Camping near Saint Croix National Scenic River

Recent Reviews near Saint Croix National Scenic River

466 Reviews of 184 Saint Croix National Scenic River Campgrounds

• 

  Christine H.

  Traveler

  Apr. 13, 2026

  Turtle Lake City Park

  Not free

  Electric hookup, dump station on site. Sites are a little close together. $25/night with a 7 day max stay.

• 

  Jay W.

  Legend

  Apr. 12, 2026

  Interstate Park — Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway

  Great park, plenty around the area...BUT THE NOISE!!!

  Interstate Park in Wisconsin is just south of HWY 8 on HWY 35.  The entrance is located on the west side of HWY 35 in the town of St. Croix Falls.  St Croix Falls is a small town with a nice downtown on the river with plenty of restaurants (Dalles House Restaurant and Lounge is a favorite) and places for necessities. There are coffee shops, hotels and even a Wal-Mart nearby.  There is also a casino in the town of Turtle Lake about 30 mins away.

  The park is home to the western terminus of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail that covers 1200 miles through Wisconsin.  The park also offers a Ice Age Interpretive Center which boasts interactive activities and displays of the last Ice Age.  The park is also home to several other trails worth discovering.

  There are two campgrounds in the park, a North and South campground as well as two group campsites.  The South is a bit more rustic.  The showers are located at the North campground.

  For amenities there are flush toilets and showers.  There is a sandy swimming area available as well as boat launch and other water activities. 

  This park is beautiful especially being on the cliffs of the St. Croix River offering spectacular views through out the park and the area.  You can even take the bridge over to Taylor Falls Park Minnesota for more spectacular views as well as other shopping options.  If you take this trip, Taylor Falls Park will be on the South and your shopping options will be to your North.

  Even being in such a wonderful location with plenty of activities and amenities, I find the camping hard to enjoy at this park for all the noise that generates from the  hwy crossing over the river.  The sound especially of the semi trucks and their brakes that go all night long. This is the big reason for the average rating for this campground.

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• 

  Corinna Y.

  Traveler

  Feb. 20, 2026

  Old Railroad Bridge

  Great little getaway spot for winter camping!

  We stayed here with a group of hot tent campers in early January. The site is large and had a couple of fire pits. Includes a few picnic tables, and a pit toilet. It's a beautiful open area not far from the parking lot with a gorgeous view of the St. Croix River.

• C

  Casey M.

  Scout

  Feb. 17, 2026

  Doolittle Park

  Very compact

  The sites are VERY close to each other.

• 

  Cindy

  Traveler

  Feb. 17, 2026

  Avatan Family Nudist Campground

  "Family-Friendly" in Name Only: A Cautionary Tale from a Disillusioned Par

  We visited Avatan Nudist Campground last July with our two kids (ages 8 and 11) for what was supposed to be a wholesome, body-positive family getaway. The website and brochures paint a perfect picture: serene woods, a sparkling pool, family activities, and a "welcoming community" vibe. And on the surface? Yeah, the grounds are stunning—pristine trails, a well-maintained pool. The facilities are clean, the staff (mostly) polite, and the natural setting is genuinely relaxing. If you're just looking for a quiet spot to shed your clothes and unwind in nature, it checks those boxes.

  But dig a little deeper, and Avatan reveals itself as something else entirely—a place that's quietly optimized for adult fun, with kids as an inconvenient footnote they have to tolerate to keep the "family" label. From the moment we arrived, it was clear the real energy was elsewhere. Evenings around the fire pits and at the "Squirrel's" (code for the bar area) had this unmistakable swinger-party undercurrent. Lots of lingering glances, couples disappearing into the woods or private cabins, and a vibe that felt more like a discreet resort for the lifestyle crowd than a spot for building sandcastles with the little ones. Our kids picked up on it fast—whispers about "grown-up games" and awkward questions we had to deflect. The camp "tolerates" families, sure, but it's obvious the core membership would prefer a child-free zone. Activities for kids are minimal: a basic playground and the occasional nature hike, while the adults get themed nights, "sensual yoga," and late-night mixers that go until dawn.

  What really soured the experience was the toxic underbelly of the community itself. This place is a powder keg of power struggles, with a small cadre of long-time board members and "elders" locked in a perpetual cold war. Gossip flows like the creek itself—endless whispers about who's sleeping with whom, who's "stealing" prime cabin spots, or who's cozying up to the President for favors. We overheard more drama in one week than in a season of reality TV. Cliques form fast: the "party crew" vs. the "purists," the swingers vs. the swingers-who-pretend-they're-not. As newcomers (and parents, no less), we felt like outsiders crashing a private club. Smiles were surface-level; the second you stepped away, the backstabbing started.

  And then there's the elephant in the (clothing-optional) room: the camp's ugly history with sexual predators. We didn't know it going in, but after a few days, the stories trickled out from sympathetic members—multiple incidents over the years involving members who turned out to be registered offenders or worse, preying on the vulnerable in this "trust-based" environment. The rules around anonymity are ironclad: no photos, no last names, "what happens at Avatan stays at Avatan." It's sold as protecting privacy in a nudist space, which sounds noble until you realize it shields the creeps. Anyone who dares speak up—whether it's a parent noticing a sketchy guy lingering too long near the kids' area or a survivor sharing a red flag—is immediately branded a "troublemaker," "paranoid," or "anti-community." We've heard of families getting shamed in group meetings, then quietly asked to leave for "disrupting the harmony." Evictions happen fast if you rock the boat, all in the name of keeping the peace and the paying members happy.

