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River camping - dispersed options on the river Primitive campsites with river views
Primitive shoreline campsites scattered along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers offer the opportunity to move from campsite to campsite for multi-day trips. These campsites are often only accessible from the water and are relatively isolated. Campsites are on a first-come, first-serve basis and are easier to secure mid-week and during non-holiday weekends. There are no fees or reservations required. However, a camping permit is required on the St. Croix River below Highway 8.
Primitive shoreline campsites scattered along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers offer the opportunity to move from campsite to campsite for multi-day trips. These campsites are often only accessible from the water and are relatively isolated. Campsites are easier to secure mid-week and during non-holiday weekends. nps.gov/sacn/planyourvisit/lowerstcroix.htm
Dispersed camping is allowed in Minnesota state forests. Dispersed camping is different from camping in a designated campground. It is a wilderness experience for campers who enjoy camping far from others and do not need any amenities. Map: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_forests/sft00044.pdf
Tent only, first come, first serve.
Traveler
Plenty of spots. Fairly small spots. This road is pretty busy for a dirt forest road and people FLY down it. Almost got hit a few times walking. Even through a Wednesday night cars are flying down the road.
GuideI 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.
Guide
There are many different sites (most just pull offs) in this area! I did see one that was pull through further down game refuge road. The cell service with Verizon is good enough to stream videos and work on your laptop with ease. There aren't too many people in the area, even on a Sunday in July. The bugs are not great but that's just what you're going to get in an area like this one. Overall I would definitely stay here again.
Guide
This campsite is about an hour away from where I live. The listing here on The Dyrt seemed promising, and I hoped that by getting out there early I would find a nice spot. I first went to the National Park Service Scenic Riverway Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls to obtain a permit and learned that I don't need one for Sandrock Cliffs, I was already there so I got one anyway. About 40 minutes later I arrived at Sandrock Cliffs. The campsites all have a fire ring and are decently spaced apart, but most of the sites were full of trash and broken tent poles. There was a large group of kids that arrived by canoe/kayak just after I did. Soon the parking lot was also full of cars of some shady looking people who appeared to be looking for a spot to party. The kids seemed to have deterred these people from staying. I set up my camp and started to read a book. The kids began running through my campsite and upset my dog. After 3 times of them running through my campsite I just packed up and went home. Since this spot is accessible by road I'm assuming that its best not to visit in the summer, it seems to be a place that gets abused by the locals as a party area. I may consider visiting again in the fall when it is hopefully less busy.
RangerFor 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.
TravelerThere’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. 🤣
Scoutthis 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.
Traveler
We camped here on our way to the badlands starting from michigan. It was easy to find, and the spot itself was good and had restrooms. The only problem was the mosquitoes.
RangerCame back on a warm weekend. A bit more traffic, but after 12 p.m., not much of anything. I really recommend this for an easy stop if you're looking for a place to put up. It's peaceful and tons of spots to park.
Ranger
Most of these spots are cutoffs on the sides of the dirt road. They are deep and have plenty of room, though. Almost all of them I could see have firepits. The spot I stayed in was the most secluded I could find. It was through a ditch and up a small hill and set back in the woods. There is a firepit up there as well. I spent 3 days here with only one car passing through on the first night. After that, nothing! You wouldn't have a problem finding a place if your pulling a trailer.
RangerGreat spot. Plenty of parking. Best for straight vehicles or very small trailers.
GuideCampsites were pretty far apart. Not bad, quiet, aside from the occasional truck speeding through.
GuideWe arrived in the late afternoon and drove all the way down the road, there are a few spots near the boat ramp and bathroom, but we parked near the trailhead and it was perfect! There were a few hunters out but they weren’t anywhere near us, I’d definitely recommend this spot
TravelerI just did an overnight camp one night in a truck camper and it was very easy to navigate and it was cleaned quiet area to spend the night. The bad part a lot of the side roads are closed to motor vehicles due to some issues they had a couple years ago but are now taken care of like people dumping
GuideI pulled into the campsite late at night and was really confused where to go. There are bathrooms and 1 bar of Verizon (no T-mobile service). We ended up staying in the parking lot near the boat ramp and woke up to amazing bird calls and left before 6am. Pretty campsite with boat ramp to St Croix river.
TravelerPublic water access. No camp sites at this location
GuideDrove past several sites, most of which were by water. We did find one we thought we liked, but branches over hung, and rested on our camper (8ft high) and in fact most sites were shaded. As to be expected, mozzies were present, but after 5mins of the door being opened and several flying in, we decided the area wasn't for us. There were other branches of the road that could be explored as well.
Traveler
The spot is along the ice age trail. Well managed gravel trail to the south and single wide footpath to the north.
There is a pad at the bottom of the path up to the open air vault toilet, a fire ring, and a table. The table has an extra long side for those in a wheelchair. The crushed gravel path to the south makes travel to the nearby Lions park easy.
The ease of access probably makes this a hangout spot as we saw a good amount of refuse around the pad. The pictures are probably worst case scenario. We visited in April after historic snowfall and thaw causing the river to flood. I'd imagine when the river is lower with the fire ring and table where they're supposed to be this would be a nice place for the night. Right on the beautiful st.croix river.
Guide
A lot of ATV traffic but super friendly people, really buggy but a few nice spots to pull into for the night
ScoutThis spot was super nice and peaceful! Lots of different dispersed spots. Go down Tamarack Forest Road, which is a little further than the location on here.
TravelerI absolutely love this campground. You have to walk upstairs to get to it, but there were quite a few campsites as you walk along the hiking trail. Each one has a fire pit and a picnic table, and you could probably fit three or more tense at each site. We were there in June and there was only one other group there. The hiking trail was awesome also, you hike along the Saint Croix river. We had some cell service. There is a pit toilet by the parking lot. No trash, showers or water that we saw. 
Scout7/7/1921 pull off sites big have a 37 ft fifth wheel no problem nice an quietalot of ticks but had a great time
TravelerI've camped here twice, now. Once roadside during hunting season with oranges on and once in December. So far, I enjoy it. Where to start... The roads aren't really kept up for the winter. So, you'll want 4 wheel drive and slow and mindful driving. I walked in for ten minutes from one of the parking spots. I just cleared the snow, built a heat retaining wall, and set up camp in front of it. I did hear wolves for the first time. They were howling after sunset. A little creepy, camping alone. But, i don't suspect they'd come too close.
If you want secluded, minimal camping. This is an okay spot, close to the twin cities.
LegendDispersed camping along the forest roads. Areas are cleared away that are quite separate giving some privacy. They are right on the road so vehicles pass by. Off road trails can be found but we did not discover cleared hiking paths. After finding a tick quickly we just hiked along the road. Only one other camper so during the non-hunting season this might be a good stopover.
We did encounter a lot of birds as well as deer.
TravelerNice place for camping, on the sandstone cliffs, beautiful area. Good location
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near North Branch, Minnesota, where nature enthusiasts can find serene spots away from the crowds. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, this area is perfect for those looking to immerse themselves in the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near North Branch, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near North Branch, MN is County Road O Landing Dispersed River Camp — Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway with a 3.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near North Branch, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 dispersed camping locations near North Branch, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
