Top Tent Camping near Minneapolis, MN
Looking for tent camping near Minneapolis? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Minneapolis with tent camping. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your Minnesota tent camping excursion.
Best Tent Sites Near Minneapolis, MN (26)
1. Afton State Park Campground
Denmark, Minnesota36 Reviews•93 Photos•197 SavesLocated 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.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
2. Lake Maria State Park Campground
Silver Creek, Minnesota30 Reviews•95 Photos•90 SavesBackpack 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.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
3. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
Nerstrand, Minnesota32 Reviews•90 Photos•129 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
4. Tony’s Backyard
Bloomington, Minnesota1 Review•4 Photos•3 SavesThe space is in the backyard of my private property on Elliot Avenue in Bloomington, MN.
The yard is almost entirely fenced-in & has lots of folliage for general privacy.
Street parking is free.
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Trash
- WiFi
$45 - $60 / night
5. Crow Hassan Park Reserve
St. Michael, Minnesota3 Reviews•22 Photos•35 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- ADA Access
- Tents
- Group
$15 / night
6. Lake Rebecca Park Reserve
Rockford, Minnesota3 Reviews•8 Photos•33 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
7. Camp Sacajawea Retreat Center
Apple Valley, Minnesota2 Reviews•1 Photo•2 Saves- Pets
- Reservable
- Tents
- Group
- Trash
- Picnic Table
$50 / night
8. Camp Spring Lake Retreat Center
Rosemount, Minnesota1 Review•1 Photo•6 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
$50 / night
9. Mississippi Riverwood RV Park
Elk River, Minnesota2 Reviews•2 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
10. Minnesota Valley Rec Area
Belle Plaine, Minnesota1 Review•8 Saves- Reservable
- Tents
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
Showing results 1-10 of 26 campgrounds
Recent Tent Reviews In Minneapolis
671 Reviews of 26 Minneapolis Campgrounds
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
Nice weekend get away
Nice distance from the twin cities for a weekend away with some nice hiking trails. The tent pads have been upgraded to pea gravel by the friends association (which seems to be quite active based on signage around park improvements). Showers and bathrooms were clean. Wi-Fi near the park entrance and spotty T-Mobile service throughout. The outside of the loop is good for tent camping but could be a little noisy if the campground had been fully booked.
Isanti County Fairgrounds
Fun at the fairgrounds.
Very nice clean well kept grounds. Always things going at the fairgrounds,we missed the flea market by 1 day. Great places to eat in the area. We were visiting family nearby and they could come visit us for picnics with no problems and no extra cost. Very friendly grounds keepers. Will be back again when in the area. We had a nice view of the little lake.
Oak Leaf Park
Wonderful city park
I stayed two nights. The city park has private restrooms. Check in with the park host and he will provide you the code to access the restrooms/showers. The park has 13 rv sites with 30/50amp and water, four tent sites. Fishing pond, two baseball fields, basket ball court, playground, disk golf, and aquatic center/swimming pool. Little town has a lot to offer. Great place to camp
High Island Creek Park
Free dispersed camping
I stayed four nights. I would have stayed longer but ran out of water. There isn't any potable water on site. During a hot day, I took my two dogs and we hiked to a nearby river. We cooled off and enjoyed the peace and quite. The only downside is no potable water and lots of mesquites.
Country Camping Tent & RV Park on the Rum River
Gary w
Nice river nearby canoeing swimming pool fireplaces and little store for treats.
Float-Rite Park
This park is closed permanently
This campground is closed permanently
High Island Creek Park
Virtually noises
I'm spending three nights here. I'm writing my review after my second day. The campground is kept up very well. It has garbage cans and porta pottys. When I got here it was empty. Nice open spots and a good amount of tree cover.
Cokato Lake RV Resort Cooperative Association
Great resort with outstanding amenities
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
Minneapolis Southwest KOA
Older koa
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.
