The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Park Rapids. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Park Rapids, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Park Rapids, MN. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
Valhalla Resort
27 min away
Sunset Pines Campground
46 min away
"This place has beautiful scenery whether you are in an inside lot or on the lake. Staff was very kind and accommodating and shower/bathhouse were well maintained and setup very nice."
"First off, every member of the staff we worked with from reservations to the store were wonderful. They were helpful, courteous and polite but you could tell that they were no nonsense."
"Bathrooms are clean and there’s a laundry room."
"Many amenities, very friendly and helpful staff. My absolute favorite!!!"
"Itasca State Park is a jewel in the state park system of Minnesota, and the park’s Pine Ridge campground is where hordes and crowds of visitors stay when visiting it in summer."
"It was an awesome trip, despite our 3yo getting sick and having to go to Park Rapids for Urgent Care.
We camped with three other families at Pine Ridge Campground and had sites next to one another."
$19 / night
"a different lakes every night."
"The trail is a beginner level trail. A couple uphills, but nothing too bad. The campsite is basic. A log to sit on, a fire ring, and spots for 2 or 3 tents. The campsite overlooks a lake."
"This is yet another canoe campsite and canoe launch on the state—designated Crow Wing River Water Trail https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/crowwingriver/index.html This is a good paddle-in stop or"
"It was located right on the river. This was a great campsite for the 7 of us! Planning on going back a few times this summer!"
$52 / night
"Kids loved the heated pool and tether ball! We all had a great time riding 4 wheelers on the Spider Lake trails a few miles away. Great sites, great time!"
"Clean and detailed bathroom and showers. Laundry available. 30, 50 amp hookups. Back in trailer sites. Nice cabins, very reasonable rates. Everything REALLY CLEAN. beautiful swimming pool."
"A nice small campground about half way between Park Rapids and Itasca State Park."
"got here on a saturday and was too late to go home, there was one spot left, it gets really quiet around 10 pm. did a little shore fishing, they have some nice bluegill here."
"They have little screened in porches and then a small interior that has bunk style beds. There is heat, a small table and room to hang your things on a hook."
"Got heater, electric , ac, fans, light, water pump nearby, outback toilet near too, ranger is friendly and helpful, have picnic table, fire pit , bugs not too badly. I'll come back to that cabin"
"They have electricity, heat, ceiling fans and a private dock on Beers Lake. There is a vault toilet & water spicket nearby. Each cabin has its own fire pit and picnic table area."
"We had electric hook up, fill with water near the dump station. Our site was big and private on Grass lake facing west so we saw great sunsets sitting in our site."
"Right on the lake so kids spent a lot of time in the lake and on the lake fishing. Shower house has bathroom and washer & dryer."
GuideLarge sites will fit RVs and tents, picnic tables and fire pits with cooking grates, clean restrooms with running water, flush toilets and showers! Lake right there for recreating, bike trail. Campground Host on site. Firewood and ice for sale nearby.
LegendWe stayed here in the winter...in a camper cabin. They have little screened in porches and then a small interior that has bunk style beds. There is heat, a small table and room to hang your things on a hook. Bring your own sheets and blankets or sleeping bags though. There are mattresses, but no linens. Outside, there is an outhouse style bathroom.
RangerWe stayed at Maplewood State Park mid-July. We actually stayed in one of the 3 camper cabins and loved it! They have electricity, heat, ceiling fans and a private dock on Beers Lake. There is a vault toilet & water spicket nearby. Each cabin has its own fire pit and picnic table area. It felt very private although the cabins are rather near to each other. We checked out the campgrounds and they had spacious sites, some more private than others. It had a family friendly feel and was obviously a favorite spot for fisherman and water recreation enthusiasts. I wish we could have spent more time in the 9200 acre park. There is a swimming beach & picnic area that allows you to have campfires, as well as a nice shower house. The ranger was helpful regarding my questions about the lake and potentially renting a cabin for ice fishing this winter. At sunset, sitting by the lake, it was beautiful- nothing but songbirds and the call of loons to listen to.
TravelerA nice small campground about half way between Park Rapids and Itasca State Park. Got there on a Friday afternoon when Itasca State Park was completely booked up and we were the first ones there with just a few other campers coming throughout the weekend. Large and mostly shaded sites with several being right on the lake. Only downsides were there were no trash cans and no toilet paper in the pit toilets but that may change once it gets later in the season. Would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to explore Itasca State Park but also wanting a more quiet camping experience.
