Best Cabin Camping near Fairmont, MN

Stayed in a camper cabin during the winter and it was lovely! The park was so quiet and trails were great for both hiking and snowshoeing.

We visited Minneopa state park because a) I love hiking b) I’m trying to get as much state park time in before the summer hordes descend and c) my back is dying from working at home out of a dining room chair so I preordered an office chair for curbside pickup at an office store which is on the way home from this park. 

Minneopa is a unique state park. A River Runs Through it. So does a train(choo chooo). And a neighborhood(kind of). If you have never visited the park before you need to decide what you are going to prioritize first because all of a sudden there are two different park road signs pointing you to either turn left or right depending on what you want to do. 

One direction is the waterfall part. It is a nice waterfall. The parking lot is right by the waterfall- so it is very accessible for people who are unable to hike to a lot of waterfalls. However, because the parking lot is RIGHT THERE it isn’t the most rewarding waterfall that I’ve been to, it’s kind of like a less impressive Minnehaha. On this trip we didn’t visit the waterfall because it’s plague time and I figured that it might be busy. Tip: On the weekends get to state parks as early as possible during social distancing time! Most people don’t roll out of bed at 6 am like we did, so it will be fairly easy to socially distance yourself. We got there at 8 and only encountered 4 other hikers that were just heading out when we were almost back to our car. 

The other direction is the BISON DRIVE. Yes, you can actually drive amongst bison if the road is open. It wasn’t on our trip on 4/10/2020 because the road conditions are still gross from the winter thaw. Instead we hiked the entire loop(I think it’s 3.3 miles) because it goes around the entire bison enclosure, and I wanted to guarantee that I would see me some bison. 

Other highlights about this section of the park are the views of the magnificent Minnesota river, an old windmill(the blades are gone), and the campground is also situated here. This section isn’t as popular as the waterfall section, as evidenced by the relatively small parking lot. The hike was enjoyable while we were there- if it is a hot hot day you might want to just do the Minnesota River Bluff Trail for the shade- the Seppman Mill trail is exposed and you can drive and park at the mill. 

As I mentioned before there is also an access point to drive into the bison enclosure. We were able to see the bison herd once we got to the mill area, unfortunately for my photos the bison were just far enough away that I didn’t get a quality photo. 

Now onto the campground. Loop A is superior for tent camping in every which way, unless you happen to want electricity or want to rent the cabin which is in loop B. Loop A has trees, large sites, a bathroom, and several sites have awesome views of the river. One thing to keep in mind is that the sites on the outside of the loop are much more private and have way more trees- the inner loop is relatively open in comparison and would be good sites to choose if you are group camping. I would be prepared with lots of bug spray and a screenhouse if you are camping here in the worst of mosquito season- there was quite a bit of standing water and swampy pond nearby. 

Site notes(see pics/videos): A2 is nice and spacious, but next to the swampy water 

A4 is the immediate neighbor and is distinctive because it’s up on a hill 

A3 is on the inner loop and is visible to the road, but I liked it anyway 

A5 is a nice spacious site on the inner loop that is less private, I’m pretty sure A19 butts up behind it if you are looking to get a few sites 

A12 is the type of site that I would love to camp at- view of the gulley and of the river 

A14 is the site that you need to reserve a year in advance if this campground were more popular- amazing location with a spectacular view of the river 

A24 also has a good river view 

A26 is large and has some badass oak trees 

The B Loop is weird- a lot of the campsites don’t seem to even have space for a 2 person tent unless you are ok with not having a campfire(or burning down your tent). If you have a tiny scamp you might be ok? 

Site notes: B3 is a good pull-through site for an RV 

The cabin is here! It has a screen porch and a propane tank for heating it in cold weather! Also has a decent view of the river- inside is just some bunk beds and a table. There is a pit toilet next to it that I’m guessing other campsites use too. 

B20 is definitely the best site in the loop for tent camping- I actually would camp at this one. 

There are also 4 group campsites that could probably fit 2-3 tents on them that are only a short hike-in from the parking area. Nice pit toilets are nearby. Minneopa is definitely either a nice day trip or camping trip from the Twin Cities! I was extra pleased that the drive down 169 is interesting- the terrain is beautiful, there are some really random touristy places and showrooms(giant yellow barn/extended structure that is without a doubt indeed Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store), and driving through Saint Peter is a nice old-timey experience.

This is a decent park but the sites aren't too far off the road and many back up to rail tracks with the sound of passing trains day and night. There is an active herd of bison on the park grounds. They are fenced off from the rest of the park with enough prairie land that you don't always see them.
There are surrounding parks and bike trails that make for nice day trips along the Minnesota River Valley. For a newer park, I would have hoped that they would have taken more care to lay out the campsites to offer a quieter and more private camp setting.

