18 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
The Old Barn Resort and Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging near Elba, Minnesota house upscale glamping accommodations with full amenities for luxury outdoor stays. Both locations feature climate-controlled canvas structures with comfortable bedding, electricity, and private outdoor spaces. One guest shared, "The sites are spacious and very well kept, with a great view of the lake and plenty of activities to keep busy." Whitewater State Park and Chester Woods Park also offer glamping options with heated accommodations that blend rustic charm with modern comforts. These sites provide easy access to hiking trails while maintaining amenities like clean shower facilities, fire pits, and picnic areas for an elevated camping experience without sacrificing comfort.
Hiking trails throughout the Root River Valley connect many of these luxury camping destinations, with the paved Root River Trail system offering direct access for biking and exploring nearby towns. According to a camper, "The campground was really good. It was located right on the Root River Trail System which we liked for biking and running." Seasonal activities enhance the glamping experience, with summer offering swimming in heated pools at locations like The Old Barn Resort, while fall brings spectacular foliage viewing from private decks. Most glamping accommodations remain open from April through October, with some sites requiring reservations well in advance during peak summer months. Nearby Lanesboro provides additional dining options and cultural attractions within a short drive of most glamping locations.
"Site 53 was close to the showers and water spigot and it was a big enough spot for 2 tents while being private. It was a 10-20 minute walk to anywhere else."
"Drinking water had already been turned off for the season, but the bathroom still had running water and flush toilets in mid-October. Easy access to hiking trails."
from $25 - $250 / night
Check Availability"Nice park for everyone’s type from tents, cabins and all size RV’s. Electric only at the camp sites but have water and dump station on site. Clean bathrooms and showers."
"It has a campground and man-made lake (created when Bear Creek was dammed for a flood control project) with hiking trails, a horse trail, picnic shelters, a beach, and a playground."
"Located on the Root River. Cliff View has very clean bath houses. Lots of sites to choose from. 50 amp service, sewer hook up and of course water. If your close enough to the office wifi available."
"Situated right along the Root River next to the bike trail. They offer kayak, canoe and tube rentals and shuttles. They also have bike rentals. This facility is clean and very well kept."
from $30 - $46 / night
Check Availability"Fire rings have attached grills. Lovely walking trails. Near Lake Pepin. One negative was orange/rusty water from hand pump well. $14 a night!!! We plan to camp there again."
"Nice and tucked away. Sites are very private. Has beautiful trails. Next to the river great for exploring and fishing."
from $14 / night
Check Availability"There is a restaurant/bar on site. The river is behind the property."
"Mark, Sheri and the staff are good people who work hard to make sure you have a great time. The food is excellent and comes out SO FAST; bravo to the kitchen staff!"
"The cart in sites all have a fire pit with a grill, picnic table, and are a short walk from the primitive toilets. There is a water spigot in the parking area."
"I enjoy camping away from the hub bub of the family campground and opting for the backpack or cart in sites. Luckily, Great River Bluffs has some of the nicest cart ins I have encountered."
from $24 / night
Check Availability"Our site was very large, which was nice as it gave us more than enough room to set up our tent, leaving space between us and the neighboring sites."
"It was located right on the Root River Trail System which we liked for biking and running."
"There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails."
"It can be a little confusing because the camping and mystery caves are a distance apart. I highly recommend going to the caves."
from $25 - $90 / night
Check Availability"The town of Stockholm is an easy walk with restaurants, baker, gift shops, and art gallery. The campground is first come, first serve."
"A few campsites right on the river edge. Also sites with Electric. Across the railroad tracks is the nice little village of Stockholm which is famous for the PIE Shop."
"Walking trails were nice but recommend pants as the grass was long in spots. Plenty of wildlife and could not hear the cars from the highway."
RangerThis campground has large private sites, most are shady or partially shaded. Bathrooms are large and well maintained. There’s lots of good hiking trails and the historic town of Forestville was interesting to explore. Absolutely no cell coverage for T-Mobile or AT&T but luckily our site had a good opening in the trees for our Starlink. Would definitely recommend.
TravelerWe tent camped one night, midweek late August. Our site was private, close enough to the shower house but far enough away that we didn't hear any noise from the exhaust fans. Was a lovely quiet night. On a tight schedule so we weren't able to sample any of the hikes. Would stay here again. #33 also looked like a prime tent camp spot.
