Best Tent Camping near Lake City, MN

Are you planning a tent camping trip to Lake City? We've got you covered. With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Lake City campgrounds for you and your tent. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Lake City, Minnesota's most popular destinations.

Best Tent Sites Near Lake City, MN (14)

    Camper-submitted photo from Afton State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Afton State Park Campground

    1. Afton State Park Campground

    36 Reviews
    93 Photos
    199 Saves
    Denmark, Minnesota

    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.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    Camper-submitted photo from Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground

    2. Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground

    7 Reviews
    30 Photos
    48 Saves
    Lake City, Minnesota

    Tent only campground.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    • Tents

    $22 - $132 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Aefintyr
    Camper-submitted photo from Aefintyr
    Camper-submitted photo from Aefintyr
    Camper-submitted photo from Aefintyr
    Camper-submitted photo from Aefintyr
    Camper-submitted photo from Aefintyr

    4. Aefintyr

    4 Reviews
    43 Photos
    54 Saves
    Elba, Minnesota

    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

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • Tents
    • Cabins

    $29 - $139 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park
    Camper-submitted photo from Gooseberry Glen Cart-in Campground — Whitewater State Park
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            9. Pool 4, Riecks Lake Park

            Be the first to review!
            2 Saves
            Alma, Wisconsin

            This recreation area is part of Mississippi River - Pool 4

            • Tents
            Camper-submitted photo from Camp Spring Lake Retreat Center

            10. Camp Spring Lake Retreat Center

            1 Review
            1 Photo
            6 Saves
            Rosemount, Minnesota
            • Pets
            • Fires
            • Phone Service
            • Reservable
            • ADA Access
            • Tents

            $50 / night

          Showing results 1-10 of 14 campgrounds

          Recent Tent Reviews in Lake City

          501 Reviews of 14 Lake City Campgrounds


          • kcki M.
            Camper-submitted photo from Col Larson County Park
            Nov. 15, 2024

            Col Larson County Park

            Easy Overnight Spot

            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.

          • A
            Camper-submitted photo from Prairie Island City Campground
            Oct. 13, 2024

            Prairie Island City Campground

            Not my type of camping

            We went here as a last minute decision. We were placed in the middle of the seasonal crowd who were loud. Music was playing all day loud enough for half the campground to hear. When the music went up so did their conversations. I go for peace and quiet. If I wanted to be at a concert. I would have gone to a concert. Showers seemed ok but some areas to me seemed kinda junky.

          • J
            Camper-submitted photo from Highland Ridge
            Oct. 13, 2024

            Highland Ridge

            Beautiful in the fall

            This is a smaller Corps of Engineers park, lots of primitive sites and lots electric sites too. A smaller lake but no gas motors. Cell service with Verizon was ok.

          • Katherine T.
            Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
            Oct. 1, 2024

            Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

            Nice weekend get away

            Nice distance from the twin cities for a weekend away with some nice hiking trails. The tent pads have been upgraded to pea gravel by the friends association (which seems to be quite active based on signage around park improvements). Showers and bathrooms were clean. Wi-Fi near the park entrance and spotty T-Mobile service throughout. The outside of the loop is good for tent camping but could be a little noisy if the campground had been fully booked.

          • Nanette M.
            Camper-submitted photo from Sleepy Hollow Campground
            Aug. 5, 2024

            Sleepy Hollow Campground

            Horrible service

            My husband made a reservation for our 25th wedding anniversary and he was rushed in the hospital for an emergency surgery. We notified you 3 days in advance and you refused to give us even a partial refund! We only had that money to celebrate. You didn't even offer another date for us! We are now not able to enjoy our 25th! That's terrible that you will do nothing in such an emergency situation. I will be making this public in every venue I can. Disgusting that you will probably get paid by another person to stay there. How disappointing that you would offer us nothing! Very bad business.

