Best Tent Camping near St. Francis, MN

Tent campsites near St. Francis, Minnesota include a mix of backcountry walk-in sites and established campgrounds within nearby parks and reserves. Lake Maria State Park, located approximately 20 miles southwest of St. Francis, offers exclusively hike-in tent sites ranging from 0.25 to 1 mile from parking areas. The park features 14 designated backcountry tent camping areas, each offering seclusion in a wooded setting, with many sites positioned near ponds and small lakes.

Most tent sites at Lake Maria State Park include basic amenities such as fire rings, picnic tables, and nearby vault toilets. Campers should note that drinking water is available only at the main park office, requiring planning for water transport to backcountry sites. The terrain consists primarily of natural forest floor with minimal site grading. A review mentioned that "sites were nice small, with dirt ground and tent pad. Each site had a fire ring and picnic table as well as a food box." Firewood can be purchased at the park office using a self-pay system, though carrying it to remote sites requires preparation.

In early spring and late fall, tent campers experience significantly fewer insects and more comfortable temperatures. Lake Maria's tent sites offer exceptional privacy, with many situated on small ponds where Blanding's turtles and other wildlife can be observed. One camper shared that their site was "secluded, but still fairly close to the road and group camp sites" with a location "on a pond, which was gorgeous." The backcountry sites are particularly appealing to tent campers seeking solitude, as the park doesn't accommodate RVs or larger camping setups. Sites labeled BP1 through BP4 are noted as being "objectively the best" according to experienced campers, with several positioned along lakes offering water views. For tent campers seeking more accessible options, Crow Hassan Park Reserve offers additional tent camping areas within the region.

Best Tent Sites Near St. Francis, Minnesota (35)

    1. Lake Maria State Park Campground

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

    "This hike-in site is about a half-mile walk from the parking area, and the journey in is half the magic: winding wooded trails, wildflowers, and glimpses of the lake through the trees."

    "Campsite included: 2 tent pads, a few areas to hammock, fire ring w/large grill, small bench, picnic table, bear box and latrine. I don’t think I would change a thing about the campsite."

    2. Mississippi Riverwood RV Park

    3 Reviews
    Elk River, MN
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (612) 281-5021

    3. William O'Brien State Park Campground

    39 Reviews
    Marine on St. Croix, MN
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (651) 539-4980

    $16 - $250 / night

    "I camped here in April and got a camping spot on the edge of the River Campground facing the woods. I loved this spot and it was plenty big for parking two cars, tent, hammock, chairs, you name it!"

    "Our site was a non-electric site on the outside ring, with just a thin slip of woods and a hiking trail between us and the St. Croix river."

    4. Elm Creek Horse Camp

    1 Review
    Dayton, MN
    15 miles
    Website

    $16 / night

    "Tucked away near the archery range(don’t worry—nobody’s aiming at your pup), this campsite offers a solid patch of peace where dogs can sniff, stretch, and settle in by the fire."

    5. Crow Hassan Park Reserve

    3 Reviews
    St. Michael, MN
    19 miles
    Website

    $15 / night

    "During these COVID times everyone wants to get out and about more, which means that the main parking lot for the park that used to be mostly designated for horse trailer parking is now overrun with family"

    "Do a 180 on the trail and she is happy to trot away from the trailer."

    6. Afton State Park Campground

    36 Reviews
    Denmark, MN
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (651) 436-5391

    "Backpacking to the top hill sites has gotten easier as the park has curved the new wide groomed and wood chipped trail to spiral around the hill instead of a straight climb."

    "We did the backpack site so you hike in almost a mile and you go up on the ridge that's open in the middle but each site is heavily forested and some overlook the river."

    8. Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

    3 Reviews
    Rockford, MN
    30 miles
    Website

    "This newly developed trail is 13.25 miles long, so a nice option close to the city for those who are inclined to adventurous biking. Different loops are available for varying skill levels. "

    "Great for birding and walking trails! One of my favorite places to go near home😁"

    9. Oak Island Watercraft Campsite

    1 Review
    Becker, MN
    26 miles
    Website

    "This island on the Mississippi has a picnic table and a very primitive toilet. It's a great spot to take a rest while cavorting the Mississippi."

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Tent Camping Reviews near St. Francis, MN

677 Reviews of 35 St. Francis Campgrounds


  • LaMina H.
    May. 13, 2022

    Ann Lake

    My favorite spot in MN!!!

    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.