Willow River State Park Campground
Very nice camping
Lovely trails, the beach is a large area with a nice park and picnic area. The water itself is ok, lots of geese and algae. The falls are wonderful though. The bathrooms are fine. I could not find a garbage bin to save my life, not near the bathrooms or anywhere in campground 200 or by the park ranger post. If there were garbage cans dispersed throughout the campground, I would have given 5 stars. Especially along the trail to the waterfalls because there was garbage all along the trail unfortunately. Not the camps fault, but maybe people would be more responsible if garbage bins were placed along the route.
High Island Creek Park
Magical
Good vibes it’s a magical place when u go hiking down the hill to the hidden creeks trails and absolute peace being one with nature..
Lebanon Hills Regional Park
Jewel near the cit
Stayed here while visit our son. Picked it because it was close. We were very surprised at the privacy of our site. We were in the east loop with just electric.
William O'Brien State Park Campground
OK but not great
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.
Mississippi Riverwood RV Park
Buyer Beware!
If you do NOT stay the entire amount of time you have paid for, you may lose the right to return to your site, even if your lease says the lot is still yours.
My husband and I camped at MRRV Park from July 5 to August 5th,2023, because my husband had a job in the area. We signed a lease that went through October 15th. We agreed that the lot’s owner could find another renter after we left with the condition that some of our money would be refunded. Shortly after we left, my husband found out he had a second job in the twin cities. We tried to contact the owner many times to see if any other renters were lined up. Only by contacting the park board did we find that the lot had been rented out 2 days after we left. The lot’s owner refuses to return any money for the 9 extra weeks we paid for! My husband had to rent a hotel room☹
The RV Park board refuses to help so we are going to court.
South of Sand Dunes State Forest
Absolutely love it
I love that it's so close to home. I was able to walk in and find an incredible spot to camp and lay in my hammock.
Country Camping Tent & RV Park on the Rum River
Fun place
The campground is nice and clean. Good size spaces. The tubing is a plus. Had one issue with power dropping so we had to pull the surge protector off the. It was fine. Also very hot and humid so everyone was running AC to the max. Pool was small but nice. Splash pad was even nice for adults I recommend this campground. Key thing is the river is very clean and sandy bottom.
Lake Elmo County Park Reserve
Great camping
This was a great experience overall. The sites are spacious and far enough away from others to feel like there was enough privacy.
The one negative thing was that some neighbors watched a movie each night — starting just after quiet hours. We could hear their movie from across a road and through some trees (and tents).
But overall it was great. Good hiking and geocaching.
We would go back to this campground.
South of Sand Dunes State Forest
Good forest road, nothing special
For the proximity to the city and nearby highways, this was a good spot. Didn’t expect to see as many campers as I did, but all seemed to be friendly. I stayed here for one night and roads were totally fine for any vehicle. Most spots are like the pictures shown. There are a few spots that have great views or pull-through areas, and there are limited spots that are big-rig friendly. Saw lots of dogs, and mine had a blast, even had what seemed to be a stray husky quickly roll through camp around dusk. Something to keep on your mind. The road goes for a long ways, I parked near the front and closer to numbers, always like to be safer. Overall there was some shouting and yelling but for the location I was happy.
South of Sand Dunes State Forest
Very Quiet
There’s lots of little spots off the main gravel road. Nothing allowed further into the forest. One pull through area that I found. Couple vehicles pass a day. Stand storks are very protective. Stay away from them. They attack. 🤣
Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve
Favorite spot
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.
Willow River State Park Campground
Awesome park!
Plenty of sites and hiking to do. Very cool area. The falls are awesome!
Minneapolis Southwest KOA
Unlevel sites, broken dump station
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.
South of Sand Dunes State Forest
Quiet with lots of different bird sounds
this is a nice quiet area. Some younger people coming through sporadically playing with their trucks but nothing serious and not often. Be aware if you have an rv though. I had a county sheriff person tell me it's not lawful to park a trailer and they kicked me out. I called the dnr and they said that wasn't right but I decided to leave anyway. County sheriff's not pleasent around here.
