Looking for the best campgrounds near Hinckley, MN? Hinckley is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Minnesota camping adventure.
"Site 207 was especially tucked in but it's a tight spot, so probably best for a van or tent.
The park itself has a lot to offer being right on the St."
"This is Minnesota’s largest state park and has over 200 camp sites. But where we were, we were secluded from most people. Not from the mosquitos. You had to defend against them. But clean park."
$25 - $35 / night
"This is one of my favorite state parks for last minute camping trips due to its proximity to home."
"There is a modern restroom and shower, it is also located near a nature store."
$35 / night
"This is a big park with a diversity of hiking, equestrian, and canoeing options. Since the park runs along the St. Croix, there are beautiful river-side walks to be had."
"Nice park, scenic trails, horses on the way in."
"Right on Lake Mille Lacs, one of Minnesota’s largest. Walking distance from the bakery and bar! Newer, updated facilities. Boat access. Lake side sites (if you book early enough)."
"Smaller sites and a little privacy in the lake campground. The ones next to the waters edge have a nice view and are more completely in the shade. The inner sites have more sun."
$17 / night
"The sites are spaced out and although it is a long drive in from the tar and gravel, it's worth the trip. A beautiful lake and lots of trails."
"Stayed in Petaga (drive in) spot #52."
"This is one campground in Minnesota that offers a handful of electric hookups for winter camping."
$40 - $75 / night
"Nice river nearby canoeing swimming pool fireplaces and little store for treats."
$25 / night
RangerWell, it snowed … in late March. I stayed in the campground in late March, 2025. This is a big park with a diversity of hiking, equestrian, and canoeing options. Since the park runs along the St. Croix, there are beautiful river-side walks to be had. There are also Oak Savanna trails. Several trails are for horses, but that isn’t my scene. I stayed in the campground for two nights. It was cold, rainy, and that turned into 5” of snow. Like many MN State Park campgrounds, you are close to your neighbors with no real private offerings. I stayed in site 66e. It was a typical site with nothing bad nor special about it. The hike to the former Dam site is the neatest thing about the park. I recommend reading the historical information at the site of the dam. Having been here once, I see no reason to come back.
LegendMy site unfortunately did not have a view of the river, but it was still nice and private!! This is one of my favorite state parks for last minute camping trips due to its proximity to home. I have stayed in each of the campgrounds here multiple times at different sites and don't really have a standout favorite site. Each campground is pretty similar (it's really more like separate loops of the same campground as opposed to actually separate campgrounds... so I wouldn’t worry too much about which one to pick! Multiple restrooms and showers throughout the campgrounds. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table, and wood can be purchased at the office. Cell service is fairly spotty here so come with podcasts or shows downloaded ahead of time! But if you don't, you can always run into Hinckley for some WIFI or cell service to download some things.
GuideThis was my first solo tent camping night in June 5, 2020. There were some horse flies when I parked but they didn't seem to hang out in the shade of my campsite. There was a very loud bird making calls until about 1am... Maybe a whip-poor-will. Otherwise a serene spot tucked back in the walk in site.
Directions to the walk in sites were a bit unclear when driving in but I eventually made it there.
GuideRight on Lake Mille Lacs, one of Minnesota’s largest. Walking distance from the bakery and bar! Newer, updated facilities. Boat access. Lake side sites (if you book early enough). You can hit Mille Lacs State Park if you want to knock them both out on one trip! This park seems to attract a lot of long term campers, as I’m sure it’s pretty reasonable to stay at the lake all summer. We went mid-July I think and the trees were literally raining caterpillars… it was tough to want to hang out in our tree canopy-covered site. Sooo.. we ventured outside of the park more at this one.
There was a festival going on in a town west of here that had a couple rides and a really fun patio bar. If you do decide to venture out at night, ask the bartender for the limo driver’s number; he’s the city’s “uber”!
LegendSmaller sites and a little privacy in the lake campground. The ones next to the waters edge have a nice view and are more completely in the shade. The inner sites have more sun. The beach is long and rocky but ample enough to swim in. It is a busy place because of its location close to the cities and other areas up there. The electric hook ups were well maintained. Bathrooms were nice and clean and vault toilets are scattered throughout the park. Trails are there to hike and walk. Water to swim and plenty of bike paths.
Maple grove is the more primitive site and lots more coverages between camp sites.
GuideStayed in Petaga (drive in) spot #52. The spots were pretty private - the surrounding campsites were definitely visible through the trees, but there was plenty of distance so you weren't overhearing everyone's conversations or anything. The site was very roomy! It was a short walk to the bathrooms, water was nearby. The paths to the overlooks on the Rum River were close as well. The inner campsites are RV hookup sites, and the sound definitely carried when someone came later at night to set up their RV. We lucked out with great weather, and bugs were not bad (some mosquitoes but not overwhelming). Campsites have easy access to the trails that connect to the west interpretive center. Some things were closed due to COVID (including the fire tower), but bathrooms were open. No boat rentals right now either, but the river looked like a great, calm spot to kayak.
GuideI have been coming to Wild River since I was a kid. Nice park, scenic trails, horses on the way in.
TravelerStayed for two nights at a drive-in double site here and found it ideal for autumn camping. We didn’t think we would get colors, but they came out a little early, adding a few splashes to the hiking and river view.
Site was private enough, the woods surrounding dense enough to obscure others while still feeling open. Also open enough to spot three white-tail deer.
Hike to the Nevers Dam lookout was easy enough for a five year old to walk (most of it) — featuring some very cool fallen trees and a wonderful winding staircase — and the adjacent sandy beach was a pleasant and peaceful surprise.
One complaint is that the nearby vault toilet reeked of amonia and was unusable so we had to walk to the adjacent loop for bathroom. Silver lining is that we discovered the free little library near that bathroom and grabbed a copy of ‘Ramona the Brave’ for the kiddo. We went back and left a copy of ‘Amira’s Picture Day.’
GuideThis campground is massive! Our campsite was on the farthest loop and was very private! We saw sooooo many deer some even walking right through campsites! You can hear coyotes, raccoons and very loud owls😂
We spent an entire day hiking and it was decent hiking along the river, some of the trails where a little confusing and trying to figure out where we at, but we made it just hiked a little further than we wanted to😂! This seems to be the hot spot for horses and if we go back I definitely want to do the horseback riding right outside the park! DRIVE to the visitors center from the campsites it’s a bit away!
Postives: Very private and remote, Lots of wildlife, friendly staff, okay hiking. The canoe rental place wasn’t open so we can’t comment of water activities!
Negatives: Only one shower house and we had to drive there, the primitive toilet smelled so bad it burned!! It needed to be emptied and wasn’t the entire time we were there. This isn’t a comment on this state park but because we where no where near a real bathroom and we have a toddler who wears a diaper/potty training there are no trash cans in the primitive toilet it could create a problem if you had a little one or if your a women😉
overall it was good camping trip, but if we did come back we would definitely camp closer to the shower house.
Horse camping in Minnesota offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds equipped with horse-friendly amenities, riders can experience the beauty of Minnesota's landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Hinckley, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Hinckley, MN is Old Logging Trail — St. Croix State Park with a 4.1-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Hinckley, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Hinckley, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
