Best Glamping near Houston, MN

Recent Glamping Reviews near Houston, MN

192 Reviews of 24 Houston Campgrounds

• 

  Jason S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 10, 2016

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Great Area to Explore

  I love this area as the bluffs are stunning. It's Minnesota's little Switzerland. The park isn't much to look at and there's only a few look-out point onto the Mississippi but its a nice little campground.

• 

  Amanda J.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 7, 2020

  Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging

  Gorgeous view!

  Stopped here on the way up to Minnesota and our campsite was gorgeous! Everyone was very friendly and the sites were very clean. We stayed right on the water. Sites are close together but we reserved a few to have some space.

• 

  Leda T.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2018

  Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

  Fantastic!

  GGreat campground! Awesome hiking, nice swimming beach. Big nature store with lots of great stuff. Lots of spots for great fishing.

  Best part: very few mosquitoes!! (The cold, constantly moving water helps keep them away.)

  One of my favorite parks in the state of Minnesota.

• 

  Jason S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 9, 2016

  Forestville Mystery Cave State Park Campground

  Beautiful Park and Awesome Activities

  I loved the campground area which nestled in a small valley. On top of that it has this awesome living history 1800's village managed by the Minnesota Historical Society. There's also a very interesting cave with a museum and all the talactites, stalagmites, and underground pools you can imagine.

• 

  Cindy B.

  Ranger

  

  Feb. 9, 2022

  The Old Barn Resort

  Super great campground in a beautiful area

  This campground was really good. It was located right on the Root River Trail System which we liked for biking and running. It has an indoor/outdoor heated pool, a big barn with a restaurant and bar, and clean restroom and shower facilities. The sites weren't huge but they had full hook-ups. The campground is near Lanesboro which is a really cute little town. Beautiful part of Minnesota.

• 

  Mi S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 22, 2019

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Hidden gem

  What a beautiful & peaceful gem of a place in south eastern Minnesota! Came here knowing that besides the mini hikes and river/valley overlook views and birdwatching, there weren’t much activity, which we were fine with since we were just looking to relax. The views are breathtaking! The sites are a bit too close to each other, but do offer enough privacy. We saw a cardinal and 3 hummingbirds because they came to hang out right in our campsite! The fireflies at night were an added bonus!

• 

  Ashley K.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 18, 2018

  Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

  The heart of south eastern Minnesota

  Whitewater is by far one of the top state parks in Minnesota. Their camping facilities are clean with running water and free showers. The campsites are quite spacious but not too wooded. They have a few walk in sites but they go fast.

  The best part about whitewater are the trails and views. It is located in a carved glacier valley and is surrounded by limestone. I recommend moderate to experienced hikers due to the intense climb to get to the popular views. It’s worth the visit!

• 

  GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 14, 2018

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Great Views of the Mississippi Gorge!

  Spent the whole day hiking the Great River Bluffs. The trail system is very well labeled with maps along each trail. The trail system is mostly level and I would label as easy hiking with rolling hills. The park contains two viewing areas King’s and Queen’s Bluff.

  The campsites are spacious, completely shaded, and have a fire pit as well as picnic tables. Since the park is in a heavily wooded area you do have to watch out for the Minnesota state bird (the mosquito).

  Tips:

  • Bring bug spray
  • Bring binoculars; the river valley is a great viewing area for waterfowl, eagles, and hawks.
• 

  TyAnn J.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 23, 2018

  Forestville Mystery Cave State Park Campground

  Family friendly adventures await among the tall oakes and maples

  Mystery Cave State Park is surrounded in in a lush green forest with huge oak and maple trees that hang over the road like a huge living canopy. My new word while we stayed there was “Forresty” due to feeling like we had entered a different world. There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails. (Word to the wise, some of the trails are hiking/equestrian so watch your step😂) We didn’t do our homework, but if we would have known, we would have brought our fishing rods as the rivers were full of trout!!

