The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Minneapolis. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Minneapolis campgrounds just for you. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Minnesota camping adventure.
Lebanon Hills Regional Park is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Containing almost 2,000 acres, the park offers miles of trails and many lakes for year-round outdoor sports, recreation and environmental education.
The Lebanon Hills Visitor Center, located in the eastern section of the park, offers park information, interactive nature displays, courses and programs, equipment rental and access to all the beauty the park has to offer.
Dakota County Parks is actively restoring more than 1,100 acres of prairie and forest within Lebanon Hills Campground and planting more than 3,000 new trees and shrubs.
$24 - $42 / night
Washington County offers two beautiful campgrounds for a relaxing getaway, one located within Lake Elmo Park Reserve and the other within St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park. Find a campsite that suits your needs, from sites with electric and water hook-ups, to group sites, to rustic hike-in sites. Enjoy all the other amenities the parks have to offer, including hiking, fishing, boating, and more.
Washington County Campgrounds are open for the season. Online, in-person, and phone reservations are now being accepted.
Group Campground Features Three sites available for groups of up to 50 people Wheeled cart available for check-out at park office Group Site #2 includes a small picnic shelter Picnic table and fire ring/grill provided at each site Vault or portable toilets available One-day reservations allowed Pets are not allowed
Hike-In Campground Features Five hike-in tent sites - one tent per site Hiking distance from parking lot is approximately 100 to 300 yards Wheeled cart available for check-out at park office with a refundable deposit Modern bathrooms and water available at the Nordic Center Pets are not allowed
Modern Campground Features Eighty campsites, suited for tents, trailers, or motor homes - most sites are back-in Sites 1-58 have 20/30/50 amp with water. Site 59 is 50 amp only (no water). Sites 60-80 are 20/30 amp Camp Host/Work Camper sites include sewer hookup Picnic table and fire ring/grill provided at each site Modern bathroom facilities with flush toilets and hot showers Trailer/RV dump station Play area Handicap accessible One camping unit per site Pets are not allowed
$23 - $80 / night
With more than 200 sites to choose from, you may have trouble picking your favorite spot! Camper cabins and sites with or without electrical hookups are available with shower and restroom facilities nearby.
Located within Baker Park Reserve, which offers miles of biking and hiking trails, swimming beaches, a play area, picnic areas, boat access, watercraft rentals and more.
Baker Campground has 203 sites, including 103 with electricity. Each site can accommodate two tents or one tent and one RV, and a maximum of eight people. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, with wheelchair accessible showers and flush toilets nearby. There is an RV dump station available.
Baker has five 12’x16’ cabins. Each features a screened-in porch, table, benches and wooden bunk beds with mattresses, electricity, heat, overhead lighting, ceiling fans and outlets. The cabins are near a modern restroom facility that includes showers, changing rooms and dishwashing sinks. Three of the cabins can accommodate up to six people; two cabins are ADA-accessible and can accommodate up to five people.
Baker Campground encourages recycling and composting.
$21 - $29 / night
Located on the St. Croix River, just 20 miles east of Saint Paul, Afton State Park is great for those looking for camping near Minneapolis and is 1600 acres of rolling prairies, oak woodlands, and limestone river canyons amid an ancient glacial landscape. The land for the park was acquired in 1967, but it took almost 15 years of planning revisions and compromises with local residents before the park finally opened in 1982. Little development has gone into Afton State Park in an effort to maintain its natural characteristics, and former farmland atop the bluffs are continuously being restored to their original state. This makes Afton an ideal destination for campers looking to experience the outdoors in a wilder setting.
Load up your backpack with all you’ll need for your stay, as camping at Afton State Park requires a hearty, 0.75-mile hike in from the parking area. The year-round campground offers 27 rustic sites with picnic tables and fire pits, with options for pitching your tent in either open or wooded areas. There is drinking water, a vault toilet and firewood is supplied within the camp area. There is also three boat-in campsites, and two group campsites that can accommodate up to 60 people each. If you’d rather not rough it, the park also offers four camping cabins and two yurts, some of which are wheelchair accessible. There are also several picnic areas and restrooms within the park. Campsite rates range from $15–$23/night; cabins range from $55–$70/night, and yurts $50–$65/night.
