trails were in great shape and were great for all skill levels. The lake was super clear and the small beach was wonderful."
from $24 - $80 / night
Check Availability"Right on the lake with private dock. Sites a close by. Most have water and electric. Full hookups are very limited. Only 4 site near the back. Off of a quiet road. No traffic noise."
"We had site 4, lake side access. The site was amazing, with a dock to the lake. Has a picnic table with a lean to shelter, and a fire ring."
from $30 - $66 / night
Check Availability"Easy trail access to the Cuyuna MTB trails and paved bike paths. Right on Serpent Lake for boating and swimming access."
"On park, next to playground and beach. Walking distance to restaurants and bars, And easily bike to the Cuyuna Mountain Bike Trails.
Cons. Road noise and low privacy."
"No tent sites available on the lake as those are reserved for rv, but the tent area is nice and wooded."
"Trail connector with easy access to Bobsled is right there and you can ride to Cruser's Kettle. Highly recommend."
from $30 - $45 / night
Check Availability"Well groomed, right next to trails, lakes , shops restraunts excellent locatin"
from $55 - $75 / night
Check Availability"This is a great campground in the Brainerd lakes area of Minnesota.it is right in the middle of the town of Crosslake but when you’re in the campground you feel like you’re out in the woods."
"Could just be the current political budget restraints but I tent camped Gull Lake RA for four nights never saw a Ranger."
from $24 - $40 / night
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LegendFun for the whole family. Amenities include: playground, pool, lake, dog park, and store. Each site has a table and fire pit. Keep an eye on your account. We noticed goggles charged to ours even though none of the 3 of us bought any. Somebody must've given them the wrong site number to charge to. Overall great campground, but a little spendy.
GuideA little city campground in the heart of Crosby, MN. Easy trail access to the Cuyuna MTB trails and paved bike paths. Right on Serpent Lake for boating and swimming access. Shower house, water/electric hookups, playground, walking distance to downtown shops and brewery.
TravelerA great little campground right near the town (easy to bike in for coffee or beer) but it feels like you're deep in the northwoods! Some sites are better than others in terms of privacy. The bathrooms were always clean. Situated right on a quarry with fun fishing and kayaking opportunities. Connects to the mountain bike trails too! They do charge for pets.
GuideI prefer being in the woods, but this is great for last minute booking.
Pros. Full hookups. On park, next to playground and beach. Walking distance to restaurants and bars, And easily bike to the Cuyuna Mountain Bike Trails.
Cons. Road noise and low privacy.
GuideWe camp frequently in Minnesota state parks. This had to be one of the hardest parks to find. The lack of signage is really a problem here. If you are camping, you need to know you are looking for 'Portsmouth Campground' and ignore every other sign that says Cuyuna. The park office is in town and also hard to find. They are also not open very much. There is no wood for sale, no dump station and the water has a funky taste. You will need to go to the memorial park in town to fill/dump your rv and the Holiday Station for firewood. The roads are very bumpy and narrow. There is a tiny beach off of the campground and a larger one at the Cuyuna Recreation Area about 1/2 mile away from the campground. If you want privacy, this is not the campground for you. The outer ring has some foliage but the central ring is wide open with very few trees. The upside is that the campsites go the whole width of the inner ring. There are lots of bike trails at this campground and people love mountain biking here.
LegendOur 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.
GuideGreat rustic campground with trail access to Cuyuna MTB trails. Offers hot showers. No water/electric hookups. A couple sites allow for smaller RVs and pop-ups but mainly tent sites.
RangerI was looking to take a solo camping trip for the weekend and paddleboard on the Cuyuna Mine Lakes. I booked the trip pretty late because of a lot of different factors, but Crow Wing State park still had plenty of availability. The park is nothing spectacular, but it was nice, wooded, and the staff were great. It was my first time solo camping in awhile, so I opted to stay at a state park where there would be rangers. I noticed that the rangers stopped and talked to me night one, and remembered me- which made me feel very safe as a solo female camper. The campground was overall pretty quiet, and my site was wooded so that I normally could not see other campers from my site, which was great! It felt decently quiet . If you visit in the summertime, expect hellish mosquitoes and pack accordingly!
You can join the hiking club trail straight from the campground, which was nice- I went on a few beautiful sunset walks to watch the sunset over the river
The bathroom and shower were clean and easily accessible.
The park was a 20-30 minute drive from the Cuyuna Mines area, so I was able to easily drive over Saturday morning and spend the day paddleboarding.
