Best Campgrounds near Saint Cloud, MN

Saint Cloud, Minnesota offers a variety of camping environments ranging from developed RV parks to primitive sites in nearby state forests. Established campgrounds in the area include St. Cloud Campground & RV Park, which accommodates tents, RVs, and cabin campers within city limits, and St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park located about 10 miles south in Clearwater. Lake Maria State Park, approximately 25 miles southeast of Saint Cloud, provides a more natural setting with cabins and tent sites accessible via hike-in trails. The region includes a mix of county, state, and private campgrounds catering to different camping preferences and requirements.

Most campgrounds near Saint Cloud operate seasonally from May through October, with limited options available year-round. Reservations are strongly recommended for developed campgrounds, especially during summer weekends and holiday periods. "I've been camping here since I was a little kid. The further back you go on the road, the more spread out sites get. There are a few walk-in sites that I absolutely love. Show up early on weekends if you want one of the better spots," notes one visitor about Ann Lake Campground in Sand Dunes State Forest. Cell service varies throughout the region, with better coverage at developed campgrounds closer to Saint Cloud and potentially weak or non-existent service in more remote areas like state forests.

The camping experience varies significantly between the developed and primitive options. State park campgrounds like Lake Maria offer more privacy between sites and natural settings with hiking trails and water access. As one camper described, "This state park uniquely showcases an ecologic transition zone between hardwood forest, savannah, and prairie." Many developed campgrounds provide amenities such as showers, flush toilets, and electric hookups, with some offering waterfront sites on lakes and rivers. Several campgrounds maintain clean facilities, with St. Cloud Campground being described as "very well maintained and clean" with amenities including a pool, lodge, bath house and laundry facilities. Campers should be aware of poison ivy in natural areas, particularly in Sand Dunes State Forest where it's reportedly abundant along trails and at campsites.

Best Camping Sites Near Saint Cloud, Minnesota (109)

    1. St. Cloud Campground & RV Park

    8 Reviews
    Saint Cloud, MN
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 251-4463

    $75 / night

    "On the outskirts of St Cloud, this campground was very well maintained and clean."

    "No lake but a pool. More like an RV Park although they do have rustic sites."

    2. Lake Maria State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    Silver Creek, MN
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (763) 878-2325

    "This park is only about 50 minutes away from me, and for hiking/camping I only think it is worth a trip in the fall."

    "I chose Lake Maria for a solo camping excursion because it was close to the Cities, but still offered the level of seclusion I wanted."

    3. St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park

    8 Reviews
    Clearwater, MN
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 558-2876

    "We have a pop up so we parked on a grassy spot next to the cabins that backed up to a field. It was nice to be there instead of in the thick of the big camper section. Pool was nice and store too."

    "If this place was close to home I’d be here every weekend. Absolute beautiful weather with a nice breeze no mosquitoes not something you get in Florida in July !!"

    4. Love's RV Hookup-Rockville MN 842

    3 Reviews
    Waite Park, MN
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 443-0150

    $29 / night

    "Convenient location right off I94 and HWY 23. Close to Waite Park for entertainment and food. Love's is open 24 hours and has most things you would need. There is also a Hardee's if you need dinner!"

    "Conveniently off highway 23 and I94 so you should be able to get back on the road quickly!"

    5. Two Rivers Campground

    7 Reviews
    Royalton, MN
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 584-5125

    "This is a well kept and well run campground tucked in between the Mississippi River and the outlet of the Platte River."

    6. Ann Lake

    22 Reviews
    Zimmerman, MN
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (763) 878-2325

    $15 - $17 / night

    "Lots of close camp sites for larger groups near the entrance. The further back you go on the road, the more spread out sites get. There are a few walk-in sites that I absolutely love."

    "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."

    7. Creekwood Acres

    1 Review
    St. Joseph, MN
    11 miles
    +1 (320) 267-6240

    $150 / night

    "I had been out of town and away from home the previous week, and decided I would stop here on the long drive home in order to break up my trip."

    8. Benton Beach Campground

    3 Reviews
    Royalton, MN
    13 miles
    Website

    "Nice lake!!"

    9. A J Acres Campground

    2 Reviews
    Clearwater, MN
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 558-2847

    10. Mississippi River County Park

    1 Review
    Royalton, MN
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (320) 251-7800

    "The bicycle campsite is located by the fire pit near the picnic shelter. First come-first serve; Register onsite."

