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Backpack sites, located on remote lakes and ponds throughout the park, are one to two miles from the trailhead parking. New log camper cabins, located near lakes and ponds, provide bunk beds for six people and a table and benches for campers who want more of the creature comforts.
$15 / night
The space is in the backyard of my private property on Elliot Avenue in Bloomington, MN.
The yard is almost entirely fenced-in & has lots of folliage for general privacy.
Street parking is free.
$45 - $60 / night
$50 / night
Features of this park include a picnic area, a canoe launch, toilet, and primitive canoe campsite.
This park is located four miles north of U.S. 12 on CSAH 5; located 7 miles downstream of Wildlife Park.
Ranger
We tent camped here for a night while passing through. It’s a basic KOA with a few amenities. The lots were really big and we had no one near us, so it was nice and private. Most of the lots near the front were occupied but the back was almost empty, which is where the more wooded lots are. Only 1 bath house and it’s not close to most of the tent sites.
Staff was nice and helpful. It has a small pool and game room but not much else for kids. The bugs are aggressive here, especially near the tent sites which are located near a swampy area. Definitely more of a place to stay as you are passing through, not really a destination campground.
Guide
Lebanon Hills is a great park and has a lot of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Our family selected this camp ground to test out some gear -- if we had problems or if we forgot something it was a short drive home. Turns out this is a wonderful camp ground and offers a lot of seclusion.
Tent camp sites are far enough from each other that neighbors can't be seen, and we didn't hear them either.
The bathroom facility near the ranger station was very well maintained and cleaned several times a day.
The only criticisms we have are that you can hear road noise -- and depending on your site you'll hear the alarm of one of the access gates for the Minnesota Zoo.
We went here as an experiment, but will definitely be coming back throughout the year. Reserve early online, most weekends were already reserved by mid May.
Traveler
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. Looking at the Southwest koa website they advertise as the tent sites back into the woods. So imagine our surprise when we were shown our site. It did indeed back up into the woods however the woods were 20ish feet behind a rope and we were told all set up had to be done in front of the rope. Our tent was inches from the road and wide out in the open. Other then the tent site itself this koa is wonderful...the staff were very friendly, the pool was clean and heated, the grounds were kept clean etc
RangerThe office was open till 9pm very friendly. A little pricey for tent camping. The sites are private. Great biking and hiking trails. Great amenities. Close to the zoo as well as the city.
RangerDefinitely check this place out great campsites for tent camping right next door to the MN Zoo campsites nicely wooded spread out nicer than some state park campgrounds. Definitely going to check it out again.
Guide
Very close to other campers, but no one bothered anyone. Dog didn’t go nuts, got a good spot. Would recommend. Tent camping on the way to Alaska and filled all needs. Has a Porta-shitter and trash. Decent spot, windy.
Ranger
This is a great spot with numerous sites along the river. Small trails for car/ tent camping. Not trailer friendly. Small vehicles only. At the foot of the road in there a small food/ice cream shop with friendly staff.
Scout
$20 tent sites and have to pay online. There are No showers only toilets at the 2 buildings. If you get here at night you better have spot lights. No maps on their website. I was on North side huge area. No campground host to be found
ScoutIn demand park close in to cities. RV portion has full hook ups. No hook up sites for up to 24ft RVs also available. Non hook up sites are wooded and well spaced. RV sites similar to private campgrounds. Must reserve months in advance as usually full. Have secluded tent sites too.
GuideWhat a wonderful park for being surrounded by the cities! We had previously come for walking and kayaking, but this was our first overnight here. The site and restroom/shower are well kept and there are enough trees/plants between the (tent) sites to make it feel private. It's always fun seeing deer, turtles, fish, gardner snakes here.
Traveler
Lake Maria State Park has great hiking trails for the whole family, the camper cabins are spread throughout and are hike in only. Each cabin is pretty secluded and on a body of water. The cabins themselves are very basic, but the setting is awesome.
I haven’t stayed in the backpack tent sites, but I bet they’re fantastic.
