Best Tent Camping near Elba, MN

Recent Tent Reviews near Elba, Minnesota

431 Reviews of 17 Elba Campgrounds

• J

  John C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 10, 2019

  Maple Springs Campground

  Peaceful and beautiful

  I arrived midweek around 8:00 PM and the office was closed. I was tent camping on motorcycle and easily found my site way back on the property. Andy came out to my site in the morning to say hi and ask if anything was needed. He definitley cares about the people staying here. With the gravel roads and very soft grass site, it was easy to manuver a large bike. Out in the tent sites there was very little light, which made star gazing amazing. If it wasn't for the store and well done shower room I would have thought I was in the wilderness especially in the tent area. Great place for quiet midweek, not sure what the weekend is like. The only reason it is not 5 stars is from my site I had to walk out to the field for wifi reception. With no Verizon cell service, not sure if others did, I needed to comunicate with family.

  John Carpentier Coon Rapids, MN

• 

  kcki M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 15, 2024

  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.

• 

  Michael V.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 11, 2022

  Houston Nature Center

  Bike trail campground with parking near by.

  Has very clean showers and toilets. Owl center at office. Tent sites only and not many. Must make reservations but typically not many people here camping.

• J

  Jake L.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 24, 2017

  Sylvan City Park

  Close to bike trail and downtown

  Stayed here in a tent while on a bicycle camping trip and it was adequate. It is located in a city park within a couple minutes walk of the downtown area. The bike trail crosses the south end of downtown so close to that too. This would not be a good place to camp if you'd like to be out in nature

  Biggest gripe is the slope of the tent sites. The majority of the tent sites are on an incline around a pond. There are also a lot of ducks that aren't very afraid of humans. None got into my gear though. There are fire rings at the tent sites. No picnic tables at the individual sites but there are some nearby in the park and there's also a covered picnic shelter. Hammocks would be difficult to impossible as the tent area is a strip of grass between pond and bluff, which has mostly brush or too whimpy of trees to hang from at the base. There are a couple huge oaks but none in pairs.

  Quarter showers and clean restrooms are available. $20/night/tent which seemed a bit steep to me considering how slanted the sites were and quarter showers. It is cheaper than the other places within immediate biking distance which were $25/night.

• 

  Stephanie K.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 3, 2020

  Beaver Creek Valley State Park Campground

  Out there

  A lot of electric sites. Tent sites further back in the campground through multiple water crossings (ok for cars). Campsites beautiful wooded sites in the bluffs. Definitely a campground to see!

• 

  Justin S.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 5, 2022

  Pietrek County Park

  Well maintained

  Nice big tent sites down by the river. 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.

• 

  GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

  Legend

  

  May. 5, 2019

  Island Campground and Marina

  Water access

  Great location, near Red Wing Minnesota. However, it's your typical Mississippi river camping -- you're there for river access and not much more. If noise bothers you then this is not the place for you. It is situated directly under the highway 63 bridge.  

  Full hookups and tent camping available. Bathrooms are pretty clean. There are also train tracks along the MN side of the river with several trains running during the day and at night. The perks for the campground are the water access and you can walk to the Harbor Bar for some good food.

• 

  Stephanie M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 7, 2020

  Lazy D’s Campground

  Good Family Campground

  Tent camping - Fun things to do with kids - jumping pillow, petting zoo, kids train ride, playground, pool, sandpit, volleyball, peddle bikes, river with tubing, horse rides, close to white water with hiking and beach. Seasonal people were friendly and staff was great. Low bugs and a good size camping space. Only negative was the pedestrian bridge is a little old and could use some repairs.

• M

  Melissa R.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 13, 2020

  Shades of Sherwood Campground

  Family Fun

  Great tent sites some along river lots of activities for children and adults tubing down the river, man-made lake with blowups, scooters, swimming poolAnd jumping pillow. Mini mart has many items from camping necessities, rain gear as well as groceries and ice cream. Bathrooms with showers are very clean.

• 

  Brady J.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 2, 2022

  Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

  Perfect weekend

  We are new to tent camping and are fortunate to live a short drive away from Whitewater State Park. We have heard from our friends who go camping that this is a highly sought after destination and I can see why. Beautiful lookouts on trails, quiet camp sites (non electric sites are much more peaceful), and very nice amenities. The main shower/restroom area looks brand new and is very nice.

• S

  Steve S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 15, 2023

  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.