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Recent Reviews near Saint Cloud, MN

411 Reviews of 109 Saint Cloud Campgrounds


  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 12, 2025

    Rum River State Forest

    Free parking in solitude.

    No potable water, grey dump, nor trash cans, but it's rugged wilderness along a gravel road with plenty of space to park.

  • Kathy L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 5, 2025

    Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park Campground

    Really nice campground!

    Really nice campground! Meadow setting where the campsites are, but then TONS of hiking trails with significant trees& shade. Really beautiful. Nice people staying in adjacent sites. We would return.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 3, 2025

    St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park

    Nice campsite

    Friendly staff, quiet during the week and busy on the weekends. Nice pool, laundry facility, nice restrooms with showers. Stayed for a little more than a month after selling my house. (End of Aug-Sept)
    Recommend!!

  • Andy L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 20, 2025

    Ann Lake

    Nice, quiet, rustic

    30' class C motor home. Some overhanging branches on the road in scrape the top and sides. Campsites are nice, mowed, gravel parking. Fire rings and picnic tables at each site. Sites range from open and flat to secluded and a little hilly. Most sites are fairly private and well spaced. Higher elevation sites for air tv reception. 2 bars of 4g service made it a little difficult to pay online over the phone. No reception in lower elevation sites. Pay immediately or the camp host will nag you even if you have to walk to higher elevation to get signal. Very beautiful and lots of deer on the trails.

  • PThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 9, 2025

    Two Rivers Campground

    Great place to camp.

    Two Rivers Campground is the perfect spot for a fun and relaxing getaway. They have a lazy river, a splash pool for little ones, and another pool for all ages. Kids will love the giant inflatable bouncy house, mini golf, and the many activities offered. The general store has all your camping essentials, plus they make great pizza and other food—delivered right to your campsite along with firewood and ice, just by calling or texting. The campground also features a beautiful beach area on the river that’s perfect for swimming. A few nice spots to shower and restrooms. Quiet beaches one is 1100 to 0900. It’s well maintained and taken care of. We will come back again.

  • Laura P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 29, 2025

    Boulder Woods RV Park

    Mature trees and park like setting

    Boulder Woods is mostly seasonal camping but does have RV sites for overnight and weekly camping. The park is well maintained with power and water at all sites. There is a view of Ann Lake, however, the RV park is not on the banks of the lake and does not have access to the lake.

  • Dan O.
    Jul. 27, 2025

    Mississippi Riverwood RV Park

    A hidden gem - PRIVATE RV Park

    This hidden gem is a PRIVATE RV Park where each lot is individually owned and most owners live South in the winter. Individual owners can rent their lot with restrictions and those rentals are between the owner and the renter. The owners association is not involved in these rentals or the disputes that sometimes arise.  That said, we own a riverside lot and absolutely love it here.

  • Lynsey M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 26, 2025

    Bunker Hills Regional Park

    Quick stop in MN

    Stayed here for an overnight stop through MN. Close to downtown which was nice for us coming through. Water fill stations readily available so we loaded up prior to continuing out west. Easy late check in with campsite hosts. Lots of site options from open gield options to pretty tree covered areas. Fire grates and restrooms ava. Your reservation fee does NOT include the daily parks fee of 7 dollars just FYI. Lots of mosquitoes but it's MN so that's to be expected. Close to a top 10 disc golf course if that's your thing (it's ours)


Guide to Saint Cloud

Camping opportunities near Saint Cloud, Minnesota span both developed campgrounds and rustic sites within 30 miles of the city. Winter camping is available at select locations like Lake Maria State Park, while most campgrounds operate seasonally from May through October. Saint Cloud's location at the junction of the Mississippi and Sauk Rivers creates diverse camping environments with riverside, forested, and lake access options throughout the region.

What to do

Swimming and water recreation: Lake Maria State Park Campground offers multiple water activities, with some campsites situated near lakes. "Only about a mile from the parking lot. This site was nearly surrounded by a lake which lended to a lot of bugs, but was absolutely gorgeous!" notes one visitor about their experience at a lakefront site.

