Best Glamping near Melrose, MN

Lake Carlos State Park Campground and Glacial Lakes State Park Campground feature distinctive glamping accommodations near Melrose, providing elevated outdoor experiences with comfort-focused amenities. Visitors can reserve furnished glamping sites with electricity and climate control systems throughout all seasons. One guest shared, "The views in the fall are amazing! There are awesome trails through the woods and the chance to see plenty of wildlife." Both parks maintain clean facilities with hot showers and modern restrooms. St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park offers additional glamping options including stylish yurts with proper beds, electricity, and private spaces—creating an upscale outdoor experience without sacrificing comfort.

Hiking trails wind through the forested landscapes of these glamping destinations, offering opportunities for wildlife viewing and scenic photography. Lake Carlos provides direct lake access with a sandy beach area perfect for swimming and water activities. According to a camper, "The campground was nearly full and clean. Excellent hiking trails away from the lake." Winter visitors can experience candlelight ski events on the extensive trail systems, with snowshoeing routes across frozen ponds and bogs. Each glamping site includes fire rings for evening gatherings, with firewood available for purchase. The parks remain accessible year-round with varying seasonal activities, from summer water recreation to winter snow sports, making these glamping resorts suitable for all-season adventures.

Best Glamping Sites Near Melrose, Minnesota (12)

    1. Games Lake County Park

    15 Reviews
    New London, MN
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 354-4453

    "Games Lake County Park, near New London, Minnesota, is a great spot for camping. With tent, RV, and cabin options, it suits all campers."

    "Just got back from a weekend at Games Lake County Park and honestly, it exceeded expectations!"

    2. Lake Carlos State Park Campground

    28 Reviews
    Carlos, MN
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 852-7200

    "This isn’t a quiet campground during the day but campers were very respectful of quiet hours at night."

    "We needed a park that was close and had equestrian camping so we decided to go to Lake Carlos State Park."

    3. Lake Maria State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    Silver Creek, MN
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (763) 878-2325

    "If you’re looking for a peaceful escape where the only sounds are rustling leaves, birdsong, and frogs singing at dusk — Site B6 at Lake Maria State Park is the one."

    "There is a bathroom and water station before you head out which is awesome! The campsite was secluded and absolutely beautiful. Definitely will be going back again!"

    4. Glacial Lakes State Park Campground

    13 Reviews
    Starbuck, MN
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 239-2860

    "The trails in the park have nice rolling hills and offer a unique type of beauty. The campground is small, but offers some electric sites as well as some primitive sites."

    "Oak ridge is perfect for larger rigs (<35 feet - anything bigger there are only 2 spots that will fit) (no electric or water). Clean vault toilets. Lots for kids to do."

    5. Crow Wing State Park Campground

    27 Reviews
    Baxter, MN
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (218) 825-3075

    $21 / night

    "Trees for hammocks, picnic table, fire pit bathrooms and showers nearby. Lots of summer "chatter" from families, but it was nice to hear them having fun."

    "Lots of trails for hiking and biking. Bring bug spray in the summer!
    Historical sites along hiking path. Bathrooms and showers were decent. Dump station on site."

    6. St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park

    8 Reviews
    Clearwater, MN
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 558-2876

    "Restrooms and laundry available on site. Although from a sign posted, they wanted the restrooms to be used by those in pop-ups or tent camping only (just an fyi)."

    "They also offer a nice seating area for those hot or raining days with free arcade. Verizon cell coverage is good here and OTA TV has a few channels."

    7. Crow Wing Lake Campground

    10 Reviews
    Fort Ripley, MN
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (218) 829-6468

    "Clean bathrooms, nice sized park for kids, pool (not open in Sept), lake with ample docks for fishing or you can rent boats."

    "Amenities include: playground, pool, lake, dog park, and store. Each site has a table and fire pit. Keep an eye on your account."

    8. 37 Acres Campground

    1 Review
    Little Falls, MN
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 360-5093

    $20 - $35 / night

    "This campground definitely caters to seasonal stays although was a convenient location off the highway. Restrooms were nice and they had a compost area too."

    9. Lake Ripley County Park Campground

    4 Reviews
    Darwin, MN
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 693-3673

    $20 - $25 / night

    "They have you park your vehicle behind a row of bushes to help keep the view clear for everybody. Anderson flower gardens are a short walk away. Sites come with a picnic table and fire pit."

    "Easy parking with lake and playground. Close to town incase you forgot something. Sites have large open areas in front of camps for kids to play. Great hosts as well"

    10. Andes RV Park

    3 Reviews
    Kensington, MN
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 965-2455

    $45 - $125 / night

    "The facilities are top-notch, with brand-new, spacious bathrooms and showers that were really nice and clean!"

    "Spent 1 night, but slept well due to no noise. Golf cart rentals, and trails from the park. Would definitely recommend."

