For those who want to experience St. Paul, but still want the creature comforts of home, consider glamping for your trip. Camping has always been a favorite form of travel for many, but St. Paul, MN glamping is a new and unique way to do it. You're sure to find glamping for your Minnesota camping excursion.
Located on the St. Croix River, just 20 miles east of Saint Paul, Afton State Park is great for those looking for camping near Minneapolis and is 1600 acres of rolling prairies, oak woodlands, and limestone river canyons amid an ancient glacial landscape. The land for the park was acquired in 1967, but it took almost 15 years of planning revisions and compromises with local residents before the park finally opened in 1982. Little development has gone into Afton State Park in an effort to maintain its natural characteristics, and former farmland atop the bluffs are continuously being restored to their original state. This makes Afton an ideal destination for campers looking to experience the outdoors in a wilder setting.
Load up your backpack with all you’ll need for your stay, as camping at Afton State Park requires a hearty, 0.75-mile hike in from the parking area. The year-round campground offers 27 rustic sites with picnic tables and fire pits, with options for pitching your tent in either open or wooded areas. There is drinking water, a vault toilet and firewood is supplied within the camp area. There is also three boat-in campsites, and two group campsites that can accommodate up to 60 people each. If you’d rather not rough it, the park also offers four camping cabins and two yurts, some of which are wheelchair accessible. There are also several picnic areas and restrooms within the park. Campsite rates range from $15–$23/night; cabins range from $55–$70/night, and yurts $50–$65/night.
When you’re ready to explore, start at the park’s Nature Store where you can pick up information about the park’s flora and fauna, or join a nature walk. Then choose from more than 20 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, as well as a short barrier-free path. If you’re visiting in winter, many of these trails are open for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Bring your GPS and go on a geocaching treasure hunt, or bring your binoculars and go on safari for a variety of migratory birds, waterfowl, and wildlife, including deer, foxes and badgers. And little ones will love becoming Junior Park Naturalists and learning about bugs, birds, plants and other critters. If you’re looking for a real outdoor adventure, Afton State Park has what you’re looking for.
$20 - $75 / night
$20 - $32 / night
$15 - $18 / night
Cleary Lake Regional Park has 20 sites for tents only and 2 RV sites with full hookups.
$16 - $50 / night
$85 / night
Backpack sites, located on remote lakes and ponds throughout the park, are one to two miles from the trailhead parking. New log camper cabins, located near lakes and ponds, provide bunk beds for six people and a table and benches for campers who want more of the creature comforts.
Ham Lake Resort is in Minnesota, just 30 minutes from the Twin Cities. We love that we are close enough to home, but far enough away to escape. We are proud to offer 114 RV sites with some full hook-up options, tent camping, and cabins! We have something for everyone!
Ham Lake offers so many activities including swimming, fishing, a beach, horseshoes, boating, planned activities throughout the weekends, a playground for the kids and so much more. We also feature many great amenities like shower houses, laundry facilities a picnic area, and a dog park!
There are so many things to do and see near our resort; go horseback riding, visit the beautiful state parks, take the kids to Bunker Beach Waterpark, or spend the day sipping wine at Willow Tree Winery.
Whether you want a vacation filled with rest and relaxation or want to add a little adventure, we have something for everyone! We can't wait to see you!
Must be over 25 to reserve a campsite at this campground.
$49 - $999 / night
Guide
This park is close to St. Paul, and has the best hiking trails! Highly recommend.
ScoutI love Afton. It's a mere 40 minutes or so from Minneapolis-St. Paul and it's a great beginner campground for backpackers. The campground is only a 1-mile hike in, but the last 1/4 mile or so is up a steep hill that has really taught me a lot about pack weight. There is firewood available and a water pump with some of the best tasting well water I have ever drank.
The first time I stayed, there were loud people awake until the wee hours of morning, but I have camped here 2-3 times since then with no issues. This is my go-to hike-in spot when looking for a place closer to the Twin Cities.
This park offers a number of hiking trails on mountainous (well, river valley) terrain and is nestled along the St. Croix River. There is a beach, picnic area, interpretive center and trail, cross-country ski trails, and more.
GuideMinnesota State Parks have just started to build Yurts for 3 campgrounds around the state; Afton, Cuyuna and Glendalough State Parks. These have some great amenities and are perfect for family camping, especially in Fall, Winter and Spring.