When you’re ready to explore, start at the park’s Nature Store where you can pick up information about the park’s flora and fauna, or join a nature walk. Then choose from more than 20 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, as well as a short barrier-free path. If you’re visiting in winter, many of these trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Bring your GPS and go on a geocaching treasure hunt, or bring your binoculars and go on safari for a variety of migratory birds, waterfowl, and wildlife, including deer, foxes and badgers. And little ones will love becoming Junior Park Naturalists and learning about bugs, birds, plants and other critters. If you’re looking for a real outdoor adventure, Afton State Park has what you’re looking for.
$16 - $250 / night
$20 - $75 / night
$20 - $32 / night
There is so much to do at Interstate State Park along the beautiful St. Croix River. Explore unique geology and stunning cliff-top views, hike trails through diverse habitat, canoe or kayak, or relax on an excursion boat. The park is also a popular destination for rock climbers. Visit in spring for trails lined with wildflowers. Come in fall for picturesque valley views. Experience the park's glacial potholes during any season. These impressive holes were carved into the rock by swirling sand and water thousands of years ago.
$24 - $34 / night
Lebanon Hills Regional Park is the largest park in the Dakota County park system. Containing almost 2,000 acres, the park offers miles of trails and many lakes for year-round outdoor sports, recreation and environmental education.
The Lebanon Hills Visitor Center, located in the eastern section of the park, offers park information, interactive nature displays, courses and programs, equipment rental and access to all the beauty the park has to offer.
Dakota County Parks is actively restoring more than 1,100 acres of prairie and forest within Lebanon Hills Campground and planting more than 3,000 new trees and shrubs.
$24 - $42 / night
With more than 200 sites to choose from, you may have trouble picking your favorite spot! Camper cabins and sites with or without electrical hookups are available with shower and restroom facilities nearby.
Located within Baker Park Reserve, which offers miles of biking and hiking trails, swimming beaches, a play area, picnic areas, boat access, watercraft rentals and more.
Baker Campground has 203 sites, including 103 with electricity. Each site can accommodate two tents or one tent and one RV, and a maximum of eight people. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, with wheelchair accessible showers and flush toilets nearby. There is an RV dump station available.
Baker has five 12’x16’ cabins. Each features a screened-in porch, table, benches and wooden bunk beds with mattresses, electricity, heat, overhead lighting, ceiling fans and outlets. The cabins are near a modern restroom facility that includes showers, changing rooms and dishwashing sinks. Three of the cabins can accommodate up to six people; two cabins are ADA-accessible and can accommodate up to five people.
Baker Campground encourages recycling and composting.
$21 - $29 / night
Located on the St. Croix River, just 20 miles east of Saint Paul, Afton State Park is great for those looking for camping near Minneapolis and is 1600 acres of rolling prairies, oak woodlands, and limestone river canyons amid an ancient glacial landscape. The land for the park was acquired in 1967, but it took almost 15 years of planning revisions and compromises with local residents before the park finally opened in 1982. Little development has gone into Afton State Park in an effort to maintain its natural characteristics, and former farmland atop the bluffs are continuously being restored to their original state. This makes Afton an ideal destination for campers looking to experience the outdoors in a wilder setting.
Load up your backpack with all you’ll need for your stay, as camping at Afton State Park requires a hearty, 0.75-mile hike in from the parking area. The year-round campground offers 27 rustic sites with picnic tables and fire pits, with options for pitching your tent in either open or wooded areas. There is drinking water, a vault toilet and firewood is supplied within the camp area. There is also three boat-in campsites, and two group campsites that can accommodate up to 60 people each. If you’d rather not rough it, the park also offers four camping cabins and two yurts, some of which are wheelchair accessible. There are also several picnic areas and restrooms within the park. Campsite rates range from $15–$23/night; cabins range from $55–$70/night, and yurts $50–$65/night.
When you’re ready to explore, start at the park’s Nature Store where you can pick up information about the park’s flora and fauna, or join a nature walk. Then choose from more than 20 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, as well as a short barrier-free path. If you’re visiting in winter, many of these trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Bring your GPS and go on a geocaching treasure hunt, or bring your binoculars and go on safari for a variety of migratory birds, waterfowl, and wildlife, including deer, foxes and badgers. And little ones will love becoming Junior Park Naturalists and learning about bugs, birds, plants and other critters. If you’re looking for a real outdoor adventure, Afton State Park has what you’re looking for.
$16 - $250 / night
$20 - $75 / night
