Dog-Friendly Camping near Fort Ripley, MN

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    Crow Wing Lake Campground's spacious tent and RV sites welcome pets throughout the property, with dedicated pet-friendly areas and clean facilities for pet waste disposal. Each campsite includes electrical hookup, picnic table, and fire pit with easy access to the lake for dogs who enjoy swimming. Most campsites offer ample shade from large trees, creating comfortable environments for pets during summer months. Leashed pets are permitted at all times outside of accommodations, with owners responsible for proper cleanup and behavior management. Military Park Camp Ripley DeParcq Woods Campground provides additional pet-friendly options along the Mississippi River, offering large wooded sites suitable for both RVs and tents. Pets must remain leashed at all campsites, with designated walking areas available throughout the grounds. Campground pet policies generally restrict excessive barking during quiet hours from 10 PM to 8 AM. Local campgrounds are searchable through The Dyrt's listings.

    The Paul Bunyan Trail passing through Crow Wing State Park offers excellent pet-friendly hiking and biking opportunities with multiple access points near campsites. Dogs particularly enjoy the riverfront trails with water access points for cooling off during warmer months. Gull Lake Recreation Area provides additional pet-friendly camping with lakeside access ideal for dogs who enjoy swimming. Pet owners should note that wildlife encounters are possible in these wooded campgrounds, requiring vigilant leash control, especially at dawn and dusk. Most campgrounds maintain a strict policy requiring proof of current vaccinations for all pets, with some limiting the number of animals per site. Weather conditions can change rapidly, requiring appropriate shelter for pets during storms. The campground store at Crow Wing Lake stocks basic pet supplies including waste bags and treats for emergency needs. Campers report the Crow Wing area offers some of the cleanest and quietest pet-friendly camping options in central Minnesota with consistently well-maintained facilities.

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    Best Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Fort Ripley (111)

      1. Crow Wing State Park Campground

      3.9(27)8mi from Fort Ripley58 sitesRVs, Tents, Cabins, Glamping

      "We loved the group camp site except for the fact the people would walk through it. There was a main hiking trail and lots of people came through. Our dogs did not care for that surprise."

      "Just kidding, our dogs hate camping but we definitely enjoyed Crow Wing. The park ranger was super helpful on our first visit to the park."

      from $24 - $80 / night

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      2. Crow Wing Lake Campground

      4.5(10)8mi from Fort Ripley57 sitesRVs, Tents, Glamping

      "Amenities include: playground, pool, lake, dog park, and store. Each site has a table and fire pit. Keep an eye on your account."

      "Clean bathrooms, nice sized park for kids, pool (not open in Sept), lake with ample docks for fishing or you can rent boats."

      from $24 - $34 / night

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      3. Charles A. Lindbergh State Park Campground

      3.6(15)15mi from Fort Ripley40 sitesRVs, Tents

      "There is about a 500yd walk to the restrooms, and you have to go another 500yds to the main campground to find the showers."

      "Sites are close together compared to some other Minnesota state parks. Lots of trees. Bathroom is older but decent. Hiking trails ok nothing special."

      from $20 - $50 / night

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      4. Gull Lake Recreation Area

      4.8(9)17mi from Fort Ripley42 sitesRVs, Tents

      "Minnesota in the summer the parks are very full of large RVs. Our teardrop fits inside one. Nice clean campground. Friendly rangers. Nice showers."

      "We stayed in site 29 with electric and it was large but the only down fall is the firewood for purchase is next to the site, so there is a bit more foot traffic walking by."

      from $32 - $50 / night

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      5. Military Park Camp Ripley DeParcq Woods Campground

      4.5(2)7mi from Fort RipleyRVs, Tents

      "It is designed as an MWR location for active duty, retired, and veterans of all the uniformed services, but other guests can stay there with permission."

