Best Tent Camping near Elba, MN
Searching for a tent campsite near Elba? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Elba campgrounds for you and your tent. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Elba campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Best Tent Sites Near Elba, MN (18)
1. Aefintyr
Elba, Minnesota4 Reviews•43 Photos•54 SavesAefintyr campground is located in the scenic woods of the Whitewater River Valley in the Driftless Area of Southeastern Minnesota. We offer beautiful blufftop hike-in camping and glamping and cozy treehouse inspired camper cabins. The hike-in camp/glamp sites offer a backpacking like experience (1460 ft hike with a 230 ft elevation gain) and are great for people who like to get some exercise and want to immerse themselves in a woodland setting. Perfect relaxation destination or home base for your Whitewater Valley adventures. Aefintyr is a small operation that values peace, quiet and quality over quantity. Get away from crowds and get into the woods! Onsite, enjoy a campfire, stargazing, hiking and observing the amazing animals, plants and fungi.
Nearby recreation opportunities include:
Within 2 miles of Whitewater State Park, the Elba Fire Tower, Whitewater State Wildlife Management Area (hunting, trout fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing) and the Whitewater River State Water Trail (canoe/kayak/tube). There is a gas station (bait and fishing supplies, convenience store items), 2 bars and a restaurant within a mile in the town of Elba. Whitewater Wines Winery is also just a few miles up the road!
Shared amenities:
Bathhouse with individual rooms, with a hot shower, vanity and composting toilet
Outhouse with composting toilet on top of the bluff within 400 feet of each campsite
Community area (requires short hike) with tent shelters (2, each 10' x 20'), outdoor furniture, tables, chairs, propane grill w/ side burner, firepit w/ cooking grate/skillet.
Propane Gas Grill (at base of the hill by the bathhouse)
Stargazing area with reclining chairs
Cell service: AT&T typically works well, Verizon works intermittently, and T-mobile doesn't have a good signal.
Wi-fi: Available at the bathhouse and parking area, data speeds up to 25 Mbps.
**Parking: **On site, 2 vehicle limit, no vehicles larger than a full-size truck, no trailers.
**Host accessibility: **Available 24/7/365 via phone and email/messaging, frequently on site.
**Security: **Campground community areas are under video surveillance.
Setting: Aefintyr campground is located in the hilly, wooded, blufflands of the Whitewater River Valley just north of the tiny town of Elba, MN. Views are primarily of the woods and valleys. The campground is off of a 2 lane county highway so there is some intermittent road noise. It is otherwise very peaceful and filled with the sounds of nature, including lots of birds and other wildlife.
Aefintyr is a peaceful place with chill vibes and we like to keep it that way! It is not a place for parties or rowdy groups. We like to listen to nature, not loud music or rowdy people blabbering into the night. Please see our rules/polices to know what to expect.
20240824
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Cabins
$29 - $139 / night
2. Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground
Lake City, Minnesota7 Reviews•30 Photos•49 SavesTent only campground.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
$22 - $132 / night
3. Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park
Elba, Minnesota1 Review•20 Photos•6 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
4. Houston Nature Center
Houston, Minnesota4 Reviews•12 Photos•7 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
5. Schmidt Farm by Forestville
Preston, Minnesota2 Reviews•15 Photos•1 SaveQuiet, remote tent camping under dark skies for the minimalist. One mile hike-in to site. Direct access to more remote areas of the NE side Forestville State Park and 50 acres of wooded private trails. Sites are located on the lower area of our property. Approximately 100 yards between sites and each are not within site of each other. All sites are located directly on a main trail circling a walnut grove. A shared centrally located compostable outhouse is located within 50 yards of each site.
This is a beautiful, remote property nestled between our organic Century Family Farm and Forestville State Park. We offer these limited campsites to a very specific demographic, minimalists looking for a quiet experience in nature. Years have gone into the making of these sites to be in balance with nature and our farm. These sites will be only open during spring and fall months. Camping does not include access to our other agritourism opportunities on our farm.
Please read through our description carefully and be sure this is the right fit for you prior to booking. Please contact us with questions. I would much rather leave the site open/unbooked than not meet your expectations. You must check in at our office prior to going to your campsite.
Additional items that will be delivered to your site. Plan ahead. $5 fee per delivery trip.