ScoutI have stayed multiple times in the hike in camp sites and also in the yurt! The hike in sites were beautiful with a view looking over the St. Croix River. It was a shaded site perfect for our hammocks, it was quiet and very secluded. The Yurt was very cool! Very comfortable beds and plenty of space for the 6 of us to stay and sleep. The fire pit and picnic table wasn't far from the yurt which made it nice to not have to walk too far since we camped in the winter. I highly suggest the expeeience of the yurt!
ScoutAfton is a gorgeous park. There's beautiful trails that take you through dense woods and prairie, and then you take a pretty decline to get to the St Croix River. It was foggy when we were there but still gorgeous. We also managed to get a yurt and it was so much fun. Comfy beds, room for 7 and it was clean and well built. This is a great park!
Ranger
Interesting place, you can read about it here
Guide
My partner and I scheduled a 3 day / 2 night stay in a new Vintage Cruiser RV for $39.99, in exchange for attending a presentation on private membership.
We checked in Wednesday evening, and the nicest staff I've ever met helped us acclimate to RV living. We are new to this game. They patiently described how to utilize the grey and black water tanks, as well as encouraged us to check-out the canoes, row boats, bikes, horseshoes, ladder golf and many other entertainment items - for FREE!
The map provided was accurate which made locating the cruiser a breeze. There were further instructions inside as well. The RV was immaculate. Provided for our use were all linens (a public very clean bath and shower was just across the road), dish soap, dish towels, paper towels, flat wear, plates, bowls, mugs and pans.
The campground has a couple of ponds, as well as access to Ham Lake where the watercraft is launched. There is a petting arena with goats, ponies, and a llama who gave my partner the stink eye, but fell in love with me rubbing the fence and giving me all googly eyes!
The clubhouse sells bundled wood, ice, snacks, cold drinks, ice cream and provides 24-hour fresh coffee. There is also a small resupply area, and gift shop.
There are pull-through sites, back ups, 50 and 30 amp hook ups, and tent sites, covered pavilions, picnic tables and fire pits.
The campground itself seems remote, secluded and peaceful, however, you are conveniently located to two well-stocked convenience stores, as well as Wal-Mart about 15 minutes away. It's also only about 45 minutes from the Minnesota Twin Cities.
One note: We visited in August and needed gallons of bug spray.
We very much enjoyed our get away!
Scout
I will do the best
Scout
We have lived in the Twin Cities for two decades and have never visited Rice Creek Chain of Lakes before. We will again! It's a lovely park, a reasonable biking distance from the Twin Cities (a lot on dedicated bike path). Sites are good sized with mix of sun and shade. Swimming beach is nice as well. Staff were very helpful.
TravelerGreat campground with all the amenities one might need, including showers, nice bathrooms, a park, a beach, trails. Right next to lakes and a nature preserve. Close enough to town in case you forget some things like we did. A county parking pass is required, they don't like people parking on the grass, and they have staff making rounds to enforce the shortest list of rules I've seen in the last couple of years. My only complaint is that the location of the porta-potties didn't match what the maps showed, so my seemingly perfect plan to be somewhat far from them failed and I ended up right next to one; it was clean and didn't smell, but we heard the door close every time. They have the campsites spaced out better than most other places I've camped and have trees and brush between the sites whenever possible. We tent camped and plan to bring our travel trailer next year. Definitely plan to stay here at least once a season.
GuideWe stayed here a week. I have been here before. It's a great campground if you can get in. We came late in the season and got the one spot open for a week. BTW Camping Worlds huge store is just north on 35E. Kelly's Bar nearby has a great fish fry on Friday.
The campground is neat and well managed. Aside from that no issues except being so close to a large city (Urban campgrounds are not for wilderness campers) and county airport (noise) occasionally. Close to the Twin Cities it is. Access to anywhere is easy. The Three rivers campgrounds triangulate the northern suburbs. Baker park, Bunker Hills Park, and Rice Creek are all close to the major parts of town.
GuideJust a beautiful campground. Lots of privacy, plenty of space. On a trail system that you can ride around the lake (3 miles) or all the way into Minneapolis if you’re adventurous. Fantastic beach.
ScoutThis campground was very accommodating! We came in late due to the Adventure and they had no issue with it. The site was large and flat with a nice fire pit. Thank you!
ScoutIt was very easy to find, close to the twin cities, and clean. There was good access to kindling for a fire in the nice fire pit that has a grill. There is ample room to park a car and put up a large tent. We were impressed with the upkeep of the park.
ScoutBrief stay for a scavenger hunt in Minneapolis
ScoutBrief visit for a scavenger hunt in Minneapolis
ScoutWonderful site! Feels very secluded in spite of being so close to the cities. Great beach & sunrise. Highly recommend!