  Look, we're no prudes. Nudism can be liberating, and we've been to other resorts where it felt truly inclusive and safe. But Avatan? It's a divided house built on denial. The adult-party atmosphere thrives because the kids are an afterthought, and the predator problem festers because calling it out gets you exiled. If you're a child-free couple into the full swinger scene, this might be your paradise—plenty of like-minded folks and zero judgment. But if you're a family hoping for that advertised "safe, empowering space"? Steer clear. Your kids deserve better than being tolerated in a place where silence is golden and the wrong questions get you blacklisted. We won't be back, and I hope this review saves someone else the regret.

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• 

  Keith A.

  Scout

  Jan. 22, 2026

  Totogatic Park

  Excellent campground

  Many sites with lake access! Clean as I've ever seen a campground!

• 

  Karla J. B.

  Guide

  Dec. 1, 2025

  Moose Lake State Park Campground

  Classic Minnesota State Park

  We went post-season camping with friends. The water and showers were shut off, and the agate center was closed. Despite being post-season, the vault toilets were clean and stocked with TP (though these did not have hand sanitize), and firewood was available for purchase using a QR code. Cell service was fine. We walked the trails and head them mostly to ourselves. We only saw one large RV and one tent that weekend. It snowed overnight, so we went into town for a hearty breakfast!

• 

  Sarah D.

  Ranger

  Oct. 17, 2025

  Wild River State Park Campground

  Secluded Backpack/Canoe Site with Sunrise Views

  I was looking for a secluded backpack in site where I could have a peaceful 48 hours of prayer and solitude, and this site was perfect! I also wanted one that wasn't too far remote, since I hadn't been on a proper backpacking trip since the pandemic hit. And as a solo female camper, I wanted a reserved site so that there would be a record of my location for safety reasons. I'm so glad I chose the Deer Creek site, and will almost definitely stay here again at some point!

  This site is accessible by either hiking or canoe. It took me about 30 minutes to hike in from the visitor center parking lot. There is easy access to river water to boil or filter from the canoe landing.

  This site was incredibly spacious. It includes a fire ring and picnic table overlooking the creek and river. It also includes 2 large tent pads (look out for widow makers, one of the tent pads is under a dead tree!). It also has a spot nestled in some pine trees that could fit a smaller tent, canoe storage, or I found it to be the perfect spot to hang my hammock! (This would be a great site for hammock camping.) So if you're camping with a small group of people this would be a great site. It also includes a trail to a fairly private latrine, and a bear box (the park ranger warned me that there are bears in the park although I did not see any.) I also found plenty of dead down and dry wood and birch bark on the ground for building fires.

  This site is great for a one nigjt stay on a longer backpacking or canoeing trip, but also great for camping out at for a couple of nights. I stayed for two, and it connects to all the major trails in the park, so I was able to use it as a great base for hiking and seeing the beautiful changing leaves. In the morning I hiked North to do the Riverside trail and looped back through the woods. Then in the afternoon I did the Deer Creek loop, which is a shared horse and hiking trail. It was so nice to he able to hike out to some of the best trails in the park directly from my site.

  This site felt remarkably remote for being only an hour from the twin cities and a mile from the parking lot! I stayed there Thursday -Saturday, and after leaving the parking lot on Thursday did not see another human being for the rest of the day, and Friday not until I hit the main trails! There was no one else staying within at least a mile of me. I was even able to see fantastic stars Friday night. There was amazing wildlife - a blue heron frequented the site, and I heard all types of owls. Two bald eagles had a nest across the river so I got to see and hear them the whole trip, too- it was absolutely magical!

  This site has a great view of both sunrise and sunset. Thursday night there was a gorgeous sunset over the woods reflected in deer Creek. Both mornings I woke up to watch the sunrise while drinking my coffee next to the fire (it was freezing!!!). Watching the sun rise over the river and fog roll over th water and evaporate while eagles soared was truly magical. Having an easy backpack in site surrounded by water on two sides and with views of the sunrise and sunset like this was so incredible!!!

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• 

  Maria D.

  Guide

  Sep. 28, 2025

  Interstate State Park Campground

  Lovely River, Too Much Hustle

  Interstate State Park has some nice features, but overall it wasn’t my favorite. Many of the exterior loop sites have river access, which was a highlight, and we didn’t have to deal with mosquitoes thanks to being right on the water. The nearby towns are also very charming and worth exploring.

  That said, the campground is small and very crowded, likely because it’s so close to the Cities and popular with canoe rentals. Expect a lot of traffic noise, and in the fall, migrating geese can be very loud (which didn’t bother me, but might for some). The ranger office had limited hours, and since firewood is locked up, there’s no self-serve option. Another downside: a riverboat cruises by frequently, blasting music in the evenings and giving tours during the day.

  The sites are close together, with RVs and tents mixed on one loop, so generator noise is common. It wasn’t a terrible stay, but just too small and busy for my preference—I don’t think I’d return.

  Best sites seemed to be 21 (great river views, less private), 23 (fun detached tent pad), and 18 (most private). Sites 4–5 were also lovely but close to the bathrooms and camp host, so expect more foot traffic.

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