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground
Peaceful weekend camping
Stayed on non electric site which looking at the whole campground are the better sites. Sites are wooded so you don’t have neighbor issues. All have large pea gravel tent pads - very nice. Good fire rings with lots of room for lounging. Many trails to hike but due to prior heavy rain the only trail open was down to Hidden Falls - they were roaring. No cell/ very patchy cell signal and could only get WiFi signal when standing next to Ranger station. Would definitely visit again, maybe in the fall as I’m told the colors are wonderful.
Wild River State Park Campground
Lots of good memories
I have been coming to Wild River since I was a kid. Nice park, scenic trails, horses on the way in.
Bunker Hills Regional Park
Love bunker!
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.
Wildwood RV Park & Campground
Great family trip
Through a short weekend trip the camp site was a great size for us. Everyone was nice and friendly especially camp staff. The kayaking/ canoeing was an amazing adventure that everyone should try. It was even great for kids 3 and 6.
Guide to Minneapolis
Camping near Minneapolis offers a great escape into nature without straying too far from the city. With a variety of campgrounds, each with its own unique features, you can find the perfect spot for your next outdoor adventure.
What to do:
- Hiking: Many campgrounds have trails for all skill levels. For instance, at Willow River State Park Campground, one reviewer mentioned, "Lovely trails, the beach is a large area with a nice park and picnic area."
- Water Activities: If you enjoy being near water, Interstate State Park offers canoe and kayak rentals. A visitor shared, "The friendly folks at the park office helped me plan a fun day of hiking that included seeing glacial potholes and sandstone bluffs."
- Wildlife Watching: At Wild River State Park Campground, you might spot deer and other wildlife. One camper noted, "The woods surrounding dense enough to obscure others while still feeling open."
What campers like:
- Privacy: Campers appreciate the spacious sites at Lebanon Hills Regional Park. A reviewer said, "We were very surprised at the privacy of our site."
- Clean Facilities: Many campgrounds, like Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve, are praised for their cleanliness. One visitor mentioned, "Shower facilities are very nice."
- Scenic Views: Campers enjoy the beautiful surroundings at Afton State Park Campground. A reviewer expressed, "Good pricing, great trails for all different skill levels and nice staff."
What you should know:
- Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds, like Lake Elmo County Park Reserve, have fewer amenities. A visitor noted, "Only portapotties. I think the best camping opportunity I saw was the group campgrounds."
- Mosquitoes: Be prepared for bugs, especially in warmer months. One camper at Lake Maria State Park warned, "The mosquitos were awful."
- Crowded Sites: Some campgrounds can get busy, particularly on weekends. A reviewer at William O'Brien State Park Campground mentioned, "The sites are all very close to one another with very little foliage dividing the sites."
Tips for camping with families:
- Choose Spacious Sites: Look for campgrounds with larger sites, like Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground. A camper shared, "Larger and more private than most state parks."
- Plan for Activities: Make sure to have a list of family-friendly activities. One family at Afton State Park Campground enjoyed the "beautiful surroundings and clean bathrooms."
- Pack Bug Spray: With the presence of mosquitoes, it's essential to bring bug spray. A visitor at Lake Maria State Park advised, "Be prepared with bug spray/repellant!"
Tips from RVers:
- Check Site Size: RVers should ensure their site can accommodate their vehicle. A reviewer at Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve mentioned, "RV pads are gravel."
- Look for Electric Hookups: Many campgrounds offer electric hookups, which can be a big plus. At Wild River State Park Campground, a camper noted, "The campground is a long drive into the park from the main entrance."
- Be Mindful of Noise: Some RVers can be loud, which might disturb others. A visitor at Interstate State Park shared, "People in RVs tend to not recognize their voices penetrate tent walls with incredible ease."
Camping around Minneapolis offers a mix of nature, fun activities, and family-friendly options. Whether you're in an RV or tent, there's something for everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Minneapolis, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Minneapolis, MN is Afton State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Minneapolis, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Minneapolis, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.