If you want to explore the beauty of Lake City, glamping is an excellent option. The Dyrt lets you enjoy a unique, rustic Lake City experience while glamping. The Dyrt's camping photos, reviews, and tips are an easy way to find the right Minnesota glamping spot for you.
Schools of trout happily swim through the lazy Whitewater River and various spring fed creeks of Whitewater State Park. And while it’s known for its fantastic fishing opportunities, the park also boasts year-round interpretive programs, a modern Visitor Center, and an especially appreciated lack of mosquitos, unique for the region.
Whitewater is well seasoned, with a number of historical attractions within and nearby. In fact, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the park. To commemorate the occasion, local conservationists and naturalists have teamed up to release a special Oral History Project from stories of campers and those native to the region.
Explorers and adventurers will love this park’s diverse selection of attractions and oddities. Home of the park office and interpretive services, the Whitewater Valley Visitor Center should be your first stop. The friendly Park staff are ready to help you plan your visit and load you up on information, and even loaner equipment such as GPS units, fishing kits, discovery kits for kids, and birding kits. Don’t skip the Discovery Room, which showcases nature displays, exhibits and a spotting area to observe the local bluebirds, cardinals, hawks and bald eagles flying about.
The vast expanse of outdoor wilderness is really what you’ll want to check out. If you only have time for a quick visit, check out the Chimney Rock Trail for an awesome view of the Whitewater River. Those searching for a more accessible hike can take the Meadow Trail, which drops off right into a grassy valley, surrounded by dramatic Minnesota bluffs. During the hot and humid summers, go unwind at the beach for a refreshing dip in the cold, spring-fed water. Those more interested in history lovers should visit the famous Elba Fire Tower. Built in 1933, this sturdy tower offers cozy 360 degree views of the entire wetland region below. You’ll be especially grateful for the chance to unwind, thanks to the arduous 500-step climb required to ascend to the top.
Finally, firmly planted atop the land sits Inspiration Point; a beautiful limestone rock outcrop that overlooks the entirety of the Whitewater valley. Known as the most popular attraction within Whitewater State Park, visitors can still discover solace from their troubles. In fact, this is the only overlook in the entire park where there are no signs of civilization anywhere in sight. With just a little imagination, standing atop Inspiration Point on a clear, calm day can make you feel as if you could step down into a deep forested paradise, unspoiled and far from the reach of society.
Whitewater campground here is plentiful, with every site having full electric hookups and full-through capabilities. The campground features a full range of amenities including regularly placed shower houses with laundry facilities, and a number of group camping areas as well. Furthermore, there are 5 cabins available with various sleeping capabilities.
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.
Kruger Management Unit campground is adjacent to the Zumbro River Water Trail. The campsites are considered primitive, designed to furnish only the basic needs of the camper. Each has a cleared area, fire ring, and table. Vault toilets, garbage cans, and drinking water are available. All sites are on a first-come, first-served basis for a fee. Quiet hours are between 10:00 p.m.–8:00 a.m. (this includes no generator use). Please be considerate of others around you.
$14 / night
Reconnect with nature at this unforgettable escape. Located 7 miles South of Menomonie off of Hwy 25 and 1 mile North of Downsville. Whether you're looking to get away and relax amongst the trees, adventure on the trails, or hop into town to check out local restaurants and breweries you're in the right place. Located just one mile from the Red Cedar Bike Trail. If you enjoy camping and want the nature experience, but without the hassle, glamping is for you! Come visit us!
Things to do on our beautiful property:
- Hike and wander the marked trails leading to beautiful views of the Red Cedar River
- Relax around a bonfire in the provide fire rings
- Bike or walk the historic trail Red Cedar State Trail located 1 mile South on Hwy 25 in Downsville.
- Visit Scatterbrain Cafe for breakfast, lunch, and coffee (Downsville)
- Visit Dunn Pottery for one of a kind pottery gifts (Downsville)
$69 - $120 / night
Guide
Minnesota State Parks have just started to build Yurts for 3 campgrounds around the state; Afton, Cuyuna and Glendalough State Parks. These have some great amenities and are perfect for family camping, especially in Fall, Winter and Spring.
