Best Tent Camping near Eden Prairie, MN
Tent campers seeking outdoor experiences near Eden Prairie, Minnesota have several established options within an hour's drive. Lake Maria State Park offers backpack-only tent sites approximately 30 miles northwest, while Afton State Park provides hike-in tent camping about 25 miles east along the St. Croix River. Both parks maintain designated tent pads with varying levels of privacy and natural surroundings, making them popular weekend destinations for Minneapolis-area residents seeking primitive tent setups without traveling far from the metro area.
Most tent sites in the Eden Prairie region require a short hike from parking areas, with distances ranging from a quarter mile to just over a mile. Lake Maria's backcountry sites feature level tent pads, fire rings, picnic tables, and food lockers, with vault toilets positioned near clusters of sites. Afton State Park's tent campground sits atop bluffs after a challenging uphill hike, offering solar-powered water pumps and self-service firewood stations. Campers should note that toilet paper is not always stocked in vault toilets, and reservations are essential during summer weekends when tent campgrounds fill quickly.
The tent camping experience near Eden Prairie varies significantly by season and location. Sites at Lake Maria provide woodland seclusion with many offering lake views, particularly at sites 1, 2, and 3, which campers note feel more isolated from neighboring sites. Afton's tent campground features both wooded and prairie settings, with some sites overlooking the St. Croix River valley. Winter camping is available at both parks, with snowshoeing access to tent sites. One camper observed that "Afton really has it all—rolling hills throughout with some hikes deemed as difficult, and campsites nicely spaced and diverse, some more wooded and others in open prairie." Bug pressure can be intense during summer months, particularly at Lake Maria, where mosquitoes and black flies are abundant from late spring through early fall.