Searching for a tent camping spot near Houston? Find the best tent camping sites near Houston. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Camp along a Mississippi tributary beside the Minnesota-Wisconsin line in this whimsical farm paradise. Run around the pasture, take a walk in the forest or dip your toes in the flowing creek at Shady Rest Acres. You are welcome to sit back, relax, and observe the farm animals. No guest are allowed inside the fenced off area of pasture without a host with them. We do have 4 well behaved dog's an 8 indoor outdoor cats, cows, goats, sheep, mini donkeys, ducks, chickens, turkeys and honey bee's. Tent Sites Pitch a tent in the field beside a fire pit and get a great view of the night sky or pitch a tent beneath the walnut trees beside the creek and relax in a hammock. Bee Relaxed Studio If you would rather stay indoors, kick back in the fully furnished studio with a wood burning stove and vinyl record player. Please no pets in the studio. No matter where you decide to stay at Shady Rest Acres you will be in close proximity to the Mississippi River, Beaver Creek Valley State Park, and Great River Bluffs State Park. This area is great for hiking, fishing, kayaking, and swimming. When making reservations please include in your total any person over the age of two.
$40 - $120 / night
Yellow River State Forest is a perfect place to explore some of Iowa's best hiking trails. Located in northeast Iowa in Allamakee County, the forest is part of the "driftless area" that escaped the glaciers during the most recent ice age. The forest consists of 8,900 acres of hardwood and coniferous forest and is comprised of 6 units.
The Paint Creek Unit is of primary interest to the recreationist, with well-kept camping areas, equestrian accommodations, fishing, hunting, and over 45 miles of trails for hiking, equestrian riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
$12 / night
Aefintyr campground is located in the scenic woods of the Whitewater River Valley in the Driftless Area of Southeastern Minnesota. We offer beautiful blufftop hike-in camping and glamping and cozy treehouse inspired camper cabins. The hike-in camp/glamp sites offer a backpacking like experience (1460 ft hike with a 230 ft elevation gain) and are great for people who like to get some exercise and want to immerse themselves in a woodland setting. Perfect relaxation destination or home base for your Whitewater Valley adventures. Aefintyr is a small operation that values peace, quiet and quality over quantity. Get away from crowds and get into the woods! Onsite, enjoy a campfire, stargazing, hiking and observing the amazing animals, plants and fungi.
Nearby recreation opportunities include:
Within 2 miles of Whitewater State Park, the Elba Fire Tower, Whitewater State Wildlife Management Area (hunting, trout fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing) and the Whitewater River State Water Trail (canoe/kayak/tube). There is a gas station (bait and fishing supplies, convenience store items), 2 bars and a restaurant within a mile in the town of Elba. Whitewater Wines Winery is also just a few miles up the road!
Shared amenities:
Bathhouse with individual rooms, with a hot shower, vanity and composting toilet
Outhouse with composting toilet on top of the bluff within 400 feet of each campsite
Community area (requires short hike) with tent shelters (2, each 10' x 20'), outdoor furniture, tables, chairs, propane grill w/ side burner, firepit w/ cooking grate/skillet.
Propane Gas Grill (at base of the hill by the bathhouse)
Stargazing area with reclining chairs
Cell service: AT&T typically works well, Verizon works intermittently, and T-mobile doesn't have a good signal.
Wi-fi: Available at the bathhouse and parking area, data speeds up to 25 Mbps.
**Parking: **On site, 2 vehicle limit, no vehicles larger than a full-size truck, no trailers.
**Host accessibility: **Available 24/7/365 via phone and email/messaging, frequently on site.
**Security: **Campground community areas are under video surveillance.
Setting: Aefintyr campground is located in the hilly, wooded, blufflands of the Whitewater River Valley just north of the tiny town of Elba, MN. Views are primarily of the woods and valleys. The campground is off of a 2 lane county highway so there is some intermittent road noise. It is otherwise very peaceful and filled with the sounds of nature, including lots of birds and other wildlife.
Aefintyr is a peaceful place with chill vibes and we like to keep it that way! It is not a place for parties or rowdy groups. We like to listen to nature, not loud music or rowdy people blabbering into the night. Please see our rules/polices to know what to expect.
20240824
$29 - $139 / night
Quiet, remote tent camping under dark skies for the minimalist. One mile hike-in to site. Direct access to more remote areas of the NE side Forestville State Park and 50 acres of wooded private trails. Sites are located on the lower area of our property. Approximately 100 yards between sites and each are not within site of each other. All sites are located directly on a main trail circling a walnut grove. A shared centrally located compostable outhouse is located within 50 yards of each site.
This is a beautiful, remote property nestled between our organic Century Family Farm and Forestville State Park. We offer these limited campsites to a very specific demographic, minimalists looking for a quiet experience in nature. Years have gone into the making of these sites to be in balance with nature and our farm. These sites will be only open during spring and fall months. Camping does not include access to our other agritourism opportunities on our farm.
