7 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Several cabin camping options exist near Sandstone, Minnesota, with both Banning State Park and St. Croix River Resort offering cabin accommodations. Cabins at Banning State Park feature electrical hookups, picnic tables, and access to shower facilities and toilets, while St. Croix River Resort provides more amenities including water hookups and sewer connections. A recent review noted, "the campsites were fairly well spaced, wooded and offered some privacy," making them suitable for visitors seeking a balance between comfort and nature. Most cabins include standard fire pits with firewood available for purchase, and drinking water is accessible throughout these campgrounds.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. Banning State Park Campground operates primarily from April to October, while St. Croix River Resort has a slightly longer season from May to late October. Most cabin locations throughout the region accept pets, though specific rules may apply. Reservations are essential, particularly during summer months when occupancy rates climb. A visitor commented, "We booked a site in advance and hoped to catch the fall colors," highlighting the popularity of cabin stays during peak foliage season. Wild River State Park Campground and Oak Lake Campground also offer cabin campground options within driving distance of Sandstone.
Most cabins include beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries. Basic furnishings typically include seating areas, but kitchen facilities vary considerably between locations. Several campgrounds feature on-site markets, including Banning RV Park and Campground, Grand Casino RV Resort, and St. Croix River Resort. The proximity to Interstate 35 makes these cabin locations accessible for supply runs to nearby towns. Winter cabin availability is limited primarily to Wild River State Park, Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, and Jay Cooke State Park, all of which operate year-round but require advance planning due to reduced services.
"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."
"This park boasts a waterfall, so that sold me. Park is close to Sandstone for any last minute needs."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $80 / night
"With easy access to both the Twin Cities metro area and Duluth, with desireable whitewater paddling and rockclimbing both available in the area, Banning State Park campground fills quickly especially in"
"Can’t say enough about the awesome pet park, also has nice walking trails, stores nearby, honestly just a great place to camp!"
from $25 - $60 / night
"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."
"Multiple restrooms and showers throughout the campgrounds. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table and wood can be purchased at the office."
"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."
Available next weekend
from $25 - $35 / night
"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."
"Croix State Park. This campground has a handful of electric sites and a modern restroom and shower. The sites here are very open and there is little trees or shrubs."
from $25 - $35 / night
"The tent camping is great, the park is amazing for hiking and geology study, and there are camper cabins that I have often stayed at as well."
"We have stayed in a camper cabin in the winter and RV site in the summer."
Available next weekend
from $23 - $90 / night
"We stayed here with my extended family in a couple of cabins. It is nice and wooded. The pool is indoors which is nice and has drawbacks. It is a good sized pool."
"We stayed at the Resort for 3 nights nice and shady huge playground for kids indoor pool volleyball net lots of water near by getting in and out is easy nice wide roads Wi-Fi was pretty poor at are spot"
from $65 - $999 / night
"The camper cabins at Wild River are located just above the St. Croix River. Our cabin seemed to be at a trailhead to the river, which we took advantage of."
"It was very buggy so we got a screen tent. Nicely shaded site as well. Not far from the water station and pit toilet."
Available next weekend
from $23 - $90 / night
"Spots were right by the lake and the lake was awesome"
"Kathio is a big park with lots of trails. Camp sites are decent sized and most have trees in between them. some of the sites are bigger and more secluded."
"This is one campground in Minnesota that offers a handful of electric hookups for winter camping."
Available next weekend
from $25 - $35 / night
TravelerA weekend in October...peak color but the campground is crowded and pretty noisy up until 8 pm ish when it does quiet down a bit. Would stay again, just when it's less crowded.
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.
GuideGreat 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.
ScoutHad a great time. Dan & Lisa friendly and accommodating. Clean and roomy sites for just opening they’re doing well. Can’t wait until next time
ScoutThe campground is nice and has more woods/bushes and more privacy than the other two campgrounds in the park. The bathroom/showers were relatively clean and functioned well with nice hot showers. The electric sites functioned as expected but, they all seem very well used. Not much in the way of grass (bit of a drought at the time) and lots of little bits of garbage all over our campsite. All the electrical sites were occupied while we were there and a lot of the other sites near the modern bathroom were occupied. If you want privacy and a less worn campsite I would suggest booking a non-electrical site further away from modern bathroom. Oh, another plus water from spigots around campground was good.
ScoutNice campground with flat paved spots and good facilities. Water park for extra charge, but a great free playground for non-swimmers
RangerI stayed at two sites, the second being 41E, which has electric. This loop is perhaps the most central to the bath house, but all are conveniently located nearby and the dump station isn’t too far (but far enough to stay out of sight, out of mind). The bath house is fully handicap friendly and the shower heads can all the raised and lowered, and there are wheelchair ramps up to the facility. The dirt roads are miraculously pothole free and the drinking water spigots are blissfully cold if you’re here during a heatwave. Site 41E, like quite a few actually, has the fire pit behind/on the wrong side of your rv door, but no biggie. The biggest downside is that the site is rather unlevel, but if you are able to scoot all the way to the right (closest to the electrical tower), it’s not so bad. The bridge/park office/store is a quick 7 min walk, and the bath house is less than a 2 min walk.
When I was staying, we were hit with hazardous levels of wildfire smoke, and I was so impressed that the park staff opened visitor’s center early so that campers would have a place to escape the smoke. I’ve never stayed at any park where the staff goes so far above and beyond.