  We arrived at 2:00pm on Saturday, after a long 5 hour drive from northern Minnesota. It was amazing to watch the landscape change from iron ore mining pits to countless acres of corn and potatoes!! Check in time is 4:00pm, but our spot was empty when we arrived, so the park rangers let us set up early (Friendly and most helpful!!) We grabbed a bundle of wood for $6.00 for a campfire while we were at the park office. (that is pretty normal rates as you can’t bring in your own wood at State Parks in Minnesota) There are 3 different loops, an additional equestrian loop, and 5 cabins. We stayed in loop “C” with has bigger sites for RV’s and offers electricity. Loops “A” and “B” have smaller sites (still big!!) and both of those loops are non-electric. None of the sites are “full” hook up, but there is a dump station & fresh water fill right off the park office. The restrooms and showers are just off of the “C” loop, as was the amphitheater, and there are garbage/recycling bins every 4-5th site. The park was very noisy, but that all changed when most of the folks left Sunday. It was very peaceful the rest of the week.

  There are so many things outside the park to do too!! We were not aware, but the Mystery Cave is a short drive from the state park. We took the scenic tour, and our guide Kip was fantastic!!! Hey let everyone ask all the questions they wanted to, and didn’t rush us at all!! The rate is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids 5-12, and kids under 5 go for free. The pictures just don’t do it justice!! The next day we drove to Masonic Park in Spring Valley and we were amazed by the sheer size of the rock face!! There is no charge to picnic or visit there and there is one spot for camping, but you need to get permission from the city before doing so. We also toured Niagra Cave which is a longer drive, but well worth it!! The underground waterfall was super cool!! They charge $16.00 per adult, kids 4-12 are $10.00, and children under 4 are free.

  All in all this was a great get away for our family, and I highly recommend staying at the park:)

• 

  Krista T.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 1, 2020

  Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

  Awesome- minimal mosquitos

  About the park Whitewater State Park is a much sought-after place to camp for those that know about this region’s#1 feature- MINIMAL MOSQUITOES. I won’t say zero mosquitoes because there might be one or two that wander in there, but we did not encounter a single one on our overnight stay there. We kept on exclaiming how weird to not hear and contribute to the camping soundtrack of bugs getting slapped. Basically what you need to know is that the last set of glaciers missed this region, which left behind limestone that absorbs rainwater quickly- and since mosquitoes breed in warm shallow water they don’t really have a lot of opportunities to do so in this region.

  This region also has many more bluffs and valleys than the rest of Minnesota- this is also the result of a lack of glacier activity during the last glacial era that filled the flat parts of our state with“drift” sediment. What this means is that a lot of the hikes have a lot of elevation gain. We hiked to Inspiration Point from the Cedar Hill campground- if you do this I would not recommend taking the staircase that you encounter way before the picnic area parking lot UNLESS you really like having to climb over things.

  The trail also comes across Chimney Rock- if you are hiking on a hot day you might as well give yourself a few minutes to cool down by climbing into the rock- it is much cooler and there is often a breeze that is funnelled through it. If you aren’t terribly afraid of heights you should definitely keep going to Inspiration Point! In order to get back down the trail quickly you can go down the staircase that is visible from the last part of the trail to the point- you can also completely bypass all the strenuous hiking if you would rather just take this(relatively strenuous) staircase up to the point, look around, then go back down.

  A river runs through the park that plenty of people were wading in and there is a swimming hole that we didn’t participate in. I have Verizon cell service and I did not have reception- I think people who have AT&T did though. The visitor center does have free wifi and a free phone to use outside the building.

  About the campground Much of Cedar Hill campground is for both tents and RVs, if you don’t need an electric site then the BEST spots are along the river. I specifically liked 66, 67, and 69. Some of them had foot paths down to the river, some didn’t, but either way you get to hear the water and the sites are quite spacious. We wound up staying in site 37 which has electricity(perk of this is being able to make macaroni and cheese in an instant pot!). One thing I hadn’t considered is that 74 cuts through the park, and we were pretty close to it so at a few times there was definite car noise. It wasn’t nearly as bad as camping along the north shore though when your site is squished between Lake Superior and Hwy 61 and you hear fast traffic all. day. long.

  If you are camping on the weekend expect the campground to be quite full- we camped on a Sunday night and while the majority of the neighboring sites were occupied by RVs, the campground wasn’t even halfway occupied. Most of the sites had enough tree cover to be considered private. One weird thing is that a few of the sites are kind of like adjoining suites with tiny clearings between them- it was kind of startling to look up and see two people taking a shortcut(not really though!!) through our clearly occupied site to get to theirs. Weird.

