Best Glamping near Nerstrand, MN

Sakatah Lake State Park Campground near Waterville and Shades of Sherwood Campground in Zumbrota offer upscale glamping accommodations 30-45 minutes from Nerstrand, Minnesota. Visitors seeking glamping experiences have access to well-appointed yurts and luxury cabin accommodations that blend outdoor adventure with modern comforts. Each glamping site features proper beds with linens, electricity, climate control, and private outdoor spaces. The Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins provide elevated camping experiences with picnic tables, indoor toilet facilities, and convenient access to nearby attractions. Several locations include eco-friendly designs with natural materials and sustainable amenities while maintaining proximity to hiking trails and water features. One guest shared, "The campgrounds were beautiful and well kept. The bathrooms were immaculate."

Glamping guests enjoy direct access to extensive trail systems surrounding these accommodations, with multiple sites positioned along lakes and rivers for water activities. Sakatah Lake State Park provides glamping visitors with seasonal firewood purchases and reservable sites from April through October. The Shades of Sherwood Campground features a man-made lake with inflatable water attractions and a jumping pillow, creating resort-like experiences beyond traditional camping. Visitors appreciate the well-maintained shower facilities and proximity to local attractions like breweries and wineries. Minneapolis Southwest KOA includes distinctive yurts among its accommodations, offering families unique lodging options with convenient access to metropolitan attractions. According to a camper, "Great tent sites some along river lots of activities for children and adults tubing down the river, man-made lake with blowups, scooters, swimming pool and jumping pillow."

Best Glamping Sites Near Nerstrand, Minnesota (18)

    1. Lake Byllesby Regional Park

    12 Reviews
    Cannon Falls, MN
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 263-4447

    "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"

    2. Rice Lake Campground — Rice Lake State Park

    13 Reviews
    Owatonna, MN
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 455-5871

    "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!"

    3. Sakatah Lake State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Waterville, MN
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 362-4438

    "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."

    4. Shades of Sherwood Campground

    1 Review
    Zumbrota, MN
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 732-5100

    "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."

    5. Afton State Park Campground

    36 Reviews
    Denmark, MN
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (651) 436-5391

    "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."

    6. Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins

    4 Reviews
    Empire, MN
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (952) 891-7000

    $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."

    7. Cleary Lake Regional Park

    8 Reviews
    Prior Lake, MN
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (763) 694-7777

    $16 - $50 / night

    "The five space spot has no water or electric hook up but was a great place for me to test out my new solar set up."

    "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,"

    8. Kieslers Clear Lake Campground

    3 Reviews
    Waseca, MN
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (507) 835-3179

    "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."

    9. Minneapolis Southwest KOA

    9 Reviews
    Jordan, MN
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (952) 492-6440

    "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"

    10. Lake Auburn Campground

    12 Reviews
    Victoria, MN
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (952) 443-2911

    $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"

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 18 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Glamping Reviews near Nerstrand, MN

153 Reviews of 18 Nerstrand Campgrounds


  • B
    Jun. 7, 2021

    Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins

    Great camper cabins for spring and fall

    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 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.

  • Mark N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 25, 2021

    Chester Woods Park

    Nice County Park

    Nice 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.

  • Scott M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 22, 2022

    Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins

    Great Cold Weather Option

    Super 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.

  • Brian K.
    May. 7, 2017

    Chester Woods Park

    Great weekend spot!

    Chester 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.

  • T
    Jun. 18, 2018

    Afton State Park Campground

    Hiking and Yurting

    I 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!

  • Alicia A.
    Oct. 13, 2020

    Afton State Park Campground

    A Nice Secluded Overnight Trip

    Great 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.

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 27, 2019

    Sakatah Lake State Park Campground

    There is plenty to do for the outdoor enthusiasts

    We 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.

  • Tracy O.
    May. 25, 2021

    Sakatah Lake State Park Campground

    Close drive to Minneopa!

    We 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!

  • Alison O.
    Mar. 16, 2021

    Afton State Park Campground

    Camper Cabin camping @ Afton State Park

    Camper 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!


Guide to Nerstrand

Nerstrand, Minnesota sits in the southeastern portion of the state at an elevation around 1,170 feet, with seasonal temperature swings from below zero in winter to humid 80°F summers. The nearby Nerstrand Big Woods State Park contains one of the largest maple-basswood forests remaining in Minnesota, influencing camping conditions throughout the region with ample shade in summer and vibrant foliage in fall. Campgrounds in the area typically range from primitive to full-service facilities, with an increasing number offering yurt accommodations as alternatives to traditional camping.

What to do

Biking excursions: The Sakatah Lake State Park Campground connects directly to the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, providing miles of paved routes through diverse landscapes. "Biked the trail. Campfires, hammocked and just enjoyed chillin!" reports one camper who appreciated the combination of activities.