GuideNice campground sites are smaller & you will need to level. Nice clean flush toilets & showers. Can hear the highway below. Road in is gravel & narrow not for big rigs.
ScoutI was a little skeptical after a negative review about the regular residents, so I watched for that dynamic. We were camping with another family so we had 8 kids between the two of us and I was worried all those kiddos would upset people. Quite the opposite experience from that review and it motivated me to leave this one to help provide a good picture. I have nothing bad to say about our camping experience. We did go a little out of season (September 12) so a lot of the campsites were empty. Most their sites are flat, and clean. The grass was well mowed and maintained. They had activities for the kids (Halloween). People that drove by were friendly and smiling, and waiving. We had people drop off candy for the kids asking parents first. We had people offer basketballs for our kids to use while they were away from their site. Me and my friend were about to haul ice bags and wood up a huge hill on foot and someone stopped their golf cart and emptied it of what they were carrying to give us a ride to our campsite. The kids tootled about on their bikes being kids with no negative experiences. There were a couple of kids on motor scooters whose engines were kind of obnoxious but that’s going to happen more and more at campgrounds, and it wasn’t during quiet hours. We had sites atop the “full Lakeview” and it was honestly surprising how beautiful it was up there. I think it can be difficult to get a view when you’re camping but those sites had it. We knew the full lake view sites were open so we took the cheaper ones across from them, but still saw the same view. There was a great amount of space between the sites we used. The only possible critique I might offer is in that specific row there weren’t many trees for shade, but the weather was cooler so it didn’t affect us, but if we went in the summer it might have been more uncomfortable without that natural shade. The bath houses and showers were great!!! I feel like a good bath house can make or break a campsite and we’ve been to some smaller ones that were quite lacking but this one was great. Very clean, not many bugs, spacious, real doors on the shower stalls. We did not arrive in season to utilize the pool area but it looked great from the other side of the gate ;) - the parks were well maintained and the kids loved them. there was a set of stairs that went from up the hill down to the office that looked a little sketchy but they were closed off for use. If you didn’t have a golf cart or couldn’t ride a bike, the trek from where we stayed to the office might be a challenge. Overall we loved it and would definitely consider going again. The sites were a little pricey but had on site sewer hookup which is fantastic.
RangerBeautiful setting along the Mississippi River. A few campsites right on the river edge. Also sites with Electric.
Across the railroad tracks is the nice little village of Stockholm which is famous for the PIE Shop. The village also has a wonderful bakery and other small shops and cafes.
A very nice Nature Center outside of town with great prairie trails and views overlooking the Mississippi River up high in the bluffs.
The campground does NOT have showers.
Campground does not have sewage dumping station.
The campground is located close to the railroad tracks but the trains go through fast and were not as bad as we expected.
LegendThis campground is on the opposite side of the road as the park office… but on the same side as the beach. Nice new shower building and nice roads. Some sites are a bit on the smaller side, but there are some drive through sites as well. There are also group sites and cabins.
LegendThis is in a rural area and has many seasonal sites. Transitional sites too. There is a restaurant/bar on site. The river is behind the property.
LegendThis is a county campground near Rochester. It is in a county park that has a swimming beach, boat docks, fishing piers, hiking trails, playground, biking trail. There are showers available. Pretty park-like setting.
TravelerI arrived late in the day and the office was closed but they have all the instructions and QR codes for an online reservation and check in. Very clean including the showers and bathroom. View of the Mississippi is amazing!
Glamping close to Elba, Minnesota offers visitors direct access to the scenic Root River Valley and southeastern Minnesota's bluff country. The area sits at elevations ranging from 750 to 1,200 feet above sea level, creating dramatic limestone cliffs and valleys. Summer temperatures typically range from 65-85°F while spring and fall bring cooler weather with occasional frost, impacting camping conditions particularly at higher elevations.
Hiking trail exploration: Whitewater State Park features well-maintained trails with varying difficulty levels. "I spent a day here hiking and had a blast! I hiked up Chimney Rock and then looped back to tackle part of the Dakota trail! The hiking paths were well taken care of," reports Sarah C. from Whitewater State Park.