  • Alison O.
    Jun. 17, 2025

    Lake Maria State Park Campground

    Secluded Bliss at Site B6 – Lake Maria’s Backcountry Beauty at Its Best

    If you’re looking for a peaceful escape where the only sounds are rustling leaves, birdsong, and frogs singing at dusk — Site B6 at Lake Maria State Park is the one.

    This hike-in site is about a half-mile walk from the parking area, and the journey in is half the magic: winding wooded trails, wildflowers, and glimpses of the lake through the trees. Once you arrive, B6 feels like a secret woodland sanctuary — set up on a slight rise, tucked beneath a cathedral of towering oaks and maples.

    The site is private, quiet, and wonderfully shaded, with just enough open sky for stargazing by the fire. The tent pad is level, and there’s a solid fire ring and picnic table. Vault toilets and water access aren’t too far, especially by backcountry standards.

    What makes B6 stand out, though, is the vibe. It’s close enough to Lake Maria’s best hiking trails and just a short walk to the lake itself, where you can sit on a log and watch wood ducks paddle past and listen to the frogs in full chorus at night. We saw pileated woodpeckers, red squirrels, and a chorus of chorus frogs. Nature feels close here — in the best way.

    Pro tip: Pack light and bring permethrin-treated clothes during bug season. And don’t forget a headlamp — the darkness here is wild and beautiful.

    This site is perfect for anyone who wants a little solitude, a lot of nature, and a chance to slow down and breathe. We’ll absolutely be booking B6 again.

  • Katherine T.
    Oct. 11, 2024

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Solid option with star gazing

    This is a solid state park offering. The sites are decently spaced with good tree cover. Noise seemed to travel between sites, I had some loud neighbors during the day but they settled down before quiet hours. The grass was easy to get tent stakes into. Bathrooms were your basic state park situation. Clean with warm showers so no complaints from me. The star gazing area was great! Intermittently had 1-2 bars of T-Mobile with LTE Internet. Wi-Fi is available at the park entrance.

  • Amy G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 30, 2021

    Rice Creek Campgrounds

    Spaced out nicely and they have a tent only loop!

    I booked this on a whim since we needed an overnight close to the State Fair.  I loved the look of the "TENT ONLY" loop - you don't see this often - so it was a good fit.  Seemed that the whole campground was booked up and I assumed, for a similar reason.  The State Fair.

    Booking was fairly easy through their website, and you can "hover" over the sites to see a photo of it.  I chose the one I wanted and hoped it would be what we wanted it to be.

    You DO need a park pass to stay at the campground.

    We arrived after dark, but in the dark you could still tell it was lovely.  I couldn't see any neighbor on the one side where there was a campsite (the other was a field...which is why I chose it). So we set up a tent, enjoyed the last of the evening and crawled into our bags.

    In the morning, when I could see everything, I was thoroughly impressed by the space, the maintenance of the property, the size of the campsites.  All of them were impressive and big!  A few were only separated by swathes of grass, but most had enough trees you couldn't see your neighbor.  And the fact that this loop (F LOOP) was "tent only" meant no generators! It was very quiet!   There were port-o-potties (cleaned about every 3 days) and a centrally located water source (potable) that was in the middle of everything for easy access by everyone. The spaces seemed fairly level, lots of mature trees, fire rings at all of them (with cooking grates that flipped out of the way) and picnic tables at most (resin tables, not wood).

    I took a quick look at the other loops.  The tent/small trailer loop didn't appear to have electric either.  And the RV loops obviously did.  All were very nice!  And there is a shower house (didn't go in) that was for all to use if you had a site.

    We'd stay here again in a heartbeat.

    **I've seen the other reviews here which seem to be based on the bugs.  I know that bugs are part of camping, so I don't review based on that, but I'll add details, if needed.  This one didn't have many, but it was raining, so I'm sure that factored in.  When I camp, I come prepared and I try to focus on reviewing the campsite itself, not the bugs, which I can not control.  I can, however, come prepared for them**

  • D
    Sep. 19, 2020

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Great spot for first time camping

    This was my first time camping EVER, and I wanted a balance of car camping ease with quiet wilderness. I stayed in the E loop. No electric sites, which cut down the number of big rig RVs, but there were plenty of small campers and trailers. To me, this means louder guests than tent campers. That said, people tended to quiet down by 9-10p. There was occasional noise during the day from crop dusters and motorized boat traffic on the St. Croix.

