Best Tent Camping near Faribault, MN

Recent Tent Reviews near Faribault, Minnesota

460 Reviews of 11 Faribault Campgrounds

• 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.

• C

  Cheryl W.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2021

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Nice state park

  This is a rustic state park with limited amenities. There are no water or electric hook ups. However clean water is available in the park. The park does have flush toilets and showers. We found these to be in good condition and clean. The showers had warm water. The water stream is on a timer and so are the lights. The shower stalls are Individual stalls. The interior roads are dirt roads with a few potholes they are very narrow. The camping sites are nice sized and relatively private. There is a gravel pad on each site and some have a tent pad. Each site had a picnic table and a fire ring. There are plenty of walking and biking trails and there are walk-in tent camp sites. However, you cannot see the lake from the campground and there is no access to the lake from the campground. We were able to drive through the campground with our 40 foot fifth wheel. But just barely, be careful! 

• 

  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.

• L

  Lexi E.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 23, 2020

  Rice Lake Campground — Rice Lake State Park

  Lame

  All RV and ridiculously expensive for tent camping

• 

  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.

• S

  Skip H.

  Ranger

  

  Jan. 17, 2024

  Rapidan Dam Co Park

  Super spot!

  This is a great spot with numerous sites along the river. Small trails for car/ tent camping. Not trailer friendly. Small vehicles only. At the foot of the road in there a small food/ice cream shop with friendly staff.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• S

  Sydney

  Scout

  

  Aug. 29, 2023

  Oakwoods Trails Campground

  Lovely campground with lots of trees!

  This is a great campground with lots of shade and spacious tent pads! The large oak trees throughout the campground made for beautiful scenery and nice spots to string a hammock up. My site was right next to the bathroom building which did have a light on all night, but I had an eye mask so that didn’t bother me. $25/night for a tent site

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 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.

• D

  Deanna J.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 14, 2022

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Delayed Autumn

  We tent camped at Myre-Big Island State Park in Minnesota from September 30 to October 3, 2022. The weather was warmer than usual at this time of year, and the fall color development was a couple weeks behind normal. It was cool but beautiful during the daytime (light jacket/sweater weather). The temperature dropped at night but didn’t require anything more than our sleeping bags to keep us warm. The earlier sunset meant meal cooking and cleanup needed to be a bit earlier, but it also meant longer time for beautiful campfires in the evenings.

  The trails were in great shape and beautiful with past-peak grasses and developing colors in the trees. Most of the wildflowers were done for the year, but some were still in bloom. Deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and lots of birds were active near the trails and campgrounds.

  We have camped here previously, in early summer. Then the bugs were abundant and aggressive on the Big Island trails. During this fall trip, there were very few.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• D

  Deanna J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 13, 2022

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Woodland/Prairie/Wetland

  We spent four nights tent camping at the White Fox Campground of Myre-Big Island State Park in June 2022. This park is a combination woodland/prairie/wetland setting. The White Fox Campground is on the fringes of a woodland. Our campsite was grassy and open with trees and shrubs curving along the back of the site. The site had the usual fire ring with grill and a large picnic table.

  There are some nice trails for hiking through woodlands and prairie and alongside wetlands. We saw a lot of wildlife: several deer, red squirrels, chipmunks, a raccoon, a woodchuck, lots of different birds, and several different types of butterflies. In the mornings the birdsong was pretty amazing, loud and long lasting.

  There are two freeways and a rail line near the park, but the noise from them was only bothersome on one morning of our stay.

  There is a second campground on the Big Island portion of the park. Big Island is wooded and has some beautiful trails that we enjoyed.

• 

  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

• 

  C Torey S.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 17, 2019

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Hiking, biking, camping & more

  Lebanon hills has everything for the family. Schultz Beach for summer fun. Professional built mtn bike trails for adventure. Camping in Minnesota suburbs. Miles of hiking, horseback riding, cross country ski trails. . perfect for my family's weekend Stay-cation

• 

  Krista T.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 9, 2020

  Red Fox Campground — Minneopa State Park

  A mixed bag of campsites

  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.