Cave tours and underground exploration: Mystery Cave at Forestville State Park offers guided tours through fascinating limestone formations. "The cave tours are well done and the sites are scenic and tucked into the woods. There is also a winery (Four Daughter) not far away that's more than worth stopping at," notes Elisabeth M. from Forestville Mystery Cave State Park.
Trout fishing access: Many locations offer river access for fishing. "Lots of spots for great fishing. Best part: very few mosquitoes!! (The cold, constantly moving water helps keep them away.) One of my favorite parks in the state of Minnesota," says Leda T. about Whitewater State Park.
Historic site visits: Visit the preserved 1800s village at Forestville. "We toured the historic town of Forestville. Camp ground was nice. Very nice trail system, very well maintained trails all through park. Historic Forestville is a fun stop (additional $)," shares ERolf P.
Low mosquito populations: Unlike many Minnesota camping areas, the constantly moving water in some locations helps reduce insects. "We were surprised that there were minimal mosquitoes at Whitewater. We have always enjoyed hiking here too," reports Amber Z.
Winter camping options: Some parks remain open year-round with plowed access. "We visited in winter (February) and while there was snow on the ground, the spaces were kept plowed with easy access to the electric boxes. We were in a teardrop trailer," notes Amy G. about Whitewater State Park.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The region offers excellent wildlife watching. "I had the entire State Park to myself. It was super cool but eerie. Great hikes and the view from the top was worth it," shares Erik R. from Whitewater State Park.
River access for water activities: The Old Barn Resort provides river access for tubing. "The highlight is the location on the Root River. Tubing the river is the highlight here. You drop in one side of the campsite and an hour later pull out on the other side. So much fun," explains Lee G.
Cell service limitations: Many campgrounds have limited or no service. "I had no cell service at our site, but 2 bars plus WIFI outside the visitor center," notes Karla J.B. at Whitewater State Park.
Noise factors at some locations: Train and highway sounds affect some campgrounds. "Highway noise from the highway running along the river and from I-90 (while not really noticeable during the day) is ridiculously loud at night," warns Bryan P. about Great River Bluffs State Park.
Firewood regulations: State parks sell firewood but outside wood is prohibited. "Firewood is available for $8 per bundle, you can pay by QR code if you have enough service. The wood was small pieces of mill offcuts, but it burned better than we expected," states Karla J.B.
Shower facilities vary: Some parks have coin-operated showers. "The coin operated shower in the women's shower house was ice cold and couldn't be adjusted and the men's shower house in same building was scalding hot and couldn't be adjusted," reports Tracy B. about The Old Barn Resort.
Beach and swimming options: Chester Woods Park offers clean swimming areas. "The campground is very clean and nice. The bathrooms and showers were pristine clean and close and easy to walk to. The beach was great and clean. Fishing was great," shares Erik O. from Chester Woods Park.
Kid-friendly activities: The Old Barn Resort offers multiple recreation options. "They have a great restaurant and outside bar, pool, baseball and a playground. We had a blast and would highly recommend," says Lee G.
Family-friendly quiet hours: Eagle Cliff enforces quiet times for families needing rest. "They are sticklers on the quiet time after 10 or 11pm. My friends and I have been given warnings about being quiet, so it's definitely more of a family campground," notes Jennifer M. from Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging.
Educational opportunities: Parks offer ranger programs and nature centers. "We hiked, took trout fishing lesson, sat at the beach and had relaxing evenings by the fire," shares Melissa H. about Whitewater State Park.
Site selection for RVs: Choose sites carefully based on size requirements. "Some sites are tight for large motor homes, 5th wheelers and travel trailers," warns Dan K. about Eagle Cliff Campground.
Hookup availability: Full hookups aren't available at all locations. "Nice park for everyone's type from tents, cabins and all size RV's. Electric only at the camp sites but have water and dump station on site," explains Mark N. about Chester Woods Park.
Reservations recommended: Popular glamping sites fill quickly. "Nice place but it is a campground not an rv park, 30 & 50 amp service but no water hookup (fill when you come in) and dump tanks when leaving," advises Kevin about Chester Woods Park.
Winter RV access: Some parks maintain winter access. "We had a reservation on the North Shore, but switched it to Whitewater when we saw the ice and snowstorms in the forecast. Our site was large and easy to back into," shares Karla J.B.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Elba, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Elba, MN is Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 51 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Elba, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 glamping camping locations near Elba, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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