Best Tent Camping near Fertile, MN

The campground has either electric or water or just electric sites for RVs and there are also tent-only sites.  The tent sites are located across from and adjacent to the RV sites.  The RV sites are pretty close together but, we were there in the middle of the summer and there were a couple of open tent sites on one side of us.  The campground is pet friendly and the management is friendly.  The campground is close to Itasca State Park as well.  Others have mentioned that getting in to the campsites near the circle drive area (closest to the lake parking lot) are a little difficult to get into & this is very true.  We have an 8x17 Ice Castle/RV that we pull behind the truck and backing into our spot without disturbing other campers was not an easy task.  The circle drive is right where the last couple of RV sites are sitting and there is a tree at the point of the circle drive so you have to avoid the tree and maneuver around it when backing in.  The sites that are closer to the entrance & the playground that do not have a good view of the lake are easier to get in to.  We used the dump station which is nicely situated on a slope just outside the entrance so it's easy to completely pump out a tank that might sit lower on your unit.  There was a picnic table and campfire ring at each site.

We camped here one night at the end of July as our first stop on a trip to Oregon. It was quiet on a Thursday. The swimming hole is closed this year so that probably kept some folks away.

We stayed in the electric loop as it's nice to charge things up for the next leg of the trip. They have non-electric tent sites as well.

Nice mature trees for shade. There is a large meadow with wild flowers and a trail next to the main campground. There were milkweed in bloom, wild roses and more.

Lots of trails and Buffalo River to explore.

This is a campground within a city municipal yard.

We just needed a place to crash for the night. We came in pretty late. There were 2 other campers.

The site numbers are along the back of the fence and were difficult to see at night. There aren't really individual driveways, tent pads, picnic tables, etc.

We just chose an empty spot and set up camp.

It was nice and flat for our tent. There was electricity though we didn't use it. There was a dumpster and a shelter with many picnic tables near by.

There's one flush toilet and shower and they were nice and clean.

I was pleasantly surprised by this little campground. One downside was that there was a railroad nearby so the passing trains' horns we're really loud. But it wasn't all night.

It's not often you find a camp along the trail that's large, but this one is just that! About 50 yards off of the North Country Trail, it's well worth the hike to get into. It could easily accommodate a small group of people that had a few tents and hammocks.

*Note: it was a bit hard to find (if you were coming from the west, traveling east), because it appears that the entrance to the campsite has been re-routed. I suspect to give the campsite a bit more privacy. But if you continue to follow the trail around the lake (lake would be on your right), it's just a few hundred yards past where it's located on the map. Conversely, it would be a few hundred yards before where it's supposed to be if you were approaching from the east.**

We were super glad to find this site after about 12 miles on the trail. And even happier to see lots of tent trees! We had hammocks, and there were wonderful, huge pines without lower branches that made it super easy to hang from. No underbrush made it lovely! There were a few tent pads on nice, level ground too, if you had a tent to pop up.

We had a fire ring, there was a bench, a few logs to dry my shoes on, scenery of the lake and a bathroom very nearby. Plenty of dry, downed wood for the fire too. It was just a short hike to the lake for water.

Quiet, serene, beautiful view, cleanly kept and plenty of trees (yes...even a few bear bag trees that were easy to find). Definitely worth a hike to crash at this lovely little gem.

This is another typical small town campground located within a city park. The park has large shade trees, playground and picnic shelter, and shares ball fields with the adjacent school. It is clearly a nice outdoor community gathering space that also has an area where camping is allowed. The “campground” includes a horseshoe drive along which a few RV’s could park, but there are no hookups. There is an adjacent grassy tenting area that is very nice for tents, but be advised that the only “facilities” are a portapotty, albeit a clean and new one! This is of course would be a good place for a scout group overnight or a family reunion campout, but is not a vacation destination campground. If you are on a roadtrip travelling somewhere on Hwy 2 this would be a safe, clean, quiet spot to stop overnight, being convenient to highway access but far enough away not to hear road noise all night. The leafy setting is peaceful too, and you can get gas and supplies in town

Was a bit curious about staying at a place that, on the map, was between two towns on a river. This campground was really nice. If you did not want to cook, there are 4 restaurants within 3 blocks of your campsite. And a Cabelas within 4 blocks, so if you forget anything, it’s close by. There are also other stores and restaurants within 5 miles of this campsite.

The nearly full hookups were nice even though we were staying in a tent. The restrooms and showers were nice also.

My only complaint was two things: if the wind is out of the south or southwest, the smell from the Crystal Sugar plant was miserable. And the trains with their horns blaring at 4am was annoying.

Otherwise, I would stay there again, maybe with a camper or tent trailer to drown out the smell and excessive noise.

Well maintained park and facilities. Smallish campground with electric hookups and nice sanitation station and water fill station. Everything from large class A to tents can fit in back in camp sites. Beautiful native prairie and river forest. Spotless and new shower house.

• This was my first time seeing a prairie. It was a really neat experience.
• This Minnesota state park is just outside of Fargo,ND, so it makes for a great get away in nature just outside of the hustle and bustle of the city.
• I recommend camping in one of the sites beside the Prairie.
• Extremely clean bath houses.
• Beware of mosquitos!

If you're looking for somewhere to park a big RV, this campground is modern, convenient, and nicely-equipped. There's no privacy or nature to be had, though. It's a grassy plain with straight rows of pull-throughs.

