If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Hayward, look no further. Find the best tent camping sites near Hayward. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Hayward, Minnesota's most popular destinations.
This peaceful primitive campground includes a picnic shelter, pit toilet and fishing access to the Little Cedar River. Purchased in 1966, this park is managed for camping, picnicking, and wildlife viewing.
Guide
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! 
Scout
All RV and ridiculously expensive for tent camping
ScoutLoved camping here, we have 4-5 times already this year! We tent camped but they’ve got lots of spaces for campers and tents as well, bathrooms are close, there is a nice lake near with play equipment located at the lake and at the campground, the campground has old bikes for the kids to use, everyone there is so nice! We love it
GuideA 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.
Scout
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
Guide
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.
GuideWe 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.
GuideWe 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.
LegendThe winter was a long one last year and we were itching to take our new 30foot Jayco Eagle bunkhouse travel trailer out for its maiden voyage! We decided that my birthday weekend was the perfect opportunity to do just that. To be on the safe side, incase we had issues, we decided to stay close to home so we decided to hit up a new park, Nerstrand Big Woods State Park just outside Northfield, Minnesota. This park is only an hour from the twin cities and very convenient for a weekend getaway after work on friday.
We stayed In campsite 27 which was an electric campsite that was pretty open to all the other campsites. Most of the campsites there were really open and you could see and other peoples campsites so if that’s not your style of camping I wouldn’t go to Nerstrand big Woods. There is also water hook up at the park in that site and some of the other sites but that wasn’t listed when we booked the site.
The park office was just a short walk or a bike ride from the campsites and had a very nice gift shop and bathrooms there. There is also a really nice shower and bathroom building right next to the campground host site. Just off the campground was a really nice playground for the kids that utilized tree stumps and tree branches as the playground. There was a really large picnic area and picnic shelter also.
Along with electric sites there’s also just tent sites without electric if that’s your style camping.
Nerstrand Big Woods Is very well known for its beautiful waterfall that you can walk on and the trail leading to the waterfall was also a great hike.
All in all I think Nerstrand Big Woods was a good choice for a weekend getaway for a little family of four. And it gave us a lot to do because in The little city of Northfield there was a lot of little shops and cute little restaurants to eat at the shop at. Northfield is also home to the Malt-o-meal Museum and production. My husband and I are big craft brewery fans And we’re pretty stoked to find out that there were three breweries around the park. We visited Tanzenwald and Chapel brewery and tried flights at each one. Out of the two we thought Tanzenwald was the best for staff friendliness and prices. Each flight we got a 4 5ounce pours were only 4$. There was also a restaurant at that brewery with really good cheese curds.
We decided that Nerstrand Isn’t our favorite park but it’s a good option for us to be able to get away in short notice close to home with a lot of activities around for us to do.
Traveler
We got a last second site and stayed for just one night. The sites were great for tents and relatively shady, but an RV had some trouble in our loop and had to move to another site. Where we set up our tent was pretty rocky and hurt the feet when you stood barefoot in the tent even with an extra tarp, so be careful where you set your tent.
There is no swimming beach, but the ranger gave us directions to another beach nearby. Next time we visit we'll be sure to check that out. Early June is good as the bugs there aren't bad at all.
The trails were nice, wish we had brought our bikes to hit the Sakatah/Singing Hills trail, looked lovely! The fishing dock was fun for the little kiddos to visit.
ScoutEverything was beautiful. We camped for a week in southern Minnesota state parks, but this one is our favourite.
Scout
This 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!
GuideThis is a Nice campground middle of Minnesota. Surprising place in the middle of farm country. Very nice campground and lots of walking trails. Great for leaf peeping.
Ranger
The campground Host Sherry and John are great!
The campground is well maintained and right by the river. Nice RV spots and nice tent spots along the river. #10 is nice tent spot we like. #20 is good RV spot we use. There is Firewood in a shed for sale.
No cell service but able to text.
Nice clean bathrooms! Great shower heads in men’s bathroom.