      "Quiet, not quite remote and with access to enough if you need it. You get a large tent site on the Mississippi River across a road from the RV’s highly recommend."

      from $7 - $17 / night

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      6. Canoe Landing Campsite — Crow Wing State Park

      4.5(2)7mi from Fort RipleyTents

      "This is a canoe campsite that is part of the Mississippi River Headwaters Water Trail, one stop on the paddle trail which allows canoers and kayakers to paddle from Lake Itasca to to the north, all the"

      "We were bike riding the Paul Bunyon Trail and rode into Crow Wing in the dark. I self registered because the office was closed (wrote in canoe site since you can't reserve it online)."

      7. 37 Acres Campground

      4.0(1)7mi from Fort RipleyRVs, Tents, Glamping

      "This campground definitely caters to seasonal stays although was a convenient location off the highway. Restrooms were nice and they had a compost area too."

      from $20 - $35 / night

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      8. Baxter Canoe Camp

      5.0(1)11mi from Fort RipleyTents

      "There is a trail for maintenance workers to drive in (they come by regularly to empty the trash cans!), but I don't know if it's for drive in traffic as well."

      9. Overlook Park Canoe Campsite

      4.0(1)10mi from Fort RipleyTents

      "This hidden gem is on the Mississippi water trail around mile 996. It is called "Overlook Park" and owned/maintained by the city of Baxter, but is part of the DNR's state water trail."

      10. Fishtrap Lake Campground

      5.0(1)12mi from Fort RipleyRVs, Tents

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    Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Fort Ripley, MN

    368 Reviews of 111 Fort Ripley Campgrounds


    • Brian C.
      Jun. 25, 2018

      Crow Wing State Park Campground

      A Very Confused Campground

      The thing about State Parks is that they don't always know what they want to be.

      Are they here to celebrate nature, and provide a moments breath away from the pace of urban life? Are they here for historical facts? Are they for revenue?

      Crow Wing State Park suffers from this dilemma. While the tent sites are nice and spacious, the RV sites are stacked one on top of another, with no illusion of privacy. The weekend we were there, they were pretty full, but noise coming from other campers was acceptable.

      There are plenty of water spigots, and toilet/shower facilities. The facilities are clean, but old.

      There is an almost constant booming, however, coming from Fort Ripley, just down the river. The Fort serves as training for everything from the national guard, to state police, to the DNR. At one point, we could clearly hear live rounds being fired.

      The walks and paths were well maintained, except that some were flooded out due to recent heavy rains. The area dedicated to the Old Crow Wing Village was well done.

      What causes me the most confusion though, is that someone made the call to cover the roads with sand, instead of the traditional crushed stone. So, never mind that the sand made it harder to walk up hill to the water and showers, it got everywhere. When we tore down camp, I emptied enough sand from my tent, that I could have added a fresh layer to a cat's litter box.

      I am very conflicted about this park. It is very pretty, but when you get right down to it, the little quirks that surround it add up. I'm not sure if we will be back. Not that we won't, it's just that we won't be rushing back.

    • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
      Nov. 22, 2022

      Crow Wing Lake Campground

      Lake spots

      Fun for the whole family. Amenities include: playground, pool, lake, dog park, and store. Each site has a table and fire pit. Keep an eye on your account. We noticed goggles charged to ours even though none of the 3 of us bought any. Somebody must've given them the wrong site number to charge to. Overall great campground, but a little spendy.

    • JoAnn E.
      Jul. 26, 2023

      Cedar Lake Memorial Park

      Nice relaxing

      We stayed at the campground during the week, it was so relaxing and not a lot of campers out felt like we had the park to ourselves. Had a nice park area with playground, clear lake swimming area. We had a dog with so limited areas that pets can go. It was very enjoyable. Would recommend

    • L
      Jul. 12, 2018

      True North Basecamp

      Great campground right near town and World Class Biking

      A great little campground right near the town (easy to bike in for coffee or beer) but it feels like you're deep in the northwoods! Some sites are better than others in terms of privacy. The bathrooms were always clean. Situated right on a quarry with fun fishing and kayaking opportunities. Connects to the mountain bike trails too! They do charge for pets.

    • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
      Oct. 15, 2023

      Fiddlestix RV and Golf Resort

      This Place Has Grown

      Our RV GPS brought us right to the campground(CG). We arrived about an hour early of their 3:00 PM check-in time with no issues checking in. We drove to FHU site 38 and backed in one and done. Our utilities were at the back of the site, and we needed about 35’ of electric and water hose. The sewer was more central, and I needed about 18’ of sewer hose for our rig. Our area had a few shade trees, but we had no problem hitting the north sky for Starlink. The water pressure was good, and we put on a reducer. Our nightly rate is based on an average over the weekday and weekend rates with no discounts offered. We stayed here three years ago when the CG was fairly young and not so built up. The clubhouse had gone to a full-service restaurant and bar, and when we were there around 10:30 AM, quite a few people were eating breakfast. We were told that the seasonal guests can golf on the weekends/holidays for free as part of their package, so tee times are needed. We saw a few seasonal folks going out, but just about every seasonal guest here has a golf cart, and they drove them around continuously during our Labor Day stay. Many of the seasonals also had ATVs, which they took off to ride the local trails. With the pool, new putt-putt golf, and other family activities, the CG was full of people. We were pleasantly surprised that the kids who rode on all sorts of electric bikes and scooters plus golf carts behaved themselves, and the parents seemed attentive. Everyone was friendly, and we happily noticed that the seasonal guests kept their sites clean and picked up after their dogs. They had expanded their dog park that’s up near the clubhouse, basketball court, and playground, but the dog area was not very convenient to the backside of the CG now that there are about 142 sites plus cabins/trailer park models available(with plans for more sites). However, there was plenty of room and little trails to walk your dog. The original/older sites 4-12 and the 30-40 area are currently being used for short-termers. Sites 1-3 are now cabins/park models. They have WiFi, but the signal was not very strong in our area. The golf course was under new design construction due to adding additional sites, but it was playable. Based on this CG becoming a seasonal golf cart community, we probably will not return.

    • Gregory J.
      Jul. 31, 2021

      Pierz Park

      Too many kids driving golf carts.

      First the negatives. No internet, medium phone signal. The campsites are too small and too crowded. The adults let their young kids drive their cold carts and atvs back and forth from the campground to the beach all day long. I counted one particular one make 34 trips in less than 6 hours. I used to golf and I occasionally used a cart but usually I walked. Kids and young parents are way too lazy now, because it's a small campground and short walk to the beach from the farthest site. I think they do it for 2 reasons, they are bored, and they can. There is only one road in and out so there is constant traffic, and the road is gravel so prepare to eat dust. The sites aren't paved or even gravel, you park on the grass. Now for the positives. Some sites have 50 amp, most just 30 amp or less. Water hookups at most. No full hookups or dump site. There is a beach and swim area on Skunk Creek. A playground by the bathroom and showers. That building is clean, showers are free. Lots of shade from all the trees. Mosquitoes are few, flies plentiful. It is a quiet park after 10pm, but although they say closed after 8pm there was traffic all night long. Ask for a site in the back to avoid headlights shining on you all night long. Rates are $40/night for the pull through site we had w50 amp service. It has a few seasonal sites, all located at the rear. There is a golf course right next door across the creek. That is where the office is located. The town is small, only a gas station and small grocery store, so bring what you need. A Subway and nice drive-in are close by. Oh, the water is in me/my dogs opinion not for drinking. I wouldn't suggest weekends here unless you're into hearing every conversation your neighbors have or want to sleep in. Maybe the week days are better? They do allow leashed pets.

