Best Tent Camping near Jackson, MN

Tent campsites near Jackson, Minnesota include several county-managed options scattered across the region. Bright Lake County Park provides tent camping with lakeside views through the trees and accommodates multiple tents per site. Iowa Lake County Campground, located approximately 15 miles southeast of Jackson, offers primitive tent camping directly on a lake with basic amenities. Both locations provide campers with natural settings and water access while maintaining a rustic, outdoorsy experience.

Tent camping areas in this region typically feature basic amenities suited for self-sufficient campers. Most sites include fire rings and picnic tables, with Bright Lake offering firewood on-site. Toilet facilities vary by location, with Iowa Lake providing vault toilets while some smaller locations have no restroom facilities. Potable water is limited throughout the area, with Iowa Lake offering drinking water but many other sites requiring campers to bring their own supplies. Road access primarily consists of drive-in sites, though some locations like Bright Lake also accommodate walk-in and hike-in tent camping for those seeking more secluded spots.

The tent camping experience in this area offers good opportunities for lakeside recreation and quiet natural settings. Sites at Bright Lake provide scenic sunset views over the water, with one visitor noting it was "a really nice spot almost overlooking the lake, perfect for me and my family." Iowa Lake County Campground receives positive feedback for its tent-specific amenities. A bicycle tourist mentioned it was "a great little spot to stay" with lakeside placement and clean facilities. Occupancy levels fluctuate seasonally, with some reviewers experiencing complete solitude while others reported busier periods with "rowdy college kids." Backcountry tent camping options remain limited in this predominantly agricultural region, making these established tent campgrounds valuable resources for outdoor enthusiasts seeking primitive tent setups near Jackson.

Best Tent Sites Near Jackson, Minnesota (7)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Jackson, MN

2 Photos of 7 Jackson Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Jackson, MN

170 Reviews of 7 Jackson Campgrounds


  • Morgan Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 6, 2020

    Oak Woods Campground — Lake Shetek State Park

    This is camping?

    I was up in the Oak Woods Campground. This was pretty much an open field with people crammed together. One of my neighbors sat and watched a certain cable news channel on a giant outdoor TV hooked up to their bus from 8am until 10p. I can tell you that a TV host named Tucker was very angry that night. Another "camper" had set up a giant playground, penned in areas for their multiple dogs, and had a bouncy castle set up for their daughter...that was running off of a very loud generator all day. The whole thing was lit up with string lights like it was an airport runway and gave the entire campground a carnival feel. WTF?  Unfortunately for your enjoyment, I deleted the video I took of the scene. Lucky for you, I still have a photograph of it. 

    I had reserved 2 nights. I left at 6am after one pathetic night and went and stayed at a Harvest Host instead. 

    Leave no trace (and set up no carnivals).

  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 30, 2025

    Island Park

    Small waterfront campground

    Nice little park to stop at for a night on a trip. Only stayed here for a night on my way out west in 2024. Arrived a bit before dark and decided to sleep in my car rather than my tent just due to the timing and being tucked away by the river by myself. Never did figure out where a bathroom was unfortunately. There was a gas station right down the road for any conveniences you may need. There is a kayak launch right by the campsites that I would've put my inflatable into if I'd had more daylight/time here.

    Not sure how larger campers would set up given the layout and how small the pads look, but there was plenty of room in front and behind the pads.

  • Megan R.
    Jul. 30, 2024

    Plum Creek Park Campground

    Hidden Gem

    This is the definition of a hidden gem. The park is well maintained with friendly staff. There are nice trails around the lake and more in the lower unit. There is disc golf and kayak rentals and a small store where you can buy ice, firewood, souvenirs, and an ice cream treat. 

    For extra peace and quiet, get the tent only (non electric) sites across the lake! There are a variety of sites if you want to “rough it” or not. Bathrooms are clean. 

    You can tell the workers here care about the park and your experience. I found 0 trash on the trails, and I usually come out with a handful.

