Looking for the best campgrounds near Preston, MN? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Find the best campgrounds near Preston, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
Schools of trout happily swim through the lazy Whitewater River and various spring fed creeks of Whitewater State Park. And while it’s known for its fantastic fishing opportunities, the park also boasts year-round interpretive programs, a modern Visitor Center, and an especially appreciated lack of mosquitos, unique for the region.
Whitewater is well seasoned, with a number of historical attractions within and nearby. In fact, 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the park. To commemorate the occasion, local conservationists and naturalists have teamed up to release a special Oral History Project from stories of campers and those native to the region.
Explorers and adventurers will love this park’s diverse selection of attractions and oddities. Home of the park office and interpretive services, the Whitewater Valley Visitor Center should be your first stop. The friendly Park staff are ready to help you plan your visit and load you up on information, and even loaner equipment such as GPS units, fishing kits, discovery kits for kids, and birding kits. Don’t skip the Discovery Room, which showcases nature displays, exhibits and a spotting area to observe the local bluebirds, cardinals, hawks and bald eagles flying about.
The vast expanse of outdoor wilderness is really what you’ll want to check out. If you only have time for a quick visit, check out the Chimney Rock Trail for an awesome view of the Whitewater River. Those searching for a more accessible hike can take the Meadow Trail, which drops off right into a grassy valley, surrounded by dramatic Minnesota bluffs. During the hot and humid summers, go unwind at the beach for a refreshing dip in the cold, spring-fed water. Those more interested in history lovers should visit the famous Elba Fire Tower. Built in 1933, this sturdy tower offers cozy 360 degree views of the entire wetland region below. You’ll be especially grateful for the chance to unwind, thanks to the arduous 500-step climb required to ascend to the top.
Finally, firmly planted atop the land sits Inspiration Point; a beautiful limestone rock outcrop that overlooks the entirety of the Whitewater valley. Known as the most popular attraction within Whitewater State Park, visitors can still discover solace from their troubles. In fact, this is the only overlook in the entire park where there are no signs of civilization anywhere in sight. With just a little imagination, standing atop Inspiration Point on a clear, calm day can make you feel as if you could step down into a deep forested paradise, unspoiled and far from the reach of society.
Whitewater campground here is plentiful, with every site having full electric hookups and full-through capabilities. The campground features a full range of amenities including regularly placed shower houses with laundry facilities, and a number of group camping areas as well. Furthermore, there are 5 cabins available with various sleeping capabilities.
$35 / night
Located just three miles east of Lanesboro, Minnesota, Eagle Cliff Campground & Lodging offers something for everyone. Accommodations include riverfront tent sites, electric-only sites, water-electric sites and full hookup sites and a five-room motel on site. Eagle Cliff offers group camping, a picnic area, private canoe launch and wonderfully-clean central restrooms.
$30 - $46 / night
$35 / night
Sitting pretty right where the Mississippi and Trempealeau rivers meet, Perrot State Park is a true geographic wonder. This 1,270-acre park was once inhabited by the native tribes in the area, who conducted important meetings (amongst other things) atop Trempealeau Mountain. The “mountain” is truthfully considered more of a bluff, as it is cone-shaped and surrounded by water. Trempealeau Mountain, as well as Brady's Bluff Prairie are the two main natural areas that the state park protects.
Another interesting factoid about this park is that it's located in Wisconsin's Driftless region. The Driftless region is characterized by the lack of glaciation that took place there during the last Ice Age. This makes it one of the few places in the world you can actually see that was left unaffected and uncarved by ancient glaciers. Luckily, the park's main attractions provide stunning views of the surrounding geography.
As far as recreation, this park offers plenty. There are over 12 miles of hiking trails that are great for mountain biking as well. Many of the trails provide great viewpoints from which hikers can enjoy the beautiful view of the Mississippi River with. Right over on the Trempealeau River is a boat landing where visitors can take their own private canoe or rented kayak out for some time on the water. Fishing equipment is available at the park office, and anglers can enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the shore.
