173 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Jay Cooke State Park Campground stands out among the camping options near Sandstone, Minnesota, with hiking trails that range from easy walks to more challenging routes. Wild River State Park Campground sits right by the water, making it good for campers who want to canoe or take walks along the river. Interstate State Park draws many campers because of its interesting rock formations and hiking paths. You can drive to all these campgrounds without much trouble on decent roads, though it's smart to check conditions if there's been heavy rain, especially during busy times. Jay Cooke provides bear boxes and picnic tables at their sites. Wild River has the basics covered with restrooms and places to get water. If you don't mind fewer amenities, Mille Lacs Kathio State Park has a more back-to-basics setup, but you can learn about the area's history and archaeological sites while you're there. Keep Minnesota's changing weather in mind when you plan your trip, particularly in spring and fall when it can shift quickly. The summer months work well for swimming and longer hikes when it's warmer. Winter camping is doable but you'll need to prepare for the cold. Remember to take all your trash with you and follow Leave No Trace practices. The campgrounds around Sandstone have something for everyone, whether you want excitement or quiet time outdoors.
"Park is close to Sandstone for any last minute needs. Campground is off and a bit sequestered from the rest of the hiking and kayaking, which is nice."
"The Quarry Loop along the Kettle River has a ton of history, allowing you to explore the remains of the 130+ year old sandstone quarry."
from $24 - $80 / night
Check Availability"And, actually, it may be your go-to option even if campsites at Banning are available, because this RV campground is located only½ mile from the Banning State Park entrance, and because it is at a higher"
"Close to stores and town but surrounded by enough of the outdoors to feel secluded. Would highly recommend this campground."
from $25 - $60 / night
Check Availability"This campground is really great, the main downside is that in order to pay the fee you have to drive to City Hall which is about 2 miles away."
"I wanted to be close to Banning State Park without the reservations. Early spring in Minnesota left us little cover between sites, but we were the only ones there."
from $10 - $30 / night
Check Availability"We booked our stay at the RV Resort so we wouldn't have to drive two and a half hours back and forth during the two day Grand RockTember Music Festival."
"Adjacent to a large casino with hotels and restaurants. Less than two miles from I35. Best thing is that when we arrived at our spot, there was a tree that needed trimming."
"Kind of off the beaten path. You have to take the Willow River exit and go through the town a little bit. There's a small sign next to the Squirrel Cage restaurant and bar."
"Located a few miles from the soo line trail. A little bit smaller of a location and traffic. Offers outhouses and water. In town amenities close by."
from $50 / night
Check Availability"Site 207 was especially tucked in but it's a tight spot, so probably best for a van or tent. The park itself has a lot to offer being right on the St."
"This is Minnesota’s largest state park and has over 200 camp sites. But where we were, we were secluded from most people. Not from the mosquitos. You had to defend against them. But clean park."
from $25 - $35 / night
Check Availability"The trails are nice walking trails with picturesque views of the lake. Campsite fee was $23, vehicle registration $7 for the day, firewood $6 for the day."
"Unbelievable AGATE MUSEUM at the main entrance. Men’s bathroom was very clean and showers worked great. Nice well groomed trails, well maintained campsites and campgrounds."
from $24 - $75 / night
Check Availability"Close to Hinckley if you're looking for things to do!"
"This is one of my favorite state parks for last minute camping trips due to its proximity to home."
"There is a modern restroom and shower, it is also located near a nature store."
from $25 - $95 / night
Check Availability"Reserved this site through the Minnesota dnr state park phone line, having been turned away from full camp grounds by two other state parks."
"Felt nice to spend a weekend without cell service about an hour away from home. Forgot to take my usual photos and video of the site all set up but had a few random to share. Nice campground."
from $25 - $35 / night
Check Availability
GuideMany activities throughout the day for the family. Kids enjoyed the pool. The store has a nice selection of items for sale. Firewood is $8 a bundle.
The campsites are close but there is enough trees between sites to make it seem like you are not so close.
There are atvs and utvs but at night they are not moving around.
GuideNice campsite. Clean and well maintained. Fire ring picnic table and some tree stumps for processing your firewood. I see several campsites in the area but I'm alone here. A river is several hundred yards away from my site, but you have to hike down a bit.
ScoutBack in 2020 I did about 3 months camping along here ! Good spot !
ScoutIf I could give this company negative stars I would. I would never recommend this company to even my worst enemy. This was our second experience with them. The first time took a long time but we knew it wasn’t their fault because the river was low and that’s out of their control. Our tubes were also good. The owner’s dad(Jerry?) picked us up and was so nice and sweet. We laughed at all our hiccups along the way.