LegendCAMPGROUND REVIEW
Itasca State Park is a primo destination in northern Minnesota for folks interested in exploring the headwaters of the Mississippi River. There are several campgrounds, group camps, cabins and lodge accomodations in the park that suit most visitors. But for folks who want a wilderness experience while at the headwaters, there are miles of wilderness trails in the backcountry area on the southern end of the park—and there are campsites and Adirondack shelters scattered throughout the myriad glacial lakes of this backcountry, enough so that you could backpack by foot or on snowshoes or cross country skis for a week through the territory, staying at a different lakes every night. April in Minnesota means we are still winter camping—but despite the snow, the sun is bright and warm, and it is great to get out into it. The park is at its peak of solitude in the winter, but if you can find a way to get to a campsite, they are open and reservable. This review is for Remote Campsite 11, located on an isthmus between Coffee Break Lake and Deer Park Lake. It is a several mile hike in from the nearest parking areas, either via Mary Kake and the Ozawindib Trail, or via the Deer Park Trail from Douglas Lodge. The trail is rolling and maintained for cross country skiers, snowshoers and snowhikers in the winter. This campsite is located just past the Ozawindib Adirondack Shelter, which is a good backup if its too windy or cold at the campsite. The campsite itself is down a hill by the lakeshore, between two lakes actually, on a rise that overlooks both. There is an additional campsite nearby on the south end of Deer Park Lake, campsite 10. There is a tent pad sheltered under the tall pines (and currently under the snow!) as well as a fire ring and an outhouse. There is no water provided, but a large bucket is available, so you can get lake water and filter it, or melt snow or bring your own. This is a great location for folks who like winter camping as the trek in is only a few miles, I was able to do it easily carrying a backpack of gear on my back, and a front pack with my dog when she got tired if trudging through the snow. And of course it is an easy hike in during the milder snow-free seasons. The site is scenic, pristine, and largely sheltered from the wind. The vista north over Coffee Break Lake would be awesome for viewing northern lights, this is a dark sky part of the park. It can get a little muddy in the transition season, including around the campfire area, so we hung out at the Adirondack shelter nearby and did our cooking there.
To see a map and reserve a back country campsite at Itasca, check this link:
https://reservemn.usedirect.com/MinnesotaWeb/Facilities/AdvanceSearch.aspx
For more info on Remote Camping in Minnesota State Parks, see this link: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/remote_camping.html
For general info on Itasca State Park, go to the homepage: www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00181#homepage
PRODUCT REVIEW
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I ocasionally get camping products to test out. Today I am testing Mountain House Southwest Breakfast Hash https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/product/spicy-southwest-breakfast-hash.html
Mountain House makes lightwieght, freeze-dried trail meals that are "cooked" in their own pouches using only boiling water. The sealed pouches are durable and lightwieght to carry, and the no-fuss no-muss prep of adding boiling water and letting it stand for 4 minutes in the re-sealable pouch is really easy. Since I was carrying my gear on my back, and carrying my tired little dog in a front pack carrier, I certainly didnt want to have extra weight! But these meal pouches are so light you hardly know you are carrying them. This pouch of SW breakfast hash had more than enough for two people plus some leftover for the dog, we served it up on tortillas that we had also packed, but you could eat it straight up. The hash featured beans, corn, potatoes, veggies and shredded beef for a well rounded complete meal as is, but you could extend the servings by scrambling it with eggs to dish up for a larger group. The taste and texture were surprisingly good, tasty without being too spicy, and I would defintiely buy this again. See our video review at https://youtu.be/nB9lBmjUsqU
LegendItasca State Park is a jewel in the state park system of Minnesota, and the park’s Pine Ridge campground is where hordes and crowds of visitors stay when visiting it in summer. The park is very quiet and lightly used in winter, but wow, its the best time of year! The paths to famous spots like the headwaters of the Mississippi River and the visitor centers are plowed and maintained, and there are myriad groomed trails from cross country skiing and snow shoeing. A lot of people go ice fishing too. There is not a big demand for camping so mist if the campsites are closed, but Pine Ridge does maintain a selection of campsites with hookups for those who do want to venture forth. The campground bath houses are closed for the winter and water is shut off, but you can car camp and rv with hookups if you want, or tent camp if you know how to do so comfortably in winter and dint mind using outhouses in the campground. There is running water and regular bathrooms at the main visitor’s center so that is an option, but several miles drive from the winter campsites. So, bottom line, come prepared with all your own supplies, and make sure you know how to stay warm if car or tent camping. A winter visit to the park is well worth it!
GuideVisited Itasca State Park in July 2016. It was an awesome trip, despite our 3yo getting sick and having to go to Park Rapids for Urgent Care.
We camped with three other families at Pine Ridge Campground and had sites next to one another. It was awesome to be just a path away from our friends. There were eight adults and nine kids age 1.5-6 and there was so much to do, despite the young age of the kids. We hiked to the Fire Tower, with several of the group making the climb to the top. The park was a lovely setting for afternoon drives to catch a nap. The beach was crowded, but a lot of fun. We attempted fishing for the first time and played at the playgrounds. One of our favorite activities was visiting the Headwaters of the Mississippi and walking across the "river" on the rocks.
Sites were nice and large, as two of our four had the REI Kingdom 8 tent. Our site had a large screened canopy.
We haven't been back yet, but it's definitely on the list of campsites we would revisit. Just trying to get to all the MN State Parks first!
TravelerI stay at Cabin, it's is nice. Got heater, electric , ac, fans, light, water pump nearby, outback toilet near too, ranger is friendly and helpful, have picnic table, fire pit , bugs not too badly. I'll come back to that cabin
GuideItasca State Park offers campgrounds that will give the full outdoor wilderness experience, away from the sounds of cities and cars. It's a wonderful place for hiking,biking, and water activities. Equipment you need for such activities can be rented within the park (canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, bikes). We've been to Itasca State Park multiple times, and it is wonderful for camping from late spring through early fall.
There seems to be an endless amount of hiking trails to choose from, which bring you to into the woods and to various lakes and ponds.
Camp sites are affordable (as low as $15), and you have options from modern sites (e.g., with electrical outlets and shower access) to remote hike-in sites. Standard sites come with fire pits and picnic tables.
Lake Itasca is the headwaters of the entire Mississippi River. Here the river is shallow and narrow enough that you can simply wade across it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Park Rapids, MN is Campers' Paradise with a 5-star rating from 6 reviews.
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