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Best Tent Camping near Lakefield, MN

171 Reviews

Tent campsites near Lakefield, Minnesota offer a mix of lakeside and rural camping experiences across several counties. Bright Lake County Park provides tent camping with lake views through the trees, while Iowa Lake County Campground offers a quiet tent camping experience about 30 miles southwest of Lakefield. These established campgrounds cater specifically to tent campers seeking natural settings without extensive development or amenities.

Most tent campgrounds in the Lakefield area feature basic facilities with minimal improvements. Bright Lake County Park provides fire rings, picnic tables and vault toilets, but lacks drinking water and electricity. Sites accommodate multiple tents with access available via drive-in, boat-in, hike-in, or walk-in options. Iowa Lake County Campground features drinking water and toilet facilities, making it suitable for tent campers who prefer having some basic amenities. The camping terrain typically consists of level, natural surfaces near lakes or wooded areas.

Tent campers visiting the Lakefield area can expect peaceful experiences with opportunities to enjoy lakeside activities. A recent review noted, "Really nice spot almost overlooking the lake, had fire ring, picnic tables and room for quite a lot of tents!" Most sites offer space for family-sized groups and provide basic comfort for primitive camping. Areas like Iowa Lake County Campground may be particularly quiet during weekdays, as one visitor commented: "I found this to be a great little spot to stay bike touring through Iowa. I was literally the only one there." Tent campsites in the region generally provide good access to water activities, fishing, and nature observation, with most locations being accessible from spring through fall. Several campgrounds permit pets, allowing tent campers to bring their dogs along for outdoor adventures.

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Best Tent Sites Near Lakefield, Minnesota (7)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Lakefield, MN

2 Photos of 7 Lakefield Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Lakefield, MN

171 Reviews of 7 Lakefield 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 Lakefield

Tent campsites near Lakefield, Minnesota primarily cluster within a 30-mile radius of this southwestern Minnesota community. The region features several small lakes with camping options at elevations ranging from 1,300 to 1,450 feet above sea level. Summer temperatures typically range from 60°F to 85°F with occasional thunderstorms, while spring and fall bring cooler temperatures and less crowded campsites.

What to do

Water recreation access: Bright Lake Co Park offers direct lake access for swimming, fishing, and paddling. The campground sits close enough to the water that tent campers can easily carry gear between their site and the shoreline.

Wildlife observation: At Iowa Lake Co Campground, campers encounter various wildlife species in their natural habitat. One visitor noted, "It is right on a lake, has water, and a nice vault toilet."

Stargazing opportunities: The rural setting around Lakefield provides minimal light pollution. Campgrounds like Mini-Wakan State Park offer unobstructed night sky views when weather permits, making astronomy activities particularly rewarding.

What campers like

Secluded atmosphere: Many tent campsites provide peaceful settings away from crowded areas. At Iowa Lake Co Campground, one camper observed, "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 views: Several campgrounds feature sites with visual access to water. As one visitor to Bright Lake Co Park described, "Really nice spot almost overlooking the lake (Through the trees)."

Spacious sites: Tent campers appreciate the generous site dimensions at many locations. A camper at Bright Lake Co Park mentioned they "had fire ring, picnic tables and room for quite a lot of tents!"

What you should know

Limited amenities: Most tent campgrounds in the Lakefield area provide only basic facilities. While Iowa Lake Co Campground offers drinking water and toilet facilities, many sites lack electricity, showers, or flush toilets.

Seasonal variations: Spring camping may involve muddy conditions, while summer weekends draw larger crowds. As one visitor to Iowa Lake Wildlife Area noted, "There was quite a bit of people when I was there and most of them were rowdy college kids."

Reservation limitations: Many campgrounds in the region operate on a first-come, first-served basis rather than taking reservations. This affects planning, particularly for popular summer weekends and holiday periods.

Tips for camping with families

Site selection: Choose locations with adequate space for multiple tents. One camper at Bright Lake Co Park confirmed, "For me and my family it was perfect!"

Activity planning: Bring water toys and fishing equipment to take advantage of lake access. Most lakeside campgrounds permit swimming and non-motorized boating during daylight hours.

Campfire considerations: Cenla Campgrounds allows fires in designated rings, but some locations in the area prohibit open flames during dry conditions or high wind advisories. Check current fire regulations before arrival.

Tips from RVers

Access limitations: Most tent campgrounds near Lakefield accommodate small trailers but have restricted access for larger recreational vehicles. Some roads leading to campgrounds include unpaved sections that may be challenging after rain.

Utility connections: For RVers seeking hookups, options are limited. Valhalla Island Campgrounds offers electric, water, and sewer connections but requires boat access, making it unsuitable for traditional RVs.

Alternative parking: RVers visiting tent-focused campgrounds sometimes find better access by parking in designated day-use areas and walking gear to campsites. This approach works particularly well for camper vans and small trailers at locations with walk-in tent sites.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lakefield, MN is Mini-Wakan State Park with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

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

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

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