This time around, it was just my friend and I and we were having a wonderful time for the first 2.5-3 hours. Then we realized we weren’t moving and the wind was blowing us upstream. We kept trying to go, waiting to see the landing. By the 5 hour mark we kept trying to call Pardun’s to mention that we were trying to come back and to let them know that we’d probably be later than expected and to see if they had any tips. Since the cell service is almost non existent, the calls would not go through. By that time, we didn’t know what to else to do but call 911. By the time we were able to get a hold of someone to ask for help, we were nearing 6 hours on the river. They called Pardun’s to let them know and the owner(Guy?) and his son were waiting to pick us up. As soon as they saw us, the snarky disrespectful remarks started and they began making fun of us. The owner was relentless. It was one rude remark after another. This was at about 9pm. When I started crying and asking him to stop talking to me, the a-hole dug in even more and had to get the last word in. It kept on until I screamed at him to shut the F up. I couldn’t take it anymore. He then stopped and started trying to kick us off the bus. I was sitting in the seat, sobbing while my friend was nicely asking him to just please go and please stop with the comments. He wouldn’t. Once we got back to Danbury, he stopped the bus and walked away. His son helped us get our stuff out and his wife eventually came out to make sure that we had our keys and let us know she had called the other people involved to let them know we were back. The son was initially being kind of a jerk when we got on the bus but he apologized to us soon after. His waste of a human father didn’t.
Please do not give this man your business. I have never been so humiliated and made to feel as awful as he made me feel. The blatant disrespect and language from the minute he saw was unbelievable. This man is the most awful human I have ever encountered. I sure hope he treats his wife and his mother with a little more compassion and empathy.
GuideThis is a well taken care of and pretty campground. The staff in the office is very nice. It's very small. Nice view of a running creek with wildlife. But there is traffic noise, you are very near the road. There is a nice little laundromat, clean showers and good drinking water here also. Great T-Mobile access.
GuideWe stayed here during the week. Host Peggy was very friendly. Had to make our reservation by phone as their website is very outdated. Most sites are for seasonal guests and it most campers were empty so it was very quiet. Our site was great. $40 for electric and water hook ups. Dump station right on the way out. :) would stay again
TravelerBig open gravel lot for parking and grassy area for tent camping near the river. I stayed in the gravel lot in my van. However, a ranger came the next day and said it wasn't allowed. I could only stay if I pitched a tent so I left.
ScoutCampfround has 6 campsites with fire pits and picnic tables. There is also a double vault toilet. The campground is very clean and accomodate many more campers, scout troops or large families. It is set up for canoe trips overnight stop. I'm here in my tear drop and just do daily trips out in my canoe. There is a 3 night stay limit and it is FREE!
TravelerGreat site. Has a good fire ring. Has a wilderness toilet off away from the site. Trail into the site is well marked. You’ll get plenty of animal sounds from the beaver dam lake that is right by the site. Has a picnic table. There is only one tent pad. Not a completely level place for a second tent so prepared if you have two tents that one of them will be on a slight angle.
Campers visiting Sandstone, Minnesota have access to several state parks and private campgrounds within a 30-mile radius. The region sits at approximately 1,050 feet above sea level with the Kettle River cutting through sandstone formations formed nearly 500 million years ago. Summer temperatures range from 55°F to 85°F with mosquito activity peaking in June after spring rains.
Rock climbing at quarry ruins: Robinson Park Camping offers access to historic sandstone quarry sites. "This campground is really great... From the entrance road, once you see the camping rules sign you will take a right down a dirt road to the individual sites. Otherwise if you keep driving straight past the portage, then you will find the group sites," notes Les R., who appreciated the climbing opportunities including "the state's best 12a/b."
Winter ice climbing: Banning State Park Campground maintains trails accessible year-round. "This is a great place for winter camping! The campsites are large enough (despite the snow) to set up suitable winter tents, and each site has a picnic table and fire pit. In the park, there's a lot of ice climbing and cross country skiing," shares Alexa S.
Hiking historical trails: The Quarry Loop along the Kettle River contains remnants of 130-year-old mining operations. "The hiking here is amazing! The Quarry Loop along the Kettle River has a ton of history, allowing you to explore the remains of the 130+ year old sandstone quarry. Seeing the drill holes in the cliffs was really cool and the remains of the old buildings were a highlight even to our small children," writes Jennifer H.
Private campsites with river access: Robinson Park Camping offers secluded spots near the Kettle River. Lindsey H. describes her experience: "I enjoyed this little spot in early April. I wanted to be close to Banning State Park without the reservations. Early spring in Minnesota left us little cover between sites, but we were the only ones there. We camped at spot 4 right along the river."
