We all love roasting marshmallows over a campfire—and you can often still do that while cabin camping in Medicine Lake. Finding a place to cabin camp in Minnesota is easier than ever. Find your own little secluded paradise in nature. The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect camping cabin rental.
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.
$20 - $32 / night
$20 - $75 / night
$16 - $250 / night
Backpack sites, located on remote lakes and ponds throughout the park, are one to two miles from the trailhead parking. New log camper cabins, located near lakes and ponds, provide bunk beds for six people and a table and benches for campers who want more of the creature comforts.
Please note that campsites in F Loop are for tents only and campsites in E Loop can accommodate tents or pop up trailers. Trailers must be less that 2500 pounds dry weight and less than 20 ft in travel length.
The campground offers 80 secluded and shaded sites, ranging from rustic to modern with water and electrical hookups. There is one group site that can accommodate up to 60 people, using tents, with water and electricity hook-ups. The campground also offers 2 camper cabins.
Only 25 minutes from Minneapolis / St. Paul. Biking, fishing, boating, golf, and swimming are just a few of the many activities you will find within the park. Nature programs are held regularly at the campground amphitheater and at nearby Wargo Nature Center (one mile north of the campground). You can also get in a quick round of golf at Chomonix Golf Course, located just a mile down the road. (Long term camping is not permitted. Reservations are allowed for up to 7 consecutive nights and cannot exceed 7 reserved nights in a 30 day period.)
$20 - $32 / night
This campground is closed permanently
RV resort and some lot rentals, Heated pool, lake with beach, boat launch area just block away, tennis/pickle ball, mini golf, resort store with ice cream, goat park, paved roads and much more)!Contact for sales or rentals: 320-583-9711
We stayed at this koa because it was our only way to watch softball tournament. We stayed 5 days and it was fairly nice. People that were working were very helpful and nice. Lost power a couple hours twice because of branches falling g from trees.
The east part of the park was all closed for construction. Everything on the east side of the highway was closed so we could not hike a lot of the trails or use the beach which was a challenge with kids. Constructing is scheduled to the end of 2025.
We stayed in a group site but there was no way 35 people could have camped in W3. Vaulted toilets need help and a good cleaning.
The shower house needed a cleaning as well. There is no adjusting the shower temperature. Push the button and you get what you get.
Wood was $8 bundle. This was steep in my opinion. They do not all any gathering of firewood.
If your vehicle permit is not properly displayed, you will receive a notice on your windshield and have to talk with the office.
The dumpster was overflowing the whole time we were there.
Raccoons will visit your site at night. We had everything secured but they still tried and plenty of racket until we chased them away.
Lastly we had a battle with mosquitoes. We went through a lot of bug spray and coils. Deer flies were thick around the water filling station.
Although we did not stay in the main campground the sites are very close in there and were small.
This is just the best campground that is close to Minneapolis! Peaceful, quiet, with spacious sites that are situated in a staggered way, so you never feel like you’re on top of each other. The lake was a bit reedy and silty but overall a fantastic and easy option.
About the only nice thing about this place is the lady who answered the phone, Valerie.
She was extremely nice other than that it was gravel. Roads that were poorly maintained trucks were parked sticking out into the road making it difficult to get around. The site was very unlevel and the water Spicket didn’t really work very well.. we paid for two nights and bought a KOA review or rewards program to do it… We refused to stay the second night when we called to see if we could get our money back the gentleman who checked us in as a ground tender was rude and choppy he wasn’t very friendly when he brought us into the place.
The place was packed like sardines… Very difficult to negotiate at night.
Overall, the worst campground we’ve stayed in in the two RV trips we’ve taken from Florida to Minnesota. There are so many beautiful state parks don’t bother with this KOA not even for a one nighter.
We were stuck on a back loop. There were a lot of mosquitoes bugs and mud… It just wasn’t a nice experience.
I have been coming to Wild River since I was a kid. Nice park, scenic trails, horses on the way in.
I have stayed at Bunker a few times in site 33 and one of the walk in sites. Site 33 is very large and also very wide open. The walk in sites are a lot more secluded but not totally private. Really enjoy camping here, just wish it wasn't so expensive. It costs more than staying at a state park.
Went early in the season in the afternoon and had no problems getting a good spot with electric hookups. Better for someone with an RV, and more seemingly a weekend spot for the family.
If you're looking for a beginner backpack spot, with privacy and not too far from the cities, then this will fit your bill. You can either do a short-hike from the parking lot via the road to B5 or a 1 mile easy hike via the trail. The backpacking sites are very spread out, we could barely tell anyone else was at the park with us ever.
B5 was beautiful, already lots of mosquitos for May (and appeared poison oak/ivy). I'm not sure what this park does differently than most other parks, but our privy was LOADED with spiders. I get it, it's the outdoors. But still, I've used many in-ground toilets and never had dozens of spiders covering the toilet seat/front.
Another reason we chose this park was for birding. The park ranger at check-in was not helpful and then said he's never heard of MN State Parks free birding kits to borrow, though it's clearly listed on several spots on their website. Bummer, but we still enjoyed our time.
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.
Baker is our favorite campground when visiting family in the Twin Cities. The grounds are absoutely gorgeous, with huge hardwoods that provide lots of shaded sites. RV pads are gravel. Shower facilities are very nice. We enjoy walking the grounds down to the lake.
Lake Independence has occasional bouts of bacteria that can result in beach closings. So if swimming is an important part of your camping getaway, be sure to check whether the beach is open.
I can also say the site D03 is densely shaded, which is great for spreading out on hot summer days, but there is little grass near the pad which can result in muddy conditions after a deluge.
