Erin F.
Guide
GuideSpirit Mountain Campground
Great Basecamp
Mountain bikers and hikers will love this beautiful treed campground. Level sites that are spread out enough to offer some privacy. Bath house was old, but adequate.
Cabin Camping near Finlayson, MN
6 campgrounds with availability next weekend
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Several cabin options dot the landscape around Finlayson, including Banning RV Park and Campground and Grand Casino RV Resort. These cabins typically feature electricity and heat but no plumbing, making them suitable for three-season camping. Most cabins include bunk beds or queen beds with additional sleeping space, basic tables, and chairs. "Perfect little camper cabin and site. Fabulous park staff that even turned the heater on for us before we arrived. The cabin has electricity, heat, no plumbing. No cooking inside, wonderful fire ring for cooking," noted one camper about a nearby state park cabin. Many cabins are equipped with small refrigerators and microwaves, though cooking is generally restricted to outdoor fire rings.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. Simpler cabins may offer just beds and electricity, while more equipped options include mini-kitchens with basic cookware. Most locations allow pets in designated cabins with additional fees. Seasonal availability varies, with some properties like St. Croix River Resort operating from May through October while Grand Casino RV Resort offers year-round cabin accommodations. A visitor commented, "The camper cabins are located just above the St. Croix River. Our cabin seemed to be at a trailhead to the river, which we took advantage of. The camper cabins had electricity and heat, no plumbing."
Visitors should plan to bring their own bedding, pillows, and towels as these items are rarely provided in cabin rentals. While some cabins include basic cookware and utensils, bringing additional cooking supplies is recommended, especially for outdoor meal preparation. Firewood can typically be purchased on-site, with delivery service available at some locations. Many cabins are situated near picnic tables and fire rings, facilitating outdoor dining. Most properties have on-site stores selling essential supplies, though selection is limited to basics. Advance reservations are strongly recommended, particularly for summer weekends and fall color season when occupancy reaches peak levels.
Best Cabin Campgrounds near Finlayson (31)
1. Banning State Park Campground
"The campsites are large enough (despite the snow) to set up suitable winter tents, and each site has a picnic table and fire pit. In the park, there's a lot of ice climbing and cross country skiing."
"Nice well maintained State Park."
Check Availabilityfrom $24 - $80 / night
2. Banning RV Park and Campground
"With easy access to both the Twin Cities metro area and Duluth, with desireable whitewater paddling and rockclimbing both available in the area, Banning State Park campground fills quickly especially in"
"Can’t say enough about the awesome pet park, also has nice walking trails, stores nearby, honestly just a great place to camp!"
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $60 / night
3. Grand Casino RV Resort
"We booked our stay at the RV Resort so we wouldn't have to drive two and a half hours back and forth during the two day Grand RockTember Music Festival."
"Adjacent to a large casino with hotels and restaurants. Less than two miles from I35. Best thing is that when we arrived at our spot, there was a tree that needed trimming."
4. Jay Cooke State Park Campground
"The tent camping is great, the park is amazing for hiking and geology study, and there are camper cabins that I have often stayed at as well."
"We have stayed in a camper cabin in the winter and RV site in the summer."
30 Sites AvailableAvailable next weekend
from $23 - $90 / night
5. Old Logging Trail Campground — St. Croix State Park
"Multiple restrooms and showers throughout the campgrounds. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table and wood can be purchased at the office."
"This park has a ton of camping available, particularly if you don't need electricity and have a smaller rig because then you can get into more of the campground loops."
Check AvailabilityCampground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $25 - $35 / night
6. Paint Rock Springs Campground — St. Croix State Park
"Felt nice to spend a weekend without cell service about an hour away from home. Forgot to take my usual photos and video of the site all set up but had a few random to share. Nice campground."
"Croix State Park. This campground has a handful of electric sites and a modern restroom and shower. The sites here are very open and there is little trees or shrubs."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $35 / night
7. Oak Lake Campground & RV Sales
"Spots were right by the lake and the lake was awesome"
8. St Croix River Resort
"We stayed here with my extended family in a couple of cabins. It is nice and wooded. The pool is indoors which is nice and has drawbacks. It is a good sized pool."
"We stayed at the Resort for 3 nights nice and shady huge playground for kids indoor pool volleyball net lots of water near by getting in and out is easy nice wide roads Wi-Fi was pretty poor at are spot"
Check Availabilityfrom $65 - $999 / night
9. Wild River State Park Campground
"The camper cabins at Wild River are located just above the St. Croix River. Our cabin seemed to be at a trailhead to the river, which we took advantage of."
"It was very buggy so we got a screen tent. Nicely shaded site as well. Not far from the water station and pit toilet."
