Many motorhome and RV campers traveling through southeastern Minnesota find several accommodations in the Homer area. Homer sits along the Upper Mississippi River Valley, where steep limestone bluffs rise 500 feet above the river, creating a landscape of wooded hills, narrow valleys, and small streams. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing from November through March, with campgrounds typically closing during these months.
What to do
Fishing opportunities: Neshonoc Lakeside in West Salem offers access to Lake Neshonoc where visitors can fish for multiple species. "Great place to go kayak, decent place to fish, and good access to bike trail. The lake is about 600 acres in size and about 11 feet deep at the deepest point. Lake Sturgeon, Bass, Muskie, Pike, Walleye, and Bluegill can be caught at this location," notes reviewer Megan S.
Biking trails: Peterson City RV Park provides direct access to the Root River bike trail. "The campground is on the Root River bike trail which is beautiful, shaded, and paved," writes Amy E. The trail connects several small towns in the region and runs through scenic river valleys.
Swimming: Water recreation options include multiple swimming areas at various campgrounds. "With 2 swimming pools, daily activities, movies, and a full ice cream shop you won't be bored here," reports Kim L. about Neshonoc Lakeside. "They have a nice sized heated swimming pool with a kid splash pad area, and you can boat on the lake."
What campers like
Family activities: Families appreciate the structured activities at campgrounds like Stoney Creek RV Resort. "The theme weeks are all fun and well planned out. You can even order fresh baked donuts on Saturday mornings," says Jen A. "They have a pool, skate park, sand volleyball, pond and concessions. The roads were perfect for our kids bikes," adds Erica H.
Clean facilities: Campers consistently mention bathroom cleanliness as a priority. "The best part was the bathroom/shower house! There were 3-4 private shower/toilet/sink rooms with full locking doors. Everything is brand new and pristinely clean: white subway tile, white walls, white fixtures. Great water pressure and temperature," writes Jill K. about Nelson's Landing RV Park.
Natural setting: Many visitors appreciate the river and lake views available at campgrounds. "Snag a spot with a lake view if you can," recommends Susan & Kevin W. "The lake is absolutely stunning." At Pettibone Resort, one camper notes, "Being from Louisiana it was cool to camp right beside the Mississippi River since we have levees between us and the river."
What you should know
Site conditions: Site pads vary significantly between campgrounds. "The sites are all level, have a fire pit and picnic table. They are pretty open, so you're close to your neighbors and little shade or privacy," notes Kim L. about one location. At Pettibone Resort, "It was a grass site with two concrete strips for my TT tires. There was more than enough parking for my TT and truck and grass on either side."
Train noise: Several campgrounds in the region experience train noise due to their proximity to railroad tracks. "The park was quiet except when someone decided to shoot fireworks between 10-11 pm," writes David B. about Pettibone Resort. Another review noted, "We heard two around 10 pm and either there were no more until the next morning, or we mercifully slept through them!"
Internet access: Cell coverage varies throughout the area. "AT&T had 2-3 bars of LTE and Verizon 1 bar of LTE service. AT&T Speedtest: 146 Mbps down, 4.8 Mbps up. Verizon Speedtest: 016 Mbps down, 0.14 Mbps up. Free WiFi," reports David B. Another campground notes "1-2 bars on AT+T."
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Multiple RV campgrounds near Homer, Minnesota offer dedicated play areas. "The park includes a nice playground, horse shoes, a shelter, and HUGE open spaces for your badminton, croquet, or other games," writes charlie K. about Peterson City RV Park.
Cabin options: For families looking to avoid tent camping, several locations offer cabins. At Whiskey Creek Family RV Park, "There is plenty to do at the park including a cool swimming pond with inflatables, live music most weekends, corn hole tournaments, Friday fish fry, and much more," according to Tim M. The park specifically accommodates families with special needs members.
Seasonal activities: Many campgrounds plan special events during summer months. "We stayed over memorial weekend with a group of friends. With 2 swimming pools, daily activities, movies, and a full ice cream shop you won't be bored here," mentions a visitor to Neshonoc Lakeside. "In the evening there was a Glow Parade where the full timers decked out their golf carts and drove around- candy for kids and lots of dancing."
Tips from RVers
Hookup locations: Pay attention to utility placement when setting up. "Note that depending on the site and how far you back in, the electric hookup may be a distance," cautions Amy E. about Peterson City RV Park.
Level sites: Some RV campgrounds Homer, Minnesota and surrounding areas offer more level sites than others. At Camp Everyday Winona, "The sites are close together." However, Patti M. mentions that "Sandy was very accommodating to our changing needs. Even let us use the dump station a day early."
Big rig access: Larger RVs will find accommodations at certain parks. "Sites tend to be very long and could accommodate even large-size Class A rigs," notes Lee D. about Nelson's Landing RV Park. "The 'driveways' are a mix of grass and gravel and were not very well defined. Each site has a picnic table on a concrete pad."