Mini golf and pool access: Families enjoy the recreational amenities at St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park, which features "a 9 hole mini golf, shuffleboard, salt water pool, and a lobby/gift shop. They also offer a nice seating area for those hot or raining days with free arcade," according to a recent review.

Hiking forest trails: Sand Dunes State Forest offers extensive trail networks through unique forest terrain. A visitor comments, "The trails are a lot of fun.. lots to see. The outhouses are kept up well and pump water road side." Many trails connect camping areas to beaches and scenic overlooks.

What campers like

River tubing and water activities: Two Rivers Campground receives high marks for its water access and amenities. As one reviewer describes, "They have a lazy river, a splash pool for little ones, and another pool for all ages. The campground also features a beautiful beach area on the river that's perfect for swimming."

Secluded backpacking sites: Campers appreciate Lake Maria State Park's backpacking-focused layout. "Backpack sites only. Love this park as it offers many backpacking sites with some being very short hikes in and some being longer hikes. Some are lake front and some are more woodsy sites," writes a regular visitor who particularly enjoys sites 1, 2, and 3.

Well-maintained facilities: St. Cloud Campground & RV Park earns consistent praise for cleanliness. "This campground is well maintained. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The shower house was clean. We enjoyed our stay here and will return," notes one camper. Another mentions the park is "very well maintained and clean. They have a pool, lodge, bath house and laundry facilities."

What you should know

Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies greatly between campgrounds. At St. Cloud Campground & RV Park, "It was the worst wifi of about 15 campgrounds we've been to on our trip this year. They warned us it was slow, but we couldn't even connect to it from our site." Another campground notes, "Host stated that the wifi was weak but since there were not a lot of campers we should be alright. We were unable to even get a signal!"

Poison ivy prevalence: Ann Lake campsites have significant poison ivy growth. "Sites are large with varying degrees of privacy. Well spaced out, just some have less undergrowth. Be aware that the undergrowth is at least 25% poison ivy," warns a recent visitor. Another camper adds, "TONS of poison ivy. Sand fleas."

Seasonal price increases: Several campgrounds have instituted significant price increases. One Two Rivers Campground reviewer notes, "New owner as of 2022- huge jump in prices! Extra fees added everywhere-more than two children fee, guest fees, pet fees, river view fees, holiday fees. One year difference our bill went from $235 up to $347 for a 3 night stay."

Tips for camping with families

Look for activity-rich campgrounds: Families appreciate campgrounds with multiple recreation options. St. Cloud-Clearwater RV Park offers "Pool, pool table, soccer table, mini golf, swing set, clubhouse, 3 wheel bike racing, and water balloons wars," according to one family's review.

Consider cabin options for beginners: Creekwood Acres provides a comfortable introduction to outdoor experiences. "The cabin has a full working kitchen including microwave, stove, fridge and sink, so you can bring all you need for your own meal prep. There is one open bedroom with a comfy double bed on the main floor, and two more double beds in the sunny loft above," describes a visitor.

Check site spacing for noise control: Some campgrounds place sites very close together, which can impact family experiences. One reviewer of Benton Beach Campground warns, "This is a nice campground with beautiful tall pine trees....but the sites are wayyyyy too close together. We had noisy neighbors with lots of tiny yappy dogs that never stopped barking."

Tips from RVers

Plan for tree clearance: RV sites at some campgrounds require careful navigation. At A J Acres Campground, "Navigating around trees was not so fun with our 5th wheel. We got the slideouts to fit in between the trees," reports one RVer.

Note road conditions: Access roads to certain campgrounds may present challenges. At Ann Lake, "Some overhanging branches on the road in scrape the top and sides. Campsites are nice, mowed, gravel parking," warns a camper with a 30-foot Class C motorhome.

Consider campground elevation for connectivity: Higher elevation campsites may offer better signal reception. "Higher elevation sites for air tv reception. 2 bars of 4g service made it a little difficult to pay online over the phone. No reception in lower elevation sites," notes an RVer at Ann Lake.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Saint Cloud, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, Saint Cloud, MN offers a wide range of camping options, with 109 campgrounds and RV parks near Saint Cloud, MN and 3 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Saint Cloud, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Saint Cloud, MN is St. Cloud Campground & RV Park with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Saint Cloud, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 free dispersed camping spots near Saint Cloud, MN.