Best Tent Camping near Fairmont, MN

This park is a CCC built park. Lots of twists and turns for an RV to get to their spot. We have a longer TT, and it was tight and nerve wracking to navigate. We had reserved a spot that was supposed to be long enough for our trailer, but was not. They were luckily not full but the spot we found was on a slope and uneven. I thought about driving 4 hours back home rather than continue to try to get the RV level. Someone across the way took pitty and helped us. I think the best RV spots are up the hill by the bath house.

On Lake Okoboji but heavily wooded no view, acorns dropped on our roof every 10 minutes, I was afraid it would bust the skylight. Marshy area by the tent sites tons of mosquitoes. If you can get a spit at Emerson down the road, do that. Bath house and playground ok. No one answered the phone, no one at the ranger station. Rode our bikes down the road to get the bike trail.

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.

Sites can accommodate tents or up to 50' RVs. Lots of grass, bike/walking paths and dogs on leashes welcome. 14 Sites now, with plans for 10+ Sites built this summer. On site host, so typically quiet and friendly. One price, $25/night.

It was serene and beautiful. The sunset over the water was absolutely amazing. Breathtaking scenery. There is a shower and toilets. And it costs $20 for a tent sight, $25 for a power hookup sight. We'll worth the stop, I almost didn't want to leave. I would stay here again!

We have very much enjoyed our weekends at the Land of Memories Campground. This is a very spacious, clean campground. We camp with children and this has been a very family friendly campground. It has a playground & trails to walk along the Minnesota River. It is a beautiful area. Bathrooms are clean and comfortable.

Found this site by luck just searching on the Minnesota DNR site! Lots of RV sites but there are 4 walk in sites down a small trail, very private and away from everyone else. We chose site 4 and we definitely made the right decision!! Great hiking with beautiful sights. We will definitely be back and are already planning our next visit!

What a great campground! Stayed here while visiting friends in a nearby town and we were so pleased with our site. I think it was #4? There was a nice leveled tent pad area for setting up. The area is wooded and it was on the outer loop, which provided more seclusion. In addition to the beautiful waterfall, there is an area with bison! The park doesn’t have a ton of hiking, but it’s a good place to stay while exploring the area or visiting friends.

This park has one of my favorite sites. The site for your tent is up a short walkway from where you park your car. My dog loves the bison drive! Firepit and picnic table provided. wood is available for purchase at the office. Shower and bathroom facility was clean and close to this campsite. Be sure to visit the waterfall in the other section of the park nearby! Will be returning this summer! Please note, raccoons are in the area, so please be kind to mother nature and keep your food and trash secure!!

We pulled into this place at 2:00 AM so we weren't really able to see much of the environment. In the morning though we awoke to a beautiful park with good shade coverage from the trees. Our group only hammock camps so we were glad to see the abundance of trees between each camp slot. The only downside to this place was the gnats. Although not that bad we woke up with tiny bites on us. That being said if we would have brought a bug net or been in a tent we would have had no problem with them. Overall this camp site was a great place to stop while we were driving to the Badlands.

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.

A hidden gem in Northwest Iowa. It is Memerial Day Weekend and on Friday night we had one other tent camper on Friday. None on Saturday. 

The bathrooms are the old hole going down into a pit. They are very rustic. 

There are plenty of trails in the park. The big creek that runs through the kiddos can play in. It is not deep but it’s water. There are some other small little creeks too.

Around the camping area, the kids rode their bikes. We did ride around the roads as a family. 

The camp site are dirt. 

There are permanent fire rings and grills at each site. Only place to get firewood was at Hy-Vee. Our site had electricity with 50, 30,& 20 amps. 

There is only one water spot in the campground. We drank the water and didn’t die. 

There is a golf course next to the park that is fun. 

My only real complaint would be there is a lot of people just driving through.

Nice spot. Quiet during the off-season. The spots are plentiful here given its the off-season, but keep in mind, if you come, the only camping spots available are the ones that have power. The "A" section is closed down, but once the season gets going again, it will open. Camping is nice here. My preference is the "A" leg of the campground as it is more wooded and you're buffered better against other campers. The "B" leg isn't quite as private. Pick the perimeter spots if you don't want a neighbor right on top of you. These spots end in even numbers. The inner camp spots are odd numbers, and they've expanded the amount of spots, so there isn't much privacy. Once the foliage grows in, it might be "ok," but looking at it now during the winter season, there isn't any privacy at all. In the park there are bathrooms and a dump station. Parking over at the trail system, there are also pit toilets and community grills, and picnic tables. It's mostly quiet here with a slight bit of road noise. It's nothing bad, though. Anything from tents to cars to fifth wheels can camp here. Any larger fifth wheel, I believe, would be better suited to the "b" leg for camping. There is power there and spots large enough to accommodate your rig. If you're coming to see the bison, keep in mind that the bison drive is closed Wednesdays! Have fun!

First thing to know is that you cannot pay for anything there directly... no cash, no checks, no credit cards, no tap, nothing. You need to use the Yodel app to purchase firewood and, even if there is staff present, you'll need to pay for your site on the MN State Park reservations system. What's nice is that there is no convenience charge when you are on site. This totally threw us as we are used to pulling up and paying with cash or card to a human. And, they have no wifi. So you'll have to use your phone or, like I did, use your phone as a hotspot to use your laptop/tablet.

Once that was all finally taken care of, we got to enjoy our spacious site. It was HOT, but there is a tree in the center of Site 7 that offered shade and lots of bushes and trees around that offer shade. We just had to keep moving to get it. Each site has a firepit and picnic table. Site 6 has a trail going through it on the edge while Site 7 had a trail on the other side but it was several feet from the actual site. I'm not sure it ever gets busy there, but if it did, you may have people around your site if you choose those edge sites.

This place was SO quiet! I know that also has to do with the other campers, so thank you to our fellow campers that weekend who kept it quiet. No road noise at all. There are fields nearby, so if it's plowing season I imagine it would be quite noisy and quite dusty.

At the end of September, along with the heat, there were tons of what we later learned were Asian Lady Beetles, which actually do sting. Surprise! Then when they started slowing down, here came the midges/no-see-ums. So I came away with a lot of stings. Boo! My spouse did not. So I guess they just liked me a lot.

I would totally recommend Kilen Woods SP! It was a total surprise to use as we were looking for a last minute place to camp, so that was wonderful. If you're driving along I90 in Minnesota or I26 in South Dakota and need an easy overnight, check this place out.