- Firewood is available for purchase from Schmidt Farm for $8/bundle
- Each site has a table and 2 chairs. 2 additional chairs can be requested
- Tripods and cooking grates are available upon request
- Bring your own container for water refills
- Lockable totes for food storage are available upon request.
- Plan ahead with your requests. Each delivery trip to your site will be $5.
No hunting on property and no hunting groups.
Know before you go. Our outhouse has a dry compostable SunMar toilet. Instructions are located inside the outhouse. There is a solar motion detected light inside the outhouse.
Up to 2 dogs are allowed per site. Dogs must be vaccinated and not display aggressive behavior towards people or other animals. Dogs must be leashed and supervised at all times. For the safety of your pets and our livestock, visiting dogs are not allowed on the private trails. Hiking with your dog is available on and off trail in Forestville.
Please meet us at a pre-arranged time at our farm store/camping office at least one hour prior to sunset. You will be given parking instructions and directions to hike in to your site at that time. Please pack and plan accordingly to be able to carry/pack in all of your personal items. Additional items (listed above) are available on loan to check out for your camping experience. These items will be brought to your campsite for you.
- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
- Market
$35 / night
6. Northend Campground
Rushford, Minnesota1 Review•1 Save- Pets
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Trash
8. Island Campground — Merrick State Park
Be the first to review!Fountain City, WisconsinThere are five family walk-in tent campsites and a group tent site on an island, connected to the mainland by road. The island also has a log shelter, boat and canoe launches, picnic area, pit toilets and drinking water.
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
- Trash
- Picnic Table
$15 - $40 / night
10. Oak Ridge / Wet Bark Recreation Area — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Houston, Minnesota1 Review•3 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
Recent Tent Reviews in Elba
429 Reviews of 18 Elba Campgrounds
kcki M.
Guide
Col Larson County Park
Easy Overnight Spot
Small city park. Just a field for tent camping. A few RV spots. Easy on-and-off if you are looking for a quick overnight.
- E
Ethan B.
Traveler
South Bear Creek
Pretty location
Remote and nice.
- DDaniel R.Guide
Beaver Creek Valley State Park Campground
Cozy hideaway
A great place for a weekend camping trip. We had an excellent spot (35). One of the only sites with grass. Great hiking and trout fishing.
- AAbbie
Scout
Prairie Island City Campground
Not my type of camping
We went here as a last minute decision. We were placed in the middle of the seasonal crowd who were loud. Music was playing all day loud enough for half the campground to hear. When the music went up so did their conversations. I go for peace and quiet. If I wanted to be at a concert. I would have gone to a concert. Showers seemed ok but some areas to me seemed kinda junky.
- Dave B.Guide
Veterans Memorial Park & Campground
Super Large and Gorgeous Campground
Bike trail access. River runs through it. Tons of oak trees. Lots of playgrounds. Clean rest rooms with showers. Decent cell coverage.
- TTom
RangerBeaver Creek Valley State Park Campground
Beautiful & peaceful
Very nice QUIET park! RV Campsites are gravel with fire ring and picnic table. The sites are fairly level. There is also a cabin to rent. Many electric sites.
Very nice hiking trails, make sure to check the map to plan easy hike up and steep hike downhill! Beautiful vistas on the Switchback trail.
The Mossy Seep trail has interesting plants and unique growth.
Big Spring Trail boarders the campground, easy walk to see the Spring. Tried to dip feet in the water but couldn’t leave them in the COLD water for long! Water is crystal clear and flowing fast.
Bathroom (men’s) if functional, has running water at the sinks and showers work well.
NO PHONE SERVICE which we appreciated.
The Restaurant “Good Times” is 4 miles away and has good food and service. Also a grocery store in town in case you need more supplies.
Leaves are just starting to change in September.
- AAmos K.Traveler
Schmidt Farm by Forestville
A very peaceful camping experience
If you're looking for a simpler camping experience focused on getting away from everything and solitude, then this is the place for you. You can tell that the hosts have put a ton of work and love into their property and I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know them. The campsites are large and kept up and I picked campsite two so that I could hear the creek behind me and I enjoyed hearing it the whole time I was there plus the Forestville State Park was just across the creek. The peace and quiet allowed me to have one of the best nights of sleep while camping that I've had, I didn't hear a person or a vehicle the whole night and the crickets, frogs, and occasional hooting owl just added to the nighttime experience.