During the winter, over nine miles of trails are groomed for cross country skiing, as well as snowshoeing and winter hiking. Visitors are urged to take caution as the rivers can be unpredictable and exposed to various ice conditions.
There are 2 campgrounds available for use at Perrot State Park. One is a family campground that features 102 campsites, 38 of them have electrical hookups. The other one features 4 walk-in campsites with water access. Both campgrounds offer easy access to trails and other attractions of the park.
Chimney Rock campground has medium service private campground with cabin rentals, canoe, and kayak rentals. Primitive and electric sites and livery service. Located along the gorgeous upper iowa river. Chimney rock campground 5 small (six person) cabins and 2 Large (12 person) cabins. All have heat and air conditioning. All include: stove, refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, toaster, pots and pans as well as complete table service. You do need to bring your own bedding. There are full sized bunk beds in the lower level and queen beds in the loft. There is also a water storage container and sink for washing dishes. For bathing we have a community bath and shower house. There are porta potties located very near the cabins as well.
Guide
I spent three trips here for a total of two months in 2024. I started the season in April for two weeks, did two weeks in June, and finished my season from September until the end of October. I loved the space of my rv sites, the sounds of frogs and owls at night, the frequent wildlife sightings, and the crazy amount of turtles. There is plenty of flat hiking, much access to the water, open spaces to play and kite fly, woods to hike in, roads to bike or scooter on, and beautiful views across a Mississippi valley. Staff are fantastic. The store is stocked well. The grounds are well maintained; although this sometimes means morning noise. The facilities are clean, and I have never had to wait for a shower. I plan my rv dumping times and have never had to wait in line. Fire wood is easy to acquire. WiFi works great. T-Mobile service is full. There is quick and easy access to civilization if you want it. There is tons and tons of water as a buffer between you and the rest of the world. Eagles, geese, pelicans, barred owls, ducks, deer, rabbits, raccoon, possum, etc. are abundant. During the week the grounds are super quiet. Weekend partying happens, but quiet time quickly puts an end to the noise. I love these grounds and expect to make it a regular addition to the start and end of my camping seasons. Note, I was there for the Aurora and it was incredible.
Traveler
Remote and nice.
Guide
A great place for a weekend camping trip. We had an excellent spot (35). One of the only sites with grass. Great hiking and trout fishing.
Scout
We went here as a last minute decision. We were placed in the middle of the seasonal crowd who were loud. Music was playing all day loud enough for half the campground to hear. When the music went up so did their conversations. I go for peace and quiet. If I wanted to be at a concert. I would have gone to a concert. Showers seemed ok but some areas to me seemed kinda junky.
RangerVery nice QUIET park! RV Campsites are gravel with fire ring and picnic table. The sites are fairly level. There is also a cabin to rent. Many electric sites.
Very nice hiking trails, make sure to check the map to plan easy hike up and steep hike downhill! Beautiful vistas on the Switchback trail.
The Mossy Seep trail has interesting plants and unique growth.
Big Spring Trail boarders the campground, easy walk to see the Spring. Tried to dip feet in the water but couldn’t leave them in the COLD water for long! Water is crystal clear and flowing fast.
Bathroom (men’s) if functional, has running water at the sinks and showers work well.
NO PHONE SERVICE which we appreciated.
The Restaurant “Good Times” is 4 miles away and has good food and service. Also a grocery store in town in case you need more supplies.
Leaves are just starting to change in September.
Traveler
If you're looking for a simpler camping experience focused on getting away from everything and solitude, then this is the place for you. You can tell that the hosts have put a ton of work and love into their property and I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know them. The campsites are large and kept up and I picked campsite two so that I could hear the creek behind me and I enjoyed hearing it the whole time I was there plus the Forestville State Park was just across the creek. The peace and quiet allowed me to have one of the best nights of sleep while camping that I've had, I didn't hear a person or a vehicle the whole night and the crickets, frogs, and occasional hooting owl just added to the nighttime experience.