RangerEvery site is nestled into the woods, which is cozy and adds the added benefit of privacy. That said, the extra big rigs wouldn’t be a good fit—one loop only allows for rigs under 25’ in length due to a tight corner. Another oddity is that some fire pits are on the opposite side of your doors, but no biggie.
The bathrooms are wonderfully new and central to all the camping loops. There are men’s and women’s sides for toilets/sinks and independent shower rooms—all handicap friendly. The park really outdid themselves here, even the building is beautifully designed.
Firewood is for sale at the camp office along with your typical camping goods and souvenirs, and the park staff is wonderful to interact with. There are black bears, but no bear boxes, so be smart with your food. I had 1-2 bars of LTE on Verizon, and if you need Starlink access, try to find a site that runs north/south more than east/west because there are obviously trees everywhere.
Site 5 is near a small dumpster, which turned out to be rather convenient—there is a line of trees/brush for privacy, so don’t let that stop you. There is also an ice cold water spigot behind the site, which was even better—again, trees/brush for privacy. Mostly level, with just the smallest tilt toward the fire pit. 2 minute walk to the bathrooms, conveniently located near a walking path to the park office/bridge.
GuideWas a nice place. I didn’t see any truly private sites. All are stacked on top of each others. I didn’t look around too much, it was just a quick overnight stop.
Cabin camping options near Sandstone, Minnesota provide direct access to the St. Croix River valley, a glacially carved corridor featuring sandstone formations and diverse forest habitats. Winter temperatures often drop below zero, while summer brings 70-85°F days with frequent evening thunderstorms. Most cabin rental locations sit within a 25-mile radius of town, providing year-round access to the region's extensive trail systems.
Explore historical quarries: At Banning State Park Campground, visitors can explore Minnesota's industrial past. "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," notes Jennifer H.
Climb the observation tower: Drive 40 minutes to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park where an observation platform offers expansive views. "There is an observation platform- the climb can be intimidating, but the views are well worth it!" writes Brian C. The tower provides visibility across miles of forest and waterways.
Winter ice climbing: Several cabin locations maintain winter access for cold-weather sports enthusiasts. "This is a great place for winter camping! The campsites are large enough (despite the snow) to set up suitable winter tents... In the park, there's a lot of ice climbing and cross country skiing," explains Alexa S. at Banning State Park.
Proximity to rivers: Cabin rentals near St Croix River Resort offer direct river access. "You are able to go tubing down the river when the water is low enough," notes Joe S. The resort maintains seasonal river access points and equipment rentals.
Well-maintained trails: The extensive trail network receives consistent praise. "We spent an entire day hiking and it was decent hiking along the river," reports Kate H. about Wild River State Park Campground. "Great hiking! In a few areas it became difficult to know where the trail was but that just made it interesting!" adds Mike K. about nearby trails.
Wildlife viewing: Many cabin areas provide opportunities to observe local wildlife. "We saw sooooo many deer some even walking right through campsites! You can hear coyotes, raccoons and very loud owls," mentions Kate H. about Wild River State Park. Morning hours typically provide the best wildlife viewing conditions.
Seasonal bug conditions: Mosquitoes and flies vary dramatically by season. "The bugs were awful, but I think they were awful everywhere at that time," explains Casie S. about Banning State Park. For reduced insect activity, book cabins for mid-September through October.
Water hookup limitations: Some cabin sites have unusual utility arrangements. At Banning RV Park and Campground, "water hookups were shared with other sites and required 'y' connections at the spigots... Ours source ended up being 75' plus from our RV," reports Sam C.
Train noise considerations: Several cabin locations experience periodic train noise. "One of the only things that was obnoxious about this park is that there is a frequently used train track nearby- and the trains really lay on whistle. I slept with earplugs in because of this, but I was still woken up around 4 times that night," notes Krista T.
Dog-friendly facilities: Many cabin locations welcome pets with appropriate facilities. At Grand Casino RV Resort, "There's a pet walking area, and kennels if you want to spend time at the casino," explains TyAnn J. Check individual locations for pet fees, which typically range from $5-15 per night.
Indoor pool access: For rainy day activities, consider cabins with indoor facilities. "The pool is indoors which is nice and has drawbacks. It is a good sized pool. There is a nice playground for the kids and there are some nice trails," says Joe S. about St. Croix River Resort.
Historical programming: Several cabin locations offer educational opportunities. "The park hosts various seminars throughout the week. There are several places to swim and a big playground for the little ones," reports Liz H. about Mille Lacs Kathio State Park.
Site angle challenges: RV cabin sites often have challenging angles. At Grand Casino RV Resort, "Back-in site was 90 degrees to the road - if the bathhouse parking lot wasn't across from it, wouldn't have been able to swing in on a 24' travel trailer," warns Cathleen V.
Alternative to state parks: When state parks fill up, private campgrounds offer good backup options. "Banning RV Park is an excellent backup alternative for overflow demand. And, actually, it may be your go-to option even if campsites at Banning are available, because this RV campground is located only ½ mile from the Banning State Park entrance," explains Janet R.
Seasonal rental availability: Cabin rentals vary significantly by season. "Wild River State Park is my go-to campground since it is within an hour of my home. I make it my first place to camp every season," shares Jeff L. Most cabin locations open reservations 120 days in advance, with winter cabin availability limited to a few locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Sandstone, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Sandstone, MN is Banning State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 34 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 30 cabin camping locations near Sandstone, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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