Karen S.GuideSchmidt Farm by Forestville
A quiet, back to nature experience under dark skies.
This location offers the opportunity to explore both private trails and less traveled areas of Forestville State Park. Secluded campsites so you are not camping side by side with others. Site locations offer ample space for multiple tents. The native wildflowers are a special treat.
- FFay P.Scout
Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
Lovely Place
The park is very easy to get to right off the highway. We were greeted by a beautiful meadow with a very well maintained gravel road, stopped by the info station and bought wood and a parking pass (pass is required and is 7$ for one day, easy online purchase). The sites are a bit of a ways into the park but with that maintained road it was very easy. The facilities are great. Very clean bathroom with nice showers (cold water then warmed up). The campground was quiet but there were still a good amount of people staying as well. We stayed just one night and were very happy with this area! Really pretty
- Jarrett G.Traveler
Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
One of my favorites!
Beautiful area with very nice trails. 20-30 mins to Winona, 20 mins to La Crosse. Not a huge site selection, but very nice sites. My wife and I try to go there as much as we can!
- Jarrett G.Traveler
Veterans Memorial Park & Campground
Very nice campground
Large campground with many amenities. Playground for kids and a very nice dog park. Right off the river. Will definitely be back!
Nanette M.Scout
Sleepy Hollow Campground
Horrible service
My husband made a reservation for our 25th wedding anniversary and he was rushed in the hospital for an emergency surgery. We notified you 3 days in advance and you refused to give us even a partial refund! We only had that money to celebrate. You didn't even offer another date for us! We are now not able to enjoy our 25th! That's terrible that you will do nothing in such an emergency situation. I will be making this public in every venue I can. Disgusting that you will probably get paid by another person to stay there. How disappointing that you would offer us nothing! Very bad business.
- KKristina D.Scout
Perrot State Park Campground
Private Sites Beautiful Park
We spent 2 nights at this park and enjoyed our stay. The sites are well spaced and well separated by trees. The potable water has high nitrate levels so we had to buy drinking water as filters don’t remove nitrates.
- SSteve S.Scout
Maple Springs Campground
WiFi intermittent
WiFi intermittent At far end of campgrounds. Very clean showers and bathroom near office
Heather S.Scout
Hidden Bluffs Resort
Babbling Brook and Hosts Activities!
This campground became our favorite site in quite a while! Minimal bugs, very nice staff, beautiful sites with lots of nature! Dog friendly. Playground, mini golf, and pool all complimentary! 2 trails and babbling brooke were peaceful. They had kid and adult activities scheduled for Friday and Saturday which was a cool surprise when we checked in!
Stacey N.RangerPerrot State Park Campground
Lovely!
A newly paved road leads into the park with lots of gorgeous views along the way. Very friendly staff. Bathrooms buggy… to be expected… but clean. Shower has ample hot water. Some sites are close together but nicely wooded for privacy. Some sites have water views.
Jaime P.Traveler
Hidden Meadows RV Park
Staff friendly, but the park is not so great
Campsites are very closely spaced together. I was thankful no one was placed near our campsite to give us more room. The permanent campsites are practically on top of one another. If you’re bringing the kids there is literally nothing to do there. They do have a play-set but that’s where it ends. I think this campground may be under new ownership and it may be nice to see what they do with it in a year or two. For now the picnic tables are run down. The parking pads are very unlevel. WiFi signal is weak at best. If you have Verizon don’t count on service. Antenna strength is weak. Also oddly spaced power hook up with sewer and water placements. Overall not a horrible experience but not a great one. Mostly like will not return.
Renee H.Ranger
Sylvan City Park
Small city park campground right in town
Walking distance to downtown and easy access to Root River Trail. RV sites were close to each other with little privacy. Many tent sites around the perimeter. Short walk to bathhouse. Showers are not free, 4 quarters for 5 minutes. No laundry available. Campground is first come/first serve and doesn’t take reservations or online payment. Payment is made at adjacent city office.
Sites are gravel, fairly level. Water and electric available at rv sites.
Nice park nearby with stocked fishing pond. There is some noise due to the park being tucked into the city. Garbage and dump station free for campers. They ask for a donation for dumping if not camped there. Tight access at dump station might make it difficult for larger rigs. Strong Verizon signal.