    It fills up on weekends with “seasonals” but all the sites have trees and nice shade that gives you a sense of privacy. Theres a tent site close to the playground and bathrooms perfect if you have kids.

  • Clint  G.
    Jul. 20, 2021

    Korte's Checkers Welcome Campground

    Great value as Passport America member

    This is a small private campground that offers a quiet nights stay.  Site size was moderate with some shade, a fire ring, picnic table, on a level gravel pad.  $20 per Passport America members for FHU is sweet.  The grounds were well cared for and was not to far from the interstate but far enough away that there was little noise.

  • Evan W.
    Jun. 20, 2019

    Watona City Park

    Perfect Stop On a South Dakota RoadTrip

    We pulled into this place at 2:00 AM so we weren't really able to see much of the environment. In the morning though we awoke to a beautiful park with good shade coverage from the trees. Our group only hammock camps so we were glad to see the abundance of trees between each camp slot. The only downside to this place was the gnats. Although not that bad we woke up with tiny bites on us. That being said if we would have brought a bug net or been in a tent we would have had no problem with them. Overall this camp site was a great place to stop while we were driving to the Badlands.

  • Matthew  H.
    Feb. 13, 2024

    Kilen Woods State Park Campground

    Great Campground! Conveniently located!

    Great Campground. The park Ranger on Duty was very helpful. Campsites were generous in space. Well kept. Fire Ring and picnic table on site were kept up well. Trails and scenery through the back hills are well kept and maintained.

  • Meg W.
    Sep. 17, 2023

    Kilen Woods State Park Campground

    Peaceful Prairie Spot

    Chosen at the last minute for its proximity to the Twin Cities area, the drive was about 2 hrs 45 minutes. Park is quiet, clean and very easy to hike. Entire park can easily be hiked in a day, with prairie, river and oak savanna views. The park rangers were not at the station at any point while we visited, meaning payment for firewood and parking must be done online. Really nice facility with flush toilets and showers sits between the two campground loops. Camped in Walk-In Site #1 and the seclusion from the electric sites was great. The walk-in sites are nestled in the woods and fairly private. From the parking spot to the campsite was an easy ~100’.

  • Joanna B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 7, 2020

    Oak Woods Campground — Lake Shetek State Park

    Boater’s paradise

    6/12/20-6/14/20 cart in 3

    Lake Shetek State Park is located in the SW corner is Minnesota and on Lake Shetek. They have 4 campgrounds. We always up for the more private sites and stayed in the cart-in campground. There are carts available to haul your gear if you choose. The cart in sits sit up on a ridge and had some views of Lake Shetek. Our campsite (3) was spacious with a tent pad large enough to hold 2 tents and had a spot for a hammock. It had a fire ring and picnic table. The vault toilet was right across from our campsite, so we had a lot of foot traffic. It was not the most private site of the bunch, we liked 5 and 7 better.

    Lake Shetek allows motor boats and there was a lot of boat traffic. There are other resorts on this lake so it’s very active. We brought our kayaks and enjoyed kayaking the lake, though there was always a pretty big wake and we stayed near the shoreline. We kayaked (a short Portage) to 2 smaller lakes that had no one on them. We were able to tie our boats to a tree below our campsite and scaled up the embankment, there was a path already there. There are a few hiking trails in the state park (roughly 4 miles of hiking tidal) but I wouldn’t say it’s known for its hiking. We enjoyed the causeway that led to the 1-mile Loon Island Trail. We saw turtles, deer, waterfowl and eagles during our stay. There is a “beach” locates near the Oak Wood campground however it was underwater, people still enjoyed swimming as it was shallow and warm in June. We did find another beach within the state park that was a longer walk to reach, but MANY boats were docked and “partying” here. There is a nice fishing pier and a dock within the park.

    Due to all the boat traffic, I would say this is a much less private and serene state park.

