Best Tent Camping near Melrose, MN

Recent Tent Reviews near Melrose, Minnesota

303 Reviews of 21 Melrose Campgrounds

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 14, 2018

  Two Rivers Campground

  Pleasant family camp

  This is a well kept and well run campground tucked in between the Mississippi River and the outlet of the Platte River. The emphasis is on RV camping, and a large percentage of the sites are for full season May to October rentals. However there are nightly and weekly rates with both full and partial hookups, and some basic tent sites in a nice location right on the river. Daily and weekly campsite rentals are a bit expensive, however the campground offers many resort amenities that arent part of usual campgrounds such as a full service lodge, large beautiful pool as well as a beach on the river, mini golf, canoes and kayaks, and their specialty: river tubing. The pluses at this location include nice river setting, great amenties, secure family-friendly grounds, and a variety of on site services. The monthly RV site rental is about $800 a month for a bluff side site which might be a nice retreat for families or retirees. The minuses are primarily that the nightly rental is not cheap, especially if you want to tent camp, but fir some folks the amenities might be worthwhile. Summer is peak season if course, it is quieter and cheaper in the fall and spring.

• 

  Chris B.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 8, 2021

  Military Park Camp Ripley DeParcq Woods Campground

  A real nice experience

  Quiet, not quite remote and with access to enough if you need it. You get a large tent site on the Mississippi River across a road from the RV’s highly recommend.

• S

  Shell L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 21, 2024

  Sauk River City Park

  Lovely, new, accommodations in small town

  Rolled up in the middle of the night. $10 cash in the box for a tent site. Clean bathroom with shower. Felt safe and fell asleep quickly with the sound of the creek next to our site. Would definitely stay again.

• T

  Tim B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 21, 2020

  Elk Lake Campground

  Mostly seasonal

  This campground has level grassy sites. Most or perhaps all full hookup sites have seasonal RVs but there are a few overnight sites that generally have electric only (30A). Water is available did not see a dedicated dump station. Stayed 3 nights Was a nice spot. There is tent camping a short walk to the lakeshore that seemed nice.

• 

  Shelby J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2020

  Sinclair Lewis City Campground

  Amazing little find

  I was needing a place to camp for the night and found this gem. The host was very kind and helpful. I stayed at a primitive tent site and easy to find and close to a bathroom. Very well maintained and has alot to do. I honestly have no cons about this campsite!!

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 8, 2019

  Saukinac Campground

  Limited appeal

  Granted, I visited on a gray rainy day when a campground might not appear to be its best. However, having checked it out,  I might hesitate to camp here, although clearly it has its fans as there are seasonal RV site renters, and proximity to lake and woods for hunting and fishing. A dominant feature is the bar,  and there are signs up suggesting  caution and driving slow because of "adults at play."  There is a basic playground, but not a lot of other signs of being kid-friendly.   There are daily tent sites and daily RV sites in addition to seasonal rentals, and the RV sites seem to have the basic hookups RVers would need.  Much of  the campground is  open with few shade trees.    The location is near a lake and lake access, but not actually on the lake though you can see it in the distance. The prices for site rental ($25 a night for tent sites, and $35 a night for RV’s) are probably lower than many area RV campgrounds, so that might appeal to some folks

• A

  Alicia A.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 11, 2022

  Crow Wing State Park Campground

  Meets camping expectations

  Tent site is an open area with tall trees. It also offered an open view of the night sky & enjoyed watching the full moon! Next to the shower house which makes it a convenient trip to the bathroom. Stayed one night but will stay longer when bringing the kayaks. Price for this spot made my trip super cheap!

• 

  Emily H.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 7, 2018

  Lake Maria State Park Campground

  Hike in sites and cabins. Beautiful hiking trails.

  Lake Maria State Park has great hiking trails for the whole family, the camper cabins are spread throughout and are hike in only. Each cabin is pretty secluded and on a body of water. The cabins themselves are very basic, but the setting is awesome.

  I haven’t stayed in the backpack tent sites, but I bet they’re fantastic.

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 8, 2019

  Games Lake County Park

  Nice family campground

  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. There is a nice community center too. The campground is owned by Kandiyohi County, and rates for tent camping or various levels of RV camping are very reasonable but only offered for weekly rentals.

• 

  Dan R.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 30, 2022

  Birch Lake

  Quick rest on cross country drive.

  I pulled in at like 11pm and went straight to find an open spot, which was pretty easy.

  I had decent privacy but was in eye-shot ( through trees ) of 2 other occupied camps.

