Are you in need of a campground near Nerstrand, MN? Nerstrand is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Nerstrand camping trip.
"We didn’t get to swim at the lake because it was shut down due to a chemical spill at the time, but we did walk over and check it out. The views are great!"
"All spots have a lake view and the beach is within walking distance. We love it here. It’s not to easy to get spots on the holiday weekends, but somehow we managed it"
"My only complaint was how close together the walk-in sites were."
"Beautiful forested area just outside Owatonna. Easy drive past beautiful farms to town. Camp host told us mosquitoes were light this year; they seemed plentiful to me!"
"It was mid April so no water at the sites but had electric in ours. We were able to get potable water at the entrance. And firewood. Had great trails to walk and bike on. Sites are spaced out."
"Great park if you’re not looking to drive too far to enjoy a bit of nature. Wonderful hiking paths and biking paths.
Our site was nice a secluded and right next to the trail heads."
"Great tent sites some along river lots of activities for children and adults tubing down the river, man-made lake with blowups, scooters, swimming poolAnd jumping pillow."
"It was a shaded site perfect for our hammocks, it was quiet and very secluded. The Yurt was very cool! Very comfortable beds and plenty of space for the 6 of us to stay and sleep."
"This was only my second camping trip, my first being the superior trail with an 8 mile hike in and no amenities."
$85 / night
"Each cabin has four sleeping spots: 2 bunk beds, and the 2 couches convert to beds. There's a heater inside, but no AC, which makes these the most suitable during the spring and fall."
"There is no cooking inside the cabin so you have to use the fire ring outside. Shower facilities are really nice and match the cabins. Plan ahead as these are hard to come by."
$16 - $50 / night
"I imagine in the middle of summer, it might feel slightly less secluded as there are 3 other sites relatively close by, one of which you have to walk through to get to this one, but in early September,"
"Amazing bathroom/Showers. Quiet, lots of flies, good spot overall. The golfing nearby that seemed reasonably priced for those interested."
"Plenty for kids to do and the staff was great"
"There was a pretty bad storm that came through and the staff was quick to clean up downed branches and help all the folks who got damage."
"A couple weeks ago we spent some time at the Northwest koa...that one had private tent sites surrounded on 3 sides by trees, quiet spaces etc."
"Spacious spaces, friendly staff. Had a great indoor pool, clean shower and bathroom building"
$15 - $18 / night
"This campground even has 2 walking/hike-in campsites to give your avid campers a real out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere kind if feel, like you drove hundreds if miles to get away from the hustle and bussle"
"It’s right off the highway, and very easy to find. The camp is very well-maintained, the beach is gorgeous, and the staff was extremely nice over the phone when I set my reservation.
10/10"
GuideEach cabin has four sleeping spots: 2 bunk beds, and the 2 couches convert to beds. There's a heater inside, but no AC, which makes these the most suitable during the spring and fall.
There is a fire ring outside of each cabin, along with a table. No cooking is allowed inside the cabins, which can make things rough if the weather isn't cooperating.
We enjoy hiking around the trails, but we primarily go to decompress, lounge around, and play games, read, etc. There's WiFi available, but depending on which cabin you reserve signal will be took weak for real usage. Same for mobile data -- don't plan on cell service here.
The bathroom facilities are nice. Outside water is shut off during some parts of the year, so bring your own drinking water if you are camping close to/during winter.
Cabins are accessible for those who need special assistance, which is nice. The only caveat is I don't recall there being an automatic door opener to the cabins.
While the cabins are close together, noise is not a factor once you're inside.
It's difficult to get reservations, so I recommend trying to start booking 120 days in advance, which is the farthest out you can reserve. For example, as of this review (early June), all weekends are booked for all cabins.
GuideNice park for everyone’s type from tents, cabins and all size RV’s. Electric only at the camp sites but have water and dump station on site. Clean bathrooms and showers. Best value I’ve seen for fire wood. Has many walking trails that you can take your dog on and just a couple that you can’t.
LegendSuper simple camping cabins. They each have 4 spots and have contactless entry as you get sent a code to use. There is no cooking inside the cabin so you have to use the fire ring outside. Shower facilities are really nice and match the cabins. Plan ahead as these are hard to come by.
