Best Tent Camping near Empire, MN

Recent Tent Reviews near Empire, Minnesota

585 Reviews of 15 Empire Campgrounds

• 

  Zach H.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 27, 2019

  Minneapolis Northwest KOA

  Large sites and large bugs

  We tent camped here for a night while passing through. It’s a basic KOA with a few amenities. The lots were really big and we had no one near us, so it was nice and private. Most of the lots near the front were occupied but the back was almost empty, which is where the more wooded lots are. Only 1 bath house and it’s not close to most of the tent sites.

  Staff was nice and helpful. It has a small pool and game room but not much else for kids. The bugs are aggressive here, especially near the tent sites which are located near a swampy area. Definitely more of a place to stay as you are passing through, not really a destination campground.

• B

  Blair

  Guide

  

  Jun. 1, 2021

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Secluded in the Minneapolis Suburbs

  Lebanon Hills is a great park and has a lot of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Our family selected this camp ground to test out some gear -- if we had problems or if we forgot something it was a short drive home. Turns out this is a wonderful camp ground and offers a lot of seclusion. 

  Tent camp sites are far enough from each other that neighbors can't be seen, and we didn't hear them either. 

  The bathroom facility near the ranger station was very well maintained and cleaned several times a day. 

  The only criticisms we have are that you can hear road noise -- and depending on your site you'll hear the alarm of one of the access gates for the Minnesota Zoo.

  We went here as an experiment, but will definitely be coming back throughout the year. Reserve early online, most weekends were already reserved by mid May.

• L

  Lexi E.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 23, 2020

  Rice Lake Campground — Rice Lake State Park

  Lame

  All RV and ridiculously expensive for tent camping

• J

  Joanna M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2017

  Willow River State Park Campground

  The trails were fun, though the hill was a bit grueling!

  We experienced wonderful customer service, tent camping, nature center and waterfalls.

• 

  Jessica M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 5, 2018

  Minneapolis Southwest KOA

  Definitely caters to rvs

  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. Looking at the Southwest koa website they advertise as the tent sites back into the woods. So imagine our surprise when we were shown our site. It did indeed back up into the woods however the woods were 20ish feet behind a rope and we were told all set up had to be done in front of the rope. Our tent was inches from the road and wide out in the open. Other then the tent site itself this koa is wonderful...the staff were very friendly, the pool was clean and heated, the grounds were kept clean etc

• 

  Cheryl L.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2016

  Lake Byllesby Regional Park

  Plenty of Ammenities

  This campground is clean and well maintained. It has a boat landing; indoor and outdoor bathroom facilities; playground and large tent sites.

• 

  Rico R.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 12, 2019

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Great place

  The office was open till 9pm very friendly. A little pricey for tent camping. The sites are private. Great biking and hiking trails. Great amenities. Close to the zoo as well as the city.

• 

  Stephanie K.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 30, 2020

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Amazing campground close to the city

  Definitely check this place out great campsites for tent camping right next door to the MN Zoo campsites nicely wooded spread out nicer than some state park campgrounds. Definitely going to check it out again.

• 

  Andrew K.

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2024

  High Island Creek Park

  Very close

  Very close to other campers, but no one bothered anyone. Dog didn’t go nuts, got a good spot. Would recommend. Tent camping on the way to Alaska and filled all needs. Has a Porta-shitter and trash. Decent spot, windy.

• 

  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.

• S

  Scott G.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 27, 2020

  Rice Lake Campground — Rice Lake State Park

  A nice small park but nothing special

  A nice small park but nothing special. Sites are good sized and nicely spaced. Facilities are primitive. Nice walking trail around the property about 2.5 miles. The trail does cross some of the tent sites. Maybe once the lockdown is over things will be better there.

• 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.

• N

  Nanci D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 21, 2023

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  County park close in to Minneapolis/ St Paul area

  In demand park close in to cities. RV portion has full hook ups. No hook up sites for up to 24ft RVs also available. Non hook up sites are wooded and well spaced. RV sites similar to private campgrounds. Must reserve months in advance as usually full. Have secluded tent sites too.

• 

  Emily.Michael B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 22, 2021

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  In-City Surprise

  What a wonderful park for being surrounded by the cities! We had previously come for walking and kayaking, but this was our first overnight here. The site and restroom/shower are well kept and there are enough trees/plants between the (tent) sites to make it feel private. It's always fun seeing deer, turtles, fish, gardner snakes here.

• 

  Katherine T.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 1, 2024

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Nice weekend get away

  Nice distance from the twin cities for a weekend away with some nice hiking trails. The tent pads have been upgraded to pea gravel by the friends association (which seems to be quite active based on signage around park improvements). Showers and bathrooms were clean. Wi-Fi near the park entrance and spotty T-Mobile service throughout. The outside of the loop is good for tent camping but could be a little noisy if the campground had been fully booked.

• 

  Jaime N.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 9, 2020

  Willow River State Park Campground

  A nice getaway off season

  Three campgrounds, first come first serve. $10/day entry $40/daily for electric hook up (non-resident); no full hook-ups, no water, only 1 vault toilet open per campground. Year round availability, however- tough to find! Very hard to get a cellular connection (T-mobile). Beautiful views of the river, right along the edge if you tent camp. Multiple playgrounds, hiking trails and loads of nature, large beach and waterfalls.