    • C
      Sep. 28, 2018

      Crow Wing Lake Campground

      Great Getaway

      Amazing, Family-owned campground, just far enough from “the cities” to get away for the weekend, without spending too much time in the car. Clean bathrooms, nice sized park for kids, pool (not open in Sept), lake with ample docks for fishing or you can rent boats. The “general store” has everything you need from souvenirs to wood, to marshmallows for s’mores, and all at reasonable prices. Each campsite has electrical hookup, picnic table and fire pit. Pets welcome.

    • Brittney B.
      May. 24, 2022

      Two Rivers Campground

      New owner-now over priced

      New owner as of 2022- huge jump in prices! Extra fees added everywhere-more than two children fee, guest fees, pet fees, river view fees, holiday fees. One year difference our bill went from $235 up to $347 for a 3 night stay.  Not worth it! Not family budget friendly for the average family. I could stay in a hotel for cheaper.

    • L
      Jul. 31, 2021

      Gull Lake Recreation Area

      Crowded but some privacy

      Minnesota in the summer the parks are very full of large RVs. Our teardrop fits inside one. Nice clean campground. Friendly rangers. Nice showers. Beach area is small and no where the dogs can get in. Great charity that sells and delivers firewood.


    Guide to Fort Ripley

    The Fort Ripley area offers multiple camping options along the Mississippi River, with most sites situated between 1,200-1,300 feet elevation in central Minnesota's mixed hardwood forest ecosystem. Campsites typically provide shade from mature oak and pine trees, creating natural protection during summer months when temperatures average 75-85°F. Several campgrounds offer dedicated pet areas with water access points for dogs.

    What to do

    Paddle the Mississippi: Access the river directly from Baxter Canoe Camp for day trips or overnight stays. "Hands down, one of the all time best campsites I've ever been to. Not many places you can camp and wake up to the sound of water babbling on the Mississippi River," reports Amy G.

    Explore historic sites: The Charles Lindbergh homestead near Charles A. Lindbergh State Park Campground connects to multiple hiking trails. "There are many cool things to see, although some are across the street from the main part of the park and run by the Minnesota Historical Society," notes Jennifer H.

    Bike the Paul Bunyan Trail: The 120-mile paved trail passes through several campgrounds in the area. "Great state campground, good hiking trails, Paul Bunyan Bike Trail passes through park (120 miles long). Crow Wing town site interesting," reports Big Craig.

    What campers like

    Spacious, private sites: Gull Lake Recreation Area provides large, level sites with adequate separation. "The sites are huge and generally well separated. Plenty of room for even the biggest rigs. The sites are flat gravel (class5) no leveling blocks needed," explains Scott G.

    River access for pets: Many canine companions enjoy swimming at Military Park Camp Ripley DeParcq Woods Campground, which offers "large wooded campsites for RV's as well as tents, all along the Mississippi River," according to Janet R.

    Clean facilities: Campgrounds in the area maintain high standards for restrooms and common areas. "The bathrooms and vault toilets are the cleanest I've ever seen!" writes Jessi about Gull Lake Recreation Area.

    What you should know

    Wildlife encounters: Bears and other wildlife are present in the area. "We did have a nighttime visitor in the form of something big and black and furry. We didn't see him (her?), but heard the sounds of a bear," reports Amy G. at Baxter Canoe Camp.

    Site selection matters: Some campgrounds have significant differences between sites. "Do not book site 30... site 29 and 30 have nothing separating them which is kind of awkward. Also, behind site 30 is a vault toilet that people would occasionally walk directly through our campsite to get to," warns Elisha C. about Charles A. Lindbergh State Park.

    Seasonal considerations: Crow Wing Lake Campground operates from May 1 to October 1, with specific amenities available only during peak season. "Only drawback was the lake was too mucky and weedy to swim in but has to be a great fishing lake," notes Laura B.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Fort Ripley, MN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Fort Ripley, MN is Crow Wing State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 27 reviews.

    What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Fort Ripley, MN?

    TheDyrt.com has all 111 dog-friendly camping locations near Fort Ripley, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.