Please read through our description carefully and be sure this is the right fit for you prior to booking. Please contact us with questions. I would much rather leave the site open/unbooked than not meet your expectations. You must check in at our office prior to going to your campsite.
Additional items that will be delivered to your site. Plan ahead. $5 fee per delivery trip.
No hunting on property and no hunting groups.
Know before you go. Our outhouse has a dry compostable SunMar toilet. Instructions are located inside the outhouse. There is a solar motion detected light inside the outhouse.
Up to 2 dogs are allowed per site. Dogs must be vaccinated and not display aggressive behavior towards people or other animals. Dogs must be leashed and supervised at all times. For the safety of your pets and our livestock, visiting dogs are not allowed on the private trails. Hiking with your dog is available on and off trail in Forestville.
Please meet us at a pre-arranged time at our farm store/camping office at least one hour prior to sunset. You will be given parking instructions and directions to hike in to your site at that time. Please pack and plan accordingly to be able to carry/pack in all of your personal items. Additional items (listed above) are available on loan to check out for your camping experience. These items will be brought to your campsite for you.
$35 / night
Scout
I arrived midweek around 8:00 PM and the office was closed. I was tent camping on motorcycle and easily found my site way back on the property. Andy came out to my site in the morning to say hi and ask if anything was needed. He definitley cares about the people staying here. With the gravel roads and very soft grass site, it was easy to manuver a large bike. Out in the tent sites there was very little light, which made star gazing amazing. If it wasn't for the store and well done shower room I would have thought I was in the wilderness especially in the tent area. Great place for quiet midweek, not sure what the weekend is like. The only reason it is not 5 stars is from my site I had to walk out to the field for wifi reception. With no Verizon cell service, not sure if others did, I needed to comunicate with family.
John Carpentier Coon Rapids, MN
Traveler
This campsite is at the trailhead for the Root River Bike Trail. This bike trail is so awesome and by far the best in the tri-state area!
The nature center is tent camping only but they do have nice spots with picnic tables and grills. Even though I'm not a kid, I thought the park was AWESOME. They litterally have a tree house to play in!!!! The Nature Center also has a bike servicing station, showers, and bathrooms. Everything is extremely clean and the town of Houston is so sweet. I will visit again!
Scout
Free firewood, free wifi, water and electric at each campsite. Found a nice shady site for tent camping.
Scout
Very nice, clean campground with a lot of amenities. Tent camping on the river was neat, but tents were very close together due to the small sites
Guide
Small city park. Just a field for tent camping. A few RV spots. Easy on-and-off if you are looking for a quick overnight.
RangerHas very clean showers and toilets. Owl center at office. Tent sites only and not many. Must make reservations but typically not many people here camping.
Traveler
A weird little campground. It’s just smack in the middle of a small town. Electric hookups for those with campers, water and public restroom and shower house. $8 for tent camping. Gas station close by
Scout
Stayed here in a tent while on a bicycle camping trip and it was adequate. It is located in a city park within a couple minutes walk of the downtown area. The bike trail crosses the south end of downtown so close to that too. This would not be a good place to camp if you'd like to be out in nature
Biggest gripe is the slope of the tent sites. The majority of the tent sites are on an incline around a pond. There are also a lot of ducks that aren't very afraid of humans. None got into my gear though. There are fire rings at the tent sites. No picnic tables at the individual sites but there are some nearby in the park and there's also a covered picnic shelter. Hammocks would be difficult to impossible as the tent area is a strip of grass between pond and bluff, which has mostly brush or too whimpy of trees to hang from at the base. There are a couple huge oaks but none in pairs.
Quarter showers and clean restrooms are available. $20/night/tent which seemed a bit steep to me considering how slanted the sites were and quarter showers. It is cheaper than the other places within immediate biking distance which were $25/night.
Ranger
A lot of electric sites. Tent sites further back in the campground through multiple water crossings (ok for cars). Campsites beautiful wooded sites in the bluffs. Definitely a campground to see!
Ranger
Beautiful place, tent camping is available. Great breakfast and romantic setting for our anniversary. They sell wine and food in the store. Host is amazing and friendly. Disc golf is busy here, in winter they have sledding hills. The llamas are fun to feed.
GuideI was there on a Monday and was the only tent around. Site 15 is the best for tent sites, it’s right at the delta of where two streams meet. It’s a quick bike ride to pulpit rock brewing and other parks.
Traveler
Nice big tent sites down by the river. Walking trails were nice but recommend pants as the grass was long in spots. Plenty of wildlife and could not hear the cars from the highway.
Legend
Stayed in 2 primitive tent sites: table, fire ring, shaded. Great sites for hat are all within walking to stocked trout streams! CG is in valley, cooled air, shaded, cold water streams to cool off. Pit toilets, trash bins, self registration with some sites reservable.
