Holdingford is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Holdingford. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
"If you’re looking for a peaceful escape where the only sounds are rustling leaves, birdsong, and frogs singing at dusk — Site B6 at Lake Maria State Park is the one."
"There is a bathroom and water station before you head out which is awesome! The campsite was secluded and absolutely beautiful. Definitely will be going back again!"
"Restrooms and laundry available on site. Although from a sign posted, they wanted the restrooms to be used by those in pop-ups or tent camping only (just an fyi)."
"They also offer a nice seating area for those hot or raining days with free arcade. Verizon cell coverage is good here and OTA TV has a few channels."
$21 / night
"Trees for hammocks, picnic table, fire pit bathrooms and showers nearby. Lots of summer "chatter" from families, but it was nice to hear them having fun."
"Lots of trails for hiking and biking. Bring bug spray in the summer!
Historical sites along hiking path. Bathrooms and showers were decent. Dump station on site."
"This isn’t a quiet campground during the day but campers were very respectful of quiet hours at night."
"We needed a park that was close and had equestrian camping so we decided to go to Lake Carlos State Park."
$20 - $35 / night
"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."
"Clean bathrooms, nice sized park for kids, pool (not open in Sept), lake with ample docks for fishing or you can rent boats."
"Amenities include: playground, pool, lake, dog park, and store. Each site has a table and fire pit. Keep an eye on your account."
"Games Lake County Park, near New London, Minnesota, is a great spot for camping. With tent, RV, and cabin options, it suits all campers."
"Just got back from a weekend at Games Lake County Park and honestly, it exceeded expectations!"
$20 - $25 / night
"They have you park your vehicle behind a row of bushes to help keep the view clear for everybody. Anderson flower gardens are a short walk away. Sites come with a picnic table and fire pit."
"Easy parking with lake and playground. Close to town incase you forgot something. Sites have large open areas in front of camps for kids to play. Great hosts as well"
ScoutAmazing, 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.
TravelerWe stayed in a tent for 2 nights at non-electric site 34. Maybe it was the weekend crowd, but it was incredibly noisy - both from people and mechanical noises. The quiet hours were not enforced, and there was a mechanical thumping audible around the clock.
There was only 1 shower/toilet building and 7 water spigots for 48 camp sites - most of which were for tents. Of the 2 women‘s shower stalls, only one worked properly. Fortunately, the facility was very clean.
On the plus side, the trails were well marked, the roads well maintained, and (our site at least) was visually secluded. The historical significance of the park warrants a day visit, but there are lots of other campgrounds in the area that I would stay at instead.
GuideWe stayed here for a weekend in May. The campsites are a little bit on top of each other. There aren't many campsites that you're able to reserve. The majority of the campsites are seasonal campsites. There are a lot of mature trees that help with the shade! The beach area is nice, but the only problem is that boaters and kayaks are in the same general area so you have to be careful so you don't get hit. There is a dock for fishing as well. You can also rent boats, kayaks and paddleboards for a small fee. If you want to walk the whole campground having a golf cart would be nice. Also there is NO petting zoo as stated on the website or on the campground maps. There hasn't been one for a few years but they have yet to edit the website or the campground maps. We went there partly because there was a petting zoo for the little kids. Seems lazy to me that they can't update the website or the campground maps.
LegendTo be fair I'd like to preface this review with a word of caution. We went in the middle of Summer. High bug season. Take a look at other reviews as they come in and see what time of year they visited. Maybe they'll have a similar experience, maybe not. The fun thing about this state park is that all the sites are hike in. No drive up camping. It has a couple camper cabins as well. But everyone is spread out along a few trails so it's a little quieter than your typical campground.
When we pulled up to the parking lot we knew we were in trouble. The black flies were dive bombing the car like a scene from Armageddon. We prepared the kiddos for a quick grab and run and jumped out of the car. Our campsite was about a mile from the car so we started at a quick walk onto the trail. First step onto the grassy trail exploded in a cloud of mosquitos. Walking along the kids all looked like Pig-Pen from Peanuts. Even though we'd sprayed everyone down the bugs must have felt safety in numbers because we were covered in welts in no time flat. That's when the jogging began. Soon we were running and also planning out how to set up camp the quickest. Little tent first, throw the kids in, big tent second and then everyone in there while dinner was being made. Luckily at our actual campsite the bugs weren't quite as horrendous so we were able to get out a bit after applying a few more layers of repellant. Our site was on a short private trail off the main loop and opened up to a decent space. We had a picnic table and fire pit and plenty of space for our two tents and an area to play. We were all entertained by the plethora of mushroom varieties that surrounded the camp. We spent a bit of time outside and then played in the tent the rest of the night. Unfortunately the bugs were bad enough that the next morning we just packed up and headed back to the car. I would like to come back to this park in late fall and try out a camper cabin. There are three of them all on lakes so if you can get past buggy season it has the potential to be a great experience. Have you ever been to Lake Maria? Stayed in one of their camper cabins? Let me know, I'd love to hear how it went!
