Best Tent Camping near Waseca, MN

Recent Tent Reviews near Waseca, Minnesota

330 Reviews of 8 Waseca Campgrounds

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  Cheryl W.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2021

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Nice state park

  This is a rustic state park with limited amenities. There are no water or electric hook ups. However clean water is available in the park. The park does have flush toilets and showers. We found these to be in good condition and clean. The showers had warm water. The water stream is on a timer and so are the lights. The shower stalls are Individual stalls. The interior roads are dirt roads with a few potholes they are very narrow. The camping sites are nice sized and relatively private. There is a gravel pad on each site and some have a tent pad. Each site had a picnic table and a fire ring. There are plenty of walking and biking trails and there are walk-in tent camp sites. However, you cannot see the lake from the campground and there is no access to the lake from the campground. We were able to drive through the campground with our 40 foot fifth wheel. But just barely, be careful! 

• L

  Lexi E.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 23, 2020

  Rice Lake Campground — Rice Lake State Park

  Lame

  All RV and ridiculously expensive for tent camping

• 

  Jessica M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 5, 2018

  Minneapolis Southwest KOA

  Definitely caters to rvs

  A couple weeks ago we spent some time at the Northwest koa...that one had private tent sites surrounded on 3 sides by trees, quiet spaces etc. Looking at the Southwest koa website they advertise as the tent sites back into the woods. So imagine our surprise when we were shown our site. It did indeed back up into the woods however the woods were 20ish feet behind a rope and we were told all set up had to be done in front of the rope. Our tent was inches from the road and wide out in the open. Other then the tent site itself this koa is wonderful...the staff were very friendly, the pool was clean and heated, the grounds were kept clean etc

• 

  Cheryl L.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2016

  Lake Byllesby Regional Park

  Plenty of Ammenities

  This campground is clean and well maintained. It has a boat landing; indoor and outdoor bathroom facilities; playground and large tent sites.

• S

  Skip H.

  Ranger

  

  Jan. 17, 2024

  Rapidan Dam Co Park

  Super spot!

  This is a great spot with numerous sites along the river. Small trails for car/ tent camping. Not trailer friendly. Small vehicles only. At the foot of the road in there a small food/ice cream shop with friendly staff.

• 

  Andrew K.

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2024

  High Island Creek Park

  Very close

  Very close to other campers, but no one bothered anyone. Dog didn’t go nuts, got a good spot. Would recommend. Tent camping on the way to Alaska and filled all needs. Has a Porta-shitter and trash. Decent spot, windy.

• S

  Scott G.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 27, 2020

  Rice Lake Campground — Rice Lake State Park

  A nice small park but nothing special

  A nice small park but nothing special. Sites are good sized and nicely spaced. Facilities are primitive. Nice walking trail around the property about 2.5 miles. The trail does cross some of the tent sites. Maybe once the lockdown is over things will be better there.

• M

  Melissa R.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 13, 2020

  Shades of Sherwood Campground

  Family Fun

  Great tent sites some along river lots of activities for children and adults tubing down the river, man-made lake with blowups, scooters, swimming poolAnd jumping pillow. Mini mart has many items from camping necessities, rain gear as well as groceries and ice cream. Bathrooms with showers are very clean.

• S

  Sydney

  Scout

  

  Aug. 29, 2023

  Oakwoods Trails Campground

  Lovely campground with lots of trees!

  This is a great campground with lots of shade and spacious tent pads! The large oak trees throughout the campground made for beautiful scenery and nice spots to string a hammock up. My site was right next to the bathroom building which did have a light on all night, but I had an eye mask so that didn’t bother me. $25/night for a tent site

• 

  Katherine T.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 1, 2024

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Nice weekend get away

  Nice distance from the twin cities for a weekend away with some nice hiking trails. The tent pads have been upgraded to pea gravel by the friends association (which seems to be quite active based on signage around park improvements). Showers and bathrooms were clean. Wi-Fi near the park entrance and spotty T-Mobile service throughout. The outside of the loop is good for tent camping but could be a little noisy if the campground had been fully booked.

• D

  Deanna J.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 14, 2022

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Delayed Autumn

  We tent camped at Myre-Big Island State Park in Minnesota from September 30 to October 3, 2022. The weather was warmer than usual at this time of year, and the fall color development was a couple weeks behind normal. It was cool but beautiful during the daytime (light jacket/sweater weather). The temperature dropped at night but didn’t require anything more than our sleeping bags to keep us warm. The earlier sunset meant meal cooking and cleanup needed to be a bit earlier, but it also meant longer time for beautiful campfires in the evenings.

