Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Hayward, MN has a lot to offer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Hayward, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Hayward, MN. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$10 - $18 / night
"Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."
"When driving to my site two fawns were laying near the playground."
"Great park if you’re not looking to drive too far to enjoy a bit of nature. Wonderful hiking paths and biking paths.
Our site was nice a secluded and right next to the trail heads."
"Sites are wooded and shady but some are close to neighboring sites. Not too many mosquitos or flies for August in Minnesota! Sakatah Singing Hills paved trail runs through the park. "
$12 - $20 / night
"We love coming to Clear Lake! The campgrounds are always very well kept, bathrooms very clean! Easy access to the lake, and the town has so much to do during the summer months!"
"Clear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous. It is clean and close to the beach. Down town and other shopping is a short drive away."
"The group sites are close by and they were quite loud, but the rest of the park was nice and quiet. There is horse camping here, and the lake is nice for swimming."
"You can go fishing at the pond without having to purchase a Minnesota Fishing License!"
"We reserved a spot right next to the pool area. It was a tight fit to back the camper it, but I was able to do it. They have cement pads for a patio area and a fire ring."
"The one drawback, in my opinion, is that the lake it is right next to doesn’t have a beach for swimming. That was a little disappointing for me."
"Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails."
"We found a site tucked away from people which is what we like. We set up hammocks right next to the river."
TravelerYou will love this park. There are about 20 self-serve sites with electric and water. Self serve firewood. Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails. Sitting right on the Cedar River, it’s a great location to kayak and tube. Cheap at $20 a night. We showed up at 8:00 on a Fryevening and spots were available!
GuideGood time! It rained and was a little muddy, but it was nice. Site 11 is kind of small for a large tent like we have. The group sites are close by and they were quite loud, but the rest of the park was nice and quiet. There is horse camping here, and the lake is nice for swimming.
GuideFor free the area is awesome right by the river. We found a site tucked away from people which is what we like. We set up hammocks right next to the river. The hike from parking is not bad at all about a 10 minute walk from parking to the farthest site.
TravelerGreat park if you’re not looking to drive too far to enjoy a bit of nature. Wonderful hiking paths and biking paths.
Our site was nice a secluded and right next to the trail heads.
Only downside, if you’re looking for complete quiet, this isn’t the park. It’s next to the highway and there are residents that live on the lake that can be noisy.
Otherwise, wonderful park especially for families.
GuideBeautiful, small state park less than an hour south of Twin Cities. Sites are wooded and shady but some are close to neighboring sites. Not too many mosquitos or flies for August in Minnesota! Sakatah Singing Hills paved trail runs through the park. It was pouring on Saturday so most of the other campers checked out and we had the campground mostly to ourselves. Super friendly and helpful staff, clean restrooms. Faribault is 15 minutes away so we went antique shopping at Keeper's Antiques downtown and had cocktails at 10,000 Drops Distillery for rainy day activities.
ScoutEverything was beautiful. We camped for a week in southern Minnesota state parks, but this one is our favourite.
ScoutThis is a great family park where the kids and grown-ups can have fun!
You can go fishing at the pond without having to purchase a Minnesota Fishing License!
LegendGeneral: A mixture of tent (non-electric) and electric sites, mostly arranged in several rows.
Site Quality: Mixed. Not all sites are level, and most do not have delineated parking pads (there is a small pavement indent to show where to access the site). A fire pit and picnic table complete the site. Most of the sites are too close together for our liking, however, when we were there (a Monday at the end of August, the day before school started), we were only one of three sites occupied so for our stay it didn’t matter.
Bathhouse: Basic but clean. My biggest complaint is there were no hooks or shelves for toiletries by the sinks. The showers looked nice but we did not use them.
Activities: Horseback riding (there are trails for this), hiking, fishing. Although we did see several trailheads, I did not have a map so didn’t explore them. There is an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads; I didn’t try to find hiking trails to get there).
Misc: A shout-out to the great host, Pam, who greeted us as we arrived. The observation tower, entrance gates, and picnic shelter were all constructed by the CCC and were beautiful. It almost seemed like the campground was an afterthought as it is outside the entrance gates and nowhere near the tower. The layout of the campground would be challenging if all sites were occupied.
LegendOur group of 12 stayed at one of the two group sites at Lake Louise State Park. Our site holds up to 30 and the neighboring site holds up to 50. Our site was a beautiful spot with large shade trees, three picnic tables and two fire pits. We also had a large grassy area to play and an area to put up our tents that was away from the activities. A vault toilet was beside us but it was also for the other group site so they had to constantly walk thru our site to get to it. The trails were nice but small and the beach is not recommended. Even though it's part of a river it was very stagnant yucky water and dirty sand.
Horse camping in Minnesota offers a unique opportunity for equestrians to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of their horses. With various campgrounds equipped with horse-friendly amenities, riders can experience the beauty of nature alongside their equine companions.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Hayward, MN is Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve with a 4.3-star rating from 12 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Hayward, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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