• 

  Jillian S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 1, 2018

  Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

  Nice for a state park

  Most sites are for car camping or RV's. Tent site was nice and clean and a good size. Could have set up 2 tents with no problem. Not a ton of privacy from other campers. Showers/bathrooms available. Lots of hiking trails. Camp store was never open when I checked. Swimming beach was available, but there were geese (and their poop) everywhere. This state park is nice because there are NO mosquitoes. But beware, there are bears.

• 

  Kayla F.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 29, 2019

  Perrot State Park Campground

  Would Recommend

  Very nice area, camped in a tent at the end of September. Firewood had very easy access. The campground was a pretty large layout, but still easy to navigate. Nice hiking spots with amazing views. Bugs weren't too terrible, I maybe had two mosquito bites the whole 4 days, and that was before I put bug spray on.

  Rentals for canoes and kayaks are available. Unfortunately, when I went the current was too strong. We could still rent one but they warned us that if we weren't able to make it through the current, that we wouldn't be able to get our money refunded.

  There were signs posted that the drinking water cannot be boiled, nor can it be given to babies or elderly due to high nitrates. But we brought our own water anyways.

• 

  Jennifer H.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 26, 2023

  Tresure 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.

• S

  Stuart A.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 5, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Unbelievable Views & Hiking

  Small rustic campground with no hookups or electrical sites which is perfect if you are tent camping! Sites are smaller but nice, the outer sites have better privacy with most inner sites backing up to the restrooms. The hiking here is amazing with numerous lookout points to see the river from the bluffs. There are short and long hikes to get to the views, so it’s good for all levels of hiking. Overall this campground has a lot to offer and we will definitely go back!

• P

  Peter K.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 20, 2021

  Sylvan City Park

  Small campground next to city park.

  This is a convenient small campground next to a city park. The touristy shops and biking trails are within a few blocks of the campground. The RV campsites have water and electricity. We found the sites to be rather close together. The sites are first come first served (no reservations). There are also numerous tent sites, as this seems to be popular with the bicycling crowd. This really is a beautiful area of southeast MN.

• 

  Anne T.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 6, 2016

  Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground

  Perfect Camping Getaway!

  This is one of my favorite campgrounds in Southern Minnesota! It is only 1 1/2 hours away from the TwinCities which makes it an ideal getaway. The campsites are wooded and have enough distance between them that noise is minimal. I especially love the view of Lake Pepin and the nice little swimming beach. On our last stay, we were able to watch eagles from our campsite, which was amazing. They have recently added 3 small cabins to rent which would be a nice alternative to tent camping. If you do plan a camping trip to Hok-Si-La and you're driving in from the Twin Cities, be sure to take Wisconsin Highway 35 through Maiden Rock, Stockholm, Pepin, and other small towns. You can loop back into Minnesota through Wabasha. This adds about an extra half hour to your drive but it is definitely worth it!

• A

  Alison

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2018

  Houston Nature Center

  Root River Bike Trail

  This campsite is at the trailhead for the Root River Bike Trail. This bike trail is so awesome and by far the best in the tri-state area!

  The nature center is tent camping only but they do have nice spots with picnic tables and grills. Even though I'm not a kid, I thought the park was AWESOME. They litterally have a tree house to play in!!!! The Nature Center also has a bike servicing station, showers, and bathrooms. Everything is extremely clean and the town of Houston is so sweet. I will visit again!

• 

  Amber Z.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 17, 2018

  Beaver Creek Valley State Park Campground

  Disappointed with camping but hiking was great!

  I was disappointed with camping here. We stayed in a tent site, W##. We felt lucky with this because the W sites were more secluded and you didn't feel like you were on top of your camping neighbors. The bathrooms and showers here were very gross though. The hiking here had great views but trails were not labeled well. The Big Spring was also a great natural water feature to relax in after a hot hike!

• 

  Mike L.

  Traveler

  

  May. 22, 2023

  Aefintyr

  Beautiful campsite with a lot of amenities.

  Its nice to have a place this nice only 35 minutes from Rochester. Beautiful campground with great amenities available. The hike to the site is steep but worth it once you get up there. I stayed at the Talia bell tent site so I didn't have to bring much so it made the hike a lot easier. Short drive to White Water State Park. A lot of great trout fishing spots along the river. Very peaceful campground, great view of the stars on clear nights! Will definitely be back.