  The trails were in great shape and beautiful with past-peak grasses and developing colors in the trees. Most of the wildflowers were done for the year, but some were still in bloom. Deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and lots of birds were active near the trails and campgrounds.

  We have camped here previously, in early summer. Then the bugs were abundant and aggressive on the Big Island trails. During this fall trip, there were very few.

• D

  Deanna J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 13, 2022

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Woodland/Prairie/Wetland

  We spent four nights tent camping at the White Fox Campground of Myre-Big Island State Park in June 2022. This park is a combination woodland/prairie/wetland setting. The White Fox Campground is on the fringes of a woodland. Our campsite was grassy and open with trees and shrubs curving along the back of the site. The site had the usual fire ring with grill and a large picnic table.

  There are some nice trails for hiking through woodlands and prairie and alongside wetlands. We saw a lot of wildlife: several deer, red squirrels, chipmunks, a raccoon, a woodchuck, lots of different birds, and several different types of butterflies. In the mornings the birdsong was pretty amazing, loud and long lasting.

  There are two freeways and a rail line near the park, but the noise from them was only bothersome on one morning of our stay.

  There is a second campground on the Big Island portion of the park. Big Island is wooded and has some beautiful trails that we enjoyed.

• 

  Krista T.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 9, 2020

  Red Fox Campground — Minneopa State Park

  A mixed bag of campsites

  We visited Minneopa state park because a) I love hiking b) I’m trying to get as much state park time in before the summer hordes descend and c) my back is dying from working at home out of a dining room chair so I preordered an office chair for curbside pickup at an office store which is on the way home from this park. 

  Minneopa is a unique state park. A River Runs Through it. So does a train(choo chooo). And a neighborhood(kind of). If you have never visited the park before you need to decide what you are going to prioritize first because all of a sudden there are two different park road signs pointing you to either turn left or right depending on what you want to do. 

  One direction is the waterfall part. It is a nice waterfall. The parking lot is right by the waterfall- so it is very accessible for people who are unable to hike to a lot of waterfalls. However, because the parking lot is RIGHT THERE it isn’t the most rewarding waterfall that I’ve been to, it’s kind of like a less impressive Minnehaha. On this trip we didn’t visit the waterfall because it’s plague time and I figured that it might be busy. Tip: On the weekends get to state parks as early as possible during social distancing time! Most people don’t roll out of bed at 6 am like we did, so it will be fairly easy to socially distance yourself. We got there at 8 and only encountered 4 other hikers that were just heading out when we were almost back to our car. 

  The other direction is the BISON DRIVE. Yes, you can actually drive amongst bison if the road is open. It wasn’t on our trip on 4/10/2020 because the road conditions are still gross from the winter thaw. Instead we hiked the entire loop(I think it’s 3.3 miles) because it goes around the entire bison enclosure, and I wanted to guarantee that I would see me some bison. 

  Other highlights about this section of the park are the views of the magnificent Minnesota river, an old windmill(the blades are gone), and the campground is also situated here. This section isn’t as popular as the waterfall section, as evidenced by the relatively small parking lot. The hike was enjoyable while we were there- if it is a hot hot day you might want to just do the Minnesota River Bluff Trail for the shade- the Seppman Mill trail is exposed and you can drive and park at the mill. 

  As I mentioned before there is also an access point to drive into the bison enclosure. We were able to see the bison herd once we got to the mill area, unfortunately for my photos the bison were just far enough away that I didn’t get a quality photo. 

  Now onto the campground. Loop A is superior for tent camping in every which way, unless you happen to want electricity or want to rent the cabin which is in loop B. Loop A has trees, large sites, a bathroom, and several sites have awesome views of the river. One thing to keep in mind is that the sites on the outside of the loop are much more private and have way more trees- the inner loop is relatively open in comparison and would be good sites to choose if you are group camping. I would be prepared with lots of bug spray and a screenhouse if you are camping here in the worst of mosquito season- there was quite a bit of standing water and swampy pond nearby. 

