Best Glamping near Empire, MN

Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins in Dakota County includes unique glamping accommodations built on stilts amid the pines, offering visitors heated interior spaces with bunk beds, couches that convert to beds, and ample storage. The cabins house sleeping arrangements for four people, with built-in wall bunks featuring individual reading lights and deep windowsills perfect for storage. The heated bathroom facilities nearby offer showers and remain open year-round, with the campground requiring outdoor cooking at the provided fire rings and picnic tables. One guest shared, "The cabins in the woods are great in winter with snow on the pine trees. The cabins are well-built and heated. The wooded cabins have what seems like full-sized mattress bunk beds built into the wall."

Several glamping sites near Empire provide access to exceptional outdoor experiences with varying levels of modern comfort. Lake Byllesby Regional Park features glamping accommodations with lakefront views, offering well-maintained facilities including clean bathrooms and showers. Trails throughout the area accommodate hiking and biking, with fishing and boating opportunities directly from the glamping sites. Afton State Park houses glamping options with remarkable privacy, situated in both wooded areas and open prairie sections for different wilderness experiences. During summer months, swimming in the St. Croix River complements the outdoor adventure options. A recent visitor mentioned, "The eagles soar as you swim in the sandy, shallow warm river stream. What more could you want?" Reservations for all glamping accommodations should be made well in advance, particularly for weekend stays during peak seasons.

Map showing campgrounds near Empire, Minnesota

Explore the Map

Best Glamping Sites Near Empire, Minnesota (20)

1. Afton State Park Campground
36 Reviews
Denmark, MN
17 miles
Website
+1 (651) 436-5391
"It was a shaded site perfect for our hammocks, it was quiet and very secluded. The Yurt was very cool! Very comfortable beds and plenty of space for the 6 of us to stay and sleep."

"This was only my second camping trip, my first being the superior trail with an 8 mile hike in and no amenities."
2. Lake Byllesby Regional Park
12 Reviews
Cannon Falls, MN
11 miles
Website
+1 (507) 263-4447
"We didn’t get to swim at the lake because it was shut down due to a chemical spill at the time, but we did walk over and check it out. The views are great!"

"All spots have a lake view and the beach is within walking distance. We love it here. It’s not to easy to get spots on the holiday weekends, but somehow we managed it"

3. Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins
4 Reviews
Empire, MN
4 miles
Website
+1 (952) 891-7000
$85 / night
"Each cabin has four sleeping spots: 2 bunk beds, and the 2 couches convert to beds. There's a heater inside, but no AC, which makes these the most suitable during the spring and fall."

"There is no cooking inside the cabin so you have to use the fire ring outside. Shower facilities are really nice and match the cabins. Plan ahead as these are hard to come by."
4. Cleary Lake Regional Park
8 Reviews
Prior Lake, MN
18 miles
Website
+1 (763) 694-7777
$16 - $50 / night
"The five space spot has no water or electric hook up but was a great place for me to test out my new solar set up."

"I imagine in the middle of summer, it might feel slightly less secluded as there are 3 other sites relatively close by, one of which you have to walk through to get to this one, but in early September,"

5. Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve
38 Reviews
Maple Plain, MN
39 miles
Website
+1 (763) 694-7662
$21 - $29 / night
"This campground was nice and the bathrooms were nice and clean. They have nice walking trailers to the lake and beach area. They lake and beach were nice and has a big sanding beach area."

"Clean gravel sites with electric hook up surrounded by well maintained grass, picnic table, and fire pit. Central water spigot and dump station. Great signage throughout."
6. Minneapolis Southwest KOA
9 Reviews
Jordan, MN
28 miles
Website
+1 (952) 492-6440
"A couple weeks ago we spent some time at the Northwest koa...that one had private tent sites surrounded on 3 sides by trees, quiet spaces etc."

"Spacious spaces, friendly staff. Had a great indoor pool, clean shower and bathroom building"

7. Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park
17 Reviews
Lino Lakes, MN
35 miles
Website
+1 (763) 324-3340
$20 - $75 / night
"We took a 30 minute drive north of the cities for a quick get away, and were rewarded with a very nice campground! The check in staff was friendly, helpful and efficient."

"It was very easy to find, close to the twin cities, and clean. There was good access to kindling for a fire in the nice fire pit that has a grill."
8. Sakatah Lake State Park Campground
24 Reviews
Waterville, MN
40 miles
Website
+1 (507) 362-4438
"It was mid April so no water at the sites but had electric in ours. We were able to get potable water at the entrance. And firewood. Had great trails to walk and bike on. Sites are spaced out."