ScoutI have stayed multiple times in the hike in camp sites and also in the yurt! The hike in sites were beautiful with a view looking over the St. Croix River. It was a shaded site perfect for our hammocks, it was quiet and very secluded. The Yurt was very cool! Very comfortable beds and plenty of space for the 6 of us to stay and sleep. The fire pit and picnic table wasn't far from the yurt which made it nice to not have to walk too far since we camped in the winter. I highly suggest the expeeience of the yurt!
ScoutAfton is a gorgeous park. There's beautiful trails that take you through dense woods and prairie, and then you take a pretty decline to get to the St Croix River. It was foggy when we were there but still gorgeous. We also managed to get a yurt and it was so much fun. Comfy beds, room for 7 and it was clean and well built. This is a great park!
Scout
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.
GuideWhitewater 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!
LegendAbout 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.
Guide
Right on lake peppin. Cramped spots with no privacy Camp post cruised around constantly hassling us about everything and made us feel unwelcome. Trains come by every 15-30 minutes just feet away from camp site.
TravelerNo showers, but bathrooms which were closed due to COVID. You need to fill up on water before arriving, there are electric hookups. There is a boat launch into the Mississippi used by all sizes of boats. Stockholm is a cute little town, very short walk. $24 nt with hookup
TravelerRight on Lake Pepin
Guide
I love this place. Nice and tucked away. Sites are very private. Has beautiful trails. Next to the river great for exploring and fishing.
ScoutThis is a well maintained campground with private feeling sites. Some with firewood provided. Fire rings have attached grills. Lovely walking trails. Near Lake Pepin. One negative was orange/rusty water from hand pump well. $14 a night!!! We plan to camp there again.
ScoutVery affordable, a lot of space between sites so you feel like you have some privacy. A beautiful hiking trail. Definitely bring some bug spray for the mosquitos 
TravelerWe had a fabulous experience at BJ's this weekend. Mark, Sheri and the staff are good people who work hard to make sure you have a great time. The food is excellent and comes out SO FAST; bravo to the kitchen staff! Bartenders are very attentive; Tasha took excellent care of us! The campsites are well kept and spacious. There are no picnic tables in the sites, but we got along just fine without. We can't wait to go back!
Traveler
Great tent sites some along river lots of activities for children and adults tubing down the river, man-made lake with blowups, scooters, swimming poolAnd jumping pillow. Mini mart has many items from camping necessities, rain gear as well as groceries and ice cream. Bathrooms with showers are very clean.
Legend
Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're so happy to have this property on our platform. With comfortable beds, firewood, firewood starters, and trails, this property has it all. Secluded but close to town. Book them today and leave them a review here!
GuideWe stayed at Minneiska campground since Cedar Hills is under construction this year. It's a newer campground so the vegetation hasn't grown in fully yet - your neighbors are visible but there's good distance between sites so it wasn't a problem at all. The grounds themselves are really well-kept with nice bathroom facilities and hot showers, which was perfect for the cooler fall days. It's a busy park so you'll need to reserve early or plan on visiting during the week.
The hiking itself was awesome. We did the Dakota trail, which was a tough up and down hike with really incredible views of the fall colors. There's also a nice park/picnic area with beach access. I'm hoping to come back next summer to enjoy the swimming. All in all it was a great stay!
GuideWhitewater State Park Campground is amazing. It's very clean, well kept and the sites are all mostly private with trees which is so much nicer than being in a giant field of tents and RVs like most campgrounds. There's toilets all over the place and water available in many spots. There's beautiful hiking trails right next to the campground and a lovely beach for kids. I'll definitely be back.
ScoutNot overly crowded, clean showers and family friendly. Swimming beach about half a mile from campground. Didn’t get to hike, due to heavy rain. TMobile has no service while AT&T has average to poor service. Probably one of the nicest state park camping I’ve done.
RangerStayed here a few years back with a one friends. Had a good time. Nice state campground.
TravelerEnjoyed a difficult but fun hike, went fishing, and camped out in group site 3 which is the one with the most shade. Keep watch on the ground to not accidentally step on a snake. They do have Timber Rattlesnake but they are so rare I didn't see one. Mostly water snakes, one was sleeping in the path and I almost stepped on him! Saw a mink on trout run creek, and a tortoise in the river in the South picnic area from the bridge. Didn't have much luck fishing. Only nibbles but no catches. A doe dropped by our group site and there are golden eagle nests at the top of the Pine trees behind the group sites next to the trail that goes to the beach. Very eventful trip, and a great view at inspiration point if you have the energy to get there!
