Best Cabin Camping near Dawson, MN

Vibe: Almost empty on Monday night. Quiet natural lake setting. 

Cleanliness: Exceptional. 

Facilities: Updated and well maintained. 

General spots: Good size, good spacing, ok privacy. Lots of trees 

Our site: 20. Across from our site was a little trail down to the lake. In the evening we saw tons of fish and an otter. The electric hook up is pretty far from the picnic table/fire ring area. Have a long cord. 

Noise: Only 4 sites were occupied out of 30 or so. Completely quiet all evening. 

Cell signal: Good (Verizon)

Other: Spectacular sunsets and sunrises. Cell phone pictures do not do it justice.

Lots of space between sites. There are not many trees so not much shade. Sites are gravel and relatively level, not much leveling required. Variety of sites, from group camping, primitive (no hookups), electric only, full hookups (water, electric, sewer) as well as cabins and tent only areas. Limited hiking trails connected to campground. Surrounded on two sides by farm fields and Lac Qui Parle Lake on another. There are two loops in the campground. One loop has view of the lake. Boat/canoe launch is in lower campground about 10 minutes from Upper Campground. Recycling and garbage dumpsters on site. Dump station near entrance. Verizon cell signal is poor. Pit toilets available. Bathhouse is centrally located, includes private showers. No laundry on site. Nearby attractions in Montevideo include Talking Waters Brewery/taproom, Jake’s pizza and Java River cafe (with outdoor seating, dog friendly).

There are two campgrounds in this park - the upper one is on the prairie while the lower one is situated among trees along the river. We stayed in the lower campground in site 30. The lower campground is close to the playground and swimming pond but it rained the whole time we camped so we didn't use either.

Sites in the lower campground are fairly close together and we didn't have cell service (Verizon), which wasn't a big deal.

I brought my fat bike and bike the Bluebird and Dakota Valley trails. Both are mowed paths that go through prairie and wooded areas. The actual mountain bike trail was disappointing, it was overgrown, narrow, and hugged a high ridge.

Our site, 30, sloped away from the parking pad. You wouldn't be able to set up.chairs under your awning at this site and the picnic table sat in a low spot that got muddy after 2 straight days of rain. There is a river that runs behind the sites in this loop. Our boys played on the rocks and had a great time.

There are nearby train tracks and trains ran by several times a day, though luckily they don't blow the horn so we didn't notice them much.

The trails in the park have nice rolling hills and offer a unique type of beauty. The campground is small, but offers some electric sites as well as some primitive sites. I do believe there were 2 or 3 cabins that I saw. Unsure if there is a group camp with this campground being so small as it is. Firewood is available at the check in/office building. There is a bathroom/shower building in the loop with the electric sites. The electric loop and primitive loops both have vault toilets. Each loop also has a few water stations to fill containers with potable water and each loop has a dumpster for disposing of waste. Not sure if there is a dump station for RVs as I typically use a tent when camping. Nice state park in Rural central Minnesota

We camped here in July and it was a great experience, but apparently it is spectacular during the spring and fall migration seasons, because this area is a major stopover on the Red River/ Minnesota River flyway fir migrating birds and waterfowl. During migration, the thousands of birds convening on the headwater lakes of these two rivers makes it sound as though the lake itself is speaking up in its own voice, hence the french furtraders name of “Lac Qui Parle”. The state park here has two sections, a lower part in the forested lowlands on tbe west side, and an upper section on an open prairie bluff on the east side. We camped at the upper camprground, where the sites were open but nicely spaced from the neighbors. The sites were surrounded by blooming prairie and had an exquisite view over the lake, especially at dawn and sunrise. There are also several really nice park camper cabins if you would rather not camp out. The park has lots to explore but is also close to a huge national wildlife marsh refuge that is great for birdwatching and paddling. The park has good facilities eg water and restrooms etc, but is pretty far off the beaten path in terms of access to groceries and supplies, so stock up before arriving and come prepared. This location is close to some interesting Minnezota history sites, too, as well as being a great destination for natural history and outdoor recreation

We booked our stay at the Lower Campground on a whim as it was one of the only campsites available in MN on a two week notice during Covid. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise! The park is perfect for a short weekend trip. Campground was well maintained with easy access to the hiking trails and a nice view of the lake. There was enough exploring to fill a day or two. The sites are close side-to-side, but trees line the outside sites and there is good back-to-back space between the inner sites. Not all sites have hammock trees though. We got very lucky with the August weather as the bugs were completely manageable both at the campground and on the hikes. The Lower Campground is the only one with electric sites, but the Oak Ridge had nice shade and space. Preferred sites in Lower Campground would be 7 for non-electric for privacy and lake views, and 14e, 16e, and 18e for electric. Bathrooms were not open for use when we came. Also, the water fill and dump stations are on the opposite side of most campers which was the only downside. There was not water supply at the dump station to rinse out the tank. But overall, it’s nice trip that’s only two hours from the Twin Cities. We enjoyed the prairie views and the lake. Will be back!