Best RV Parks & Resorts near Waite Park, MN

RV Park Reviews near Waite Park, MN

316 Reviews of 70 Waite Park Campgrounds

• 

  Tori K.

  Legend

  Jan. 2, 2025

  Sinclair Lewis City Campground

  Small town

  My extended family has gatherings here a couple times a year as it is close to everybody and a great location! The campground is open for the season from May 1st to October 1st each year, weather permitting.

  Reasons we like this campground: lakefront sites are available, the town is small so pretty quiet but there are gas stations, restaurants, and stores (including Walmart), it is close to home for everybody so this tends to be the first trip of the year to get water in everything and make sure there are no fun surprises after wintering the campers for 5 to 6 months, has bathrooms, there is a walking trail close to the campground that goes around part of the lake. 

  Additional details and amenities: 80 sites, 52 sites with full hookup which include water, sewer and electricity and 24 sites with water and electricity only and 4 primitive sites. All campsites contain a fire pit. Three sets of restrooms are contained within the campground with showers. Other amenities include: picnic tables, storm shelter, dump station, fish cleaning house, kayak rental, lake access with boat ramp and docks. Public beach, splash pad, bike trail, and playground adjacent.

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• 

  Gregory J.

  Traveler

  Jul. 31, 2021

  Pierz Park

  Too many kids driving golf carts.

  First the negatives. No internet, medium phone signal. The campsites are too small and too crowded. The adults let their young kids drive their cold carts and atvs back and forth from the campground to the beach all day long. I counted one particular one make 34 trips in less than 6 hours. I used to golf and I occasionally used a cart but usually I walked. Kids and young parents are way too lazy now, because it's a small campground and short walk to the beach from the farthest site. I think they do it for 2 reasons, they are bored, and they can. There is only one road in and out so there is constant traffic, and the road is gravel so prepare to eat dust. The sites aren't paved or even gravel, you park on the grass. Now for the positives. Some sites have 50 amp, most just 30 amp or less. Water hookups at most. No full hookups or dump site. There is a beach and swim area on Skunk Creek. A playground by the bathroom and showers. That building is clean, showers are free. Lots of shade from all the trees. Mosquitoes are few, flies plentiful. It is a quiet park after 10pm, but although they say closed after 8pm there was traffic all night long. Ask for a site in the back to avoid headlights shining on you all night long. Rates are $40/night for the pull through site we had w50 amp service. It has a few seasonal sites, all located at the rear. There is a golf course right next door across the creek. That is where the office is located. The town is small, only a gas station and small grocery store, so bring what you need. A Subway and nice drive-in are close by. Oh, the water is in me/my dogs opinion not for drinking. I wouldn't suggest weekends here unless you're into hearing every conversation your neighbors have or want to sleep in. Maybe the week days are better? They do allow leashed pets.

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• 

  Tori K.

  Legend

  Feb. 9, 2025

  Spirit of Ripley

  Small and family owned

  Nice large grass pads, easily accessible for big rigs! Close to the lake(mom and I went for some bike rides around the lake) and public boat access. Each site had a picnic table and a fire ring provided. All sites have power, water, and sewer hook ups.

• 

  Stephanie L.

  Guide

  Aug. 9, 2018

  Ann Lake

  Rustic & Family Friendly

  This is a great little rustic campground within an hour's drive of the Twin Cities! It has several potable water sources throughout the campground, but no running water for toilets or showers. There are several vault toilets. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. You can buy firewood & ice at the Sand Dunes Stop gas station, just a 10 minutes drive away.

  This is a first-come, first-served campground, so no reservations required. This does mean that there is a chance you won't be able to get a site, but I've only had that happen one time when I got there at 6pm on a Saturday. There are usually sites available.

  I love going to this campground - it's family friendly, and there is a swimming beach a quick 3 minute drive away! The hiking trails aren't half bad, either! I love coming here to relax for a weekend, spend some time at the beach, and just enjoy nature. If you go in the early to mid summer, you'll also hear local whip-poor-wills serenade you to sleep.

  Overall, 4 stars. The only downsides are no running water and no ice & firewood at the campground itself.

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• 

  Tori K.

  Legend

  Jan. 28, 2025

  Masonic West River Park

  Riverfront!!

  Amazing campsite! Sites are large and grassy! We had a lakeview site right off the paved walking/biking trail with room for a large tent and the pop-up camper. Fire ring and picnic table provided. A man drives through the campsite close to dusk to sell firewood as there is no traditional office. Bathrooms and showers are located near the dump station and dumpster. Be on the lookout for the code for the doors during your reservation process. We had missed it and had to ask a neighbor if they knew the codes so we could shower.