  One of the negative aspects about this park is that the bathroom facilities in cedar hill haven't been updated in ages, so they are finally getting updated in 2020 so this campground is closed for the season.  The newer campground is open, but I don't like it as well since there isn't much privacy or shade.

• 

  Tony J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 2, 2018

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Great hiking

  Lots of trails climbing the bluffs. Breathtaking scenery in the wide open areas. Campsites are clean and bathrooms are near by.

• 

  Mary S.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 17, 2018

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Visit here in the fall after the mosquitoes leave

  What's Appealing?

  This campground is nestled in the woods above the Mississippi River. There's a beautiful view from King's Bluff Overlook which is about a 2.5 mile roundtrip from the parking area. You could make it about 5.5 miles if you hike from campground. There are also short walks to a few other overlooks.

  We were just spending the night but I'm not sure there's anything else to do. The information sheet says there are 7 miles of hiking trails, but there really isn't anything interesting other than the overlooks. It was a quiet place for a one night stay.

  I think fall would be the best time to visit after the mosquitoes are gone and when the leaves have turned. Winter would also be good. There are 9 miles of groomed X-country ski trails; you need a MN Ski Pass.

  The Basics

  There are 31 pull in/back in sites (38 is the highest number but some numbers are skipped), 4 cart in sites, and 5 sites for bicyclists (off the Great River Road bike route below the campground across from the Mississippi River). The sites are spacious and shaded and have a picnic table and fire pit.

  Very Basic Campground

  There's a bathroom with toilets, showers, and sinks. The showers are push button so you get no heat control and the water shuts off after about 30 seconds. There are also pit toilets that may be closer to your site. Drinking water and trash dumpsters are near the bathroom.

  Cost

  It's $19 plus the $7 MN state park fee. There was no camp host on site, but I saw a ranger drive through. We have a MN parks sticker on our window and paid online the day we came in because the office was closed. There was no online reservation fee when we paid online on the day of our stay.

  .

• A

  Alison

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 1, 2018

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Good views

  Great River Bluff State Park is located outside of Winona, MN. The trails at this park are very easy to hike with hardly any incline. The trail system is well mapped and easy to direct yourself through

  I found the campsites to be very simple. Each site did have a picnic table and fire ring. The mosquitos were very bad when I visited. I suggest going in late fall when the weather is cooler.

• R

  Rebecca R.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2019

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Hidden Gem!

  I've stayed at this park numerous times in their cart-in sites. The first two are lack luster since the campers in sites 3 and 4 will be walking right by and fairly close to your site. The last site (which I believe is four) is great. Fairly secluded, not a far hike and provides space for a tent and/or a hammock. Hiking in the park in nice but not a full-days worth. I would say this park would be nice for a arrive Friday night, pack up, hike saturday and head home.

• A

  Anthony M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 11, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  It has the best views ever

  Will visit again

• B

  Bryan P.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 1, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Lots of night time road, rail and plane noise

  My friends and I have mixed feelings about this place. We thought it was beautiful. Loved our quick hikes (don’t need more than 2.5 hours here to hike a lot of the trails).

  We camped one night here at the cart in campsites. Sites were nice with fire pits , nearby vault toilets (2 of them and super clean with TP and hand sanitizer), and an easy path to get to and from car. Site 4 recently had all the trees cut down.

  However, two thirds of us slept no more than 4 hours total. Highway noise from the highway running along the river and from I-90 (while not really noticeable during the day) is ridiculously loud at night. [I live on the main street through Uptown Minneapolis—I can sleep through a lot of traffic noise—but this was loud!] Added to this were the half dozen trains that ran through the night (horns going off too) AND the light aircraft flying into Lacrosse airport (which is only 10-15 mins away).

  I would never camp here again. Which is a shame because the campsites are great.

