Best Tent Camping near Hutchinson, MN

Lake Maria State Park has great hiking trails for the whole family, the camper cabins are spread throughout and are hike in only. Each cabin is pretty secluded and on a body of water. The cabins themselves are very basic, but the setting is awesome.

I haven’t stayed in the backpack tent sites, but I bet they’re fantastic.

I went early in the spring for camping at this park and ended up staying in the cabin – it was sort of a, I wanna get out of the city, let’s go camping, oh the campground is still closed sort of last minute trip. I can’t comment on the facilities, as the water wasn’t even back on for the season yet (March 30). The park has two campgrounds from what I saw; one with cabins and tent sites near the wilderness center and one on Andrew Lake. The lake was BEAUTIFUL at sunset. I drove all the way around and took pictures. Lots and lots of wildlife around at this one too! Fun little café in New London (Middle Fork) – delicious French toast and friendly service; seemed like a place the locals went!

We stayed here with two young kids tent camping. We stayed in site A20 due to the close proximity to the bathrooms. The grounds were very well kept and groomed. The sites were pretty close together with no trees in between, but only around 25% of sites were occupied when we were there so it wasn’t a problem. I would imagine it would be very cozy and not much privacy when full, which could be the only potential drawback. There were a fair amount of RVs- we were one of only a few tents I saw. There were some nice looking cabins on our loop as well. It was a very short walk down a path to the beautiful lake which was deserted when we were there. The bathrooms looked new and were very well kept. There was even one family restroom with a shower which was so awesome for trying yo get two small kids cleaned up. Loved that. Overall this was a great campsite when not full and we had a great time.

We tent camped at Sibley State Park from August 31 through September 3, 2022, in drive-in campsite #91 of the Oak Ridge campground. It was a last minute trip for us, right before the Labor Day weekend. We had the non-electric loop all to ourselves from Wednesday through midday Friday, and then the campground was a non-stop hub of activity as more campers arrived for the holiday weekend.

The park has two campgrounds. Oak Ridge is mostly wooded with some prairie sites and is more private. Lakeview is very open without privacy between campsites, but it has some mature trees for shade and is close to the beach and picnic area.

The reservation website mostly does not include tent pad dimensions, so we took a chance on a site not knowing whether our 10x14 tent would fit. Luckily, it did. Site #91 was spacious and wooded on three sides. We walked both campgrounds to check for non-electric sites that would accommodate our tent. If you have a large tent, consider these campsites: Oak Ridge 77, 78, 81, 83, 84, 87, 88, 90, 91, 93, and 94; Lakeview 46, 66, and 70.

The park is beautiful. There are lots of trails, a very nice beach and picnic area, and lots of wildflowers. We saw a lot of wildlife, including deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, turkeys, song birds, butterflies, and frogs.

The high point in the park is Mt. Tom, and there is a trail to its peak. If you don’t want to do the hike, you can drive most of the way then walk a short, paved, moderately inclined path to the top. The view is lovely.

The biting bugs weren’t too bad during the day, but they were plentiful and aggressive in the evening. Remember your insect repellent!

Every site is a hike in site, including the three camper cabins. The trails are groomed enough that if you have a cart, you can pack your gear in that way too.

My wife and I stayed at camper cabin 1 on this Mon-Wed trip, and it is secluded and beautiful. You have to take a little bridge to get to it even.

There was a major storm that came through Sun-Mon, and this being a wetlands, things got muddy and buggy quick. The area around the cabin itself was good though as a breeze coming off the lake kept the bugs at bay.

The cabin itself is very cozy. Two bunks with queen on the bottom and twin on the top to sleep six total. A couple of good spots outside you can hang hammocks from too. Bring lighting as the cabin solar light only gives you a couple hours (assuming it could even charge up that day and it didn’t our first day) and it’s so wooded it gets dark very quickly. Everything is sealed up nice and tight too, so no bugs in the cabin unless you tear the screens or leave the door open.

All the necessary items to clean up the cabin were provided, broom, dustpan, spray bottle, cloth, bucket, so that made cleaning up easy.

I rated 4 stars based on three factors.

1. Park office is only open Friday through Sunday. Makes sense seeing as that if it’s not that busy of a place during this week of July 4th, I can’t imagine other weeks getting busier.