ScoutWe stayed in the lower campground, site 89. Nice tree canopy above although the sites themselves don’t have much privacy. This isn’t a quiet campground during the day but campers were very respectful of quiet hours at night. Direct access to the lake from the campground with a sandy beach and plenty of lakeshore for everyone. Many campers brought their boats and kayaks. Short drive to Lake Brophy County Park to ride the mountain bike trails or jump on the Central Lakes Bike trail.
LegendI am from a suburb of Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota and we wanted to go camping with my in-laws who have horses. We needed a park that was close and had equestrian camping so we decided to go to Lake Carlos State Park.
Lake Carlos State Park is roughly 2.5hours from the Twin Cities and is a beautiful getaway for a weekend trip. You can leave after work on a Friday and still have time to make it to the park, set up and still be able to cook dinner and enjoy a s’more or two.
We booked site H3 in the equestrian campground which was a VERY open site right off the main loop in the equestrian campground. It was very sunny and barely any shade for the horses. The site were in was electric and there were only three non-electric sites in the equestrian campground. The other sites were awesome for shade but were still super open to everyone.
There were great trails for hiking and horseback riding. They also allowed mountain biking on the trails.
The staff at the office were super friendly and they talked to us for about 15 minutes. Their store in the office was pretty great and they had everything from toys for the kids to s’mores stuff and stickers specific to the park. The firewood was pretty fast burning and cost 6$ a bundle so it was pretty spendy since we cook only over the fire.
The main campground was VERY busy and jammed packed. The sites were too close together and open for my comfort.
The beach was very dirty and there were army worms everywhere crawling on everything.
We took a little bike ride to the group camp which was an amazing area with a very nice shelter with electric.
All in all, this is a good park to go to if you are looking for a park close to the twin cities metro area.
ScoutImpressed with the distance to/from the metro (less than an hour on Highway 12 heading west to Cokato). Inground, heated swimming pool; mini golf; pickleball; tennis; arcade room attached to the office. Ice cream shop has 8 flavors of hand-dipped yum! Freezer pizzas can be cooked at the store or bring one home for later. All the incidentals and condiments you might need. Plenty of fun clothing for sale to bring home and make memories with. And memories: here's the place to start your family fun and lifetime memories! Head on out to the Cokato Lake Experience!
LegendMost of the sites here are lakefront. They have you park your vehicle behind a row of bushes to help keep the view clear for everybody. Anderson flower gardens are a short walk away. Sites come with a picnic table and fire pit. There are bathrooms and showers. There is also a fish cleaning shed. Campground is dog friendly and dogs must be leashed.
LegendCrow Wing State Park is a good choice if you are looking for something close to the Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota. with this park being just under two hours away from the Twin Cities metro area it’s an easy choice for a nice weekend getaway. If you’re looking to stay for a long extended time it’s also a good choice as it offers electric and water. The electric sites are pretty open and close together so if you like to be secluded and not see other campers from your campsite I wouldn’t use this park. The electric sites are really on top of each other and don't feel like you are camping to me. The non-electric sites are pretty nice and secluded from each other which would make this park a park I would bring my tent to instead of my travel trailer. There is also a group camp That is separate from the main camping area.
The park office offers ice and firewood for sale. Firewood is 6$ a bundle at the park office. The only firewood you can use is the approved firewood in the local area or scrap lumber. See the Minnesota Firewood law. Canoe rentals are offered at the park office for $15 for a half-day and $25 for a full day. There is also a water fill station and a dump station for your travel trailer or RV. This is a good park for hiking and exploring.
If you wanna stay close to the Twin Cities metro area this is a good park for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Holdingford, MN is Lake Maria State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 34 reviews.
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