          • Molly M.The Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Willow River State Park Campground
            Aug. 4, 2024

            Willow River State Park Campground

            Very nice camping

            Lovely trails, the beach is a large area with a nice park and picnic area. The water itself is ok, lots of geese and algae. The falls are wonderful though. The bathrooms are fine. I could not find a garbage bin to save my life, not near the bathrooms or anywhere in campground 200 or by the park ranger post. If there were garbage cans dispersed throughout the campground, I would have given 5 stars. Especially along the trail to the waterfalls because there was garbage all along the trail unfortunately. Not the camps fault, but maybe people would be more responsible if garbage bins were placed along the route.

          • Leslie P.
            Camper-submitted photo from Lebanon Hills Regional Park
            Jul. 31, 2024

            Lebanon Hills Regional Park

            Jewel near the cit

            Stayed here while visit our son. Picked it because it was close. We were very surprised at the privacy of our site. We were in the east loop with just electric.

          • KThe Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Perrot State Park Campground
            Jul. 24, 2024

            Perrot State Park Campground

            Private Sites Beautiful Park

            We spent 2 nights at this park and enjoyed our stay. The sites are well spaced and well separated by trees. The potable water has high nitrate levels so we had to buy drinking water as filters don’t remove nitrates.

          • p
            Camper-submitted photo from Lake Elmo County Park Reserve
            Jul. 23, 2024

            Lake Elmo County Park Reserve

            Great camping

            This was a great experience overall. The sites are spacious and far enough away from others to feel like there was enough privacy.

            The one negative thing was that some neighbors watched a movie each night — starting just after quiet hours. We could hear their movie from across a road and through some trees (and tents).

            But overall it was great. Good hiking and geocaching.

            We would go back to this campground.

          • JThe Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Highland Ridge
            Jul. 20, 2024

            Highland Ridge

            Clean and relatively quiet

            Lots of RV campers, but none were obnoxious. T-mobile service is almost non-existent depending on location. The showers and bathrooms were spotless. Firewood is available at several roadside stands just outside the entrance.

          • PThe Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
            Jun. 27, 2024

            Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

            Peaceful weekend camping

            Stayed on non electric site which looking at the whole campground are the better sites. Sites are wooded so you don’t have neighbor issues. All have large pea gravel tent pads - very nice. Good fire rings with lots of room for lounging. Many trails to hike but due to prior heavy rain the only trail open was down to Hidden Falls - they were roaring. No cell/ very patchy cell signal and could only get WiFi signal when standing next to Ranger station. Would definitely visit again, maybe in the fall as I’m told the colors are wonderful.

          • Stacey N.
            Camper-submitted photo from Perrot State Park Campground
            Jun. 9, 2024

            Perrot State Park Campground

            Lovely!

            A newly paved road leads into the park with lots of gorgeous views along the way. Very friendly staff. Bathrooms buggy… to be expected… but clean. Shower has ample hot water. Some sites are close together but nicely wooded for privacy. Some sites have water views.

          • Jaime P.The Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Hidden Meadows RV Park
            Jun. 3, 2024

            Hidden Meadows RV Park

            Staff friendly, but the park is not so great

            Campsites are very closely spaced together. I was thankful no one was placed near our campsite to give us more room. The permanent campsites are practically on top of one another. If you’re bringing the kids there is literally nothing to do there. They do have a play-set but that’s where it ends. I think this campground may be under new ownership and it may be nice to see what they do with it in a year or two. For now the picnic tables are run down. The parking pads are very unlevel. WiFi signal is weak at best. If you have Verizon don’t count on service. Antenna strength is weak. Also oddly spaced power hook up with sewer and water placements. Overall not a horrible experience but not a great one. Mostly like will not return.

          • Tiffany K.
            Camper-submitted photo from Willow River State Park Campground
            May. 13, 2024

            Willow River State Park Campground

            Nice state park close to the twin cities

            Stayed here for our first camping of the season. It's a great park that has hiking, mountain bike trails, water features and good mix of electric and non electric sites.