Only tricky part is finding a level spot if you don't have leveling rams or jacks. Otherwise it's relatively well spaced apart sites with 20amp service. Clean modern facilities and beautiful grounds. Came in around $24 for our stay.
The "loops" aren't straight so it gives a variety of sizes in the sites. Some loops are electric and some aren't. No water or sewer at any sites. Water and dump station located at the office. Office staff are very helpful. Beautiful park to walk around. Couldn't do anything at the lake due to bacteria in the lake.
Being from Alberta my campground standards are high but I also prefer a neat and simple campsite. When Rice Creek Campground opens up again in April I'd highly recommend going there if all you want is a simple camping experience to get away from the city grind. I had my tent, fire and books to read and was the happiest camper in the world. I went there no joke because my driver from tow truck red deer recommended it and I stopped while in the area. So glad I did!
Great campground. Clean bathrooms, and friendly at office. Beautiful this time of year! Hiking was awesome
Impressed with the distance to/from the metro (less than an hour on Highway 12 heading west to Cokato). Inground, heated swimming pool; mini golf; pickleball; tennis; arcade room attached to the office. Ice cream shop has 8 flavors of hand-dipped yum! Freezer pizzas can be cooked at the store or bring one home for later. All the incidentals and condiments you might need. Plenty of fun clothing for sale to bring home and make memories with. And memories: here's the place to start your family fun and lifetime memories! Head on out to the Cokato Lake Experience!
Stayed for two nights at a drive-in double site here and found it ideal for autumn camping. We didn’t think we would get colors, but they came out a little early, adding a few splashes to the hiking and river view.
Site was private enough, the woods surrounding dense enough to obscure others while still feeling open. Also open enough to spot three white-tail deer.
Hike to the Nevers Dam lookout was easy enough for a five year old to walk (most of it) — featuring some very cool fallen trees and a wonderful winding staircase — and the adjacent sandy beach was a pleasant and peaceful surprise.
One complaint is that the nearby vault toilet reeked of amonia and was unusable so we had to walk to the adjacent loop for bathroom. Silver lining is that we discovered the free little library near that bathroom and grabbed a copy of ‘Ramona the Brave’ for the kiddo. We went back and left a copy of ‘Amira’s Picture Day.’
We stayed here a week. I have been here before. It's a great campground if you can get in. We came late in the season and got the one spot open for a week. BTW Camping Worlds huge store is just north on 35E. Kelly's Bar nearby has a great fish fry on Friday.
The campground is neat and well managed. Aside from that no issues except being so close to a large city (Urban campgrounds are not for wilderness campers) and county airport (noise) occasionally. Close to the Twin Cities it is. Access to anywhere is easy. The Three rivers campgrounds triangulate the northern suburbs. Baker park, Bunker Hills Park, and Rice Creek are all close to the major parts of town.
This place had awesome trails and so many deer ! It’s like they were camping with us.
Great campground with all the amenities one might need, including showers, nice bathrooms, a park, a beach, trails. Right next to lakes and a nature preserve. Close enough to town in case you forget some things like we did. A county parking pass is required, they don't like people parking on the grass, and they have staff making rounds to enforce the shortest list of rules I've seen in the last couple of years. My only complaint is that the location of the porta-potties didn't match what the maps showed, so my seemingly perfect plan to be somewhat far from them failed and I ended up right next to one; it was clean and didn't smell, but we heard the door close every time. They have the campsites spaced out better than most other places I've camped and have trees and brush between the sites whenever possible. We tent camped and plan to bring our travel trailer next year. Definitely plan to stay here at least once a season.
I went camping alone on this campground, I brought my smaller 20ft trailer and had the most peaceful experience
We had a fun time staying at the state park. Easy walking trails surround the park which is nice and convenient. Close proximity to Stillwater which made for a nice day trip. Camp sites were very clean and easy to access. Didn't feel like you were camping right next to others despite a lot of spots surrounding us.
We stayed a couple nights here on our last major stop, and it was ok. I’ll start with the positives. The people are very nice, and work hard. It’s close to downtown Minneapolis. They have events planned for kids. It has a pool that stays open late, and it’s got some playgrounds. Now, the cons….it’s off the road behind a construction company. It’s clientele was pretty rough on our trip. One of the playgrounds was closed. Small sites and it’s packed in here.
Many campsites are fantastic with good spacing and shade. Access to lake is great. Firewood at $7 a bundle doesn't burn, it just smokes. I asked for a refund. Buy firewood elsewhere.
We haven’t met a single person living full time at any site that hasn’t felt like family UNTIL TODAY. This is the face of a little boy who got screamed at by a grown man for riding a bike WE RENTED through a puddle. That’s right he SCREAMED at our five year old and took the bike away because - he’s the owner and he “can talk and act however he wants!” There is so much more to this I’m not even ready to get into but moments before this we got hit with a TERRIBLE storm with nickel to quarter size hail, the hail ended up busting out our roof vent covers and likely will need roof repairs. We came outside to asses damages and instead of the park owner checking on us he belligerently screamed at my children( he seemed drunk to me but that’s just my opinion) This is a screen shot during a recording my husband took for our protection because of how the man was acting. We were only there for a short time and quickly left after this. I didn’t not feel safe and would never stay here!
We were at site 93. It's a large site with plenty of room for a huge tent or a few tents. It was very buggy so we got a screen tent. Nicely shaded site as well. Not far from the water station and pit toilet. For a bathroom with running water it's a long walk and there's not close parking either. The campground is a long drive into the park from the main entrance. 12x10 screen tent fit easily over the 8' picnic table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Medicine Lake, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Medicine Lake, MN is Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve with a 4.5-star rating from 35 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Medicine Lake, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 cabin camping locations near Medicine Lake, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
