Camping options near Mendota, Minnesota sit at elevations between 700-900 feet above sea level in the Mississippi River Valley. Seasonal considerations affect site availability, with spring flooding occasionally limiting riverside camping options in April and May. The area features a mix of city-managed, county, and private facilities within 30 minutes of downtown Minneapolis-St. Paul.
What to do
Tubing and river activities: Country Camping Tent & RV Park offers tubing trips with shuttle service. "We love this place. Close to the Twin Cities, right on the Rum River. Great tent sites right on the river. Tubing! They have a bus that takes you into town float back to the campground, love it," shared a camper named Tom D.
Biking trails: Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve maintains paved trails around several lakes. "There are nice paved trails around a couple of lakes/ponds for biking, and easy access to the shower and bathroom facilities (which were very nice)," notes ERolf P. The park connects to other regional trails for longer rides.
Water recreation: Multiple lakes offer paddling opportunities at reasonable rental rates. "There are 2 swimming beaches: 1 for the campground and one for all of the day visitors. You can rent canoes, paddle boats and SUP boards, and many people bring their own boats," explains Jennifer H.
What campers like
Private sites: Cleary Lake Regional Park features well-spaced campsites with natural barriers. "Lots of good trees and space between campgrounds which isn't always the case at the regional parks. The access to water is really nice and a couple sites were perfect," notes Scott M. Sites 11-13 offer the most seclusion.
Family-friendly amenities: Country Camping RV Park provides multiple recreation options for children. "Great variety of things to do for everyone. Group sites, tent sites, covered wagon sites! Floating on the Rum River, swimming pool with splash pad, little camp store, Golf cart rentals! Our grandkids love it too!" writes Carol H.
Close-to-home convenience: Lebanon Hills allows for quick getaways without long travel times. "We selected this camp ground to test out some gear -- if we had problems or if we forgot something it was a short drive home. Turns out this is a wonderful camp ground and offers a lot of seclusion," reports Blair.
What you should know
Reservation timing: Most Minneapolis-area RV parks require early booking, especially for weekend stays. "Reserve early online, most weekends were already reserved by mid May," advises a camper at Lebanon Hills Regional Park.
Cell service challenges: Limited connectivity affects some campgrounds. "WiFi is not great, less than 1MB download speeds from our site, and our Verizon service was pretty poor in our spot, max 2 bars," notes Chris F. from Dakotah Meadows RV Park.
Seasonal water connections: Spring camping may have limitations. "The water wasn't turned on yet, but we were able to fill our fresh water tank with a hose from their laundromat," reports Michelle A. about early-season RV camping at Dakotah Meadows.
Tips for camping with families
Kid-friendly activities: Multiple parks offer playground equipment. "The kids enjoyed the compact playground and pool. The site we're in is w&e only but they have a dump station," writes Jennifer H. about Town & Country Campground & RV Park.
Testing site for new campers: Lebanon Hills provides an ideal environment for families trying camping equipment. "Our family selected this camp ground to test out some gear. Tent camp sites are far enough from each other that neighbors can't be seen, and we didn't hear them either," notes a satisfied camper.
Group camping options: Several parks accommodate large family gatherings. "We always stay at the Cleary point group camp and we love it. It used to have toilets but last year only had a port-a-potty which was less than ideal for a group of 40 people. The camp is great though, 4 or 5 hookups and a private dock," explains Teresa O.
Tips from RVers
Bathhouse access systems: Some RV parks near Mendota use card systems for facilities. "Shower rooms and Laundry room require hotel card entry. Cards are $5 with $3 returned at check-out," notes James and Susan K. about Dakota Meadows.
Site configurations: Pull-through options vary between parks. "Sites are two pull-thru's to each site. Your door is opposite of your site mate and you each have your own power pedestal w/water. Sites are 60+ feet, concrete and level," explains a reviewer about the layout at Treasure Island RV Park.
Evening noise considerations: Casino RV parks often have different noise patterns than traditional campgrounds. "It was honestly one of the quietest campgrounds we've been to on a Friday night. At 7pm folks seemed to clear out to head over," reports Ashley K., noting that many visitors use shuttle services to casino facilities.