• 

  Stephanie K.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 3, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Park with a beautiful view and campground

  Campground has a lot of dense undergrowth and trees separating campsites some neighbors are visible but seem far enough away. Nice bathroom/shower facilities

• S

  Stuart A.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 5, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Unbelievable Views & Hiking

  Small rustic campground with no hookups or electrical sites which is perfect if you are tent camping! Sites are smaller but nice, the outer sites have better privacy with most inner sites backing up to the restrooms. The hiking here is amazing with numerous lookout points to see the river from the bluffs. There are short and long hikes to get to the views, so it’s good for all levels of hiking. Overall this campground has a lot to offer and we will definitely go back!

• 

  Kim

  Guide

  

  Sep. 14, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Fantastic cart in sites

  I enjoy camping away from the hub bub of the family campground and opting for the backpack or cart in sites. Luckily, Great River Bluffs has some of the nicest cart ins I have encountered.

  The 5 sites are well spaced out with lots of trees, nice flat tent pads, a newer clean vault and good fresh water both within a short distance of all the sites.

  The surrounding hiking trails feature incredible views of the Mississippi River valley, high upon a bluff. The sites are away from the heavy foot traffic of picnic areas and primary hiking trails, though during the day there will be a few hikers walking the trail down the middle of the cart site trail to get to a fantastic lookout site. There weren't tons of people but it might bother those that don't want to see anyone while there.

  There are two vault toilets. One at the parking lot and one between camp site 3 and 4. If you want a shower, you have to drive up to the family campground which is a good half mile away.

• 

  Matt C.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 26, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Great place to visit in the fall

  We stayed at cart in site 4, which was the best of the 4 options. It’s at the end of a lookout trail that has amazing sunrise/sunset views. The hiking in this park is really great, with some amazing lookouts. Only downside is that the hum of I-90 can be heard at night.

• 

  Joseph N.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 11, 2020

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Nice escape

  Perfect for a quick night away from the twin cities. Several small hikes to the bluffs right from the campground loop. Solid campground all around.

• J

  Jeff G.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 9, 2021

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Great views, limited amenities

  Great views of the driftless region. Lots of incredible overlooks just a short hike away. Gravel access road. Sites are small and some are not very level. No electric hookups. Be aware that the only water fill is about 75 feet from the road. The sites close to the water fill as seen on the map, would have closer access. 2 bars of Verizon LTE.

• 

  Nancy D.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 11, 2022

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  NOT HAPPY

  the view was amazing. The campsites were very small. And KEEP BARKING DOGS AT HOME PLEASE.

• 

  Nancy D.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 11, 2022

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Unhappy

  They have gravel on all there campsites with tents horrible on the tent put a hole inn the bottom of the tent with sharp gravel. I would bring a padded floor with next time.

• D

  Dylan W.

  Traveler

  

  May. 14, 2024

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Nice Weekend Get Away

  The cart in sites all have a fire pit with a grill, picnic table, and are a short walk from the primitive toilets. There is a water spigot in the parking area. They have 4-5 wheelbarrows to use as carts to get your stuff to the site. Each site could comfortably hold 3 to 4 tents. They are on a path for an out and back hike so expect some passers by. Cart in 1 and 2 are fairly close to the parking area and are less secluded from each other. 3 and 4 are more secluded. Site 3 offers more shade and 4 looks to have recently had some trees cut down and is fairly open air. Overall the trails are well maintained and accessible from the cart in area. They provide some nice views of the river and you can easily hike the area in a day. It’s by no means a secluded area if you’re looking to get away from road noise or other people. All in all it makes for a nice weekend getaway.

• F

  Fay P.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2024

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  Lovely Place

  The park is very easy to get to right off the highway. We were greeted by a beautiful meadow with a very well maintained gravel road, stopped by the info station and bought wood and a parking pass (pass is required and is 7$ for one day, easy online purchase). The sites are a bit of a ways into the park but with that maintained road it was very easy. The facilities are great. Very clean bathroom with nice showers (cold water then warmed up). The campground was quiet but there were still a good amount of people staying as well. We stayed just one night and were very happy with this area! Really pretty

• 

  Jarrett G.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 7, 2024

  Great River Bluffs State Park Campground

  One of my favorites!

  Beautiful area with very nice trails. 20-30 mins to Winona, 20 mins to La Crosse. Not a huge site selection, but very nice sites. My wife and I try to go there as much as we can!