Empire is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Empire. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
$40 - $50 / night
"Many pull through sites available - most of which you pull through to face another site - great if you are camping with friends and want to share the area. Full hook up sites at a reasonable rate."
"We last stayed in side 25, a back in up on the hill. We have also stayed in the pull through sites, but not really a fan of those. "
"It is just a parking lot but the sites are all pull through and there is plenty of room between sites and ours was perfectly level."
"No grassy areas so if you have animals you need to walk a bit to get to the grass"
$38 - $45 / night
"This is very convenient if you have Mayo Clinic appointments. The campground was nice with grassy sites along with electric and water hook ups, there was a dump station also."
"The lower area of this park is so nice and right near a river. The owners are really nice, bathrooms/showers clean and everybody is friendly."
"It’s an easy on and off the interstate, super close to a gas station and RV wash bay. Also super close to some very large power lines. The kids enjoyed the compact playground and pool."
"This RV park is clean, friendly, and convenient to the cities. Some road noise, but you are in the city so expected, but yet still quieter then in some areas being close to things."
$39 - $60 / night
"Great views of the lake and two great playgrounds. Very close to town and good priced. The lake is very dirty but other than that great place."
"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! We stayed in a RV spot next to the lake."
$16 - $50 / night
"Our “hike in” spot was very close to the car but hidden in a forest. Gorgeous spot. We walked around and looked at all the other sites and each was unique and pretty."
"The access to water is really nice and a couple sites were perfect.
The hike in sites are super close to the car so it doesn’t even require much work. Plan to come here again!"
"It's a nice stop if you need close to Rochester. Not badly priced. Grill and Bar on site with good food. The store, bath, and laundry are still closed due to Covid."
$24 - $42 / night
"Great location for easy access to mountain bike trails. Friendly staff. Clean facilities. Nice trail within the campground."
"My family and I took our second trip with our travel trailer to Lebanon Hills Campground locates here in the Apple Valley."
$21 - $29 / night
"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."
"One of our kids & her husband live in Minneapolis, a sister & several nieces & nephews live close by."
ScoutThis campground is great especially when compared with state park camping. Full hookups available, quite a few pull through lots and close to the twin cities! No wifi, so make sure you've got decent cell service and hotspot if you need internet/wifi. Verizon gets ok coverage here, T-Mobile does too. Showers/bathhouses are clean and the hot water runs forever and not coin operated or push button like some others I've been to! Bonus! Good toilet paper in the bathrooms not the cheap stuff. The lake is literally out your door and they do have a small swimming beach and boat launch. MN Horse and Hunt club is about a mile or so up a trail access that is Almosy directly across from the camp entrance. There is an ATM there along with a bar and restaurant. Be prepared to hear gunshots regularly but it's not really bothersome unless you aren't prepared for it. The trail to the club is safe to walk though. The campground ONLY accepts cash so be sure to hit the ATM before you get here. They also charge $2 extra per dog if you have them. Nightly rate for the full hookup site I had was $32 with the dog. They charge .50 c per log for firewood. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. The staff are really nice and laid back. It's a really nice little campground!
GuideMy 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!
LegendHighland Ridge, WI - COE east of Minneapolis.
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer)
Overall Rating: 4.5
Price 2023: $12/ night w senior pass
Usage during visit: 60 - 70% during weekdays
Site Privacy: GOOD - not a fence forest, but tremendous spacing makes up for it.
Site Spacing: VERY GOOD
Site surface: Gravel and level
Reservations: Yes. Can reserve on line at the cg
Campground Noise: None
Road Noise: None
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electric Hookup: Yes
Sewer Hookup: No
Dump Station: Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes, at the bathrooms.
Generators: Not needed.
Bathroom: kept VERY clean. Shutdown for cleaning every morning at about 6 AM.
Showers: Yes. Clean
Pull Throughs: I think all are back ins.
Cell Service (AT&T): Good
Setting: Forest with no understory
Weather: 80s
Bugs: Not too bad.
Solar: Forest canopy would interfere , but not needed.