2. Rain can get things boggy quick, possibly closing the trail to your site even.

3. State website says fire wood is provided, and two cords were at the cabin when we got there, but nothing said we had to pay for the wood. It’s fine, but I’ll have to run into town as I didn’t bring cash with me to leave in the envelope at the office, since the office is closed during the week, which also means if I needed more than these two cords, I have to run to town... As of this review, cords were $6 at the park and $5.50 at the truck stop up by I-94.

Otherwise the place is great and I can imagine coming back again with friends and trying out the hike in tent sites too.

TLDR version: Great place, quiet on these weekdays during a holiday week, bring firewood, use a cart if you have one to bring things to your site.

Games Lake County Park, near New London, Minnesota, is a great spot for camping. With tent, RV, and cabin options, it suits all campers. The park offers electric hookups, clean facilities, and friendly staff. FR Legends recommends this park for its peaceful atmosphere and great amenities. Located near Games Lake, it’s perfect for fishing, boating, and family fun. A playground, beach, and boat launch make it a great getaway. Open May to September, it’s ideal for outdoor adventures!

Baker Park near Minneapolis Minnesota was a our camp choice for inexpensive camping on the last leg of our Minnesota vacation in 2017. After reading a lot of Pinterest reviews I’m glad we stayed at this camp. Managed by ThreeRiversParks.org (make your reservation here) this is one of the cleanest camps I’ve ever stayed at. It was crowded with RV’s and tents alike but it never seemed loud or cramped. The shower house was very clean and roomy and an easy walk from the camp sites. We didn’t take advantage of the nearby lake or other numerous activities because we used it as a base camp for the Mall of America. You’ll need to book for at least two nights and book as soon as you can. There are 200 sites but on the July weekend we stayed, I’d say almost all of them were booked. The camp staff are very friendly and you’ll need to get checked in before 9pm I believe because they close it off to paid guests after that. The camp was pretty quite for as full as it was. I did notice that local law enforcement did patrol the camp a couple of times each night but it felt very safe to me. I’d definitely recommend this camp and the next time we stay we will check out the hiking trails, lake, and playground for sure.

This is a small campground in the middle of Minnesota that plays host to the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association' two annual festivals. There's a separate campground for traditional campers but there's various designated camping spots for the festivals.

These festivals are one of the most laid back, fun music festivals I've been to. You get to watch from the comfort of your own lawn chair while sitting under the trees. Can't beat it.

It's a great park in an area of Minnesota that is not well traveled. There's also a lot of history here with an interesting museum on the U.S.-Dakota Conflict of 1862.

I had never been camping, so for our very first camping trip we went here. It’s only a few miles from our home but was a great place for us to get the family into camping. The place is very small, I believe there’s only 5-6? Tent spots but they are big. We fit a 10x20 tent plus 2 smaller tents on our site. They do have a few RV sites also. This park is by the river that allows fishing and it does have a volleyball area and a basketball court, full bathrooms and a nice pond. We were the only campers that night so it was quiet. However, this is located directly behind the police station (aka park office) so we kept getting routine drive-ups by the cops.?? I have since been to a few other campgrounds so I have something to compare it to. It’s a good one if you need seclusion and quiet. I have a family with kids and we need more than this park offers to keep the kids interested in camping. Hope this is helpful.

Site was great. Good shade cover, room for 4 hammocks and a small tent. Closer to other sites than I was hoping but overall a great oasis less than an hour from Minneapolis.

There is not much privacy between camp sites. It is very clean. The staff is great. We were pleased with the experience. The playground was awesome! Till they tore it down to build new. Not done yet. The beaches are some of the best in Minnesota. The bike trails are nearby and plentiful.

Spots were nice small. Dirt ground and tent pad. Each site had a fire ring and picnic table as well as a food box (we’re assuming) most sites fairly visible from the trail but not all. Bathrooms near by clusters of sites but did not appear to have toilet paper so you gotta bring your own.

We decided on a whim to camp here for a few days during a long weekend off - we were excited to do a bit of exploring and spend some quality time together, and didn't want to stray too far from home. This campground is perfect! We backpacked in and even took our dog - she loved it!!! Great tenting spots and even better scenery!

To 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!

Really enjoyed the short hike to our campsite, BP7. 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!

Campsite included: 2 tent pads, a few areas to hammock, fire ring w/large grill, small bench, picnic table, bear box and latrine.

I don’t think I would change a thing about the campsite.