ScoutChester Woods is a county park just east of Rochester, MN. It has a campground and man-made lake (created when Bear Creek was dammed for a flood control project) with hiking trails, a horse trail, picnic shelters, a beach, and a playground. The campsites have nice, soft ground for tents, and electrical outlets are available. It can get noisy on the weekend, but the sites are nice along the edge of the campground.
The lake offers the opportunity to fish for panfish, catfish, and bass. There are a lot of submerged trees from before the Creek was dammed that provide good habitat in deep water, and there is also good shoreline structure and weed beds. There is a fish cleaning house next to the campground which has electric lighting, but no running water.
ScoutI have stayed multiple times in the hike in camp sites and also in the yurt! The hike in sites were beautiful with a view looking over the St. Croix River. It was a shaded site perfect for our hammocks, it was quiet and very secluded. The Yurt was very cool! Very comfortable beds and plenty of space for the 6 of us to stay and sleep. The fire pit and picnic table wasn't far from the yurt which made it nice to not have to walk too far since we camped in the winter. I highly suggest the expeeience of the yurt!
ScoutGreat state park with lots of amenities. This was only my second camping trip, my first being the superior trail with an 8 mile hike in and no amenities. More fun in my opinion to search for your own firewood and really rough it, but it was to have water and wood available close to the site we were at (site 22) because we got in later and lost some daylight. The hike in was shorter and far less strenuous than my first trip, but note that it is uphill. If you’re carrying a heavy pack, expect to sweat a bit. Paved sidewalks into the park, wide dirt and rocky paths into the camp site which was nice given the amount of other day hikers (space to spread out). My boyfriend and I loved that our site was so secluded. There is also a lot of variety to the sites. The sites 1 through about 10 (if my memory doesn’t fail me) are fairly wooded. Our site had a nice balance of wooded area and open terrain/sky. We were lucky to get to see some beautiful fall colors.
A few notes: the wood provided is THICK. They must haul the logs in with a truck. Saws are provided at the wood site, but be prepared to take some time on it. We had a hand saw so we were able to pack our packs with some large pieces and do some sawing at our campsite as the sawing station was busy with families and other campers. Lots of bark available to get a good fire started. The wood is not covered so if it rains the night before you come in, be ready to deal with some damp wood.
Water station takes about 30 seconds to start up. There are also two bathrooms within the camp site that are what you expect them to be. Hand sanitizer and TP stocked.
Never saw a ranger while we were there. We loved the privacy. Lots of spiders. Comes with the terrain.
The site was perfect for our hammocks. They are super kind if you want to call ahead to get an idea of what your site looks like. It was also great to be able to see what other sites were occupied on the day we decided to make a reservation. There is a grill top on your fire pit (we packed our own grill top, could’ve left it at home).
Overall it was a great overnight trip. Close to our home so I’m sure we’ll be back for a quick trip next year.
LegendWe biked the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail from Faribault, MN to Mankato, MN (39 miles). The whole trail was paved, which was really nice and runs through hardwoods forest. We camped in Sakatah State Park and then explored the City of Mankato. Sakatah Lake is a relatively calm lake and seems like a great place to kayak.
They have 5 bike-in campsites near the trail. Other campsites include drive-in sites, electric sites, group sites, and camper cabins. The campsites are secluded just enough so that one feels like they are camping in the woods by themselves. Unlike a lot of campgrounds, Sakatah State Park has its fire pits above ground. Very nice for keeping warm. Amenities at the campground include showers, flush toilets, vault toilets, dump stations.
GuideWe stayed here while visiting Minneopa state park. The campground was nice. It was mid April so no water at the sites but had electric in ours. We were able to get potable water at the entrance. And firewood. Had great trails to walk and bike on. Sites are spaced out. Our 34’ trailer fit easily. Vault toilets on site. Bathrooms were closed (covid). The loops near the entrance had more shade. Spaces are large and accommodating!
GuideCamper Cabin (Eastern Bluebird)🏡🐦
Perfect little cabin nestled in the southern half of the park! Screened in porch, heated with electricity, and two double bunk beds!
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Nerstrand, MN is Lake Byllesby Regional Park with a 4.4-star rating from 11 reviews.
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