After reading all of the wonderful reviews, I was a little underwhelmed. Perhaps it is because we arrived after a rainy period. Many of the sites in the A Loop were flooded or muddy and there was only one site occupied. B Loop was a bit better and there were a few more people there. Some sites in the A Loop overlook the river valley through trees but they are directly over railroad tracks so you will hear loud trains. No flush toilets but for pits (A Loop has sinks and a shower), reasonably clean. However I would not choose sites closeby because the fans are quite loud. Bison viewing road was cool and leads to the rebuilt granary (all that remains from a mill). Waterfall (across the street and about a mile from campground) is nice. Unless you hike the Minnesota River Bluff trail, you could easily see the bison, granary, and waterfalls in half a day, making this good for just a one night stay.

What a beautiful, clean campground right on a gorgeous lake!! I really enjoyed my short stay here - the owner met me at the office when I called him. No problem that I didn’t have a reservation- plenty of room! $37 for the night. Showers and bathrooms were big and clean. Campground in general was immaculate. Would definitely stay again if I was passing through this way. Literally right off I-90.

Well maintained campground with fishing piers and a swimming beach. A lot of seasonal/permanent sites. Transit spots were a little tight but owners did what they could to space you out. Very accommodating.

Large campground with a play park and other sporting area. Lake to swim in - no lifeguard offered. Large sites with water/electric hook up - some full hook sites and big rig friendly. The site we were put in was not set up well for the connections however it was a large site. Very muddy site but they offered to let us use a rug so we didn’t get ours all Muddy.

We found this place by accident, and were very happy we did. It’s a small family run campground with mostly seasonal campers. Set along the shores of Lake Imogene, which comes out of nowhere surrounded by farm land, and you can’t even see it from the road. Mature shade trees everywhere, Impeccably clean bathrooms, showers, etc. playground, small homemade mini golf course, volleyball, basketball, the works to keep the kids happy and entertained while you relax in a quiet clean setting. We stayed in a bull through site with two other campers, were nice and spaced out and didn’t hear them at all, but we’re told on weekends because of an on-site wedding venue, there are more people and the campsites are full. Mid-week night stats are tops though, and we would absolutely stay here again. The pull through sites have electric, water and sewage at every site.

Everyone we met (owners, staff, other campers) were extremely nice. Good people, great stay.

What a gem! We were there for a one night mid-week stay, and it was so quiet and calm because ~70% of the spots are taken by seasonal guests who are primarily at the campgrounds on the weekends. Right on Lake Imogene, there is a boat dock and a sandy swimming beach (which we had entirely to ourselves!). The grounds are well-maintained and very clean. There are three playgrounds (one at the swimming beach), a mini golf course, and an actual phone booth. The owners live on site and are very kind and accommodating. We got a late checkout for an additional $10, allowing us to really take advantage of this amazing spot. Highly recommended.

Very quiet and clean, goid WiFi. Gary was very helpful. This campground is just beautiful. There is a lake you can fish,swim,rent kayaks and canoe. Laundry and showers.

Enjoyable Stay

We go in early in the afternoon after traveling from Madison WI.  

The KOA seemed alright but I was very disappointed in the long term/ Full time RVs parked there.  Some were alright but a couple of pretty dumping ones.  

They were not full and I can understand the reason.  

The facilities seemed to be well maintained.  The pool and playground were very nice and the sites we stayed around were fine.  It was just those few trailers that gave it that run downed feeling. If they took care of those even made them clean the area around them and wash them it  would go up a star or 2.

The internet was iffy again and I guess we will just have to live with that though I did expect more from a KOA.

That night they did have live entertainment but we did not know about it until they started to play.  It was locals I think that lived there and was like a jam session.

We stayed in site A24. It’s a huge campsite, with trees all around. There are bits of view between the trees.

The bathroom has nice showers, and running water in the sinks, but has pit toilets.

Sites are so close to each other its like your camping with your neighbors. They are clean and typically quiet though so it's a great place to go.

Campground was small and dusty, but they had a cool bison range you could drive through and a waterfall right up the street for a small fee of $7.

This was a smaller campground with only a few electric spots. The bison loop is a cool feature in the park. There was nice hiking trails. The down fall to this campground is the falls are not within walking distance from the campground. The cell phone coverage was good in the campground.

This campground was on the small side with sites close together. They have a Buffalo drive trail to see the 30 Buffalo they have in the park. The Waterfalls are a short drive to the other side of the park. With great hiking trails down to the bottom of the falls.

Big sites with plenty of trees. Small hikes to river and waterfalls. A short drive to see the bison. Excellent 2 day visit. The town of Mankato is 10 min away with breweries and restaurants