  Site notes(see pics/videos): A2 is nice and spacious, but next to the swampy water 

  A4 is the immediate neighbor and is distinctive because it’s up on a hill 

  A3 is on the inner loop and is visible to the road, but I liked it anyway 

  A5 is a nice spacious site on the inner loop that is less private, I’m pretty sure A19 butts up behind it if you are looking to get a few sites 

  A12 is the type of site that I would love to camp at- view of the gulley and of the river 

  A14 is the site that you need to reserve a year in advance if this campground were more popular- amazing location with a spectacular view of the river 

  A24 also has a good river view 

  A26 is large and has some badass oak trees 

  The B Loop is weird- a lot of the campsites don’t seem to even have space for a 2 person tent unless you are ok with not having a campfire(or burning down your tent). If you have a tiny scamp you might be ok? 

  Site notes: B3 is a good pull-through site for an RV 

  The cabin is here! It has a screen porch and a propane tank for heating it in cold weather! Also has a decent view of the river- inside is just some bunk beds and a table. There is a pit toilet next to it that I’m guessing other campsites use too. 

  B20 is definitely the best site in the loop for tent camping- I actually would camp at this one. 

  There are also 4 group campsites that could probably fit 2-3 tents on them that are only a short hike-in from the parking area. Nice pit toilets are nearby. Minneopa is definitely either a nice day trip or camping trip from the Twin Cities! I was extra pleased that the drive down 169 is interesting- the terrain is beautiful, there are some really random touristy places and showrooms(giant yellow barn/extended structure that is without a doubt indeed Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store), and driving through Saint Peter is a nice old-timey experience.

• 

  Allison K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 1, 2019

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Enjoyment for every age!

  The winter was a long one last year and we were itching to take our new 30foot Jayco Eagle bunkhouse travel trailer out for its maiden voyage! We decided that my birthday weekend was the perfect opportunity to do just that. To be on the safe side, incase we had issues, we decided to stay close to home so we decided to hit up a new park, Nerstrand Big Woods State Park just outside Northfield, Minnesota. This park is only an hour from the twin cities and very convenient for a weekend getaway after work on friday.

  We stayed In campsite 27 which was an electric campsite that was pretty open to all the other campsites. Most of the campsites there were really open and you could see and other peoples campsites so if that’s not your style of camping I wouldn’t go to Nerstrand big Woods. There is also water hook up at the park in that site and some of the other sites but that wasn’t listed when we booked the site.

  The park office was just a short walk or a bike ride from the campsites and had a very nice gift shop and bathrooms there. There is also a really nice shower and bathroom building right next to the campground host site. Just off the campground was a really nice playground for the kids that utilized tree stumps and tree branches as the playground. There was a really large picnic area and picnic shelter also.

  Along with electric sites there’s also just tent sites without electric if that’s your style camping.

  Nerstrand Big Woods Is very well known for its beautiful waterfall that you can walk on and the trail leading to the waterfall was also a great hike.

  All in all I think Nerstrand Big Woods was a good choice for a weekend getaway for a little family of four. And it gave us a lot to do because in The little city of Northfield there was a lot of little shops and cute little restaurants to eat at the shop at. Northfield is also home to the Malt-o-meal Museum and production. My husband and I are big craft brewery fans And we’re pretty stoked to find out that there were three breweries around the park. We visited Tanzenwald and Chapel brewery and tried flights at each one. Out of the two we thought Tanzenwald was the best for staff friendliness and prices. Each flight we got a 4 5ounce pours were only 4$. There was also a restaurant at that brewery with really good cheese curds.

  We decided that Nerstrand Isn’t our favorite park but it’s a good option for us to be able to get away in short notice close to home with a lot of activities around for us to do.

• 

  Elissa W.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 1, 2019

  Sakatah Lake State Park Campground

  Nice campground, good trails

  We got a last second site and stayed for just one night. The sites were great for tents and relatively shady, but an RV had some trouble in our loop and had to move to another site. Where we set up our tent was pretty rocky and hurt the feet when you stood barefoot in the tent even with an extra tarp, so be careful where you set your tent.

  There is no swimming beach, but the ranger gave us directions to another beach nearby. Next time we visit we'll be sure to check that out. Early June is good as the bugs there aren't bad at all.

  The trails were nice, wish we had brought our bikes to hit the Sakatah/Singing Hills trail, looked lovely! The fishing dock was fun for the little kiddos to visit.

• 

  Fitore M.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 4, 2019

  Sakatah Lake State Park Campground

  A perfect getaway

  Everything was beautiful. We camped for a week in southern Minnesota state parks, but this one is our favourite.

