RV parks near North St. Paul, Minnesota provide access to lakes, rivers, and wooded terrain within 30 minutes of the Twin Cities. Summer temperatures average 75-85°F from June through August with frequent evening thunderstorms. Many campgrounds in the area feature swimming beaches, bike trails, and water recreation options on nearby waterways.
What to do
Canoeing and kayaking on the Rum River: Country Camping Tent & RV Park on the Rum River offers rentals with shuttle service. "Great tubing and canoeing," notes one camper, while another mentions "the river is very clean and sandy bottom."
Hiking at Lake Elmo: Lake Elmo County Park Reserve features trails through diverse terrains. "Directly behind the site was a hiking trail that led us through woods, fields and prairie," writes one visitor. Another adds, "just east of st. paul - 2000 acres with 2 lakes and a swimming pond."
Biking at Baker Park: Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve offers paved biking paths suitable for all ages. "There is a nice 6+mile biking trail that connects to others, so bring the bikes," says one camper. Another adds, "A lot of biking trails. Nice clean bathrooms."
What campers like
Swimming options: Lake Elmo features a unique swimming pond. "They have a home made lake that has a sand bottom but it has chlorine like a pool so no weeds. Great for swimming," explains one reviewer. At Country Camping RV Park, families appreciate the "heated pool, splash pad area."
Spacious campsites: Ham Lake Resort provides roomy sites for large RVs. "The campground itself seems remote, secluded and peaceful," says one visitor. At Baker Park, "the sites are good sized, and the bathroom/showers are great."
Nearby attractions: Wildwood RV Park & Campground offers easy access to regional highlights. "Be sure to check out Franconia sculpture garden if you're staying here and have the time! It's such a fun and quirky place," suggests one camper. Another adds, "We went canoeing and kayaking and they provided a shuttle right from their main office."
What you should know
Seasonal considerations: Most RV parks in the region operate from April/May through October. Wildwood RV Park runs "May 5 to October 8," while Baker Park is open "Apr 30 - Oct 20."
Reservation timing: Like Lebanon Hills, many parks book up quickly. According to one camper at Dakotah Meadows RV Park, "We lucked out and were able to stay 2 nights without reservations… only had to move because they were fully booked for the 4th."
Site privacy: Privacy levels vary between campgrounds. At Town & Country, one camper notes, "It's a nice park but very close compact. Everyone is squeezed in like sardines." In contrast, at Country Camping, visitors appreciate "HUGE sites!"
Pet policies: Unlike Lake Elmo where pets aren't allowed, most area campgrounds are pet-friendly. Dakotah Meadows has "Dog park available, watch a few spots in fence near bottom where fencing has risen up… little dogs could easily climb under."
Tips for camping with families
Swimming facilities: Country Camping Tent & RV Park on the Rum River offers extensive water recreation. "This campground is great for everyone! It's has a heated pool, splash pad area, BIG playground area, indoor game room," notes one visitor. Another mentions it was "fantastic great playground and heated pool... A ton for the kids to do!"
Easy access playgrounds: Baker Park provides excellent recreational facilities. "Nice park for kids just a small hike away," notes one camper. Another adds, "With great fishing, playground, swimming, and biking trails very nearby, the kids were kept as busy as they wanted to be."
First-timer friendly: Several parks accommodate beginner campers. One visitor to Baker Park states, "It's a great place to spend a weekend close to home, but feel like you are getting away!" At Lake Elmo, campers find it's "a great campground, sites are spacious and spread out."
Tips from RVers
Site selection advice: At Town & Country Campground, "Sites are a little close with little to no privacy in most." One camper advises, "It appears to be sold out for the weekend so book ahead."
Level sites: Dakotah Meadows offers well-maintained pads. "Sites are paved and level. We were located near the casino road, which has an occasional loud car, even at night," notes one RVer. Another mentions "About 100 sites... Sites are 60+ feet, concrete and level."
Cell service considerations: While many parks have good coverage, some have connectivity issues. At Dakotah Meadows, one camper reports "wifi is not great, less than 1MB download speeds from our site, and our Verizon service was pretty poor in our spot, max 2 bars."