TravelerOne of the most amazing parks in the state! With its fun but difficult hiking trails and beautiful rivers to fish from you might be lucky to catch a rainbow or brook trout but be ready to go very early or near dusk if you hope to land a bite. For those who enjoy wildlife and nature I highly recommend but warning the wildlife is very friendly and get very close to you especially raccoons at all times of the day . The beach has really soft sand and the water is nice and cool but this time around a lot of people had mix reviews about it saying it had pockets of warm temperatures and pretty buggy. But for sure one of the best features are the restrooms always cleaned everyday and the showers water always hot and enough for multiple family’s so never any waiting time
GuideHad a great long weekend every sight was booked but it rained all weekend which really thinned out the herd and made the more challenging trails slick and muddy but I loved it all the same.
GuideWe had a great cart-in site (Gooseberry glen site 4). There weren’t a lot of signs to get us there, but we were able to figure out where to go with the state park map. The cart-in distance is long; probably about a half mile with lots of tree roots to try and drive your cart over.
Site 4 is right on a rushing creek, which was perfect, and provided a great noise to fall asleep to, and to cancel out the close neighbors (site 3 is pretty much right next to it).
Heads up that we had a lot of raccoon and mice visitors, who didn’t seem afraid of people. The food/wood locker had plenty of access points for mice, so make sure to secure your food at dusk.
Other than animal issues (and a not ideal restroom situation), this was a great spot with awesome hikes (chimney rock, inspiration point) and great access to water.
I’d recommend site 2 or 4 if you want river access.
TravelerWe were in Gooseberry Glen cart-in site 4. As other reviewers have said, it's a fairly long walk in with your gear, and the trail is challenging when pushing a cart. Once at the site, it's beautiful: right on the water, completely shaded, and spacious. However, we could clearly see our neighbors at site 3, which you don't expect at a cart-in site this far in the woods. It rained while we were there, and the site became quite muddy. Our gear and ourselves were filthy when we left. Finally, as another reviewer said, the animals in the area are not shy: mice, raccoon, squirrel, all were scampering around very close and in clear view of us throughout our stay. We kept our food in the car as there was no secure food box at the site.
We enjoyed hiking the challenging Dakota Trail during our stay. It was about a 3.5-4 hour hike with aggressive elevation changes and beautiful scenic overlooks. The majority of the trail is well shaded in the woods.
TravelerWe stayed at Gooseberry Glen Cart In Campground, on Site 1. The trail to the site was bumpy, but manageable. Site seemed a little small, but we managed to fit a 9 & 4 person tent along with two camping hammocks (6 Men; 2 Dogs). We had room to roam and chill while not feeling overly crowded. First night rained from 11p-5a. Site did not get rained out and no puddling. We were on a little cliff overlooking a small creek/stream, so perhaps there was good drainage. I totally expected mosquitoes but THERE WERE NONE!! After getting a total of 38 bites on my ankles from my previous trip it was so nice to not have to stress about it. The hike to Chimney Rock Trail is literally right across the highway with a trail leading to the parking lot once you cross over. I highly recommend getting up those stairs and having a look at the beautiful views. Wildlife didn’t bother us or our food/gear at all and we kept it onsite. There’s a bear locker on the site, but we kept everything in duct tape coolers and had absolutely no problems. Hummingbirds hit up the vegetation daily. Owls and coyotes could be heard at night so that was cool. The toilet is super close to the site and there’s a trail that cuts right into site #1 that other campsites use...At first it was pretty annoying and invasive until we set up our tents to block that path off from the site itself. We had an absolutely amazing time and was definitely a park/campground I would love to go back to!!
GuideIt was a great campground. The fishing was tricky but there were tons of trout and suckers to get if you wanted them. The hiking was amazing. The swimming beach was good for the kids. They caught tadpoles galore. Another huge perk to this place is that phones don’t work. People have to actually talk to each other.
TravelerI spent a day here hiking and had a blast! I hiked up chimney Rock and then looped bacj to tackle park of the Dakota trail! The hiking paths were well taken care of. There were plenty of places to stop and rest if you need to. There are also many places for non-campers to grill out and picnic. The only thing that I would like to see is more trail signs and markings. There were some places where it was hard to tell which way to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Lake City, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Lake City, MN is Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 47 reviews.
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