108 Sites AvailableAvailable next weekend
from $23 - $90 / night
10. Spirit Mountain Campground
"You ride across the road to acsess the trails. We stayed for a week and it helped that the weather was perfect."
"The downhill mountain biking is awesome (the kids still want to go back) and the Adventure Park was a lot of fun too - and a short walk from camp. "
Drive Time
- 55 min from Duluth, MN
- 1 hr 22 min from Minneapolis, MN
- 1 hr 36 min from St. Cloud, MN
- 2 hrs 29 min from Eau Claire, WI
Recent Cabin Photos near Finlayson, MN
25 Photos of 31 Finlayson Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Banning RV Park and Campground
Banning State Park Campground
Paint Rock Springs Campground — St. Croix State Park
Camper Cabins — Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Jay Cooke State Park Campground- Mont du Lac Resort
Savanna Portage State Park Campground
Sandy Lake COE Recreation Area
Wild River State Park Campground
North View Campground
Cabin Reviews near Finlayson, MN
299 Reviews of 31 Finlayson Campgrounds
- TTanya L.
TravelerJay Cooke State Park Campground
Crowded but lovely stop
A weekend in October...peak color but the campground is crowded and pretty noisy up until 8 pm ish when it does quiet down a bit. Would stay again, just when it's less crowded.
- TTimGuide
St Croix River Resort
Great Family Campground
Many activities throughout the day for the family. Kids enjoyed the pool. The store has a nice selection of items for sale. Firewood is $8 a bundle.
The campsites are close but there is enough trees between sites to make it seem like you are not so close.
There are atvs and utvs but at night they are not moving around.
Patrick W.GuideBackpack Campsites — Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
GLAR Glacier Ridge Site
Great site. Has a good fire ring. Has a wilderness toilet off away from the site. Trail into the site is well marked. You’ll get plenty of animal sounds from the beaver dam lake that is right by the site. Has a picnic table. There is only one tent pad. Not a completely level place for a second tent so prepared if you have two tents that one of them will be on a slight angle.
- AAnita L.Guide
Spirit Mountain Campground
Spirit Mountain Campground
Private sites, W/E, Close to downtown Duluth. Our site was just big enough for our 38' 5th wheel with slides on both sides. They delivered wood which was $9 for 5 pieces. RR and showers close to this site. Toilets fairly new, but showers paint peeling and could use remodeling.
- JJeremy J.
ScoutOld Logging Trail Campground — St. Croix State Park
Nice campground, but…
The campground is nice and has more woods/bushes and more privacy than the other two campgrounds in the park. The bathroom/showers were relatively clean and functioned well with nice hot showers. The electric sites functioned as expected but, they all seem very well used. Not much in the way of grass (bit of a drought at the time) and lots of little bits of garbage all over our campsite. All the electrical sites were occupied while we were there and a lot of the other sites near the modern bathroom were occupied. If you want privacy and a less worn campsite I would suggest booking a non-electrical site further away from modern bathroom. Oh, another plus water from spigots around campground was good.
Cari E.
RangerSpirit Mountain Campground
Convenient when the SP are booked
If you’re hopping between state parks in the north shore area and need something near Duluth, this campground is a solid option if there’s nothing else available. Time has not been overly friendly and the park and campground are somewhat run down, but there are still upsides. It’s close to local stores and the sites are shaded and actually quite lovely, but beware that MANY of the sites on the far west loop (45-70) will not be level. Most also do not have a dedicated space for a tent, but there is usually ample space on the gravel drives (bring extra padding). This loop is also not ideal for larger RVs. Verizon cell service was manageable and if you scout the site images online, you can find spots with northern-facing openings in the trees for Starlink if needed. Water spigots in this loop are also well placed and the water was quite chilly. Now for the ugly…the bathrooms in this loop are serviceable, but if you touch the wall or floor while showering, you might want to star over. If you forgot your shower shoes, you won’t be showering. Older bath houses are acceptable, but this one was plain filthy beyond simple age.
Alysia B.ScoutMont du Lac Resort
Nice paved spots
Nice campground with flat paved spots and good facilities. Water park for extra charge, but a great free playground for non-swimmers
- Cari E.Ranger
Jay Cooke State Park Campground
Everything is convenient
I stayed at two sites, the second being 41E, which has electric. This loop is perhaps the most central to the bath house, but all are conveniently located nearby and the dump station isn’t too far (but far enough to stay out of sight, out of mind). The bath house is fully handicap friendly and the shower heads can all the raised and lowered, and there are wheelchair ramps up to the facility. The dirt roads are miraculously pothole free and the drinking water spigots are blissfully cold if you’re here during a heatwave. Site 41E, like quite a few actually, has the fire pit behind/on the wrong side of your rv door, but no biggie. The biggest downside is that the site is rather unlevel, but if you are able to scoot all the way to the right (closest to the electrical tower), it’s not so bad. The bridge/park office/store is a quick 7 min walk, and the bath house is less than a 2 min walk.