ScoutWe were into it! There was good space and we had fun.
TravelerWe had never heard of this campground prior to seeing a booth for the Anoka Parks system at the Sportsman's Show. This is a beautiful park reserve! The sites are near each other but seem to have quite a bit more privacy that you would expect at a county or state park. The showers were very nice and clean. The gem of this campground for us was Centerville Lake!
There is ample picnic space and a very nice swim beach, plus there is room to beach your boat if you are so gifted. This is a great trip to "the lake" that is very convenient to the metro area.
There is only one complaint I have about this campground, and it feels a little ticky-tacky to mention it, but I will because I think it may be significant to some people...there is significant road noise from 35E and 35W nearby. We found it to be almost like background white noise, but it was never not noticeable. The noise was definitely not a deal-breaker for us and this great park!
TravelerThis is a nice and family friendly campground. We've camped in loops E and F and both are good. Most sides have some shade and trees and the picnic tables are in great condition! We were there over the 4th weekend and it was pretty busy, but everyone seemed respectful and the loud parties seemed mostly to be over at the beach. Lots of great paved trails surrounding the area, and Wargo nature center is only about 2.5 miles away, a bikable distance even for my 7 year old!
GuideStayed here when we got our first camper and it is nicely shaded large sites. Great walking paths and clean restrooms. Great for a quick weekend camping trip.
GuideWe took a 30 minute drive north of the cities for a quick get away, and were rewarded with a very nice campground!
The check in staff was friendly, helpful and efficient. She gave us the info we needed for wood and other campgrounds in the area.
Our site was clear, flat and grassy, and had an established fire pit. Other loops had grills and hook ups for pop-up campers and RVs.
There is a gorgeous beach area with tables, a pavilion, changing rooms and a well equipped playground.
We walked a portion of the trails towards the golf course, on a paved path under a green canopy.
Plenty of bugs, so bring your spray!
TravelerNature is always beautiful!
ScoutWe love to camp here as it's so close to home. Decent amenities, however NOT the feel of a State Park. Think suburbia meets nature.
GuideSite 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.
ScoutGreat state park with lots of amenities. This was only my second camping trip, my first being the superior trail with an 8 mile hike in and no amenities. More fun in my opinion to search for your own firewood and really rough it, but it was to have water and wood available close to the site we were at (site 22) because we got in later and lost some daylight. The hike in was shorter and far less strenuous than my first trip, but note that it is uphill. If you’re carrying a heavy pack, expect to sweat a bit. Paved sidewalks into the park, wide dirt and rocky paths into the camp site which was nice given the amount of other day hikers (space to spread out). My boyfriend and I loved that our site was so secluded. There is also a lot of variety to the sites. The sites 1 through about 10 (if my memory doesn’t fail me) are fairly wooded. Our site had a nice balance of wooded area and open terrain/sky. We were lucky to get to see some beautiful fall colors.
A few notes: the wood provided is THICK. They must haul the logs in with a truck. Saws are provided at the wood site, but be prepared to take some time on it. We had a hand saw so we were able to pack our packs with some large pieces and do some sawing at our campsite as the sawing station was busy with families and other campers. Lots of bark available to get a good fire started. The wood is not covered so if it rains the night before you come in, be ready to deal with some damp wood.
Water station takes about 30 seconds to start up. There are also two bathrooms within the camp site that are what you expect them to be. Hand sanitizer and TP stocked.
Never saw a ranger while we were there. We loved the privacy. Lots of spiders. Comes with the terrain.
The site was perfect for our hammocks. They are super kind if you want to call ahead to get an idea of what your site looks like. It was also great to be able to see what other sites were occupied on the day we decided to make a reservation. There is a grill top on your fire pit (we packed our own grill top, could’ve left it at home).
Overall it was a great overnight trip. Close to our home so I’m sure we’ll be back for a quick trip next year.
TravelerThis summer we took our 7 year-old here as a trial of backpacking camping with him.
This is a little more than a mile, and so it was super approachable for all of us to hike-in with all of our things. There was a good amount of hiking, some hills up and down and such, but a good length for a little guy.
Back in the campsites, there is A LOT of space. Everyone is super spread out, so we could feel like we had very good privacy. We heard a bit from other campsites, but with the space, we weren't bothered by others' noise nor did we feel like we needed to silence the kiddo to avoid bothering others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near St. Paul, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near St. Paul, MN is Afton State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 36 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near St. Paul, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 glamping camping locations near St. Paul, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
