Sakatah Lake State Park Campground and Kamp Dels offer pet-friendly camping options near Waterville, Minnesota with sites for tents, RVs, and cabins. Both locations permit pets on leashes throughout campground areas, though specific regulations vary by site. Sakatah Lake features secluded campsites with adequate spacing and shade from mature trees, making it comfortable for pets needing shelter during hot summer days. At Kamp Dels, sites accommodate RVs with full hookups and provide access to numerous family activities while allowing pets. The multiple loops at Sakatah Lake create varying degrees of privacy, with some sites more secluded than others for pets that require more space away from neighboring campers.
The Sakatah Singing Hills Trail connects to Sakatah Lake State Park, providing miles of paved pathways for dog walking along a former railroad corridor stretching from Mankato to Faribault. Dogs must remain leashed on all trails within state park boundaries. Water-loving pets should note that Sakatah Lake can develop algae blooms in late summer, making early season visits preferable for those planning water activities with dogs. Visitors report relatively tolerable mosquito populations compared to other Minnesota parks, which benefits both humans and pets during evening walks. The terrain around campgrounds features hardwood forests with moderate trails suitable for most dogs, though some rocky areas exist that might be uncomfortable for sensitive paws. The nearby Rice County McCullough Park offers additional pet-friendly camping options with water access for pets that enjoy swimming.
$24 - $85 / night
"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."
"Sites are wooded and shady but some are close to neighboring sites. Not too many mosquitos or flies for August in Minnesota! Sakatah Singing Hills paved trail runs through the park. "
"So many activities including a water recreation area, petting zoo, shuffleboard, mini golf, pool, toddler water park, multiple playgrounds, basketball and more."
"We reserved a spot right next to the pool area. It was a tight fit to back the camper it, but I was able to do it. They have cement pads for a patio area and a fire ring."
$24 - $34 / night
"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."
"Though they were right next to each other, they felt very secluded. Site 4 felt a bit more private from the main road because the campsite slightly slopes downward."
"Sites in the back loop away from the lake are big, but not much for shade yet. Sites by the lake looked nice. Beach is nice and clean."
"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."
$24 - $85 / night
"The other direction is the BISON DRIVE. Yes, you can actually drive amongst bison if the road is open."
"My dog loves the bison drive! Firepit and picnic table provided. wood is available for purchase at the office. Shower and bathroom facility was clean and close to this campsite."
$25 / night
"Two boat/fishing docks, playground, pavilion, and hiking trails for things to do. Price is very reasonable for water and electric hookup. Just be prepared for the bugs!"
"Outside of this the children spent most of the weekend in the pool!"
"Neighbors decided movie night was important with surround sound but over all I would stay here again. Lots of seasonal golf cart traffic and kids on bikes."
"Lovely trails.
Unfortunately the camp sites are very close together, so your experience may be greatly influenced by who is next to you. The first night we had neighbors who were up until 2AM."
TravelerLebanon hills has everything for the family. Schultz Beach for summer fun. Professional built mtn bike trails for adventure. Camping in Minnesota suburbs. Miles of hiking, horseback riding, cross country ski trails. . perfect for my family's weekend Stay-cation
LegendSmall little campground next to large casino. We lucked out and were able to stay 2 nights without reservations….only had to move because they were fully booked for the 4th…large concert event happening across the street. You will need to call early in the day to talk to office staff…who are very friendly. If after hours and there are no spots, you can dry dock in large lot in front of office. There is fuel on site as well as RV wash station. Bath house and laundry and card controlled ($5 card deposit on check in)…well maintained facilities. Dog park available, watch a few spots in fence near bottom where fencing has risen up…little dogs could easily climb under. Very convenient for visiting Minneapolis…25/30 minutes from airport/Mall of America (Aquarium) and Security patrols regularly and there is shuttle if you want to visit casino. Pool at hotel is not included. Golf attraction is being completed next door so there was some construction traffic during day as expected.