Guide
I stayed two nights. The city park has private restrooms. Check in with the park host and he will provide you the code to access the restrooms/showers. The park has 13 rv sites with 30/50amp and water, four tent sites. Fishing pond, two baseball fields, basket ball court, playground, disk golf, and aquatic center/swimming pool. Little town has a lot to offer. Great place to camp
TravelerThe hosts at this campground were very nice. We had a tent site with no hook ups. The site was spacious and private-surrounded on 3 sides by trees. The bathrooms were clean. The pool area was clean and without issue. There were no extra walk ways or special features in those regards but the roads had enough of a country feel that they were fun for walking around with my kids and dog
ScoutThis is one of the few places that you can camp in twin cities metro. Both car and RV camping is allowed. Some of the tent sites do have power as well. Bathrooms and Showers are centrally located. Firewood is available for purchase. The camp grounds are located near the Lebanon Hills mountain biking area and miles of day hiking trails. Camping is only permitted in this area and it's not open in the winter.
Scout
Just stayed for the weekend and we had a wonderful time. Shaded lot, much quieter than other sites I’ve been too. Many lots seem to be seasonal owners, but all were very well kept. Would definitely return in the future and even consider a seasonal spot some day. Restrooms and laundry available on site. Although from a sign posted, they wanted the restrooms to be used by those in pop-ups or tent camping only (just an fyi). Gift shop/office had a pool table and lots of games to borrow/use. Pool & mini golf also available.
Traveler
Lake Ann Campground, located in the Sand Dunes State Forest north of Big Lake, MN is great for a weekend getaway with the family or a solo walk in trip. There are RV sites, tent sites, handicap accessible, walk in sites and group sites. Camping here is primitive with few amenities you get a fire ring and a picnic table, its great camping too be one with nature. There are several water spickets located around the campground along with outhouse type restrooms. There are no hookups or electric. Camping is on a first come first serve basis and you register at the kiosk located at the front of the campground acrid from the camp host site. There are several trails and Amaya something to do.
GuideI love this park and use it frequently for our "test runs". We have a new puppy and a new teardrop, so this was the perfect place for us to have our maiden voyage within 20min of our home. But besides just being close, it's also a really nice campground. It's very wooded and feels private. The RV section has sites that are a bit close together and open, but the tent sites (where we stayed) are much more secluded. The facilities are clean and well-kept.
The park itself is also really nice. There are lots of hiking trails, mountain biking, lake access for kayaking/paddle boarding... In the winter we love coming here for day trips to take advantage of the cross country skiing and snow shoe rentals.
TravelerThis campground is on a first come, first serve basis. There are no reservations for the regular sites (although I do think they might take reservations for the equestrian and group sites).
I highly recommend the walk-in-sites for the most private tent camping experience. The walk from the car isn’t far, but the sites are off the road and in the pines. If you like to have your car at your site, you’ll find some sites with nice long driveways that can accommodate multiple cars, or even a truck with a boat/trailer. The beach is nice and private, but it’s a bit of a hike from the campsites. I’d recommend just hopping in the car and driving over if you’ve got young kids with you.
There is no store or firewood sold at the campground, so you’ll have to haul your own in from an approved vendor.
Ranger
We stayed here with two young kids tent camping. We stayed in site A20 due to the close proximity to the bathrooms. The grounds were very well kept and groomed. The sites were pretty close together with no trees in between, but only around 25% of sites were occupied when we were there so it wasn’t a problem. I would imagine it would be very cozy and not much privacy when full, which could be the only potential drawback. There were a fair amount of RVs- we were one of only a few tents I saw. There were some nice looking cabins on our loop as well. It was a very short walk down a path to the beautiful lake which was deserted when we were there. The bathrooms looked new and were very well kept. There was even one family restroom with a shower which was so awesome for trying yo get two small kids cleaned up. Loved that. Overall this was a great campsite when not full and we had a great time.
