Searching for a tent camping spot near Mississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Mississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Mississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake, Minnesota's most popular destinations.
Boat in canoe campsite on the Pine River
$22 / night
Ogechie is the more rustic of the park’s two campgrounds. This scene showcases campsite #11, which is a double site with vehicle parking on two sides. This shaded site offers tent pads, fire rings, and picnic tables.
$23 - $46 / night
Canoe in camp site, but can hike in as well. On the Mississippi River.
Legend
offers sites with no hookups and sites with electric (no water, but potable water station is provided to fill up prior to parking) bathrooms and showers in the campground. Fire ring and picnic table provide for each site. Firewood and sewage dump station also provided for free to registered campers. There is a dock, sand swimming beach, horse shoe pits, disc golf, basketball court, and softball field.
TravelerThe website for this RV park is broken
ScoutThis is a beautiful quiet place to park it for a while. There is everything here from 43 ft Class A rigs to tents. We were the only ones for about four days when we got here and now the campground is completely full. It’s the middle of September, and you wouldn’t know you were practically in the middle of the city with all the foliage. The only downfall is you have to unhook to go dump every so often. Thankfully the dump site is inside the campground
Scout
Was here every summer in the late eighties and early nineties as a kid with my family and it’s still as nice and peaceful as it was then. I’ll continue to keep coming back every summer
Guide
The campground was nicely maintained. Had a nice pool and friendly seasonal campers. The management and reservation process was less than desirable. Very difficult to get ahold of management and upon arrival they had given our reserved site away to someone else and moved us. Paid for a water/ electric site and were moved to an electric only site and no cost difference or refund offered.
Legend
As this was our second time here at Minnesota National, we had no problem finding the course or RV park. The RV navigation in our new Ford 450 was also spot on. When you turn in at the golf course, drive all the way to the club house/lodge parking lot and there’s a road to the right that takes you into the campground (CG). As you check-in online prior to arrival, you simply proceed to your camp site. As you turn down the short road to the CG, there’s a sign to help you identify your site location. We proceeded to back-in site 25 with full hook ups. The utilities are in the back of pad in this CG, so you may need 20+ feet of electric, sewer, or water cord/hose depending on your rig’s configuration. The sewer grade is a bit up hill. We got 3 bars LTE on Verizon and no CG WiFi. There is only a vault toilet/out house in the CG. We came here to golf for two weeks. The 18 hole course is quite challenging where the 9 hole Savannah is shorter and a little bit easier. The golf course restaurant has decent food and a good deal on draft beer during their Sunday to Thursday Happy Hours.There is not much more to do here except golf. McGregor is about 15 minutes away and is where we did laundry and got our groceries.
GuideAn old national forest campsite, rustic with ground fire pits. Good for tent. You will be able to see the drive in spots by the fire pits. About 6 spots. Only two other RV people there mid summer weekday. The spots are spread out decently. Theres a boat ramp and an old outhouse toilet. Be ready to bring bug spray. Dont miss the sign while driving down 6 mile lake rd, the coordinates work better on map directions.
Scout
Lots of amenities, $60+ /night, guest fees. More open with less “trees and camping” feel so not for everyone but we liked it.
Traveler
We got to the site and we had low branches asked them to cut them. They said they were at there standards so we had hold it up. Them the site next to us had to have rock concrete us and 4 others called several times nothing
Guide
Lovely sites with plenty of trees so most sites are quite private. Mosquitoes are brutal here, especially on the hiking club trail and to a somewhat lesser degree in the campground. We were thankful to have a screen tent for this visit. No Verizon cell service at the campground. Surprisingly good cell service at the Loon Lake area of the park, which also has a beautiful short hike!
Guide
Great campground right on Leech Lake. A quick drive to Walker if you need any supplies. Plenty of options for getting firewood near by.
We were on site 23 and it was a huge site (as were most sites) No issues with neighbors being noisy other than a yapping dog. Site was nice and level.
There are some sites that are definitely less desirable around the main bathroom / shower house.
With the wind off the lake bugs were well managed - but this is MN in the summer - so there were mosquitoes and flies - but that is expected.
Grass was well maintained
Beach was great albeit shallow. But nice soft sand.
