Best Campgrounds near Empire, MN
Camping options near Empire, Minnesota include several well-developed regional and state park campgrounds within a 30-minute drive. Lake Byllesby Regional Park and Whitetail Woods offer popular camping facilities for visitors seeking established sites with amenities. The area primarily features developed campgrounds with tent and RV sites, while several parks also provide cabin accommodations. Lebanon Hills Regional Park, Afton State Park, and St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park represent the most highly-rated camping areas, with ratings above 4.5 stars from campers who appreciate their maintained facilities and natural settings.
Reservations are essential at most campgrounds in the region, with booking windows typically opening 120 days in advance. As one camper noted about Whitetail Woods cabins, "It's difficult to get reservations, so I recommend trying to start booking 120 days in advance, which is the farthest out you can reserve." Camping season generally runs from April through October at most facilities, with some campgrounds like Afton State Park and St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park remaining open year-round. Water sources and certain amenities may be winterized during colder months, requiring campers to bring their own drinking water. Sites near water tend to fill quickly, especially on summer weekends and holidays.
Campers seeking cabin accommodations have several options in the region, with Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins receiving particular praise. The cabins feature basic amenities including heat for cold weather camping, though they lack cooking facilities indoors. A review mentioned, "The cabins are well-built and heated. The wooded cabins have what seems like full-sized mattress bunk beds built into the wall." Most campgrounds in the area offer electric hookups for RVs, while water hookups are common but not universal. Tent campers will find designated sites at nearly all area campgrounds, though sites along lakeshores often prioritize RV camping with hookups. The proximity to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area makes these campgrounds popular weekend destinations, so midweek visits offer better availability and a quieter experience.