"Great park if you’re not looking to drive too far to enjoy a bit of nature. Wonderful hiking paths and biking paths. Our site was nice a secluded and right next to the trail heads."

9. Lake Auburn Campground
12 Reviews
Victoria, MN
36 miles
Website
+1 (952) 443-2911
$15 - $18 / night
"This campground even has 2 walking/hike-in campsites to give your avid campers a real out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere kind if feel, like you drove hundreds if miles to get away from the hustle and bussle"

"It’s right off the highway, and very easy to find. The camp is very well-maintained, the beach is gorgeous, and the staff was extremely nice over the phone when I set my reservation. 10/10"
10. Bunker Hills Regional Park
16 Reviews
Coon Rapids, MN
40 miles
Website
+1 (763) 862-4970
$20 - $32 / night
"Perfect for kids, they have a water park with a wave pool, a disc golf course, a golf course, several pavilions with grills, a few playgrounds and plenty of trails both paved and unpaved."

"For being in the middle of the northern suburbs of Minneapolis, this park and campground is surprisingly woodsy, secluded and spacious."

Showing results 1-10 of 20 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented by

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Enter to Win

Recent Glamping Photos near Empire, MN

12 Photos of 20 Empire Campgrounds

Glamping Reviews near Empire, MN

224 Reviews of 20 Empire Campgrounds

B
Blair
Guide
Jun. 7, 2021
Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins
Great camper cabins for spring and fall
Each cabin has four sleeping spots: 2 bunk beds, and the 2 couches convert to beds. There's a heater inside, but no AC, which makes these the most suitable during the spring and fall.

There is a fire ring outside of each cabin, along with a table. No cooking is allowed inside the cabins, which can make things rough if the weather isn't cooperating.

We enjoy hiking around the trails, but we primarily go to decompress, lounge around, and play games, read, etc. There's WiFi available, but depending on which cabin you reserve signal will be took weak for real usage. Same for mobile data -- don't plan on cell service here.

The bathroom facilities are nice. Outside water is shut off during some parts of the year, so bring your own drinking water if you are camping close to/during winter.

Cabins are accessible for those who need special assistance, which is nice. The only caveat is I don't recall there being an automatic door opener to the cabins.

While the cabins are close together, noise is not a factor once you're inside.

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. For example, as of this review (early June), all weekends are booked for all cabins.
kristin C.
Guide
Aug. 9, 2018
Ham Lake Resort
Well Rounded RV Park and Campground
My partner and I scheduled a 3 day / 2 night stay in a new Vintage Cruiser RV for $39.99, in exchange for attending a presentation on private membership.

We checked in Wednesday evening, and the nicest staff I've ever met helped us acclimate to RV living. We are new to this game. They patiently described how to utilize the grey and black water tanks, as well as encouraged us to check-out the canoes, row boats, bikes, horseshoes, ladder golf and many other entertainment items - for FREE!

The map provided was accurate which made locating the cruiser a breeze. There were further instructions inside as well. The RV was immaculate. Provided for our use were all linens (a public very clean bath and shower was just across the road), dish soap, dish towels, paper towels, flat wear, plates, bowls, mugs and pans.

The campground has a couple of ponds, as well as access to Ham Lake where the watercraft is launched. There is a petting arena with goats, ponies, and a llama who gave my partner the stink eye, but fell in love with me rubbing the fence and giving me all googly eyes!

The clubhouse sells bundled wood, ice, snacks, cold drinks, ice cream and provides 24-hour fresh coffee. There is also a small resupply area, and gift shop.

There are pull-through sites, back ups, 50 and 30 amp hook ups, and tent sites, covered pavilions, picnic tables and fire pits.

The campground itself seems remote, secluded and peaceful, however, you are conveniently located to two well-stocked convenience stores, as well as Wal-Mart about 15 minutes away. It's also only about 45 minutes from the Minnesota Twin Cities.

One note: We visited in August and needed gallons of bug spray.

We very much enjoyed our get away!
Scott M.
Legend
Dec. 22, 2022
Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins
Great Cold Weather Option
Super simple camping cabins. They each have 4 spots and have contactless entry as you get sent a code to use. There is no cooking inside the cabin so you have to use the fire ring outside. Shower facilities are really nice and match the cabins. Plan ahead as these are hard to come by.
kristin C.
Guide
Jun. 13, 2018
Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park
convenient get away
We took a 30 minute drive north of the cities for a quick get away, and were rewarded with a very nice campground!