• 

  Mandy N.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 4, 2020

  Watona City Park

  City Camping

  In the midst of the corona we had the entire tent grounds area to ourselves. The tent area was surrounded by softball fields, volleyball nets, and soccer fields with no trees on the corner of an intersection. There were many people, but it was empty by 9:30pm. The noise and lights from traffic were slightly annoying, but overall we had no issues! Perfect for a night while traveling

• 

  Brady J.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2022

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Overall an enjoyable stay

  Not my favorite park but the trails were leisurely and relatively scenic. Campsite had a large tent pad but our site was not very large. Sites are close together and the use of large campers seemed to far outnumber those staying in tents. Office staff very friendly. Main trail to waterfall is conveniently located right next to the campground which was great for us as we were there for just one night and ended up being in the park for less than 14 hours total. Bathroom house was clean and relatively new. Not as quiet/secluded as we like, but overall we enjoyed our time here

• L

  Lizzy Z.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 12, 2020

  Riverside Park and Municipal Campground

  Small campground/ park

  I had never been camping, so for our very first camping trip we went here. It’s only a few miles from our home but was a great place for us to get the family into camping. The place is very small, I believe there’s only 5-6? Tent spots but they are big. We fit a 10x20 tent plus 2 smaller tents on our site. They do have a few RV sites also. This park is by the river that allows fishing and it does have a volleyball area and a basketball court, full bathrooms and a nice pond. We were the only campers that night so it was quiet. However, this is located directly behind the police station (aka park office) so we kept getting routine drive-ups by the cops.?? I have since been to a few other campgrounds so I have something to compare it to. It’s a good one if you need seclusion and quiet. I have a family with kids and we need more than this park offers to keep the kids interested in camping. Hope this is helpful.

• S

  Scott G.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 6, 2018

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Nice campground middle of Minnesota

  This is a Nice campground middle of Minnesota. Surprising place in the middle of farm country. Very nice campground and lots of walking trails. Great for leaf peeping.

• T

  Tom

  Ranger

  

  May. 15, 2023

  Oxbow County Park

  Beautiful Campground & Park & Zoo!

  The campground Host Sherry and John are great!

  The campground is well maintained and right by the river. Nice RV spots and nice tent spots along the river. #10 is nice tent spot we like. #20 is good RV spot we use. There is Firewood in a shed for sale.

  No cell service but able to text.

  Nice clean bathrooms! Great shower heads in men’s bathroom.

  Trails are super nice and well maintained, many different levels of hikes going along the River to hikes up on the prairie tops. Some nice overlooks.

  Zoo and nature center are great. Animals are all rescued and given a home. Bison herd and elk and deer too.

  We will be camping there again!

• K

  Kyle M.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 3, 2019

  Zumbrota Covered Bridge Park

  Camping when I lived on top the hill in Zumbrota!

  Tent and rv camping, with a public pool close by, oldest covered bridge in the state, close to town, playground and miles of trails fir skiing, hiking and biking.

• 

  Hannah Y.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2017

  Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground

  Big Woods

  This was a fantastic campsite! We arrived just before 10pm, were able to pick up firewood from the park office at the entrance. The tent pad was very spacious and flat, great for sleeping! The bathroooms and showers were clean and well lit. Will definitely camp here again!

• 

  Troy L.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 21, 2021

  White Fox — Myre-Big Island State Park

  Awesome Site

  Facilities are top notch and private. The nicest showed and restroom you can imagine. Large tent pads and a quiet area. Not busy when we went. There is a small hiking trail as well. The lake isn’t anything spectacular, it’s quite dirty but we were only there for a night.

• 

  Jim W.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2021

  Blue Earth City Campground

  Just off the interstate, great place to stop for the night.

  Sites can accommodate tents or up to 50' RVs. Lots of grass, bike/walking paths and dogs on leashes welcome. 14 Sites now, with plans for 10+ Sites built this summer. On site host, so typically quiet and friendly. One price, $25/night.

• 

  Alex C.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2020

  Peaceful Valley Campground

  Owners are very nice

  I stopped by and the owners are very nice. They have wood and ice available this year but typically have a store that sells more. They gave me a brochure and let me take a few photos. I look forward to staying here some time. Boat access is 1 mi on the Minnesota River.

• 

  Matt C.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 21, 2020

  Sakatah Lake State Park Campground

  Nothing special - but a great quick escape from Minneapolis

  Our site was a perfect tent-in site(site 15), as it was far enough away from the highway and other sites, so noise was minimal. The bugs were actually tolerable, which was an added bonus. Downsides were that the drinking water had consumption warnings, the modern restrooms were closed, and the lake isn’t swimmable. Otherwise there was some great hiking, and the park ranger was friendly and very prepared for COVID.