LegendAs the campground(CG) is right off the interstate, it was easy to get to. Our check-in package was ready when we arrived at the little self-registration building at the entrance. We had requested site 40, where we had stayed two years ago, but they gave us back-in site 41 instead on the little lake. The utilities are in the middle of the site and worked well with water pressure near 45 psi. The sites are decently spaced for this type of CG. They have WiFi, but their info packet states it's not good enough for streaming but okay for email, etc. We got 3 bars on Verizon and used our MiFi since we were only here for two nights. The CG is right off I-35, so you do get some highway noise. This CG is very well kept, with mostly seasonal and permanent parties. We came in with two other 5th wheels and had no problem getting sites, but we did reserve well before our arrival. There was not a formal dog park, but there was plenty of area to walk your dog. We noted that this CG was featured in RV Life’s 2023 Discover The Best RV Parks& Resorts In Every State with this narrative:"This family-owned campground prides itself on cleanliness; there is an owner on-site around the clock to ensure it stays in top condition. The park is beautifully landscaped and has both pull-thru and back-in sites. All sites(some are waterfront) are level and offer full hookups and free Wi-Fi. There are onsite restrooms and laundry facilities that are kept sparkling clean. They also offer a lending library of books and movies. There is a large pond on the property that is perfect for fishing, kayaking, and other water sports, and there is a walking path that circles the pond." Check out the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. We thought the museum would be cheesy, but it was a nice facility and a great experience. The CG deserved this praise, and we again enjoyed our stay.
TravelerWe just found this campground in September and this year we've been there 3 times and we live in Montana, there's no place I'd rather stay. It has nice clean bathrooms and it's a great place to walk your pets, they do have 3 different areas to camp but we always use the full hook-ups
The people at check-in are always so friendly, and very helpful.
lots of things in the area to do, and the "city" isn't that far to drive to.
ScoutThis is such a great campground for families! So many activities including a water recreation area, petting zoo, shuffleboard, mini golf, pool, toddler water park, multiple playgrounds, basketball and more. The only drawback is they REALLY pack you on like sardines and the roads are really narrow so unless you get there early your camping tip is going to start with the “backing in argument.”
TravelerStopped for an overnight, very friendly and helpful! Close to interstate but very peaceful. Owner saw us to our site and lined us up for hookups, saw a lot of families and couples enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings. Good Sam discount. Cat, who hadn't travelled before, was fascinated by everything going on. Stay was September 12.
GuideWe had stayed here with our 37' 5th wheel. We reserved a spot right next to the pool area. It was a tight fit to back the camper it, but I was able to do it. They have cement pads for a patio area and a fire ring. The sites are close to each other, but far enough apart to be able to get slide outs and awnings out. There is SOOO much to do here. There is a petting zoo, mini golf, basketball hoops, lots of playgrounds and even a tram to help you get around the campground. The campground itself is huge! There is a store on site to buy supplies and/or food you might need. You are able to rent paddle boats, pontoons and other water based things. The lake was very green and gross when we rented a pontoon. The pontoons are very homemade!! They are old and have folding chairs to sit on. Overall, we had a GREAT time here. The kids absolutely LOVED all there is to do at the pool area. There is a splash pad, climbing tower and slides to go down. Would definitely recommend this place and we would definitely stay here again!
ScoutCamp Dels Review
Worth the read!
Charges:
They charged us half of what my cousin next to us got charged and we got the same thing but mine should have been more because I had 3 more adults. And it was 500$ for 3 nights. We should have just went and rented out a house.
On the last day we went up to get our bills fixed and it took 40 min for them to figure out the issue, wrote down the totals and said we'll charge the cards at 11 am when the other guy comes in. At 11am we went back up for our receipts and it took them another 20 min to figure it out. He wanted to send us away saying. I'll figure it out and email it to you. I said no that doesn't work for me I'll take it now. He said what would you like me to do. So I had to spell it out for him and said "I want you to take the full amount your charging me, subtract the deposit, then subtract the payment I made when I came on Friday, and now tell me what I owe today, run that amount on my card right now and give me the receipt and do the same for the other site we had too. It's not hard. However you have to do it in your computer you figure it out, I just want to go home. I'll wait" he said your right it's not hard. I said start over completely if you want I don't care. I just want my receipts. (They couldn't even figure out math and how simple it was. What are they going to do if there computers ever fail totally) it was painfully funny to endure both times I sat through Watching with my bill!
Night time:
So at night get ready to be harassed every 30 minutes to a hour by workers trying to bully you to bed every night if you choose to stay up past 11pm. And they pick out the 1 drunk guy in your group to try and cope with when the sober one is saying "hey I'm sober. I don't drink. Can you please answer and talk to me" but they are rude to you and refuse. They pick at the drunk guy. But that was every night. All 3 nights. 1st time they come it is 1guy. 2nd time 2guys. 3rd time 3guys come. 4th time 4guys. 5th time 4guys come. They start at 11pm telling people to turn off all music (even on the phone turned way down. Even watching a video outside. Even if your humming/singing together, lol he said no/off, now). Of course we complied though.