GuideThis location offers the opportunity to explore both private trails and less traveled areas of Forestville State Park. Secluded campsites so you are not camping side by side with others. Site locations offer ample space for multiple tents. The native wildflowers are a special treat.
Scout
The park is very easy to get to right off the highway. We were greeted by a beautiful meadow with a very well maintained gravel road, stopped by the info station and bought wood and a parking pass (pass is required and is 7$ for one day, easy online purchase). The sites are a bit of a ways into the park but with that maintained road it was very easy. The facilities are great. Very clean bathroom with nice showers (cold water then warmed up). The campground was quiet but there were still a good amount of people staying as well. We stayed just one night and were very happy with this area! Really pretty
TravelerBeautiful area with very nice trails. 20-30 mins to Winona, 20 mins to La Crosse. Not a huge site selection, but very nice sites. My wife and I try to go there as much as we can!
Scout
My husband made a reservation for our 25th wedding anniversary and he was rushed in the hospital for an emergency surgery. We notified you 3 days in advance and you refused to give us even a partial refund! We only had that money to celebrate. You didn't even offer another date for us! We are now not able to enjoy our 25th! That's terrible that you will do nothing in such an emergency situation. I will be making this public in every venue I can. Disgusting that you will probably get paid by another person to stay there. How disappointing that you would offer us nothing! Very bad business.
Scout
We spent 2 nights at this park and enjoyed our stay. The sites are well spaced and well separated by trees. The potable water has high nitrate levels so we had to buy drinking water as filters don’t remove nitrates.
Guide
Beautiful large sites along the river so you can fish as well as has a pond that you can swim in with three beach entry areas. Large bath house with restrooms and showers and a little free library inside. Very long parking pads- big rig friendly and very roomy sites. Nice walking trails on the east and south side of the park. Very creative natural play park for children to play on. Full hook up sites with a very reasonable nightly rate. It appeared that some of the campsites were seasonal but couldn’t confirm that.
Scout
WiFi intermittent At far end of campgrounds. Very clean showers and bathroom near office
Scout
This campground became our favorite site in quite a while! Minimal bugs, very nice staff, beautiful sites with lots of nature! Dog friendly. Playground, mini golf, and pool all complimentary! 2 trails and babbling brooke were peaceful. They had kid and adult activities scheduled for Friday and Saturday which was a cool surprise when we checked in!
RangerA newly paved road leads into the park with lots of gorgeous views along the way. Very friendly staff. Bathrooms buggy… to be expected… but clean. Shower has ample hot water. Some sites are close together but nicely wooded for privacy. Some sites have water views.
Scout
We pulled in from a long driving day .we were greeted by our host . She was very friendly and explained where the site was . Had a great night sleep . This is a good over night stop . In the morning we went to her small store , there are a lot of good stuff . We would definitely stay here again.
Traveler
Campsites are very closely spaced together. I was thankful no one was placed near our campsite to give us more room. The permanent campsites are practically on top of one another. If you’re bringing the kids there is literally nothing to do there. They do have a play-set but that’s where it ends. I think this campground may be under new ownership and it may be nice to see what they do with it in a year or two. For now the picnic tables are run down. The parking pads are very unlevel. WiFi signal is weak at best. If you have Verizon don’t count on service. Antenna strength is weak. Also oddly spaced power hook up with sewer and water placements. Overall not a horrible experience but not a great one. Mostly like will not return.
Ranger
Walking distance to downtown and easy access to Root River Trail.
RV sites were close to each other with little privacy. Many tent sites around the perimeter. Short walk to bathhouse. Showers are not free, 4 quarters for 5 minutes. No laundry available. Campground is first come/first serve and doesn’t take reservations or online payment. Payment is made at adjacent city office.
Sites are gravel, fairly level. Water and electric available at rv sites.
Nice park nearby with stocked fishing pond. There is some noise due to the park being tucked into the city.