Traveler
Great campground with all the amenities one might need, including showers, nice bathrooms, a park, a beach, trails. Right next to lakes and a nature preserve. Close enough to town in case you forget some things like we did. A county parking pass is required, they don't like people parking on the grass, and they have staff making rounds to enforce the shortest list of rules I've seen in the last couple of years. My only complaint is that the location of the porta-potties didn't match what the maps showed, so my seemingly perfect plan to be somewhat far from them failed and I ended up right next to one; it was clean and didn't smell, but we heard the door close every time. They have the campsites spaced out better than most other places I've camped and have trees and brush between the sites whenever possible. We tent camped and plan to bring our travel trailer next year. Definitely plan to stay here at least once a season.
GuideLebanon Hills is a great campsite for families, first time campers, or anyone having a "staycation" while keeping hotel costs down. The East loop is perfect for tent camping with large, wooded, private sites close to the amazingly clean bathrooms and showers. (Seriously, the bathrooms were so clean.) There is a well kept playground and many walking trails all around the park. The RV section was not as shaded or private, but there are a few RV spots that could be private if they're open. What we like is that Lebanon and the area has so much to do. If you can hop in the car, there is a free beach 5 minutes away with rental costs for a SUP, canoe, or kayak, lots of paved trails, unpaved trails, a Visitor Center with free programs, and a really well maintained mountain bike park. The MN zoo, Apple Valley Aquatic Center, Cascade Bay, Outlet Mall, and MOA are a quick 5-10 minute drive away. Yes, I prefer to stay outdoors, but if you have a group or someone who "needs" something to do you will not run out of options.
Sites for camping: East 71, 82, 84 and North 61,65
Guide
My partner and I scheduled a 3 day / 2 night stay in a new Vintage Cruiser RV for $39.99, in exchange for attending a presentation on private membership.
We checked in Wednesday evening, and the nicest staff I've ever met helped us acclimate to RV living. We are new to this game. They patiently described how to utilize the grey and black water tanks, as well as encouraged us to check-out the canoes, row boats, bikes, horseshoes, ladder golf and many other entertainment items - for FREE!
The map provided was accurate which made locating the cruiser a breeze. There were further instructions inside as well. The RV was immaculate. Provided for our use were all linens (a public very clean bath and shower was just across the road), dish soap, dish towels, paper towels, flat wear, plates, bowls, mugs and pans.
The campground has a couple of ponds, as well as access to Ham Lake where the watercraft is launched. There is a petting arena with goats, ponies, and a llama who gave my partner the stink eye, but fell in love with me rubbing the fence and giving me all googly eyes!
The clubhouse sells bundled wood, ice, snacks, cold drinks, ice cream and provides 24-hour fresh coffee. There is also a small resupply area, and gift shop.
There are pull-through sites, back ups, 50 and 30 amp hook ups, and tent sites, covered pavilions, picnic tables and fire pits.
The campground itself seems remote, secluded and peaceful, however, you are conveniently located to two well-stocked convenience stores, as well as Wal-Mart about 15 minutes away. It's also only about 45 minutes from the Minnesota Twin Cities.
One note: We visited in August and needed gallons of bug spray.
We very much enjoyed our get away!
TravelerLebanon hills has everything for the family. Schultz Beach for summer fun. Professional built mtn bike trails for adventure. Camping in Minnesota suburbs. Miles of hiking, horseback riding, cross country ski trails. . perfect for my family's weekend Stay-cation
Legend
We visited Minneopa state park because a) I love hiking b) I’m trying to get as much state park time in before the summer hordes descend and c) my back is dying from working at home out of a dining room chair so I preordered an office chair for curbside pickup at an office store which is on the way home from this park.
Minneopa is a unique state park. A River Runs Through it. So does a train(choo chooo). And a neighborhood(kind of). If you have never visited the park before you need to decide what you are going to prioritize first because all of a sudden there are two different park road signs pointing you to either turn left or right depending on what you want to do.
One direction is the waterfall part. It is a nice waterfall. The parking lot is right by the waterfall- so it is very accessible for people who are unable to hike to a lot of waterfalls. However, because the parking lot is RIGHT THERE it isn’t the most rewarding waterfall that I’ve been to, it’s kind of like a less impressive Minnehaha. On this trip we didn’t visit the waterfall because it’s plague time and I figured that it might be busy. Tip: On the weekends get to state parks as early as possible during social distancing time! Most people don’t roll out of bed at 6 am like we did, so it will be fairly easy to socially distance yourself. We got there at 8 and only encountered 4 other hikers that were just heading out when we were almost back to our car.