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Glamping Reviews near Melrose, MN

143 Reviews of 12 Melrose Campgrounds


  • C
    Sep. 28, 2018

    Crow Wing Lake Campground

    Great Getaway

    Amazing, Family-owned campground, just far enough from “the cities” to get away for the weekend, without spending too much time in the car. Clean bathrooms, nice sized park for kids, pool (not open in Sept), lake with ample docks for fishing or you can rent boats. The “general store” has everything you need from souvenirs to wood, to marshmallows for s’mores, and all at reasonable prices. Each campsite has electrical hookup, picnic table and fire pit. Pets welcome.

  • Julie P.
    Jun. 17, 2018

    Crow Wing State Park Campground

    Noisy and not enough infrastructure

    We stayed in a tent for 2 nights at non-electric site 34. Maybe it was the weekend crowd, but it was incredibly noisy - both from people and mechanical noises. The quiet hours were not enforced, and there was a mechanical thumping audible around the clock.

    There was only 1 shower/toilet building and 7 water spigots for 48 camp sites - most of which were for tents. Of the 2 women‘s shower stalls, only one worked properly. Fortunately, the facility was very clean.

    On the plus side, the trails were well marked, the roads well maintained, and (our site at least) was visually secluded. The historical significance of the park warrants a day visit, but there are lots of other campgrounds in the area that I would stay at instead.

  • Joe S.
    Oct. 29, 2021

    A J Acres Campground

    Good Enough for our Needs

    We stayed here for a weekend in May. The campsites are a little bit on top of each other. There aren't many campsites that you're able to reserve. The majority of the campsites are seasonal campsites. There are a lot of mature trees that help with the shade! The beach area is nice, but the only problem is that boaters and kayaks are in the same general area so you have to be careful so you don't get hit. There is a dock for fishing as well. You can also rent boats, kayaks and paddleboards for a small fee. If you want to walk the whole campground having a golf cart would be nice. Also there is NO petting zoo as stated on the website or on the campground maps. There hasn't been one for a few years but they have yet to edit the website or the campground maps. We went there partly because there was a petting zoo for the little kids. Seems lazy to me that they can't update the website or the campground maps.

  • Steph H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 18, 2017

    Lake Maria State Park Campground

    Run or be eaten

    To be fair I'd like to preface this review with a word of caution. We went in the middle of Summer. High bug season. Take a look at other reviews as they come in and see what time of year they visited. Maybe they'll have a similar experience, maybe not. The fun thing about this state park is that all the sites are hike in. No drive up camping. It has a couple camper cabins as well. But everyone is spread out along a few trails so it's a little quieter than your typical campground.

    When we pulled up to the parking lot we knew we were in trouble. The black flies were dive bombing the car like a scene from Armageddon. We prepared the kiddos for a quick grab and run and jumped out of the car. Our campsite was about a mile from the car so we started at a quick walk onto the trail. First step onto the grassy trail exploded in a cloud of mosquitos. Walking along the kids all looked like Pig-Pen from Peanuts. Even though we'd sprayed everyone down the bugs must have felt safety in numbers because we were covered in welts in no time flat. That's when the jogging began. Soon we were running and also planning out how to set up camp the quickest. Little tent first, throw the kids in, big tent second and then everyone in there while dinner was being made. Luckily at our actual campsite the bugs weren't quite as horrendous so we were able to get out a bit after applying a few more layers of repellant. Our site was on a short private trail off the main loop and opened up to a decent space. We had a picnic table and fire pit and plenty of space for our two tents and an area to play. We were all entertained by the plethora of mushroom varieties that surrounded the camp. We spent a bit of time outside and then played in the tent the rest of the night. Unfortunately the bugs were bad enough that the next morning we just packed up and headed back to the car. I would like to come back to this park in late fall and try out a camper cabin. There are three of them all on lakes so if you can get past buggy season it has the potential to be a great experience. Have you ever been to Lake Maria? Stayed in one of their camper cabins? Let me know, I'd love to hear how it went!

  • Anjanette P.
    Aug. 16, 2020

    Lake Carlos State Park Campground

    You Can’t Beat the Lake Access

    We stayed in the lower campground, site 89. Nice tree canopy above although the sites themselves don’t have much privacy. This isn’t a quiet campground during the day but campers were very respectful of quiet hours at night. Direct access to the lake from the campground with a sandy beach and plenty of lakeshore for everyone. Many campers brought their boats and kayaks. Short drive to Lake Brophy County Park to ride the mountain bike trails or jump on the Central Lakes Bike trail.

  • Allison  K.
    Jul. 11, 2019

    Lake Carlos State Park Campground

    Beautiful but a bit crowded

    I am from a suburb of Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota and we wanted to go camping with my in-laws who have horses. We needed a park that was close and had equestrian camping so we decided to go to Lake Carlos State Park.