    Site 87 had nice privacy — less between sites 87 and 89 and much more between 87 and 85 (see photos). Site 89 is a double site, so be prepared for a little more activity if someone books there. If I went again, I'd try to snag site 85. Large trees and vegetation between sites, especially on the outside loop. Plenty of space for hammocks. The site itself was level and very spacious. We had a five person tent and could have put up a bug house easily. The fire pit was clean and had a grate on top. Pit toilets were clean and had plenty of toilet paper, especially for the end of a holiday weekend. Bugs were minimal, but could have been because the weather was on the cooler side (50s-60s).

    A couple random notes:

    • Firewood is $6/bundle. Self-pay available if the ranger station is closed. Bring exact change since you'll be paying by envelope.

    • The ranger station was open for window service, and they sold fire starters, soda, t-shirts, etc. Not sure when hours are exactly. They were open when I went around 3-4p Sunday and Monday to buy wood.

    • Cell reception for T-Mobile was minimal to non-existent.

  • amber  N.
    Sep. 1, 2019

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Secluded, River Front Buck Hill Site

    Backpack site Buck Hill is right on the river, beautiful view to the east. Circled by flowers (goldenrod in the late summer), brush and trees. End of the path so zero foot traffic / passersby. Fine size for us but if you had two tents maybe tight. Fire ring and picnic table of course. No drinking water (we brought a bladder). It’s a great place to star gaze. There’s a teeny somewhat treacherous path to the river- no beach or anything (water was super low when we went) - Just can get your feet wet.

    Down the path a little bit is an unenclosed toilet - not the best. The other direction down the path (only about 20 ft) is a smallish bear box.

    You can harvest your own wood (at this time) and that was really great - bring a backpacking saw!

    Only downside to the site— you can hear cars on both sides (river and opposite side of forest).

    It was a 2.37 mile walk from the parking lot, mostly shaded.

    Side note: we checked out Deer Creek site which is much closer to the car. It is a hike in / canoe site. It’s wayyy more spacious, and even has two separate clearings. Also has cool stairs down the to water, and a much more expansive view of the river. We will be staying there next time! We want to take a few days to canoe the whole length of the park, camping along the different sites. Next year! :)

  • Jennifer H.
    Sep. 21, 2020

    Afton State Park Campground

    New groomed backpack trails

    Site 27. This is a river landscape. Spiders and snakes..oh my. The parking lot is paved and has a dumpster. This is also where the nature center is. There are often music festivals and family events here. It is also next to Afton Ski resort. This park has a lot of beautiful prairie landscape with some temperate forest features. Wildflowers, shrubs, fungi, evergreens, and deciduous trees. Backpacking to the top hill sites has gotten easier as the park has curved the new wide groomed and wood chipped trail to spiral around the hill instead of a straight climb. There is a solar panel generated drinking water pump at the top and a honor system fire wood station. There is a bathroom, but not super close to this site. This site has a fire pit with grate and table but no bear box. This site does have a clear view to the trail and the site next to it, but it is set back a little bit. I can hear the joggers along the trail that wraps around the site. The sites are mapped out on a wide open prairie ground with some sites tucked back in the trees along the trail. There is not a water front view, but there is plenty of wildlife. The dear and flowers are beautiful. There is partial tree covering but we did bring a tarp for the rain.

  • K
    Jul. 12, 2018

    Lake Maria State Park Campground

    Beautiful and Relaxing

    Really enjoyed the short hike to our campsite, BP7. There is a bathroom and water station before you head out which is awesome! The campsite was secluded and absolutely beautiful. Definitely will be going back again!

    Campsite included: 2 tent pads, a few areas to hammock, fire ring w/large grill, small bench, picnic table, bear box and latrine.

    I don’t think I would change a thing about the campsite.

  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 28, 2025

    Lake Maria State Park Campground

    Backpacker's Haven

    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. I really enjoy sites 1, 2, and 3 as they are a little more secluded from other sites, however 1 is fairly close to the county road so you will hear some vehicle noise overnight. Site comes with a fire ring, picnic table, and bear locker. Site 1 is my favorite despite the road noise due to the location of the tent pad and being on almost a peninsula offering lots of lake views.


Guide to St. Francis

Tent camping near St. Francis, Minnesota encompasses diverse terrain from oak savannas to prairie landscapes along the Mississippi River. Seasonal considerations significantly impact camping experiences, with early fall offering cooler temperatures and fewer mosquitoes than summer months. Several campgrounds require reservations up to 120 days in advance, particularly for weekend visits from May through September.