This park is not one of the most spectacular in Minnesota, but I had a great stay and it was very relaxing. It was great for a weekend getaway for a solo female camper looking to do some paddle boarding in the area
TravelerSuper convenient to excellent restaurants and Cuyuna Brewery in downtown Crosby. Very clean bathrooms/showerhouse. Connected by trail to Cuyuna Rec Area world class mountain bike trails. Owners are very responsive.
Camping opportunities around Cuyuna's former iron ore mining region include sites ranging from 950 to 1,300 feet elevation. The area's numerous mine pits have transformed into clear lakes with depths up to 500 feet, creating unique fishing and swimming destinations. Winter temperatures often drop below 0°F, while summer camping season peaks from June through September with daytime highs averaging 75-85°F.
Mountain biking on red dirt trails: Cuyuna Range Campground provides direct access to the area's mountain biking network. "This new campground has everything you need and nothing you don't. Camping here makes it so easy to take in as much biking (or whatever else) as you want," notes Janae L. Sites are spaced to accommodate bikes and gear.
Fishing in mine pit lakes: Camp Holiday Resort offers fishing opportunities from multiple docks. "You can also bring your own boat and rent dock space. There are several docks you can fish from if you want," reports Nick K. Mine pit lakes contain various species including bass, though some visitors note parasites in fish caught from certain lakes.
Kayaking between connected lakes: The water system around Turtle Lake provides excellent paddling routes. Katherine O. mentions, "Turtle lake channels over to another lake. Makes a great boat or kayak trip." Rental options are available at several campgrounds for those without equipment.
Private, spacious campsites: Red Rider Resort receives praise for site privacy. Lauren notes, "Stayed at RV site 4 which is bordered by trees on one side which was nice for privacy. Overall the tent sites appeared to be pretty private although closer together than I expected." The wooded boundaries create natural separation between camping areas.
Clean shower facilities: Cuyuna City Campground maintains well-kept bathroom facilities. "Shower house with toilets are clean," states Kellen W., who has visited multiple times since 2021. Most dog friendly campgrounds near Cuyuna prioritize clean facilities for both humans and pets.
Lake views from campsites: Several locations offer waterfront camping. At Camp Holiday Resort, Nick K. shares, "We have site 1 which was right on the lake. We were able to park the camper parallel to the lake which was amazing. Such a beautiful view!" These water-view sites typically book quickly during peak season.
Campsite leveling requirements: Some lakeside sites require preparation. Angela J. from Camp Holiday notes, "Most of the lake side sites were pretty uneven, bring plenty of leveling blocks. That was really the only negative we had, but it wasn't really a big deal because we came prepared."
Limited staff at some locations: True North Basecamp uses a keycode system rather than staffed check-in. "Check-in information is shared via email (key codes for the bathhouse and the cabin locks)... the campground wasn't staffed," reports Makayla B. Arrive prepared with your confirmation information.
Water quality variations: The lakes have distinctive characteristics. Katherine O. observes, "Lake is clean but dark with ore." This mineral content is normal for former mine pits but differs from typical Minnesota lakes.
Multiple playground options: Crosby Memorial City Park provides recreational facilities for children. Charlie S. reports, "A very cool place for the kids! Swimming beach on Serpent lake is nice for the whole family. When they're tired of swimming, the skate park is always a good time. The playground is modern and very nice."
Water recreation for different ages: Camp Holiday accommodates various age groups. Lexie explains, "Nice campground for a family experience. Camping with two toddlers can be a lot, it helps when there are two nice playgrounds here, a slide, water trampoline, nice beach, and nice, clean bathrooms."
Beach access considerations: Water depth varies at swimming areas. Stacy M. notes about True North Basecamp, "It has a great swimming area, though it did get deep fast for little kids." Parents should monitor younger children closely at most swimming locations.
Site width for larger setups: Cross Lake Recreation Area accommodates bigger rigs. Joe S. mentions, "The campsites are big and spacious. Our campsite did have electric, sewer and water hookups." The mature trees provide shade without hindering larger vehicle access.
Limited full hookup availability: Many pet friendly campgrounds near Cuyuna offer partial hookups only. Katherine O. notes about Camp Holiday, "Full hookups are very limited. Only 4 site near the back." Reservations for these premium sites should be made well in advance.
Dump station locations: For those staying at sites without sewer, plan accordingly. Liz H. advises, "You will need to go to the memorial park in town to fill/dump your RV." Several campgrounds share community dump stations rather than offering individual site sewer connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Cuyuna, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Cuyuna, MN is True North Basecamp with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Cuyuna, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 118 dog-friendly camping locations near Cuyuna, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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