If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near St. Paul, look no further. Here you'll find a diverse selection of places to camp, including remote dispersed camping to boondocking, and everything in-between. Each dispersed site offers quick access to one or more of St. Paul's most popular destinations.
Primitive shoreline campsites scattered along the St. Croix and Namekagon rivers offer the opportunity to move from campsite to campsite for multi-day trips. These campsites are often only accessible from the water and are relatively isolated. Campsites are easier to secure mid-week and during non-holiday weekends. nps.gov/sacn/planyourvisit/lowerstcroix.htm
Guide
Campsites were pretty far apart. Not bad, quiet, aside from the occasional truck speeding through.
Traveler
The spot is along the ice age trail. Well managed gravel trail to the south and single wide footpath to the north.
There is a pad at the bottom of the path up to the open air vault toilet, a fire ring, and a table. The table has an extra long side for those in a wheelchair. The crushed gravel path to the south makes travel to the nearby Lions park easy.
The ease of access probably makes this a hangout spot as we saw a good amount of refuse around the pad. The pictures are probably worst case scenario. We visited in April after historic snowfall and thaw causing the river to flood. I'd imagine when the river is lower with the fire ring and table where they're supposed to be this would be a nice place for the night. Right on the beautiful st.croix river.
GuideDrove past several sites, most of which were by water. We did find one we thought we liked, but branches over hung, and rested on our camper (8ft high) and in fact most sites were shaded. As to be expected, mozzies were present, but after 5mins of the door being opened and several flying in, we decided the area wasn't for us. There were other branches of the road that could be explored as well.
TravelerI just did an overnight camp one night in a truck camper and it was very easy to navigate and it was cleaned quiet area to spend the night. The bad part a lot of the side roads are closed to motor vehicles due to some issues they had a couple years ago but are now taken care of like people dumping
RangerGreat spot. Plenty of parking. Best for straight vehicles or very small trailers.
RangerCame back on a warm weekend. A bit more traffic, but after 12 p.m., not much of anything. I really recommend this for an easy stop if you're looking for a place to put up. It's peaceful and tons of spots to park.
GuideI love that it's so close to home. I was able to walk in and find an incredible spot to camp and lay in my hammock.
Scoutthis is a nice quiet area. Some younger people coming through sporadically playing with their trucks but nothing serious and not often. Be aware if you have an rv though. I had a county sheriff person tell me it's not lawful to park a trailer and they kicked me out. I called the dnr and they said that wasn't right but I decided to leave anyway. County sheriff's not pleasent around here.
TravelerPlenty of spots. Fairly small spots. This road is pretty busy for a dirt forest road and people FLY down it. Almost got hit a few times walking. Even through a Wednesday night cars are flying down the road.
TravelerThere’s lots of little spots off the main gravel road. Nothing allowed further into the forest. One pull through area that I found. Couple vehicles pass a day. Stand storks are very protective. Stay away from them. They attack. 🤣
RangerFor the proximity to the city and nearby highways, this was a good spot. Didn’t expect to see as many campers as I did, but all seemed to be friendly. I stayed here for one night and roads were totally fine for any vehicle. Most spots are like the pictures shown. There are a few spots that have great views or pull-through areas, and there are limited spots that are big-rig friendly. Saw lots of dogs, and mine had a blast, even had what seemed to be a stray husky quickly roll through camp around dusk. Something to keep on your mind. The road goes for a long ways, I parked near the front and closer to numbers, always like to be safer. Overall there was some shouting and yelling but for the location I was happy.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near St. Paul, Minnesota, where nature enthusiasts can enjoy serene landscapes and a sense of adventure without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. Here are some great options to consider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near St. Paul, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near St. Paul, MN is South of Sand Dunes State Forest with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near St. Paul, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 dispersed camping locations near St. Paul, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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