Fall colors and wildlife viewing: Boulder Campground in St. Croix State Forest provides a rustic experience with wildlife encounters. "We decided to try an extend the camping season by staying here in the first weekend of October, and we were rewarded greatly! The colors were near peak and the water was really high, so there were many kayakers going down the river as we hiked along the parallel trails," shares Bryan S.
Quieter alternatives to busier parks: Willow River in Gen. C.C. Andrews State Forest offers a more peaceful option. "Kind of off the beaten path. You have to take the Willow River exit and go through the town a little bit. There's a small sign next to the Squirrel Cage restaurant and bar. You'll be next to the freeway and you'll hear the noise but it's not that bad. Usually hardly anyone is here," notes Nigel N.
Water hookup challenges: Some RV parks have unusual water connection setups. At Banning RV Park and Campground, Sam C. discovered: "Water hookups were shared with other sites and required 'y' connections at the spigots. Our host(s) were prepared with the connectors in hand but seemed a bit surprised that we might need them... Our water source ended up being 75' plus from our RV."
Seasonal insect activity: Mosquitoes can be particularly intense in early summer. One camper at Riverview Campground reported: "We camped with our in laws and 3 kids this past weekend at St. Croix state Park... There were HOARDS OF MOSQUITOS. We used 40% deet spray and fogged our campsite 3x over the 3 days so we could reduce the bites."
Weather variations: The region experiences rapid temperature fluctuations in spring and fall. At Boulder Campground, Daniel G. found that despite variable conditions, "We had an all around great time. The campsites were all pretty secluded. We got there around 10am on a Friday and there were a couple sites taken but the rest were up for grabs."
Interactive geological activities: Moose Lake State Park Campground offers educational opportunities for children. "This is a beautiful state park. It's quite large and has nice hiking trails. Agates are common in this area. The park office has a wonderful display of agates set up in an interactive gallery," reports Liz H.
Historical exploration for kids: Educational ruins and sites keep children engaged. Jennifer H. found that at Banning State Park, "Seeing the drill holes in the cliffs was really cool and the remains of the old buildings were a highlight even to our small children. Would definitely make a trip back to explore even more!"
Fishing opportunities: Kids enjoy shore fishing at multiple parks. RK M. shares: "The swimming beach is a couple mile drive but the water was nice and cool. There is a playground but we didn't use it. We fished right off the shore and were catching very small catfish and river chub faster than we could set our reels which was great for the kids!"
Site selection and layout: Old Logging Trail Campground at St. Croix State Park offers varied sites. Ari A. advises: "This park has a ton of camping available, particularly if you don't need electricity and have a smaller rig because then you can get into more of the campground loops... The sites in the Old Logging Campground were close together but many had vegetation between them offering some privacy."
Backing challenges: At Grand Casino RV Resort, Adrian G. warns: "Virtually every site in the park is a blind back in from the driver seat. You're trying to back your trailer into a site on the right side without being able to see anything over there. Additionally, the site number pedestals for each site are right against the corner of the driveway where you have to back around them."
Off-peak value: The best places to camp near Sandstone include options for weekday stays. Scott M. suggests: "Nice little state park close to the cities... Good variety of sites. Lots of birds here... I would recommend coming during the week not the weekend as it is a little slower."
Frequently Asked Questions
What amenities are available at Sandstone campgrounds?
Savanna Portage State Park Campground offers excellent facilities situated near four lakes with access to biking and hiking trails. The park features fishing opportunities, nature watching areas, and Loon Lake has a beach that's perfect for families. For RV campers, Minnesota National RV Park provides gravel pads with 50-amp electrical hookups, water, and sewer connections. This newer campground is uniquely situated next to a golf course. Most campgrounds in the area offer basic amenities like toilets and water access, while state parks typically provide shower facilities and designated swimming areas.
What is the best time of year to camp in Sandstone, Minnesota?
Summer (June through August) is ideal for camping in Sandstone when temperatures are warm enough for swimming and water activities. Father Hennepin State Park Campground is particularly popular during summer months with its lakeside sites and swimming beach. Early fall (September to mid-October) offers beautiful foliage and fewer crowds, making it perfect for hiking the stunning trails at Jay Cooke State Park Campground with its amazing water features and photogenic landscapes. While some campgrounds remain open year-round, many facilities close for winter, and unexpected warm days can occur even in November, offering opportunities for late-season hiking.
Where are the best campgrounds near Sandstone, MN?
Banning State Park Campground is one of the top options near Sandstone, offering scenic campsites with easy access to amazing hiking trails along the Kettle River and historic sandstone quarry areas. For those seeking a quiet camping experience with water recreation, Robinson Park Camping is located right on the southern border of Banning State Park and features both group and individual campsites. This park connects to state park trails and provides access to the scenic Wolf Falls. Both parks are conveniently located close to the town of Sandstone for any last-minute supplies.
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