Eugene O.Scout
Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging
Good campground, rude and unprofessional management
If you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
- EEugene O.Scout
Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging
Management is beyond horrible. Very unprofessional.
If you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
- DDylan W.Traveler
Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
Nice Weekend Get Away
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. They have 4-5 wheelbarrows to use as carts to get your stuff to the site. Each site could comfortably hold 3 to 4 tents. They are on a path for an out and back hike so expect some passers by. Cart in 1 and 2 are fairly close to the parking area and are less secluded from each other. 3 and 4 are more secluded. Site 3 offers more shade and 4 looks to have recently had some trees cut down and is fairly open air. Overall the trails are well maintained and accessible from the cart in area. They provide some nice views of the river and you can easily hike the area in a day. It’s by no means a secluded area if you’re looking to get away from road noise or other people. All in all it makes for a nice weekend getaway.
Tori K.
Legend
Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park
Nice state park
Stayed here for a couple nights on a mini state park road trip. Nice place, like most of the MN state parks. Spotty cell service. Hiked a trail with lots of steps. Fire ring and picnic table are provided at each site. Restroom with showers also available in campground. Site was large and easy to back into and offered some tree cover for shade during certain times of the day. Was unable to hang hammock in specific site we stayed at, but some of the sites looked like they would be suitable.
- Tori K.Legend
Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
Fall camping
Stayed here in the fall. Had a site right next to the bathroom big enough for 2 tents and 2 vehicles. Hikes here offer great views of the river and bluffs and the fall colors are gorgeous!!! site came with a fire pit with grate and a picnic table. I did not use the grate for cooking as I camp with a blackstone as grates tend to be dirty. When I do use the fire for cooking, I always use a cast iron pan rather than cooking directly on the grate. pictures are from before my friend arrived with their vehicle and tent. They parked directly in front of my car and put their tent near the parking barricade close to the bathroom. My dog enjoyed all the room he had at this site!
Jon M.ScoutBig Joes Little Campground
Never Again
It is not meant for weekenders. The campground is 97% concrete pad sites for people who want to park their camper and ent for the year. The two "weekender sites they do have are over 100 yards away and the water smells like sulphur. The owner will also personally take the time to drive out and chew you out if you inadvertently park on the grass. Bottom line, they care about getting their cash and trying to make it look like Augusta National golf course. I will never go back.
Jennifer H.GuideTresure Island RV Park
Crowded park, nice people
We were here for a night to see a concert at the amphitheater and everyone was super friendly. It was easy to check in, and we were able to do laundry and shower which was great. It’s mostly gravel but they have some tent sites on the grass. They are dog friendly and have some grassy areas to walk your pets which was great.
- Angie A.Ranger
Mondovi Town Park
Tucked away treasure
Great find! Small yet only us and one tent couple camping. Toilets clean. Water and electric … so score! Close to restaurants and taverns. Recommend for a quick getaway!
- SSteve S.Scout
Houston Nature Center
Great Campground for Cyclists
Spacious, level, well kept, quiet. $10/night, which is great. Spotless showers and bathrooms, access to drinking water. The International Owl Center was a welcome discovery. Best tent campground on the Root River Trail.
Guide to Elba
Tent camping near Elba, Minnesota offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot for your outdoor adventure.
Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $50
- At Aefintyr, you can enjoy a cozy cabin or hike-in glamping options, making it a versatile choice for different budgets.
- Northend Campground provides a drive-in experience with essential amenities, perfect for those looking for convenience at a reasonable price.
- For a unique experience, Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground offers a cart-in site with a short walk to your tent, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of Whitewater State Park.
Tips for tent camping near Elba
- When camping at Aefintyr, be sure to wear good shoes for the hike up to the bluff, as the terrain can be steep.
- Bring your own gear to Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground for a more authentic camping experience, and enjoy the privacy of the cart-in sites.
- If you’re looking for a family-friendly atmosphere, consider Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground, where you can enjoy spacious sites and a serene lake view.
Local activities to enjoy while camping
- Explore the stunning trails and beautiful scenery around Aefintyr, which is located near the picturesque Whitewater area.
- Fishing enthusiasts will appreciate the proximity of Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground to great trout fishing spots along the river.
- Take a short drive to Whitewater State Park for hiking and breathtaking views, especially during the fall when the colors are vibrant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Elba, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Elba, MN is Aefintyr with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Elba, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 tent camping locations near Elba, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.