Waterville, MN is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Waterville. Find the best campgrounds near Waterville, MN. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
"It was mid April so no water at the sites but had electric in ours. We were able to get potable water at the entrance. And firewood. Had great trails to walk and bike on. Sites are spaced out."
"Great park if you’re not looking to drive too far to enjoy a bit of nature. Wonderful hiking paths and biking paths.
Our site was nice a secluded and right next to the trail heads."
"Even before we arrived, the camp host called me to see if I wanted to pay my bill before we came so I didn't have to bother coming to the office."
"There was a vault toilet near by and full bathrooms a short walk away. The showers by the lake could use some updating but the bathrooms by the bigger loop are very nice and clean."
"Plenty for kids to do and the staff was great"
"There was a pretty bad storm that came through and the staff was quick to clean up downed branches and help all the folks who got damage."
"Some traffic noise during the day. Bathrooms and showers were very clean. The lake is down the road with public access for your boat."
"My only complaint was how close together the walk-in sites were."
"Beautiful forested area just outside Owatonna. Easy drive past beautiful farms to town. Camp host told us mosquitoes were light this year; they seemed plentiful to me!"
"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."
"Beautiful location in the woods witha stream next to it. There are a few water pumps and some outhouses. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. Restaurant onsite is fantastic."
"We arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available."
"We had an electric site. Very level and clean. Nice fire pit and located right next to the lake. Only downside was the site was electric only."
$16 - $50 / night
"I imagine in the middle of summer, it might feel slightly less secluded as there are 3 other sites relatively close by, one of which you have to walk through to get to this one, but in early September,"
"The access to water is really nice and a couple sites were perfect.
The hike in sites are super close to the car so it doesn’t even require much work. Plan to come here again!"
"We didn’t get to swim at the lake because it was shut down due to a chemical spill at the time, but we did walk over and check it out. The views are great!"
"All spots have a lake view and the beach is within walking distance. We love it here. It’s not to easy to get spots on the holiday weekends, but somehow we managed it"
GuideEach cabin has four sleeping spots: 2 bunk beds, and the 2 couches convert to beds. There's a heater inside, but no AC, which makes these the most suitable during the spring and fall.
There is a fire ring outside of each cabin, along with a table. No cooking is allowed inside the cabins, which can make things rough if the weather isn't cooperating.
We enjoy hiking around the trails, but we primarily go to decompress, lounge around, and play games, read, etc. There's WiFi available, but depending on which cabin you reserve signal will be took weak for real usage. Same for mobile data -- don't plan on cell service here.
The bathroom facilities are nice. Outside water is shut off during some parts of the year, so bring your own drinking water if you are camping close to/during winter.
Cabins are accessible for those who need special assistance, which is nice. The only caveat is I don't recall there being an automatic door opener to the cabins.
While the cabins are close together, noise is not a factor once you're inside.
It's difficult to get reservations, so I recommend trying to start booking 120 days in advance, which is the farthest out you can reserve. For example, as of this review (early June), all weekends are booked for all cabins.
LegendSuper simple camping cabins. They each have 4 spots and have contactless entry as you get sent a code to use. There is no cooking inside the cabin so you have to use the fire ring outside. Shower facilities are really nice and match the cabins. Plan ahead as these are hard to come by.
GuideWe arrived on a Sunday and stopped at the Park Welcome area. We got the last spot with electric for 3 nights. Nice staff! Ice was available.
$34/night plus Minnesota State Park pass @ $8/day.😩
Not super spacious but very comfortable distance between spaces. Well maintained dirt road in campground. Grassy and mowed. Nice big trees! Water spigots. Very nice individual, clean rooms for showers.
Two separate campground loops in the White Fox area and another couple loops half mile down the road
The lake is gorgeous but just a few places to get to the water. Saw a sign on the park door saying kayaks and canoes available to rent.
Six miles of paved, but badly in need of care, is a bike path that meanders through thick forest and open grassy fields. Follows the lake and heads close to the town of Albert Lea.
We saw a guy setting out electric scooters that were available to rent which looked like fun!
Birds and deer abound.
Walmart 2 miles away!
GuideGot to this campground late in the evening. Check in was a breeze and easy to find and pull into the site. We had an electric site. Very level and clean. Nice fire pit and located right next to the lake. Only downside was the site was electric only. No option for full hookup but water was located between the sites. Dump station was clean and modern and located close by.
LegendWe biked the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail from Faribault, MN to Mankato, MN (39 miles). The whole trail was paved, which was really nice and runs through hardwoods forest. We camped in Sakatah State Park and then explored the City of Mankato. Sakatah Lake is a relatively calm lake and seems like a great place to kayak.
They have 5 bike-in campsites near the trail. Other campsites include drive-in sites, electric sites, group sites, and camper cabins. The campsites are secluded just enough so that one feels like they are camping in the woods by themselves. Unlike a lot of campgrounds, Sakatah State Park has its fire pits above ground. Very nice for keeping warm. Amenities at the campground include showers, flush toilets, vault toilets, dump stations.
GuideWe stayed here while visiting Minneopa state park. The campground was nice. It was mid April so no water at the sites but had electric in ours. We were able to get potable water at the entrance. And firewood. Had great trails to walk and bike on. Sites are spaced out. Our 34’ trailer fit easily. Vault toilets on site. Bathrooms were closed (covid). The loops near the entrance had more shade. Spaces are large and accommodating!
GuideI've been using this as a night over stop before going on to the Black Hills or on my way back home. The first time I stayed the night over there it was a nightmare just because of this family or group of people showed up late and didn't comprehend quiet hours. So needless to say I had little to no sleep.
The other times I've stayed there it was quiet and not too many people around. Kind of buggy but that's expected with the water and all the shade.
LegendRoomy gravel sites. A mix of electric and non-electric sites. Commercial fire rings. Electrical needs refreshing. We had an issue with the 30A breaker not resetting on site 46E; eventually relocated to 47E. Park employee Noah was very accommodating and pleasant to deal with. He came out to the site to discuss options with us and eventually made some site reservation changes to resolve the situation. Close to town, nice historic district.
GuideWe arrived at our campsite (43E) on a Thursday in early June. We first noticed that Flandrau SP was conveniently located close to downtown New Ulm. New Ulm is a lovely town with German heritage, a beautiful downtown and great beer! 5 Stars!!!
Then we got to the campsites and noticed they are very tightly packed in a small area; they are so close together and there isn’t much to block the view or noise from your neighbors. But, it was Thursday and not many people there (yet).
In the morning, we went for a hike on one of the trails, only to get half way around when we discovered it was blocked by an electric fence (no pre-warning); I guess they use goats to control vegetation growth. Sure would have been nice to know it was closed at the trailhead. And, the knats / bugs were terrible! Friday afternoon arrived and so did all of the campers! This is a popular place AND it’s noisy. -2 STARS
Note: T-mobile service is available - 2 bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Waterville, MN is Sakatah Lake State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 23 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Waterville, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