Garbage and dump station free for campers. They ask for a donation for dumping if not camped there. Tight access at dump station might make it difficult for larger rigs.
Strong Verizon signal.
Scout
If you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
ScoutIf you want to experience very rude and unfair treatment where you will be mistreated and ripped off by the staff and ow era you must come to Eagle Cliff campground. Was double charged for the room without any options and negotiations and knees delivered to us after we already left the campground. Staff is very rude and unwilling to be reasonable, professional and understanding. Campground looks good but rules are ridiculous and staff and owners are very shady and make non sense decisions. Stay away if you want nice peaceful stay and don’t want to be ripped off.
TravelerThe cart in sites all have a fire pit with a grill, picnic table, and are a short walk from the primitive toilets. There is a water spigot in the parking area. They have 4-5 wheelbarrows to use as carts to get your stuff to the site. Each site could comfortably hold 3 to 4 tents. They are on a path for an out and back hike so expect some passers by. Cart in 1 and 2 are fairly close to the parking area and are less secluded from each other. 3 and 4 are more secluded. Site 3 offers more shade and 4 looks to have recently had some trees cut down and is fairly open air. Overall the trails are well maintained and accessible from the cart in area. They provide some nice views of the river and you can easily hike the area in a day. It’s by no means a secluded area if you’re looking to get away from road noise or other people. All in all it makes for a nice weekend getaway.
Traveler
Serenity, nature at its best, birdsong all day long wildlife at every turn our campsite was level the owners and manager were great hosts. We stayed several weeks the price was very reasonable, honey wagon service was included ; riding/ hiking trails from campsite.
GuideVery friendly and helpful owner. He even drove to town so we could follow him in. Has playground community area fire pit and a structure built to cover picnic tables. atv trails. Turkey river right there was 20 feet from my site. Porta potty and shower water is hot. 30/50 amp power with water on each site. Water fill station and dump station. Garbage .
Legend
Stayed here for a couple nights on a mini state park road trip. Nice place, like most of the MN state parks. Spotty cell service. Hiked a trail with lots of steps. Fire ring and picnic table are provided at each site. Restroom with showers also available in campground. Site was large and easy to back into and offered some tree cover for shade during certain times of the day. Was unable to hang hammock in specific site we stayed at, but some of the sites looked like they would be suitable.
LegendStayed here in the fall. Had a site right next to the bathroom big enough for 2 tents and 2 vehicles. Hikes here offer great views of the river and bluffs and the fall colors are gorgeous!!! site came with a fire pit with grate and a picnic table. I did not use the grate for cooking as I camp with a blackstone as grates tend to be dirty. When I do use the fire for cooking, I always use a cast iron pan rather than cooking directly on the grate. pictures are from before my friend arrived with their vehicle and tent. They parked directly in front of my car and put their tent near the parking barricade close to the bathroom. My dog enjoyed all the room he had at this site!
Scout
It is not meant for weekenders. The campground is 97% concrete pad sites for people who want to park their camper and ent for the year. The two "weekender sites they do have are over 100 yards away and the water smells like sulphur. The owner will also personally take the time to drive out and chew you out if you inadvertently park on the grass. Bottom line, they care about getting their cash and trying to make it look like Augusta National golf course. I will never go back.
Scout
Spacious, level, well kept, quiet. $10/night, which is great. Spotless showers and bathrooms, access to drinking water. The International Owl Center was a welcome discovery. Best tent campground on the Root River Trail.
Camping near Preston, Minnesota, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With beautiful parks and campgrounds, it’s a perfect spot for families, friends, and solo adventurers alike.
Camping near Preston, Minnesota, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. With beautiful parks and campgrounds, there’s something for everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Preston, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, Preston, MN offers a wide range of camping options, with 139 campgrounds and RV parks near Preston, MN and 4 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Preston, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Preston, MN is Minneiska Campground — Whitewater State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 47 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Preston, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 free dispersed camping spots near Preston, MN.
What parks are near Preston, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 parks near Preston, MN that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
Keep Exploring