  Registration is easy & self service. They have envelopes at the entrance you just fill out, so you can use any payment method including card if you’re comfortable with that.

  I was only solo tent camping and got there way late & had to leave way early, so I can’t speak to much else.

• S

  Shone

  Scout

  

  Oct. 4, 2021

  St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park

  Perfect get-away

  Just stayed for the weekend and we had a wonderful time. Shaded lot, much quieter than other sites I’ve been too. Many lots seem to be seasonal owners, but all were very well kept. Would definitely return in the future and even consider a seasonal spot some day. 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). Gift shop/office had a pool table and lots of games to borrow/use. Pool & mini golf also available.

• 

  HollyRose M.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 22, 2020

  Crow Wing State Park Campground

  Sunset Hike

  Tent camp here once and a while, but finally got around to officially doing the hiking club trail. Love doing a sunset hike, this trail is just over two miles, all along the river, with pretty much continual sunset views if you take the trail East to West. It's a loop, which is always preferred I think. Nice picnic area by the river. 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! 

  Easy and pretty trail, took just half an hour, went with the kids. Just an awesome sunset walk and a bit of moonlight!

• 

  Andrea S.

  Guide

  

  May. 19, 2018

  Oak Ridge Campground — Sibley State Park

  Sibley State Park

  I went early in the spring for camping at this park and ended up staying in the cabin – it was sort of a, I wanna get out of the city, let’s go camping, oh the campground is still closed sort of last minute trip. I can’t comment on the facilities, as the water wasn’t even back on for the season yet (March 30). The park has two campgrounds from what I saw; one with cabins and tent sites near the wilderness center and one on Andrew Lake. The lake was BEAUTIFUL at sunset. I drove all the way around and took pictures. Lots and lots of wildlife around at this one too! Fun little café in New London (Middle Fork) – delicious French toast and friendly service; seemed like a place the locals went!

• 

  Lisa H.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 27, 2020

  Glacial Lakes State Park Campground

  Just Meh

  We tent camped in the non electric sites in the Lower Campground. They were shady thank goodness, but not very flat or large. Your tent will be on rocks, not grass. 

  When we were visiting, the shower house was closed due to Covid, so no review of that. The vault toilet was stocked with TP and fairly clean. The portapotty was near full and smelled awful. Didn’t look like it had been emptied all summer! Gross.

  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. Watch out for biting sunnies in the swim area and enormous snapping turtles stealing the fish off your hook at the fishing pier near the swim area.

  We did go into Starbuck which is 5 miles away. Very impressive beach, groceries and a DQ all an easy drive away.

• D

  Deanna J.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 7, 2022

  Oak Ridge Campground — Sibley State Park

  Weekday Retreat

  We tent camped at Sibley State Park from August 31 through September 3, 2022, in drive-in campsite #91 of the Oak Ridge campground. It was a last minute trip for us, right before the Labor Day weekend. We had the non-electric loop all to ourselves from Wednesday through midday Friday, and then the campground was a non-stop hub of activity as more campers arrived for the holiday weekend.

  The park has two campgrounds. Oak Ridge is mostly wooded with some prairie sites and is more private. Lakeview is very open without privacy between campsites, but it has some mature trees for shade and is close to the beach and picnic area.

  The reservation website mostly does not include tent pad dimensions, so we took a chance on a site not knowing whether our 10x14 tent would fit. Luckily, it did. Site #91 was spacious and wooded on three sides. We walked both campgrounds to check for non-electric sites that would accommodate our tent. If you have a large tent, consider these campsites: Oak Ridge 77, 78, 81, 83, 84, 87, 88, 90, 91, 93, and 94; Lakeview 46, 66, and 70.

  The park is beautiful. There are lots of trails, a very nice beach and picnic area, and lots of wildflowers. We saw a lot of wildlife, including deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, turkeys, song birds, butterflies, and frogs.

  The high point in the park is Mt. Tom, and there is a trail to its peak. If you don’t want to do the hike, you can drive most of the way then walk a short, paved, moderately inclined path to the top. The view is lovely.

  The biting bugs weren’t too bad during the day, but they were plentiful and aggressive in the evening. Remember your insect repellent!

• 

  Joanna B.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 1, 2020

  Lake Carlos State Park Campground

  Beautiful camper cabin

  Leap Day 2/29/20-3/1/20 Frog Pond

  We headed to Lake Carlos for their candlelight ski, this was our first visit to this state park. Tent camping wasn’t available and we were able to reserve a camper cabin - Frog Pond. It was a nice change and a warmer option, the cabin is gorgeous! Frog Pond sleeps 6 with heat and electricity. There are 4 cabins that share 2 vault toilets.