However, there are a handful of walk-in sites off to the side that looked quite nice. That's definitely the way to go if you'd like to pitch a tent and have a little peace and quiet.

we love Buffalo River and try to make it out to at least enjoy the trails once a week. it's about a 15 minute drive from Fargo, with a few smaller towns closer for picking up things you may have forgotten.

there are several rv spots and a separate tent section. bathhouse in good condition. trails along and the river and through the prairie. they even have a swimming pond in the summer.

stunning no matter the season

This is a small but well kept and woodsy community park near the small town of Hendrum, MN. Though established primarily as a town park and gathering place, there is an area for camping, and it can accomodate RV's as well as tents. If you are visiting the area, especially if interested in recreation on the nearby Red River, this is a quiet, relaxing, and pleasant place to be. The public boat access for the river is just a short way to the west of the park. Great place if you want to be off the beaten path!

This is a very well kept camping area. The sites are nicely situated. We stayed in the tent are (#39) and were very private from our right and left neighbors but others are directly across from us. The bathhouse is newer and extremely clean. Yes, the mosquitos are plentiful but it is because the woods and river which also make this place nice. Our only complaint was the nearby train traffic that came through all night. Definitely would use this as a stopover again.

I was driving this way and I needed a place to stay overnight. I found this campground on Google, and added to Dyrt. It's in a small town called Fosston.

Nothing special about this, it's not a place to stay for multiple nights but it's great for an overnight.

There is a self-check-in, electric hookups and there is a dumpsite and water at the end of the campground. The price in 2020 September is $5 for a tent and $16 for RVs. 

It's quiet enough but you will hear road noise. 

I don't use public showers or toilettes but there was one.

AT&T and T-mobile reception both slow but manageable.

The north campground loop is more RV-oriented, while the smaller south loop attracts the tents. The sites are fairly close together but those on the outside of the south loop have some vegetation to separate them so they feel reasonably private. Nice bathroom facilities, including an outdoor dishwashing sink, perfect for the COVID year. Several nice hiking opportunities leaving directly from the campground. This was one of the buggier campgrounds we experienced during our August trip, though. In all, a nice campground but nothing so special that you need to go far out of your way for it.

Not going to say anything that everybody else hasn't said in the reviews but I thought it was charming there's space between the campers and well there's no privacy there tends not to be in city campgrounds. Also it's right on the River trails so if you're a biker it's fun to do the loop that goes from both the North Dakota and the Minnesota side. The bike trails also connect you to the larger city and there's several other very charming parks and downtown neighborhoods or downtown houses to see. The walk-in sites near the river are quite nice I wouldn't come here if you wanted to be in a quiet state park but that's not the intent of the park and it's a good use of the green space. I'm fully self-contained so I didn't use the bathrooms I've heard their little bit older but there's water there's sewer there's electric sites their sites with electric only and then their sites for just camping also group sites.

This park has been closed on and off during the time of the pandemic. When open, it is a hidden gem for rustic camping in terms of setting and location, deep in the woods and right on a bend on the river. The campsites  are well spaced and shaded, and the tenting area is particularly spacious. There is an official boat access to the river for fishing, but it seems to have sustained some flood damage during recent storms, and it is pretty steep, so it might not be the easiest for boats and trailers until repaired.  I am giving this campground a 3 because though the wooded setting is so appealing, warranted a 4 or even 5,  I will say that campground overall was a bit run down, the outhouse facilities left a bit to be desired, better maintanence is needed, and one the the main group picnic shelters seemed a bit rickety.  Another reviewer mentioned bugs, this is not a problem in fall when we were there, and the campground is well above the river so maybe not a problem in drier times in summer, but I can imagine that after times of rain there would be alot of muddy puddle areas along shore that might be mosquito heaven

Nicest city-location RV park I've found in the past few years. Very "green" with mature trees, river and city park with walking trails. And, for a city park, especially nice/clean restrooms and showers.

Both FHU and electric-only sites, 30-amp only. Potable water close by for electric-only sites and free dump location across the street. Weekly pump-out service, if desired.

The electric-only sites on the park's east side are the nicest, most spacious, and most quiet because they back up to the forest and river (see photo). The FHU sites are more crowded.

Small town, so everything is very convenient, literally within 3-4 minutes drive -- Walmart, Ace Hardware, Dairy Queen and fast food.

I stayed at the Thief River Falls Tourist Park for several months while workamping at a walking-distance distribution warehouse. I will certainly stay at the park again if ever in the northwest part of Minnesota. I rated the park only 4-stars because of the electric-only sites and the tight FHU sites. For my style of camping -- mostly boondocking -- it is a 5-star location.

Good state park campground with everything you need. You can make your reservations online once you get there, and it’s nice because there’s no online transaction fee. But watch out that you pay the $7 daily state park entry fee as well as the camping fee, because otherwise you'll get a friendly visit from a ranger! 

 There are two loops, one slightly larger one with 50 and 30 amp power (no water or sewer) for $34, and one smaller one with no power for $24. We stayed in a power site because we couldn’t handle the heat anymore, otherwise the smaller one looked a little nicer and quieter and we would have stayed there. 

Showers were nice and clean and free. Bathrooms were nice. 

Very nice walking trails all around the campground and throughout the park as a whole. Trash dumpsters here as well as an assortment of segregated recycle bins. Good cell reception with Verizon and ATT. Firewood available at office for $8 and ice for $3. 

Group camp is off from the main campground a ways, but connected via a little walking trail. There is a dump station and potable water fill at the campground exit. 

No drinking allowed at any Minnesota State Park campground!