Water recreation: Lake Byllesby Regional Park offers multiple water activities including fishing, boating and swimming. According to a visitor, "The lake is nice for fishing, boating or swimming. Has a small store." Another family noted how they "didn't get to swim at the lake because it was shut down due to a chemical spill at the time," highlighting the importance of checking conditions before visits.

Stargazing events: Some parks in the area host scheduled astronomical viewings for campers. At Rice Lake State Park, one visitor shared their experience: "We sat and watched the sun set and join in on the star gazing event that was going on in the park. We got to look at the moon and Saturn through a few big telescopes."

Wildlife observation: The diverse habitats around Nerstrand support extensive wildlife viewing opportunities. Campers report seeing everything from frogs to birds of prey. As one Rice Lake visitor noted, "We saw a bull frog and a few leopard frogs at the boat launch... We saw a few cool birds, lots of berries and a few interesting bugs."

What campers like

Well-maintained facilities: Lake Auburn Campground receives consistent praise for its upkeep. "All of the campsites are very clean along with all of the other facilities and amenities they offered," explains one detailed review. Another notes, "Nice, well-maintained campground good for drive-in camping and RVs."

Yurt accommodations: Yurt camping near Nerstrand, Minnesota has become increasingly popular, with Afton State Park Campground among those offering these structures. "Minnesota State Parks have just started to build Yurts for 3 campgrounds around the state; Afton, Cuyuna and Glendalough State Parks. These have some great amenities and are perfect for family camping, especially in Fall, Winter and Spring," explains one camper who appreciated the alternative camping option.

Privacy levels: Campgrounds vary significantly in how secluded sites feel. Some visitors to Rice Lake State Park found that "walk-in sites were very close together" while a camper at Afton State Park noted, "The terrain is just hilly enough - and in August - the grass long enough to give the sites a sense of privacy and seclusion."

Easy access beaches: Several campgrounds feature swimming areas within walking distance of campsites. A visitor to Lake Auburn explained, "The Eady walk to the lake, sitting on the dock or the grass and swimming in the water are a great way to destress," highlighting the convenience of water access.

What you should know

Seasonal limitations: Many facilities in the region operate on limited schedules. Rice Lake visitors noted restricted services: "As of now NO showers," during certain times. Another campground visitor mentioned, "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."

Booking challenges: Whitetail Woods Camper Cabins are notoriously difficult to reserve. "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," advises one regular visitor.

Water quality concerns: Several lakes in the area experience seasonal algae issues. A camper at Sakatah Lake noted, "Sakatah Lake is quite shallow so late season is at risk of algae bloom - the lake was pea soup green when we got there at the end of August, so go early in the season if you want to get on the water." Similarly, a Lake Byllesby visitor observed, "The only thing disappointing is the lake becomes green with algae as the summer goes on."

Limited cell service: Signal strength varies widely between campgrounds. At Whitetail Woods, a visitor reported, "There's WiFi available, but depending on which cabin you reserve signal will be too weak for real usage. Same for mobile data -- don't plan on cell service here."

Tips for camping with families

Playground options: Cleary Lake Regional Park offers recreational areas for various age groups. "The playground is awesome for all ages as it accommodates something for all ages and size groups from a traditional playground set for the younger ones, volleyball net and concrete bag toss boards," notes one visitor who appreciated the diverse options.

Site selection strategy: When camping with children, location matters. At Lake Byllesby, one family shared, "We stayed in a RV spot next to the lake which had water and electric hookups. The playground is a short walk to the tent area, which was a big hit with our kids. Our girls didn't want to leave!"

Weather contingency plans: Yurt camping near Nerstrand provides better shelter options during inclement weather. A Whitetail Woods visitor advised, "No cooking is allowed inside the cabins, which can make things rough if the weather isn't cooperating." This highlights the importance of planning alternative meal preparation options.

Kid-friendly trails: Several parks offer accessible hiking for younger visitors. One family at Lake Byllesby mentioned, "We had fun going on a short hike and finding wild blackberries to eat," demonstrating how natural features can engage children in outdoor activities.

Tips from RVers

Site leveling challenges: Several campgrounds require preparation for uneven terrain. One RVer at Sakatah Lake warned, "Very nice park if your RV is not too big. I put our 38 foot 5th wheel in a site but you better be on your game here. Lots of shade and big trees."

Electrical hookup availability: Most parks offer limited electrical sites that book quickly. "As most State parks in MN you better get your reservation in early if you want a site with electric," advises a Sakatah Lake visitor, emphasizing the need for advance planning.

Dump station conditions: RVers should verify operational status of facilities. One Minneapolis Southwest KOA visitor warned about "broken dump station" issues during their stay, showing the importance of having backup options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Nerstrand, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Nerstrand, MN is Lake Byllesby Regional Park with a 4.4-star rating from 12 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Nerstrand, MN?

TheDyrt.com has all 18 glamping camping locations near Nerstrand, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.