Wouldn't have any qualms about going back
FYI - they don't supply a solo stove - but I love mine so I use it instead of the fire ring
Guide
This campsite was a bit confusing for me to find and I still wonder if I’m at the right place. It’d be a peaceful night if it weren’t for the generator running all night across from me 😤 The mosquitoes are terrible, but that’s expected. I also thought it’d be on the water but it’s not… The road can also be pretty tough so be prepared if your pulling a trailer. I don’t think this was what I expected
Guide
I had the entire park to myself. Beautiful view of the Mississippi River, not far from the headwaters. Enjoyed the sounds of nature as I relaxed in site #6. I took advantage of the on-site fire wood via the Yodel Portal app. Amazed that I had the place to myself.
Guide
Was here last year also. Great place for older people that have a national parks card. $13.00 a night is unbeatable. Park is always clean and well maintained. And free laundry too. Yes, there are skeeters, but this is summer in Minnesota. You learn to deal. Quiet and not packed at all. Site is large and flat and trees galore.
Ranger
There were a good amount of spots, and I seemed to be the only person. Was a good and secluded. I did hear some weird noises throughout the night, but all was well. It is your average dispersed site. I made it fine with 2wd, just take it slow.
Guide
Nice campground. We were dry camping in the RV since there was no water. Still a nice place for a winter getaway. Will go back in the fall!
Guide
Base camp for fishing Big Sandy. Stayed here several times in a tent and a trailer. Nice sites but surrounded by swampy areas so mosquitoes are thick.
Very clean, pay attention to north or south entrance. Have to drive on either end can’t cross the dam with a vehicle.
But firewood before hand as well.
Guide
Small and well maintained park as you would expect for a USACE site. Super clean bathrooms. Level sites and great views of the Mississippi.
Road noise from Hwy 2 is a downside.
Ranger
Nice trails along the Mississippi River, easy to walk, good signage on trails, and good information signs with history of each site along the trail.
Very Clean men’s bathroom. One shower needs a new shower head.
Sites 40 to 45 are very nice and secluded. Sites 58 and 59 are prime secluded sites.
Ranger
Smaller campsite with less spaces but right on the waters edge which provides a breeze and keeps the bugs down. Wet spring so Kathoy was terrible but works here. Trails, town which has a grocery store, place to wash cloths and a place to trade out the books I've ready for a new set. Good connectivity so easy to work from with decent bathrooms.
RangerI came in the spring it was a wet spring there were a lot of bugs. The trails are probably not maintained because it was so wet but they were almost impossible to hike on simply because of the amount of mosquitoes. The bathrooms are nice the camp spots were nice they had good signage for the archaeological stuff. It was just very hard to enjoy it because it was so overwhelmingly buggy.
GuideThe campsite was pretty wooded on most sides. I visited in the late spring so there were quite a few mosquitos since the campground is near the river. Bathrooms/showers were cleanish, water was mid from the outdoor taps but not horrible
Traveler
Very large easy to access camping area. Could easily get 4-5 campers in this one. It is a bit rocky and not extremely level but open and better for less bugs. ATV trail leads right off camping area.
RangerThis is a more rustic State Park. There's lots of history here most of it is just a plaque not actually something to see. The river was really high and there was a fair amount of mosquitoes outside but a lot of trails and a lot of signs and a lot of history in the park.
ScoutHiking was great, we saw an albino deer on the hiking club trail! Site was a bit tight for our travel trailer and a tight fit to back up on the pad. Recent rain had the campsites pretty muddy but the paved spaces were well maintained.
RangerNice wooded campground. Gravel sites, fairly level. Water fill and firewood available at the registration building. The water was high in iron.
Canoe and kayak rentals available. 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.
LegendGreat views here! Stayed right next to the lake! Had easy access for kayaking and had a fun girls weekend! Site 7 was a short hike in from the parking lot and the site was large enough for multiple tents. We had a 3p and 2p backpacking tent. Picnic table and fire ring provided at the site. There is a self pay station and the rates were pretty cheap! we enjoyed a rainy weekend and were even able to rig up an awning with some dead branches in our site and extra rope we brought to help us keep dry. Great location for water access. we had an inflatable kayak, traditional kayak, and inflatable paddleboard between the three of us!
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake is South Bend Watercraft Site with a 4-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 31 tent camping locations near Mississippi River Headwaters - Cross Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