• 

  David E.

  Guide

  Jul. 30, 2022

  Minneapolis Northwest KOA

  Good Campground but Close Sites

  Sites are close to each other, but easy access, clean grounds and facilities, friendly staff, and a K9 fenced area for a pet friendly campground.

• 

  Alison O.

  Guide

  Jul. 1, 2025

  South of Sand Dunes State Forest

  Nomad crew: Two humans, one adventure-seeking pup, zero bars on the phone 🏕️👫🐶📵

  🌲 Backcountry Bliss (with a side of frustration)

  Venturing into Sand Dunes State Forest feels like claiming a slice of untamed wilderness just an hour from the Cities. The experience? Rustic and immersive—zero amenities (no toilets, no water, no trash cans) as per MN DNR guidelines . That means real freedom—and responsibility.

  You’ll access pull-off dispersed sites along gravel roads south of Ann Lake (Co Rd 233–237). The sites are spaced for solitude, nestled between pine stands and open sandy stretches—perfect for hammock hangs or pooch romps (). One camper even notes:

  “Lots of poison Ivy. Weak cell service but manageable.” 

  📵 Zero Bars, Zero Interruptions

  Bring a journal and some good company—your phone’s chances are slim. Recent check-ins confirm unreliable cell coverage, even for Verizon. It’s peaceful… until you need GPS or an Uber. The upside? You’ll actually unplug and be present under the pines.

  🐜 Wide-Open Wilderness & Pesky Pests

  Campers speak of “quiet and serene” nights once side roads thin out . But set foot off-trail and you risk scenic encounters with poison ivy (it’s nearly unavoidable) and mosquitoes thicker than the air . Long sleeves, tick checks, and bug spray are essential.

  ✅ Highs, Lows & Clever Tips

  👍 Pros • Free, legal dispersed camping up to 14 days in summer; 21 in cooler seasons   • Privacy and space—even pull-through spots for low-profile trailers  • Trails galore—horse, ski, hiking, and horseback routes all crisscross here ()

  👎 Cons • Poison ivy is everywhere—avoid off-trail wandering  • Minimal cell service—plan accordingly • Primitive roads; bring anything from AWD to 4×4 depending on your rig and route

  💡 Camp Hacker Hacks • Drive until a decay path opens, park, then trek 100–300 ft off-road to your camp  • Download the MN DNR MVUM and use GPS overlay to avoid gated roads and day-use zones  • Bug up at first signs of dusk—mosquitoes and ticks love these woods ()

  ⸻

  📝 Final Take

  If you’re chasing raw, quiet, and free dispersed camping near civilization—you’ll find gold here. It’s honest-to-goodness backcountry: phone signal is scarce, poison ivy is a fact of life, and you supply everything beyond a plot of land and forest atmosphere. But those epic silent nights, stars overhead, and pine-scented breezes? Priceless.

  Score: 4.5/5—For freeing your soul, but testing your patience (and other survival basics).

  ⸻

  #TheDyrt #DispersedCamping #SandDunesStateForest #MNBackcountry #OffGridAdventure #RusticCamping #NoCellNoProblem #PoisonIvyZone #FreeCamping #TrailDogApproved

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• 

  samuel C.

  Ranger

  Jul. 18, 2024

  South of Sand Dunes State Forest

  Good forest road, nothing special

  For 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.

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• 

  Amy G.

  Legend

  Dec. 17, 2024

  Mille Lacs Kathio Petaga Campground — Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

  Winter camping- very quiet with the electric hookups

  This is one campground in Minnesota that offers a handful of electric hookups for winter camping. The beauty of this campground, is that while the campsites available are in a row, there's plenty of space between sites and some of them are even pulled through. Making it easy for RVs to pull in and hook up.

  The vault toilet is not easy to find from where the electric openings are in the winter. While these spaces are right next door to a shower house with toilets, this is closed in the winter. The vault toilet is several rows over and down, making it hard to find if you don't already know where it is. But it was clean, and it was available.

  The campfire rings seemed clean, and each had a picnic table as well. We loved the pull-through site because then we were a little more protected from the road, although it's not busy this time of year at all. So it was very quiet except for our neighbors, and they didn't make much noise at all.

  There are trails nearby that are easily accessible on foot from the campground, and you can make loops that come back to the campground as well.

  There are two campgrounds at this park, but this is the one that has availability in the winter time. Ironically, they also have a couple of walk-in spots that are also open this time of year. If you're willing to brave the temps without an electric hookup. Not hard to find, not hard to access, but no electric hookups at these sites.

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