          • Jordan D.
            Camper-submitted photo from Afton State Park Campground
            May. 11, 2024

            Afton State Park Campground

            Sites with privacy and great trails near!

            Good pricing, great trails for all different skill levels and nice staff. Our site was mighty large and for the most part secluded from those near and on the path. $22 for the site, $8 for reservation. $8 for wood (all you can chop) and $7 for the overnight and next day parking pass for one car. Beautiful surroundings and clean bathrooms and grills one mile mostly uphill hike from parking lot but not to difficult and some paved parts. Definitely coming back.

          • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park
            Mar. 31, 2024

            Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park

            Nice state park

            Stayed here for a couple nights on a mini state park road trip. Nice place, like most of the MN state parks. Spotty cell service. Hiked a trail with lots of steps. Fire ring and picnic table are provided at each site. Restroom with showers also available in campground. Site was large and easy to back into and offered some tree cover for shade during certain times of the day. Was unable to hang hammock in specific site we stayed at, but some of the sites looked like they would be suitable.

          • Jennifer H.The Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Tresure Island RV Park
            Oct. 26, 2023

            Tresure Island RV Park

            Crowded park, nice people

            We were here for a night to see a concert at the amphitheater and everyone was super friendly. It was easy to check in, and we were able to do laundry and shower which was great. It’s mostly gravel but they have some tent sites on the grass. They are dog friendly and have some grassy areas to walk your pets which was great.

          • Abi H.
            Camper-submitted photo from Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
            Oct. 22, 2023

            Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

            Spacious camp sites

            Stayed at the cart in sites for the first time and am super impressed! Larger and more private than most state parks, especially so close to the cities. Trails are also nice and well kept. The only downside I might add is that there is only water/toilets at the campground or picnic area so if you plan on doing a full day of hiking just be aware of that. Carts are provided and parking is very close by.

          • Heather N.
            Camper-submitted photo from Cannon Falls Campground
            Oct. 12, 2023

            Cannon Falls Campground

            Love this place!

            We started coming here in 2020 and got on the seasonal list right away. We have now been seasonals 2 years and absolutely love it!! The owners and family are amazing. They have tons of things to do for the kids! We have two boys 12 and 5 and they love it here! We can't say enough good things about Cannon Falls Campground!

          • Angie A.The Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Mondovi Town Park
            Oct. 2, 2023

            Mondovi Town Park

            Tucked away treasure

            Great find! Small yet only us and one tent couple camping. Toilets clean. Water and electric … so score! Close to restaurants and taverns. Recommend for a quick getaway!

          • Stacey N.
            Camper-submitted photo from South Campground — Merrick State Park
            Aug. 27, 2023

            South Campground — Merrick State Park

            Back again

            Our second time camping here.. this time at the South campground. Definitely bring everything to repel the bugs… thermacells are a must. Waterview sites are amazing. Very little park staff presence that I could see. Showers and flush toilets at the north campground which is a quick drive or a very long walk. They were clean, but showers could use a refresh. Pro tip: there are wheelbarrows full of firewood for sale across from the entrance of the park. Only 5 dollars buys a generous amount that burns well.

          • JThe Dyrt PRO User
            Camper-submitted photo from Willow River State Park Campground
            Aug. 11, 2023

            Willow River State Park Campground

            Good camping at Willow River State Park

            Stayed in the 100 loop. The sites are secluded by sumac trees. Sites are level, electric power and fire ring. The back side of the 100 loop where we stayed was a ways from the bathhouse. Bathroom and showers were clean and fresh. Very few bugs. Because we were there during the week, the loop was probably 70% full.

            T-mobile reception was good. No reception in the other two loops as they are down the hill farther.



          Frequently Asked Questions

          • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lake City, MN?

            According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lake City, MN is Afton State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 36 reviews.

          • What is the best site to find tent camping near Lake City, MN?

            TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Lake City, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.