The other direction is the BISON DRIVE. Yes, you can actually drive amongst bison if the road is open. It wasn’t on our trip on 4/10/2020 because the road conditions are still gross from the winter thaw. Instead we hiked the entire loop(I think it’s 3.3 miles) because it goes around the entire bison enclosure, and I wanted to guarantee that I would see me some bison.
Other highlights about this section of the park are the views of the magnificent Minnesota river, an old windmill(the blades are gone), and the campground is also situated here. This section isn’t as popular as the waterfall section, as evidenced by the relatively small parking lot. The hike was enjoyable while we were there- if it is a hot hot day you might want to just do the Minnesota River Bluff Trail for the shade- the Seppman Mill trail is exposed and you can drive and park at the mill.
As I mentioned before there is also an access point to drive into the bison enclosure. We were able to see the bison herd once we got to the mill area, unfortunately for my photos the bison were just far enough away that I didn’t get a quality photo.
Now onto the campground. Loop A is superior for tent camping in every which way, unless you happen to want electricity or want to rent the cabin which is in loop B. Loop A has trees, large sites, a bathroom, and several sites have awesome views of the river. One thing to keep in mind is that the sites on the outside of the loop are much more private and have way more trees- the inner loop is relatively open in comparison and would be good sites to choose if you are group camping. I would be prepared with lots of bug spray and a screenhouse if you are camping here in the worst of mosquito season- there was quite a bit of standing water and swampy pond nearby.
Site notes(see pics/videos): A2 is nice and spacious, but next to the swampy water
A4 is the immediate neighbor and is distinctive because it’s up on a hill
A3 is on the inner loop and is visible to the road, but I liked it anyway
A5 is a nice spacious site on the inner loop that is less private, I’m pretty sure A19 butts up behind it if you are looking to get a few sites
A12 is the type of site that I would love to camp at- view of the gulley and of the river
A14 is the site that you need to reserve a year in advance if this campground were more popular- amazing location with a spectacular view of the river
A24 also has a good river view
A26 is large and has some badass oak trees
The B Loop is weird- a lot of the campsites don’t seem to even have space for a 2 person tent unless you are ok with not having a campfire(or burning down your tent). If you have a tiny scamp you might be ok?
Site notes: B3 is a good pull-through site for an RV
The cabin is here! It has a screen porch and a propane tank for heating it in cold weather! Also has a decent view of the river- inside is just some bunk beds and a table. There is a pit toilet next to it that I’m guessing other campsites use too.
B20 is definitely the best site in the loop for tent camping- I actually would camp at this one.
There are also 4 group campsites that could probably fit 2-3 tents on them that are only a short hike-in from the parking area. Nice pit toilets are nearby. Minneopa is definitely either a nice day trip or camping trip from the Twin Cities! I was extra pleased that the drive down 169 is interesting- the terrain is beautiful, there are some really random touristy places and showrooms(giant yellow barn/extended structure that is without a doubt indeed Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store), and driving through Saint Peter is a nice old-timey experience.
ScoutEvery site is a hike in site, including the three camper cabins. The trails are groomed enough that if you have a cart, you can pack your gear in that way too.
My wife and I stayed at camper cabin 1 on this Mon-Wed trip, and it is secluded and beautiful. You have to take a little bridge to get to it even.
There was a major storm that came through Sun-Mon, and this being a wetlands, things got muddy and buggy quick. The area around the cabin itself was good though as a breeze coming off the lake kept the bugs at bay.
The cabin itself is very cozy. Two bunks with queen on the bottom and twin on the top to sleep six total. A couple of good spots outside you can hang hammocks from too. Bring lighting as the cabin solar light only gives you a couple hours (assuming it could even charge up that day and it didn’t our first day) and it’s so wooded it gets dark very quickly. Everything is sealed up nice and tight too, so no bugs in the cabin unless you tear the screens or leave the door open.
All the necessary items to clean up the cabin were provided, broom, dustpan, spray bottle, cloth, bucket, so that made cleaning up easy.