  It was a beautiful 38 degree Leap Day and we took advantage of it. They offer a large number of ski trails so we xcountry skied before dark. The trails were icy, but still enjoyable. At dark we headed to the candlelight event. It was very busy and a huge turnout. 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. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed the wooded trails and starry skies. We had a fire and enjoyed a normal outdoor cookout before bed.

  We did more skiing on Sunday and checked out the 2 campgrounds as they were on the ski route. One campground is on Lake Carlos and very open. Sites have beautiful lake views. You can apparently drive your boat right into a sandy shore and dock it. They also have a swimming beach. The other campground is a bit more wooded and more suited for tents. This campground is near the camper cabins. The trails are very wooded and pretty. We enjoyed skiing the hiking club trail and ended up hitting almost every trail in our stay. I assume this park would be equally beautiful in the summer. What a beautiful state park!

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 8, 2019

  Sinclair Lewis City Campground

  Family Camping and more

  This is an impeccably maintained city-campground that shows the local are proud of “Our Town” and native son Sinclair Lewis, the hometown American author. Just blocks from the original Main Street, the campground is in the west end of the beautiful lakeside city park. Not only can you camp here in safety and comfort in a family-friendly setting (neighborly camping community, great playgrounds, fishing at your doorstep while but but a close walk to Main Street for unique shops snd cafes) but there are a host of community events that happen in the park, including concerts at a beautiful historic bandstand, art fair and similar events, and an annual 4-day festival in mid-July that celebrates Sauk Centre and all things Sinclair Lewis. Campground rates are extremely reasonable ($15 a night for tent sites, $30 a night for an RV site with full hookups) plus there are weekly, monthly, and seasonal rates. This is a great place for retired local snowbirds to stay in the summer, and a nice regional camping spot for families with kids or folks who would like a home base for day trips in the area including treks on the Lake Woebegone Trail. Check out this local website for activity ideas! http://www.visitsaukcentre.org

  Overall, High marks for great maintainence, convenient location, and family oriented setting; however, though the lakeshore is pretty, the lake does have a problem with zebra musells, and many of the RV sites are located pretty close together.

• 

  Brian C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 25, 2018

  Crow Wing State Park Campground

  A Very Confused Campground

  The thing about State Parks is that they don't always know what they want to be.

  Are they here to celebrate nature, and provide a moments breath away from the pace of urban life? Are they here for historical facts? Are they for revenue?

  Crow Wing State Park suffers from this dilemma. While the tent sites are nice and spacious, the RV sites are stacked one on top of another, with no illusion of privacy. The weekend we were there, they were pretty full, but noise coming from other campers was acceptable.

  There are plenty of water spigots, and toilet/shower facilities. The facilities are clean, but old.

  There is an almost constant booming, however, coming from Fort Ripley, just down the river. The Fort serves as training for everything from the national guard, to state police, to the DNR. At one point, we could clearly hear live rounds being fired.

  The walks and paths were well maintained, except that some were flooded out due to recent heavy rains. The area dedicated to the Old Crow Wing Village was well done.

  What causes me the most confusion though, is that someone made the call to cover the roads with sand, instead of the traditional crushed stone. So, never mind that the sand made it harder to walk up hill to the water and showers, it got everywhere. When we tore down camp, I emptied enough sand from my tent, that I could have added a fresh layer to a cat's litter box.

  I am very conflicted about this park. It is very pretty, but when you get right down to it, the little quirks that surround it add up. I'm not sure if we will be back. Not that we won't, it's just that we won't be rushing back.

• 

  Chris O.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 2, 2019

  Lake Maria State Park Campground

  Quiet getaway

  Every site is a hike in site, including the three camper cabins. The trails are groomed enough that if you have a cart, you can pack your gear in that way too.

  My wife and I stayed at camper cabin 1 on this Mon-Wed trip, and it is secluded and beautiful. You have to take a little bridge to get to it even.

  There was a major storm that came through Sun-Mon, and this being a wetlands, things got muddy and buggy quick. The area around the cabin itself was good though as a breeze coming off the lake kept the bugs at bay.

  The cabin itself is very cozy. Two bunks with queen on the bottom and twin on the top to sleep six total. A couple of good spots outside you can hang hammocks from too. Bring lighting as the cabin solar light only gives you a couple hours (assuming it could even charge up that day and it didn’t our first day) and it’s so wooded it gets dark very quickly. Everything is sealed up nice and tight too, so no bugs in the cabin unless you tear the screens or leave the door open.