When I was staying, we were hit with hazardous levels of wildfire smoke, and I was so impressed that the park staff opened visitor’s center early so that campers would have a place to escape the smoke. I’ve never stayed at any park where the staff goes so far above and beyond.
Guide to Finlayson
Minnesota's Finlayson area, situated in Pine County at an elevation of 1,050 feet, offers diverse cabin camping options within 30 miles. The region experiences four distinct seasons with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F and winter temperatures frequently dropping below freezing. Cabin camping availability varies significantly between properties, with many locations closing from November through April due to harsh winter conditions.
What to do
Hiking along the Kettle River: At Banning State Park Campground, trails offer views of the old sandstone quarry ruins. "The Quarry Loop along the Kettle River has a ton of history, allowing you to explore the remains of the 130+ year old sandstone quarry. Seeing the drill holes in the cliffs was really cool and the remains of the old buildings were a highlight even to our small children," notes Jennifer H.
Water activities: The St. Croix River provides excellent paddling opportunities. A visitor at St Croix River Resort mentions, "You are able to go tubing down the river when the water is low enough." The resort also offers an indoor pool for swimming year-round.
Winter recreation: Some parks remain open for cold-weather activities. Alexa S. comments about Banning State Park, "This is a great place for winter camping! In the park, there's a lot of ice climbing and cross country skiing. If you take a short walk from the main parking area towards the bathroom, and follow the trail alongside the bluff, you'll find awesome spots to climb."
What campers like
Private wooded sites: Many campers appreciate the natural seclusion. A visitor at Wild River State Park Campground notes, "The sites are private, couldn't see any neighbors as there are a lot of trees. The park rangers were very helpful and informative."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The natural settings support diverse animal sightings. Kate H. at Wild River State Park shared, "We saw sooooo many deer some even walking right through campsites! You can hear coyotes, raccoons and very loud owls."
Fire tower views: Some parks offer unique vantage points. A camper at Old Logging Trail — St. Croix State Park mentioned, "The fire tower was also cool!" This 100-foot tower provides panoramic views of the surrounding forest landscape.
What you should know
Shared water hookups: At some campgrounds, water connections require special arrangements. Sam C. at Banning RV Park and Campground advises, "Water hookups were shared with other sites and required 'y' connections at the spigots. Our water source ended up being 75' plus from our RV. Thankfully I just happened to be carrying the extra hose."
Seasonal variations in campground condition: Spring and early summer camping can be challenging. A camper at Old Logging Trail notes, "Unfortunately we chose the peak of mosquitos season and camping next to slow moving water is a recipe for disaster."
Limited cell service: Many rural campsites have poor connectivity. At Paint Rock Springs Campground, a visitor mentions it "felt nice to spend a weekend without cell service about an hour away from home." Be prepared to disconnect during your stay.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Several campgrounds offer dedicated play areas. Robert at St. Croix River Resort highlights that they have a "huge playground for kids" along with an "indoor pool" and "volleyball net," making it suitable for family stays throughout the camping season.
Easy hiking options: Paint Rock Springs Campground provides accessible trails. Tom notes, "There is a flat, brand new 5 mile paved bicycle path that goes from the campground to the beach. Many hiking trails! The trails along the river are beautiful in October."
Bathroom facilities: Family-friendly bathrooms are available at some locations. According to Tom, Paint Rock Springs has "a large 'family/handicap' bathroom shower room," which is convenient for families with young children.
Tips from RVers
Site selection strategies: Choose your site carefully based on your rig size and needs. At Spirit Mountain Campground, Melissa H. advises, "If we would stay again we would book site 50 or 52," after finding challenges with the sloped terrain at their original site.
Seasonal access considerations: Year-round camping options vary. Grand Casino RV Resort operates throughout the year, while most other facilities close for winter. Sites at state parks typically require earlier reservations, especially for summer weekends.
Utilities preparedness: Water connections can be problematic. Adrian G. at Grand Casino RV Resort warns about sewer connections being "cut off about 12 inches above the ground" which can create drainage issues. Bringing extension hoses and adapters is recommended for most RV sites in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Finlayson, MN?
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Finlayson, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Finlayson, MN is Banning State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 34 reviews.
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What is the best site to find cabin camping near Finlayson, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 31 cabin camping locations near Finlayson, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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