The check in staff was friendly, helpful and efficient. She gave us the info we needed for wood and other campgrounds in the area.

Our site was clear, flat and grassy, and had an established fire pit. Other loops had grills and hook ups for pop-up campers and RVs.

There is a gorgeous beach area with tables, a pavilion, changing rooms and a well equipped playground.

We walked a portion of the trails towards the golf course, on a paved path under a green canopy.

Plenty of bugs, so bring your spray!
T
Tina H.
Scout
Jun. 18, 2018
Afton State Park Campground
Hiking and Yurting
I have stayed multiple times in the hike in camp sites and also in the yurt! The hike in sites were beautiful with a view looking over the St. Croix River. It was a shaded site perfect for our hammocks, it was quiet and very secluded. The Yurt was very cool! Very comfortable beds and plenty of space for the 6 of us to stay and sleep. The fire pit and picnic table wasn't far from the yurt which made it nice to not have to walk too far since we camped in the winter. I highly suggest the expeeience of the yurt!
Alicia A.
Scout
Oct. 13, 2020
Afton State Park Campground
A Nice Secluded Overnight Trip
Great state park with lots of amenities. This was only my second camping trip, my first being the superior trail with an 8 mile hike in and no amenities. More fun in my opinion to search for your own firewood and really rough it, but it was to have water and wood available close to the site we were at (site 22) because we got in later and lost some daylight. The hike in was shorter and far less strenuous than my first trip, but note that it is uphill. If you’re carrying a heavy pack, expect to sweat a bit. Paved sidewalks into the park, wide dirt and rocky paths into the camp site which was nice given the amount of other day hikers (space to spread out). My boyfriend and I loved that our site was so secluded. There is also a lot of variety to the sites. The sites 1 through about 10 (if my memory doesn’t fail me) are fairly wooded. Our site had a nice balance of wooded area and open terrain/sky. We were lucky to get to see some beautiful fall colors.

A few notes: the wood provided is THICK. They must haul the logs in with a truck. Saws are provided at the wood site, but be prepared to take some time on it. We had a hand saw so we were able to pack our packs with some large pieces and do some sawing at our campsite as the sawing station was busy with families and other campers. Lots of bark available to get a good fire started. The wood is not covered so if it rains the night before you come in, be ready to deal with some damp wood.

Water station takes about 30 seconds to start up. There are also two bathrooms within the camp site that are what you expect them to be. Hand sanitizer and TP stocked.

Never saw a ranger while we were there. We loved the privacy. Lots of spiders. Comes with the terrain.

The site was perfect for our hammocks. They are super kind if you want to call ahead to get an idea of what your site looks like. It was also great to be able to see what other sites were occupied on the day we decided to make a reservation. There is a grill top on your fire pit (we packed our own grill top, could’ve left it at home).

Overall it was a great overnight trip. Close to our home so I’m sure we’ll be back for a quick trip next year.
Ashley J.
Scout
Aug. 19, 2017
Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park
Night in the woods
It was very easy to find, close to the twin cities, and clean. There was good access to kindling for a fire in the nice fire pit that has a grill. There is ample room to park a car and put up a large tent. We were impressed with the upkeep of the park.
M
Melissa A.
Guide
Aug. 31, 2018
Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve
Nice lake with big beach area
This campground was nice and the bathrooms were nice and clean. They have nice walking trailers to the lake and beach area. They lake and beach were nice and has a big sanding beach area. You an bring you boat with you. The only down fall was the location of the fire pit. It was located closer to the neighboring campsite and was awkward to use because it was behind the camper and you would think it was the other campsites. The site were very close together and had no privacy. The site had electric but no water.
GoWhereYouAreDraw N.
Legend
May. 27, 2019
Sakatah Lake State Park Campground
There is plenty to do for the outdoor enthusiasts
We biked the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail from Faribault, MN to Mankato, MN (39 miles). The whole trail was paved, which was really nice and runs through hardwoods forest. We camped in Sakatah State Park and then explored the City of Mankato. Sakatah Lake is a relatively calm lake and seems like a great place to kayak.

They have 5 bike-in campsites near the trail. Other campsites include drive-in sites, electric sites, group sites, and camper cabins. The campsites are secluded just enough so that one feels like they are camping in the woods by themselves. Unlike a lot of campgrounds, Sakatah State Park has its fire pits above ground. Very nice for keeping warm. Amenities at the campground include showers, flush toilets, vault toilets, dump stations.