  • Lord J.
    Jun. 26, 2021

    Kilen Woods State Park Campground

    Secluded slice of paradise.

    Stayed in the walk-in section of the campground. Just a short walk from the parking and vault toilet. Beautiful Oaks surround you as does the sumac, raspberries and mosquitos. Even though it rained it was a superb experience 🙏


Guide to Jackson

Tent camping near Jackson, Minnesota centers around several county-managed parks and wildlife areas across the Minnesota-Iowa border region. The terrain consists primarily of prairie lakes surrounded by agricultural land at approximately 1,400 feet elevation. Most campgrounds remain open from May through mid-October, with summer temperatures averaging 80°F during peak season and overnight lows dropping to 40-50°F in spring and fall.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Iowa Lake County Campground provides direct lake access for anglers targeting walleye, northern pike, and panfish. One camper noted, "I found this to be a great little spot to stay bike touring through Iowa. It is right on a lake, has water, and a nice vault toilet."

Boat access camping: Valhalla Island Campgrounds offers boat-in tent sites from May through mid-October. The campground provides electric hookups, drinking water, and allows fires for campers arriving by watercraft.

Wildlife viewing: Oneota Little Sioux Access campground includes toilet facilities in an area known for grassland bird watching. The primitive tent camping area sits along the Little Sioux River corridor, creating habitat for deer, waterfowl, and small mammals.

What campers like

Sunset views: Bright Lake Co Park receives positive feedback for its scenic location through the trees. A visitor reported, "Really nice spot almost overlooking the lake (Through the trees), had fire ring, picnic tables and room for quite a lot of tents!"

Solitude options: Some Jackson area campgrounds offer quiet experiences during weekdays. At Iowa Lake County Campground, a bike tourist mentioned, "Unlike the other reviewer I was literally the only one there. That's always a bit odd but in this case it didn't bother me at all."

Lake proximity: Tent campers appreciate water access at several locations. Even smaller sites like Mini-Wakan State Park provide tent camping with lake views, though without developed amenities like toilets or drinking water.

What you should know

Weekend occupancy fluctuations: County parks can become busy, particularly with local visitors. Regarding Iowa Lake County Campground, a camper observed, "Not a bad place to camp. There was quite a bit of people when I was there and most of them were rowdy college kids but hey it was still a blast."

Limited facilities: Most tent camping areas near Jackson provide only basic amenities. While St. James City Park Camp accommodates tent campers, it lacks developed facilities like toilets or drinking water sources.

Water sources: Bring containers for potable water as availability varies. Some sites like Iowa Lake County Campground provide drinking water, while others require self-sufficiency. One camper noted, "It has water, and a nice vault toilet," which distinguishes it from other primitive options in the region.

Tips for camping with families

Multi-tent accommodations: Bright Lake County Park provides spaces suitable for family groups. A family camper reported, "Had fire ring, picnic tables and room for quite a lot of tents! For me and my family it was perfect!"

Accessibility considerations: Many sites require limited walking from parking areas. Drive-in access at Iowa Lake County Campground puts tents close to vehicles, making equipment transport easier for families with young children.

Weather preparation: The open prairie landscape offers limited natural shelter from wind and storms. Pack appropriate gear for temperature swings between day and night, especially during spring and fall camping seasons.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup availability: Most tent-focused campgrounds near Jackson offer minimal RV services. Cenla Campgrounds stands out with big-rig friendly spaces, electric hookups, water connections, and a sanitary dump station approximately 30 miles from Jackson.

Market access: Cenla Campgrounds provides on-site market facilities for campers needing supplies. This reduces the need for trips to town for basic provisions during extended stays.

Seasonal considerations: RV camping options like Cenla Campgrounds maintain seasonal operations similar to tent-only sites, typically closing by mid-October as temperatures drop and freezing becomes more common.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Jackson, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Jackson, MN is Bright Lake Co Park with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Jackson, MN?

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Jackson, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.