  All the necessary items to clean up the cabin were provided, broom, dustpan, spray bottle, cloth, bucket, so that made cleaning up easy.

  I rated 4 stars based on three factors.

  1. Park office is only open Friday through Sunday. Makes sense seeing as that if it’s not that busy of a place during this week of July 4th, I can’t imagine other weeks getting busier.

  2. Rain can get things boggy quick, possibly closing the trail to your site even.

  3. State website says fire wood is provided, and two cords were at the cabin when we got there, but nothing said we had to pay for the wood. It’s fine, but I’ll have to run into town as I didn’t bring cash with me to leave in the envelope at the office, since the office is closed during the week, which also means if I needed more than these two cords, I have to run to town... As of this review, cords were $6 at the park and $5.50 at the truck stop up by I-94.

  Otherwise the place is great and I can imagine coming back again with friends and trying out the hike in tent sites too.

  TLDR version: Great place, quiet on these weekdays during a holiday week, bring firewood, use a cart if you have one to bring things to your site.

• 

  Henry L.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 11, 2025

  Games Lake County Park

  Games Lake County Park – A Perfect Camping Getaway

  Games Lake County Park, near New London, Minnesota, is a great spot for camping. With tent, RV, and cabin options, it suits all campers. The park offers electric hookups, clean facilities, and friendly staff. FR Legends recommends this park for its peaceful atmosphere and great amenities. Located near Games Lake, it’s perfect for fishing, boating, and family fun. A playground, beach, and boat launch make it a great getaway. Open May to September, it’s ideal for outdoor adventures!

• 

  Tori K.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 1, 2023

  Glacial Lakes State Park Campground

  Located in Central MN

  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. I do believe there were 2 or 3 cabins that I saw. Unsure if there is a group camp with this campground being so small as it is. Firewood is available at the check in/office building. There is a bathroom/shower building in the loop with the electric sites. The electric loop and primitive loops both have vault toilets. Each loop also has a few water stations to fill containers with potable water and each loop has a dumpster for disposing of waste. Not sure if there is a dump station for RVs as I typically use a tent when camping. Nice state park in Rural central Minnesota

• 

  ERolf P.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 23, 2016

  Charles A. Lindbergh State Park Campground

  Canoe Camp

  This is one of the most beautiful campsites we have stayed at in the midwest. The canoe campsite (also accessible through cart-in) is located on a small creek just off of the Mississippi river. There is a fire ring, picnic table, and ample tent space. There is about a 500yd walk to the restrooms, and you have to go another 500yds to the main campground to find the showers. We camped in mid-September, and the water to the main campground had already been turned off for the winter, so no shower review. The bathrooms near the cart-in sites were well maintained and clean, flush toilets. There was drinking water access near the old WPA water tower (but the water came from the city, not the well and water tower). We had some rain, but the sandy soil mean things drained quickly and were nearly dry in the morning. Lots of neat hiking trails within this small park, and a Minnesota Historical Society Site across the road at the Charles A. Lindbergh historic site (his boyhood home).

• 

  Allison K.

  Legend

  

  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!

• 

  Jason S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 29, 2016

  El Rancho Manana Campgrounds & Riding Stable

  Campging & Bluegrass

  This is a small campground in the middle of Minnesota that plays host to the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association' two annual festivals. There's a separate campground for traditional campers but there's various designated camping spots for the festivals.

  These festivals are one of the most laid back, fun music festivals I've been to. You get to watch from the comfort of your own lawn chair while sitting under the trees. Can't beat it.

• 

  Daniel H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 19, 2023

  Charles A. Lindbergh State Park Campground

  Windy roads in but nice wooded sites.

  I stayed here as a boy,  I stayed here with my kids. Now in a Class A RV it was bit tight getting in but still a nice heavily tree canopy.  No room for starlink.  Site are averagely spaced but blocked mostly by brush and trees. Its just minutes seconds from town and has access to the museum and L house across the street.  Lots look like they might be muddy during a rain.  tents would be an issue, though maybe better sites for tents I didn't see.

• J

  Jeff G.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 6, 2021

  Charles A. Lindbergh State Park Campground

  Wooded, older state park

  Sites are close together compared to some other Minnesota state parks. Lots of trees. Bathroom is older but decent. Hiking trails ok nothing special.

• 

  Don L.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 18, 2022

  Chippewa Park

  Between 2 Lakes

  This is a beautiful county maintained campground. Near Brandon,Minnesota. Lots of Amenities. Nice swimming beaches. #2 of them.