What to do

Birding opportunities: Lake Rebecca Park Reserve offers excellent birdwatching trails. "Big park! Great for birding and walking trails! One of my favorite places to go near home," notes one camper who frequently visits the area.

Hiking varied terrain: Crow Hassan Park Reserve features sandy prairie trails that provide respite from insects. "This is an equestrian paradise... The best place to be bug-free happens to be the sandy prairie trails, the wooded areas are nice but you may want to hustle out of there if you don't have enough bug protection," explains one regular visitor.

Water activities: The Mississippi River provides paddling opportunities with watercraft campsites accessible only by boat. Oak Island Watercraft Campsite serves as "a great spot to take a rest while cavorting the Mississippi" with basic amenities including "a picnic table and a very primitive toilet."

Mountain biking: Lake Rebecca Park Reserve maintains 13.25 miles of single track trails for mountain bikers of varying skill levels, with different loops available for beginners through advanced riders.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Many campers appreciate the natural spacing at William O'Brien State Park. One visitor noted, "We love this park!! very friendly and well kept! Two campgrounds to chose from. Tons of hiking, fishing, and great picnic area next to the river!"

Wildlife viewing: Frog choruses and turtle sightings enhance camping experiences. A camper at William O'Brien shared, "This campground is lovely. You can hear frogs all night and we even saw a turtle laying eggs in a different campsite."

Multiple camping styles: Some tent campers prefer sites requiring minimal hiking while others seek more remote experiences. At Afton State Park, "The hike to the campground is short and grueling. A few of the sites are in wooded areas, but we stayed in one of the prairie sites. The terrain is just hilly enough - and in August - the grass long enough to give the sites a sense of privacy and seclusion."

Off-season advantages: Fall and early spring offer significantly reduced crowds and insects. One camper recommends visiting "in late fall and early spring" for "significantly fewer insects and more comfortable temperatures."

What you should know

Bug preparation essential: Insect protection varies widely by season, location, and time of day. A camper at William O'Brien recounted, "We had a battle with mosquitoes. We went through a lot of bug spray and coils. Deer flies were thick around the water filling station."

Water access limitations: Some campgrounds have restricted water availability. At Afton State Park, a visitor warned, "NO WATER ON TRAIL 4TH JULY WEEKEND 2019 (FILL UP AT VISITOR CENTER)" explaining that "none of the water faucets or water pumps on the trails at Afton State Park are working."

Firewood considerations: Purchase options vary by campground. At William O'Brien State Park, "Wood was $8 bundle. This was steep in my opinion. They do not all any gathering of firewood."

Wildlife encounters: Be prepared for nighttime visitors. "Raccoons will visit your site at night. We had everything secured but they still tried and plenty of racket until we chased them away," reported one camper.

Tips for camping with families

Beginner backpacking: For families new to backpacking, choose shorter hike-in distances. Lake Maria State Park 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," notes a frequent visitor.

Seasonal timing: Schedule family trips during periods with fewer insects. One camper advised, "To be fair I'd like to preface this review with a word of caution. We went in the middle of Summer. High bug season. Take a look at other reviews as they come in and see what time of year they visited."

Consider camper cabins: For families who prefer more shelter, Lake Maria offers cabin alternatives. A visitor shared, "Appreciated the camper cabin and the clean sites. Most if not all sites are in the woods from what I could tell so there is a lot of leaves. Good trails and a fun experience."

Pack light but thoroughly: When backpacking with kids, prioritize essentials. A Lake Maria camper advised, "If you're new to hiking, I suggest doing some research if you're going to attempt stuff like this... Carrying firewood, food, water, gear, on a hilly trail through the woods can become real tough real fast for anyone that isn't physically active."

Tips from RVers

Limited RV options: The best tent camping near St. Francis, Minnesota generally does not accommodate larger RVs. Mississippi Riverwood RV Park represents one exception but has specific ownership structure. "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," explains one owner.

Check reservation terms: When making RV site reservations, confirm all policies. One camper warned, "If you do NOT stay the entire amount of time you have paid for, you may lose the right to return to your site, even if your lease says the lot is still yours."

Seasonal rental considerations: Some RV parks operate on monthly rather than nightly terms. A visitor pointed out, "This is only a place to live and pay month to month."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near St. Francis, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near St. Francis, MN is Lake Maria State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 34 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near St. Francis, MN?

TheDyrt.com has all 35 tent camping locations near St. Francis, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.