• J

  Juliet H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 25, 2020

  Pettibone Resort

  Okay for tents

  Tent sites are just okay. They are located directly across from houseboats, so little privacy. The area was also damp, which meant lots of bugs. I was envious of the RV side, which looked much nicer. It was not quiet due to being practically under the bridge into La Crosse. On the upside, The man working there was very friendly and helpful. It did not appear that anyone was masked or social distancing. The bar was open and patrons were next to each other on stools at the bar. Employees were also not wearing masks.

• h

  holly

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 3, 2022

  Bluff Valley Campground

  Awesome place

  I have stayed here a couple times before memorial day and after. I tent camped by the river. #67 is extra large and perfect. Electric and water was $35/night for electric and water for a weekday. Bathrooms near by need updated. But brand new showers by main entrance. Very clean, nice staff. They have a little restaurant that I saw but didn't eat or see open.

  This is the prettiest campground I've been to so far in this area. But there is a lot of construction so watch your maps. 1 mile was 15 miles bc of an important road closure. Get everything you need before you settle. A gas station alone is a trip.

• 

  GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

  Legend

  

  May. 30, 2019

  Forestville Mystery Cave State Park Campground

  Great experience!

  We tent camped here and loved it. We were able to do a lot of trail exploring and had a great time on the “scenic” cave tour. The trails were well maintained but difficult to understand in some places as signage was lacking.

  There is a primitive loop with pit toilets, a tent loop with no electricity but access to showers and flush toilets, and a trailer loop with all accommodations.

  There are great cold water trout streams that are shallow enough to wade in and play in if the weather is warmer. Hiking trails of varying skill levels but all in mostly wooded areas. Forestville townsite is closed during the week but you can wander around the outside of the buildings and site. No gates or posted restrictions.

• 

  Renee H.

  Ranger

  

  May. 23, 2024

  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.

• J

  Jennifer S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 4, 2018

  Perrot State Park Campground

  Great Campground if you could get rid of bugs

  There is a lot of hiking (the view from the bluffs are amazing) you can rent kayaks canoes etc. and they have a boat landing. No shore fishing or swimming which is disappointing.

  The nonelectric sites were a bit small (compared to many state parks I have been too) -especially considering the gravel spot they leave for pop ups - not great to tent camp on and takes up most of the space that is safely far enough from the fire pit.

  The bathrooms were decent but quite a hike (which stinks late at night) the showers were clean but I never used them.

  However, the bugs and mosquitos were almost unbearable. We fogged the site daily, had thermacells, and coated ourselves in bug spray - still came home completely bit up and trying to play cards at night the constant hum of bugs was a bit much.

• 

  Joe R.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 17, 2018

  Goose Island

  Can’t miss County camping on the Mississippi

  This camp South of Lacrosse Wisconsin is a great family or road tripping camp. Goose Island has very friendly staff and a nice little camp supply store at the entrance where you can also purchase firewood in two sizes of tubes. You’ll need a way to haul the wood to your site. We tent camp so we choose nonpowered sites away from the RV’s. The website refers to the camp as being on the backwater of the Misssippi. What ever it is, it is beautiful and right on the water. Bring the bug spray for the evening becasue the mosquitoes do come out in force. The camp facilities are clean and convenient. There is a small children’s playground and a small swimming area also. The camp was relatively busy in the powered RV area but clean and quite thoughout. It looked like there were some long term RV campers by the looks of their set up. You won’t regret staying at Goose Island.

• 

  Nicole L.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2019

  Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

  Beautiful park

  Campsites are beautiful, each one seems to have unique qualities. We stayed in site 42, it didn’t seem to have very much privacy. I was also hoping for a view of the river but I couldn’t see it from the site. We found a dream catcher in the trees, so we made another one to leave. The tent sites along the river are amazing! Each one has a path down to the river. Site 69 has a private beach and it’s deep enough to swim in. For being a stocked river, we didn’t get a single bite all weekend. I only saw 1 person actually catch a single fish. We did a couple trails while we were there. It says Chimney Rock has “over 100 step” I think it’s 199 each way! We tried using the campground’s GPS units but couldn’t figure them out. Others said the same thing. We drove through the newer campground Minneiska, the pictures online made it look bare, but it was beautiful! It was a prairie full of wild flowers! The trees were newer but old enough to still create shade. There was an abundance of staff always driving around yet there was a bathhouse that had clogged up toilets all weekend long. There is also ZERO cell phone reception. Whether that is a plus or a minus, that’s up to you.