Trails are super nice and well maintained, many different levels of hikes going along the River to hikes up on the prairie tops. Some nice overlooks.
Zoo and nature center are great. Animals are all rescued and given a home. Bison herd and elk and deer too.
We will be camping there again!
GuideFacilities are top notch and private. The nicest showed and restroom you can imagine. Large tent pads and a quiet area. Not busy when we went. There is a small hiking trail as well. The lake isn’t anything spectacular, it’s quite dirty but we were only there for a night.
GuideNot my favorite park but the trails were leisurely and relatively scenic. Campsite had a large tent pad but our site was not very large. Sites are close together and the use of large campers seemed to far outnumber those staying in tents. Office staff very friendly. Main trail to waterfall is conveniently located right next to the campground which was great for us as we were there for just one night and ended up being in the park for less than 14 hours total. Bathroom house was clean and relatively new. Not as quiet/secluded as we like, but overall we enjoyed our time here
Scout
Sites can accommodate tents or up to 50' RVs. Lots of grass, bike/walking paths and dogs on leashes welcome. 14 Sites now, with plans for 10+ Sites built this summer. On site host, so typically quiet and friendly. One price, $25/night.
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.
ScoutThis was a fantastic campsite! We arrived just before 10pm, were able to pick up firewood from the park office at the entrance. The tent pad was very spacious and flat, great for sleeping! The bathroooms and showers were clean and well lit. Will definitely camp here again!
Guide
Large open field next to some woods with some fire pits and one “site” has a picnic table and a small covering. It’s good for what it is, free camping! We’ve gone a few times, it’s first come first serve, no reservations. Not really much hiking but an okay spot if you’re just looking for a place to pitch a tent and have a fire.
Scout
this is located in the middle of beautiful Minnesota farmlands. the swimming beach leaves much to be desired. lots of kids and families, if that is what you are looking for. it was a very convenient location to a family pig roast, otherwise we would not be here. but, many other people are, and are really enjoying it. so, depends on what you are looking for!
GuideClean and well maintained campground about a quarter mile past owner’s farm buildings. Signs for registration are easy to follow, stop at the Office (garage) to check in. Cash or check only, no cards. Campground was very nice with mature trees. Bathroom and shower available. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. Some sites suitable for hammock camping. If you need a level site for a rooftop tent be sure to ask, my site was easily switched after I did. Overall very nice experience.
GuideOur site was a perfect tent-in site(site 15), as it was far enough away from the highway and other sites, so noise was minimal. The bugs were actually tolerable, which was an added bonus. Downsides were that the drinking water had consumption warnings, the modern restrooms were closed, and the lake isn’t swimmable. Otherwise there was some great hiking, and the park ranger was friendly and very prepared for COVID.
Guide
This campground is a very busy place. There are tons of options for things to do to keep kids and adults from getting bored. I felt crammed in our site. We were near an area that had many RV groups and tents mixed together. The RVs stayed up partying late at night with loud music. No trees or shrubbery separated our sites for any privacy. We did have fun with activitied during the day. The lake is across the road and many go fishing. The pool is where most people enjoy their time.
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.
GuideIf you enjoy hiking, large old deciduous forests and fresh air; this is the place for you. We stayed here 2 nights in our tent in April (which was a little chilly) so the foliage was still thin but spring was starting to peak out. The waterfall is a sight to see and the trail to get there is fun. We did not get to use the bathroom facilities but the pit toilet houses were kept very clean. This is a popular park with a huge picnic area with shelters and play grounds.
GuideGorgeous little park right on a series of small lakes. Camping is in grassy and forested area. You dive on grass and park next to a table and power outlet. Many of these spots are not level and seem better suited to tents than larger RVs but some spots could work for vans, class C or small class A RVs. I also saw one cabin for rent. This is all near the water and has bathrooms and a water faucet. I also noticed pretty good AT&T cell coverage here. This area has historically been bad for cell coverage so maybe that is improving.
Tent camping near Hayward, Minnesota offers a blend of serene nature and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Hayward, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Hayward, MN is Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Hayward, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Hayward, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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