    Lake Carlos State Park is roughly 2.5hours from the Twin Cities and is a beautiful getaway for a weekend trip. You can leave after work on a Friday and still have time to make it to the park, set up and still be able to cook dinner and enjoy a s’more or two.

    We booked site H3 in the equestrian campground which was a VERY open site right off the main loop in the equestrian campground. It was very sunny and barely any shade for the horses. The site were in was electric and there were only three non-electric sites in the equestrian campground. The other sites were awesome for shade but were still super open to everyone.

    There were great trails for hiking and horseback riding. They also allowed mountain biking on the trails.

    The staff at the office were super friendly and they talked to us for about 15 minutes. Their store in the office was pretty great and they had everything from toys for the kids to s’mores stuff and stickers specific to the park. The firewood was pretty fast burning and cost 6$ a bundle so it was pretty spendy since we cook only over the fire.

    The main campground was VERY busy and jammed packed. The sites were too close together and open for my comfort.

    The beach was very dirty and there were army worms everywhere crawling on everything.

    We took a little bike ride to the group camp which was an amazing area with a very nice shelter with electric.

    All in all, this is a good park to go to if you are looking for a park close to the twin cities metro area.

  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 19, 2022

    Lake Ripley County Park Campground

    Lakefront sites

    Most of the sites here are lakefront. They have you park your vehicle behind a row of bushes to help keep the view clear for everybody. Anderson flower gardens are a short walk away. Sites come with a picnic table and fire pit. There are bathrooms and showers. There is also a fish cleaning shed. Campground is dog friendly and dogs must be leashed.

  • Allison  K.
    Aug. 1, 2019

    Crow Wing State Park Campground

    Nice smaller State Park

    Crow Wing State Park is a good choice if you are looking for something close to the Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota. with this park being just under two hours away from the Twin Cities metro area it’s an easy choice for a nice weekend getaway. If you’re looking to stay for a long extended time it’s also a good choice as it offers electric and water. The electric sites are pretty open and close together so if you like to be secluded and not see other campers from your campsite I wouldn’t use this park. The electric sites are really on top of each other and don't feel like you are camping to me. The non-electric sites are pretty nice and secluded from each other which would make this park a park I would bring my tent to instead of my travel trailer. There is also a group camp That is separate from the main camping area.

    The park office offers ice and firewood for sale. Firewood is 6$ a bundle at the park office. The only firewood you can use is the approved firewood in the local area or scrap lumber. See the Minnesota Firewood law.  Canoe rentals are offered at the park office for $15 for a half-day and $25 for a full day. There is also a water fill station and a dump station for your travel trailer or RV. This is a good park for hiking and exploring. 

    If you wanna stay close to the Twin Cities metro area this is a good park for you!

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 6, 2025

    Andes RV Park

    Great camping spot!

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We had an incredible stay at Andes RV Park! The facilities are top-notch, with brand-new, spacious bathrooms and showers that were really nice and clean! The park offers a fantastic range of activities, including golf cart rentals, volleyball, horseshoes, disc golf, pickle ball, etc…and in winter, cross-country skiing and tubing—there’s something for everyone! The laundry room, the firewood and the ice delivery service were a convenient touch, and easy as a quick phone call or text. The owners were exceptionally friendly and accommodating, making us feel right at home. Highly recommend this gem for a fun and relaxing RV camping experience!

    Side note: if coming in summer make sure to bring plenty of bug spray!!!


Guide to Melrose

Visitors to Melrose, Minnesota find themselves in a region of rolling prairies, glacial lakes, and deciduous forests at approximately 1,300 feet elevation. The area experiences warm summers with temperatures averaging 75-85°F and cold winters dropping well below freezing, creating distinct camping seasons. Campgrounds near Melrose offer year-round opportunities with seasonal restrictions at some locations from October through April.

What to do

Winter snowshoeing and skiing: Lake Carlos State Park Campground offers extensive winter recreation options. According to camper Joanna B., "We headed to Lake Carlos for their candlelight ski... At dark we headed to the candlelight event. 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."

Prairie hiking: Glacial Lakes State Park Campground features rolling prairie landscapes with unique vegetation. A camper noted, "Beautiful park with rolling prairies. Oak Ridge campground is prettier, quieter, and more private than the Lower campground. Site 28 and 30 don't have tree cover, but have beautiful views of the rolling hills."

Paddling and fishing: Games Lake County Park provides excellent water access for various activities. Janet R. shared, "This is a nicely forested family-oriented campground on the shores of Games Lake. Though not quite as nice as the nearby Sibley State Park, it has easy access to it as well as the Glacial Lakes bike trail, plus is set on a nice lake with fishing, boating, and swimming available."