• N

  Nicole R.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 7, 2018

  William O'Brien State Park Campground

  Homey, Picturesque, Fresh Air

  I camped here in April and got a camping spot on the edge of the River Campground facing the woods. I loved this spot and it was plenty big for parking two cars, tent, hammock, chairs, you name it! It appears that most tent camping is on the outer edges and RV camping is in the middle. No one was noisy, wasn't a "party" campground which was great for peace and quiet. It was great being so close to the river trail. Great views and fresh air!

• 

  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.

• 

  Sam R.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 18, 2018

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  One of the few places you can camp in the cities

  This is one of the few places that you can camp in twin cities metro. Both car and RV camping is allowed. Some of the tent sites do have power as well. Bathrooms and Showers are centrally located. Firewood is available for purchase. The camp grounds are located near the Lebanon Hills mountain biking area and miles of day hiking trails. Camping is only permitted in this area and it's not open in the winter.

• 

  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!

• 

  Jessica M.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 30, 2018

  Minneapolis Northwest KOA

  Wonderful experience

  The hosts at this campground were very nice. We had a tent site with no hook ups. The site was spacious and private-surrounded on 3 sides by trees. The bathrooms were clean. The pool area was clean and without issue. There were no extra walk ways or special features in those regards but the roads had enough of a country feel that they were fun for walking around with my kids and dog

• 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.

• 

  Mandee L.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 12, 2020

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Tucked away in the middle of the Cities

  I love this park and use it frequently for our "test runs". We have a new puppy and a new teardrop, so this was the perfect place for us to have our maiden voyage within 20min of our home. But besides just being close, it's also a really nice campground. It's very wooded and feels private. The RV section has sites that are a bit close together and open, but the tent sites (where we stayed) are much more secluded. The facilities are clean and well-kept.

  The park itself is also really nice. There are lots of hiking trails, mountain biking, lake access for kayaking/paddle boarding... In the winter we love coming here for day trips to take advantage of the cross country skiing and snow shoe rentals.

• A

  Alexandra T.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 18, 2020

  Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve

  Beautiful Grounds, Campsites a Bit Close

  We stayed here with two young kids tent camping. We stayed in site A20 due to the close proximity to the bathrooms. The grounds were very well kept and groomed. The sites were pretty close together with no trees in between, but only around 25% of sites were occupied when we were there so it wasn’t a problem. I would imagine it would be very cozy and not much privacy when full, which could be the only potential drawback. There were a fair amount of RVs- we were one of only a few tents I saw. There were some nice looking cabins on our loop as well. It was a very short walk down a path to the beautiful lake which was deserted when we were there. The bathrooms looked new and were very well kept. There was even one family restroom with a shower which was so awesome for trying yo get two small kids cleaned up. Loved that. Overall this was a great campsite when not full and we had a great time.

• 

  Krista T.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 25, 2022

  Lake Elmo County Park Reserve

  Eagle point lane section- Nice metro park for RVs/camper trailers or groups

  We went on a day trip to the eagle point section of the Lake Elmo park district. This is set in a lush rolling prairie with lots of hiking trails in addition to other attractions like an archery range and swimming pond. 

  The modern campground is built for non-tent campers, which is kind of a bummer because it is so much nicer than the “rustic” tent campground. Could you set up a tent there? Sure, but most of the site is devoted to a gravel parking pad. 

  The rustic campground is an offshoot of the horse trailer parking lot. The sites for the most part are not spacious or private. Only portapotties. I think the best camping opportunity I saw was the group campgrounds, which had more modern outhouses. This will continue to be a great day trip location for us.

• 

  Justin J.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 15, 2023

  Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park

  Great spot right outside the twin cities

  Great campground with all the amenities one might need, including showers, nice bathrooms, a park, a beach, trails. Right next to lakes and a nature preserve. Close enough to town in case you forget some things like we did. A county parking pass is required, they don't like people parking on the grass, and they have staff making rounds to enforce the shortest list of rules I've seen in the last couple of years. My only complaint is that the location of the porta-potties didn't match what the maps showed, so my seemingly perfect plan to be somewhat far from them failed and I ended up right next to one; it was clean and didn't smell, but we heard the door close every time. They have the campsites spaced out better than most other places I've camped and have trees and brush between the sites whenever possible. We tent camped and plan to bring our travel trailer next year. Definitely plan to stay here at least once a season.

• 

  Emily G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 17, 2017

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Family fun and Camping hidden gem

  Lebanon Hills is a great campsite for families, first time campers, or anyone having a "staycation" while keeping hotel costs down. The East loop is perfect for tent camping with large, wooded, private sites close to the amazingly clean bathrooms and showers. (Seriously, the bathrooms were so clean.) There is a well kept playground and many walking trails all around the park. The RV section was not as shaded or private, but there are a few RV spots that could be private if they're open. What we like is that Lebanon and the area has so much to do. If you can hop in the car, there is a free beach 5 minutes away with rental costs for a SUP, canoe, or kayak, lots of paved trails, unpaved trails, a Visitor Center with free programs, and a really well maintained mountain bike park. The MN zoo, Apple Valley Aquatic Center, Cascade Bay, Outlet Mall, and MOA are a quick 5-10 minute drive away. Yes, I prefer to stay outdoors, but if you have a group or someone who "needs" something to do you will not run out of options.

  Sites for camping: East 71, 82, 84 and North 61,65