GuideDecorah is so beautiful. The river is right beside the tent sites. Hiking trails close by. Caves and water falls only a short drive away. Tubing, canoeing, and kayaking services behind camp grounds. Super affordable site rates. Shower house. Picnic tables and fire pits at each site.
ScoutTent camping - Fun things to do with kids - jumping pillow, petting zoo, kids train ride, playground, pool, sandpit, volleyball, peddle bikes, river with tubing, horse rides, close to white water with hiking and beach. Seasonal people were friendly and staff was great. Low bugs and a good size camping space. Only negative was the pedestrian bridge is a little old and could use some repairs.
Traveler
Sites are basic with water, pit toilets, tables and fire rings. I originally planned to stay here but came across the non-resident charges (my state does not do this). I made reservations at the Village of Norwalk and the town of Hillsboro instead. Both have City parks with free tent camping. Norwalk even has showers and RV spots. I've added both to The Dyrt library.
ScoutThis is a great little park if you need a place to stop for the night. It was very inexpensive for tents ($10 I think) and the tent camping area was very nice with 3 giant pine trees and some picnic tables and fire rings. As someone who bicycle tours I appreciated fire wood being on site and close to where the tent area is. The bathrooms aren’t the best but they worked. Overall its a safe, clean, welcoming campground for both tents and RV’s.
ScoutSpacious, level, well kept, quiet. $10/night, which is great. Spotless showers and bathrooms, access to drinking water. The International Owl Center was a welcome discovery. Best tent campground on the Root River Trail.
Guide
We are new to tent camping and are fortunate to live a short drive away from Whitewater State Park. We have heard from our friends who go camping that this is a highly sought after destination and I can see why. Beautiful lookouts on trails, quiet camp sites (non electric sites are much more peaceful), and very nice amenities. The main shower/restroom area looks brand new and is very nice.
GuideMost sites are for car camping or RV's. Tent site was nice and clean and a good size. Could have set up 2 tents with no problem. Not a ton of privacy from other campers. Showers/bathrooms available. Lots of hiking trails. Camp store was never open when I checked. Swimming beach was available, but there were geese (and their poop) everywhere. This state park is nice because there are NO mosquitoes. But beware, there are bears.
Traveler
Very nice area, camped in a tent at the end of September. Firewood had very easy access. The campground was a pretty large layout, but still easy to navigate. Nice hiking spots with amazing views. Bugs weren't too terrible, I maybe had two mosquito bites the whole 4 days, and that was before I put bug spray on.
Rentals for canoes and kayaks are available. Unfortunately, when I went the current was too strong. We could still rent one but they warned us that if we weren't able to make it through the current, that we wouldn't be able to get our money refunded.
There were signs posted that the drinking water cannot be boiled, nor can it be given to babies or elderly due to high nitrates. But we brought our own water anyways.
Traveler
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!
TravelerThis is a convenient small campground next to a city park. The touristy shops and biking trails are within a few blocks of the campground. The RV campsites have water and electricity. We found the sites to be rather close together. The sites are first come first served (no reservations). There are also numerous tent sites, as this seems to be popular with the bicycling crowd. This really is a beautiful area of southeast MN.
GuideI was disappointed with camping here. We stayed in a tent site, W##. We felt lucky with this because the W sites were more secluded and you didn't feel like you were on top of your camping neighbors. The bathrooms and showers here were very gross though. The hiking here had great views but trails were not labeled well. The Big Spring was also a great natural water feature to relax in after a hot hike!
Scout
Tent sites are just okay. They are located directly across from houseboats, so little privacy. The area was also damp, which meant lots of bugs. I was envious of the RV side, which looked much nicer. It was not quiet due to being practically under the bridge into La Crosse. On the upside, The man working there was very friendly and helpful. It did not appear that anyone was masked or social distancing. The bar was open and patrons were next to each other on stools at the bar. Employees were also not wearing masks.
Traveler
Its nice to have a place this nice only 35 minutes from Rochester. Beautiful campground with great amenities available. The hike to the site is steep but worth it once you get up there. I stayed at the Talia bell tent site so I didn't have to bring much so it made the hike a lot easier. Short drive to White Water State Park. A lot of great trout fishing spots along the river. Very peaceful campground, great view of the stars on clear nights! Will definitely be back.
Guide
We stopped here to sleep on our way home from a long road trip. The electric sites are like a typical RV park, not much space or privace. We had site 40west and it was larger, but too close to the smelly pit toilets. Showers nice, hot and clean. The tent sites looked spacious, but not very private. The campground is in a beautiful setting and not far off The Great River Road. We enjoyed watching a muskrat family playing in the stream by our site. We would definitely use this campground as a layover again.
Tent camping near Houston, Minnesota offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor activities, making it an ideal getaway for nature enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Houston, MN is Houston Nature Center with a 4.8-star rating from 4 reviews.
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