Camping cabins near Little Falls, Minnesota range from rustic to modern accommodations with varying amenities and access to outdoor activities. The Mississippi River flows through this region, creating diverse recreational opportunities across 32,000 acres of state park land within an hour's drive. Winter temperatures can drop below zero, but many cabin facilities remain open year-round with heating systems for cold-weather camping.
What to do
Hiking historic trails: Crow Wing State Park features trails that follow the Mississippi River with continuous sunset views. "Beautiful hiking trail follows the river. Nice hiking trail with pretty much continual sunset views if you take the trail East to West. It's a loop, which is always preferred I think," notes one visitor to Crow Wing State Park.
Snowshoeing winter trails: Lake Carlos State Park offers winter activities with dedicated snowshoe trails created on frozen ponds and bogs. "We headed to Lake Carlos for their candlelight ski, this was our first visit to this state park. We hiked 1.2 miles and then snowshoed 2.4 miles. There are ponds and bogs that they create snowshoe trails on, so there are even more trails to explore in the winter," explains a winter visitor.
Mountain biking: Direct trail access makes True North Basecamp popular with cyclists. "Loved the proximity of True North to both Crosby restaurants and bars and the incredible trails of Cuyuna Country. Lovely cabins for glamping with incredible views of Armour Mine 2," reports one mountain biking enthusiast.
What campers like
Lakefront sites: Many campsites offer direct water access with private docks for fishing or swimming. A visitor to Camp Holiday Resort states, "We had site 4, lake side access. The site was amazing, with a dock to the lake. Has a picnic table with a lean to shelter, and a fire ring."
Secluded walk-in options: Mille Lacs Kathio State Park provides cart-in sites away from main camping areas. "This park is an easy drive from the Twin Cities and offers great cart-in sites. The sites are large and an easy 1/4 mile walk with complete privacy," reports an experienced camper at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park.
Clean facilities: Campgrounds in the region maintain well-kept bathroom and shower buildings. A camper at St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park notes, "Clean bathrooms with hot water, clean laundry room."
What you should know
Seasonal insects: Bug protection is essential, especially in summer months. "Mosquitos are extra brutal mid summer here so be prepared," warns a Mille Lacs Kathio visitor, while another adds, "We were really excited about our luck finding a practically empty state park in July for a Thursday impromptu camping trip. Before we even stopped the car the deer flies were pelting the windows. Hundreds."
Wildlife encounters: Bear activity occurs in some campgrounds. "We loved this camp site. Very clean. The only downside depending on your view are the bears. There was a black bear in our camp 15 minutes after we went to sleep. Then the 2nd a little guy was hanging around our site all day," reports a camper from Mille Lacs Kathio.
Winter accessibility: St. Cloud Campground & RV Park provides seasonal accommodations with limited winter services. "Good overnight stay. We could not log in to WiFi or access TV and for us that wasn't a big issue. But the office did say when the park is full that can sometimes be an issue for WiFi."
Tips for camping with families
Multiple playgrounds: Family-friendly campgrounds often include recreational areas for children. "Nice campground for a family experience. Camping with two toddlers can be a lot, it helps when there are two nice playgrounds here, a slide, water trampoline, nice beach, and nice, clean bathrooms," shares a Camp Holiday Resort visitor.
Educational opportunities: Historical and nature programs enhance family camping experiences. A visitor to Red Rider Resort notes, "Most people come here to ride the red dirt mtb trails of Cuyuna so the showers are a great amenity! Beautiful views of the lake (mine pit) and swimming off of the private dock."
Swimming options: Many campgrounds offer beach access or swimming areas. "They have a pool, lodge, bath house and laundry facilities, the sites were pretty large, much larger than data KOA, but not so big or private as some campgrounds we've been to," reports a visitor to St. Cloud Campground.
Tips from RVers
Site leveling: Prepare for uneven terrain at some campgrounds. According to a Camp Holiday visitor, "Most of the lake side sites were pretty uneven, bring plenty of leveling blocks. That was really the only negative we had, but it wasn't really a big deal because we came prepared with just enough leveling blocks."
Winter electric sites: Limited electric hookups remain available during winter months at select campgrounds. "This is one campground in Minnesota that offers a handful of electric hookups for winter camping. The beauty of this campground, is that while the campsites available are in a row, there's plenty of space between sites and some of them are even pulled through. Making it easy for RVs to pull in and hook up," shares a visitor to Lake Carlos State Park Campground.
Visitor policies: Some resorts have specific rules about additional guests. A Birch Bay RV Resort camper advises, "We give this resort 5 stars because, despite it not being visitor friendly, they are up front in their policies about visitors and the place is great in all other respects. If you want to have visitors while staying here it is best to consider these policy before visiting."