Historical exploration: Visit the historic Crow Wing town site within Crow Wing State Park Campground. One visitor mentioned, "Historic signs describing the old town are along the beginning part of the trail near the picnic area. Kinda fun to read about and feel what old settlements were like!" The park offers interpretive displays about 1890s frontier life.

What campers like

Year-round accommodation options: Lake Maria State Park Campground offers glamping alternatives with camper cabins throughout all seasons. One visitor shared, "I would like to come back to this park in late fall and try out a camper cabin. There are three of them all on lakes so if you can get past buggy season it has the potential to be a great experience."

Fall camping experiences: Lake Carlos State Park Campground offers spectacular autumn conditions. Ellen F. noted, "I camped here during an MEA weekend in October and even though we woke up to snow covering our tent, it was a great experience! The campground itself was located very close to the lake and offered nice amenities and privacy between sites."

Off-grid backpacking sites: For a more secluded glamping experience near Melrose, backpackers appreciate Lake Maria's remote sites. One reviewer explained, "Backpack sites only. Love this park as it offers many backpacking sites with some being very short hikes in and some being longer hikes. Some are lake front and some are more woodsy sites."

Well-maintained facilities: Crow Wing Lake Campground receives consistent praise for cleanliness and organization. Carmen W. reported, "Clean bathrooms, nice sized park for kids, pool (not open in Sept), lake with ample docks for fishing or you can rent boats. The 'general store' has everything you need from souvenirs to wood, to marshmallows for s'mores, and all at reasonable prices."

What you should know

Bug preparedness essential: Summer brings heavy insect activity to Lake Maria State Park Campground, especially in wooded areas. A camper described the experience: "The black flies were dive bombing the car like a scene from Armageddon... First step onto the grassy trail exploded in a cloud of mosquitos... Even though we'd sprayed everyone down the bugs must have felt safety in numbers because we were covered in welts in no time flat."

Site reservation strategy: For premium lakefront glamping near Melrose, Glacial Lakes State Park offers specific site recommendations. A visitor advised, "Preferred sites in Lower Campground would be 7 for non-electric for privacy and lake views, and 14e, 16e, and 18e for electric."

Winter cabin availability limited: Those interested in winter glamping should note restricted options. Tori K. explained, "I stayed here with a few friends in the winter when the park was doing their lantern-lit snowshoe trail. They have 1 site (electric) available in the winter. We had room for a truck bed camper and a pop-up clam ice fishing tent."

Water levels vary seasonally: Lake conditions can fluctuate throughout the year. One camper at Glacial Lakes noted, "The lake was really high when we visited, which led to a useless campground fishing pier and a boat dock that you had to swim to to use. There was no beach, but there may have been if the water level was normal."

Tips for camping with families

Select forest campgrounds for shade: Games Lake County Park provides tree cover valuable for families with children. Janet shared, "This is a nicely forested family-oriented campground on the shores of Games Lake... it has easy access to it as well as the Glacial Lakes bike trail, plus is set on a nice lake with fishing, boating, and swimming available."

Consider campgrounds with playgrounds: St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park offers facilities specifically designed for children. A visitor noted, "This a nice family campground. It has a 9 hole mini golf, shuffleboard, salt water pool, and a lobby/gift shop. They also offer a nice seating area for those hot or raining days with free arcade."

Explore campground rental options: Many locations offer equipment to enhance family outings. Kristen B. from Crow Wing Lake Campground mentioned, "They have paddleboards and funyaks to rent, you can bring your boat to fish or fish off the dock. The grounds and bathrooms were clean. Every RV site had a cement pad to use for lawn chairs or a camp picnic table."

Plan around quiet hours: Family schedules should align with campground regulations. As Julie P. noted about one park, "The quiet hours were not enforced, and there was a mechanical thumping audible around the clock." Researching enforcement policies beforehand helps families choose appropriate locations.

Tips from RVers

Site selection for RVs: Lake Ripley County Park Campground offers specific advantages for RV camping. One RVer explained, "Most of the sites here are lakefront. They have you park your vehicle behind a row of bushes to help keep the view clear for everybody."

Dump station availability: Several campgrounds offer sanitary dump facilities but with limitations. At Andes RV Park, a reviewer noted, "Brand new restroom and shower facilities with laundry," but some parks may have seasonal restrictions for these services.

Privacy considerations: RV sites vary significantly in spacing and separation. A visitor at Crow Wing Lake Campground shared, "The lake front sites are small width wise but your view of the lake makes up for it and helps the site feel more spacious."

Electric hookup options: St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park provides various electrical service options for glamping near Melrose. As one camper mentioned, "RV Site with Sewer was $45/day (had all three water, electricity, sewage) thought this was a little pricey."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Melrose, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Melrose, MN is Games Lake County Park with a 4.7-star rating from 15 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Melrose, MN?

TheDyrt.com has all 12 glamping camping locations near Melrose, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.