Host: Yes. They are around and offer free beach passes. They are super.
Rig size: Large RVs.
Sites: All sites are very nice in loop 1 -24. I understand that Loop 28+ is less private.
ScoutGreat location for easy access to mountain bike trails. Friendly staff. Clean facilities. Nice trail within the campground. Some sites are more shaded than others in the east loop so look at photos if you want shade. Sites that back up to the green space are very sunny. 87 is a great site! Plenty of space for a trailer or tent with a private “nook” for the fire pit.
LegendFor a County Park, Lake Elmo has an impressive list of amenities. Before we even get to the campsite let's mention the filtered swimming pond. This man made pond is a sandy bottom and surrounded by a nice sand beach. Large built in umbrellas are available for sun coverage and there is a concession stand and bathrooms with showers. And yes, as I mentioned the water is filtered! No gross goose poop or green algae to deal with! Next to the swim pond is a giant playground with fun for the big and little kids. Other amenities include archery, horse trails, paved and grass trails, camper spots, rustic spots and hike in camping spots. In winter the xc ski trails are lit for evening skiing. Or let's be honest early afternoon. It is Minnesota and the suns down by 4 In the Winter! They also have a newer Nordic center that's open all year round and includes a locker room with showers. The hike in camp spot we chose was on a small lake so it had a nice breeze and made it easy to bring a kayak or paddleboard and hop right in. There is also a boat launch for your larger toys! The trails in the park are quite impressive for its size. We enjoyed a 5 mile loop off the Nordic center and right past the camp spot. A picnic table and fire pit as well as nice flat tent pad were provided. If you're coming in from out of town then you're just a 5 minute drive from Woodbury and all the amenities you'd ever need but the park feels miles away from it all.
ScoutWe are here for a show at the casino and thought it would be fun to bring the camper down and glamp for the weekend. It is just a parking lot but the sites are all pull through and there is plenty of room between sites and ours was perfectly level.
We have dogs so the fact that it’s all asphalt and rock is a bit of a bummer but we are close to the exercise area and they do love little walks. It also seems to be controlling some of the normal bad pet parent behavior we see at even parks. Like letting the dogs run with out leashes or tethering them all day to bark at everything.
The sites do not have fire rings but there are some community ones and it appears the other campers brought their own smokeless fire pits to use.
There is a shuttle to the casino and at 7pm folks seemed to clear out to head over. It was honestly one of the quietest campgrounds we’ve been to on a Friday night.
The bath house is newer and super clean- not a single creepy spider web in any corners.
On Verizon I have full bars so we haven’t tried the park WiFi but we’ve been able to use our chrome cast and two iPads off my cell phone with zero issues. Because it’s in a river valley the air tv single is terrible so we are glad to have the chrome cast with us- since the forecast called for a raining day.
ScoutGreat pricing and friendly staff. Nice beach. A few spots are pull through which is nice for larger RVs and travel trailers.
GuideSites are close to each other, but easy access, clean grounds and facilities, friendly staff, and a K9 fenced area for a pet friendly campground.
GuideFirst of all, the good - we appreciated the campground being able to accommodate our last-minute reservation. The bathrooms and showers were small but nice, and my kids liked the playground. Full hookups. They also have a camp store that seemed well-stocked, and an activity room for weekly Bingo, etc.
The bad - while the long term sites were pretty, level, and relatively private, our site was definitely none of those. Very unlevel gravel and mud and very close to our neighbors. We were excited for the laundry room but they had to shut it down because of a leak, and the clothes we did wash didn't seem to come out clean. Finally, our LGBTQ family didn't feel very comfortable because of the amount of conservative paraphernalia displayed by both the owners/staff and some of the other visitors.
Overall, our family wouldn't stay here again.
Explore the beauty of RV camping near Empire, Minnesota, where you can find a variety of campgrounds offering excellent amenities and activities for a memorable outdoor experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Empire, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Empire, MN is Dakotah Meadows RV Park with a 4.4-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find RV camping near Empire, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 81 RV camping locations near Empire, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