I rated 4 stars based on three factors.
Park office is only open Friday through Sunday. Makes sense seeing as that if it’s not that busy of a place during this week of July 4th, I can’t imagine other weeks getting busier.
Rain can get things boggy quick, possibly closing the trail to your site even.
State website says fire wood is provided, and two cords were at the cabin when we got there, but nothing said we had to pay for the wood. It’s fine, but I’ll have to run into town as I didn’t bring cash with me to leave in the envelope at the office, since the office is closed during the week, which also means if I needed more than these two cords, I have to run to town... As of this review, cords were $6 at the park and $5.50 at the truck stop up by I-94.
Otherwise the place is great and I can imagine coming back again with friends and trying out the hike in tent sites too.
TLDR version: Great place, quiet on these weekdays during a holiday week, bring firewood, use a cart if you have one to bring things to your site.
Legend
I went to this park for the first time last weekend, and I spent the entire time just saying“wow”. I had never been here before, despite it only being 20 minutes away, because I always prioritize going to state parks. It would never even occur to me to camp somewhere if it was less than an hour away. That is no longer true, as I immediately made reservations for this park when I got home. You might want to as well.
If you simply look at the list of amenities this park has, nature lovers would be quick to turn their nose up at it as an overly-commercialized playground. It has a golf course, a restaurant is on the grounds, there is a stable with horses/ponies that you can take guided trail rides on, a water park(it is called The Beach, which was very confusing for us when we thought we were taking the trail to an actual beach), several playgrounds, archery, an event center, frisbee golf, and yes a campground. I’m probably forgetting something, check out their website for more. Basically, check this place out if you want to get out of the house for some outdoor pandemic family fun.
Despite many of these things not being anything that I have a slight interest in, this somehow works for the park and it feels like a hidden paradise. I was immediately enthralled by the scenery as we drove into the park. There is an automated self-service station that accepts cards, or you can put cash in the drop box, a daily pass in 2021 is$6 and an annual pass is$30. It truly felt like a state park, and it’s definitely bigger than some of them(for instance it is 8x larger than Carley State Park).
The lower loops are definitely better for tent campers, even though quite a few spots could support an RV. The campground map does a good job of providing visual indicators of what a site provides. The upper loop(sits 45-64) is definitely more geared towards RVs, so not what I would consider an ideal tent site. See picture of site 47 to get a feel for what this one is like. The bathrooms were locked up, so no feedback on those at this time. They looked relatively modern though. Also there are two camper cabins, they look more utilitarian than atmospheric though. Sites that I loved: 3, 8, 10.
Overall I had a great time walking the trails, it was always kind of exciting to see what random feature was tucked seamlessly into the next bend. Based on the lack of Dyrt reviews and the overabundance of weekend availability for this campground, it might be a nice option for you to get camping even if you are a state-park-loving metro dweller like me. My reservation for a rustic site wound up being$30 for one night.
LegendBaker Park near Minneapolis Minnesota was a our camp choice for inexpensive camping on the last leg of our Minnesota vacation in 2017. After reading a lot of Pinterest reviews I’m glad we stayed at this camp. Managed by ThreeRiversParks.org (make your reservation here) this is one of the cleanest camps I’ve ever stayed at. It was crowded with RV’s and tents alike but it never seemed loud or cramped. The shower house was very clean and roomy and an easy walk from the camp sites. We didn’t take advantage of the nearby lake or other numerous activities because we used it as a base camp for the Mall of America. You’ll need to book for at least two nights and book as soon as you can. There are 200 sites but on the July weekend we stayed, I’d say almost all of them were booked. The camp staff are very friendly and you’ll need to get checked in before 9pm I believe because they close it off to paid guests after that. The camp was pretty quite for as full as it was. I did notice that local law enforcement did patrol the camp a couple of times each night but it felt very safe to me. I’d definitely recommend this camp and the next time we stay we will check out the hiking trails, lake, and playground for sure.
Tent camping near Norwood Young America, Minnesota, offers a variety of scenic locations perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Norwood Young America, MN is Lake Maria State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 32 reviews.
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