At 12am they say time for bed and then start tying to reason with you about coming back for a time when it's going to be all over at. At 12:30/1am they will come back a 3rd time and start bullying again. And say put it out now and throw a fit when you don't completely comply. So they say "I'll be back in 15 min and we are done, fire goes out and you are all going to bed". So at 1:15 perfectly on time their gang comes to harass you adults to go to bed. He screams I'm not leaving until your fires out and your all in bed. I tell him to shhhhhh! And now the drunk guy who paid 500$ to be here gets his wood doused with water and is livid. And some of us drop off every time they come because they are so rude and don't want to deal with it but I'm sober and an adult and No one is going to put me to bed. All the adults there are waisted all day and not watching their kids. And now I know why. We talk to all our neighbors plus we are there with about 10 other scattered around sites and every neighbor couldn't believe what they were doing saying we weren't even loud. We had no music and a small fire with a few people. I kept walking 5 away to go pee and I couldn't hear our group any of the nights. And we weren't even all at 1 fire either.
* And throughout every interaction the non-drinker asks respectively (me) where in your rules or on the website does it say adults have a bed time by 1am and you guys go around harassing repeatedly trying to cause problems starting at 11pm and bully them them to bed???? Maybe you should be more transparent or be more humble and kind with your discretion. No one is being loud and belligerent. But I was ignored. Because if it had sad that on line or had I been warned about the worker's behavior after 11pm we wouldn't have came. We ourselves had 2 spots. The guy we knew who invited us had like 8 spots with him and needless to say none of us and anyone we know will ever come to
Camp Hels.
The workers/people:
Some shouldn't work with the public. But they are all family! All related just about! And they let you know it! Some of them also let you know that they aren't saposed to be working but that they are there working anyways! So I put money in for the batting cages. Nothing happened so i swiped the playing card again. A guy and lady walk out. I said excuse me. Im not sure im doing it right but i think it took my money. She yelled at me that "we are having problems, dont I see that, give us some time". So i waited. It looked like they were going to leave so i told the guy what happened to my card and he said sure we'll refund it. The last ones not working. (But they didnt put a sign on it) and he told the lady to deal with my refund. And she came and yelled at me again. I tried to explain myself but there's no talking to her. Pretty sure she was drunk. She said stay right here. Ill be back. I waited for 30 min for a refund at the batting cages. Come to find out no one works up there. She went to the office to get a refund. But I had to call the front desk to see if someone was even coming back. And he asked her while holding the phone "do you got people waiting on you up there? We'll get going there still waiting." When she got back she yelled "so who's waiting on me!" Like she didn't ask me to stay put like a dog. And was rude again. But I got a new card and 20 new mosquito bites.
There was other little things that were observed and overhead from other guests like at the pool, concert, petting zoo and other places too. We couldn't mention them all. We are very social and people loved all the stuff to do but hated the way they were all treated. We talked to a few seasonal owners and they say they get treated the same and hate it.
The sites/cleanliness/activities:
Lifeguards were nice. Business and all activities inside the campground ran smoothly and weren't awful at all. The kids enjoyed themselves using the amenities and activities. The bathrooms were ok and pretty clean. Some trash cans had overflowing garbage and a lot all over after events. I never saw anyone picking it up. But you could always see someone riding a golf cart being bossy. It was nice to see they gave their zoo animals long breaks from feeding and petting. Some of the birds looked like they had Veterinarian feather/skin illnesses. They call it a petting zoo but there's really no petting.
Recommendations:
Don't ever go. Or camp next door or close or get a house then just pay for a day pass if you can.
If CAMP DELS is reading this you should be more transparent on your site and train your family/workers to be more kind and just walk by reminding people to stay quit at night. Insted of being on a power trip demanding adults have a bed time, pretending you don't have discretion and choices yourselves on who and where you are actually creating the problem, bullying and then playing victim. Because the only thing your accomplishing every night is pissing people off. There is a better way. Weather your there or not trying to throw your authority around, people will go to bed. Example PD dont go into bars after 12am harassing people saying "times a coming guys! I'm going to close you down". You should only be keeping people from getting out of hand. Not causing it. Another fantastic idea is have an adult camping section where quiet time is 11pm and adults can go to bed when they choose! Instead of trying to take away people's freedom, especially on Memorial weekend! God bless and hope I never see any of you at Camp Dels ever again.
GuideFor free the area is awesome right by the river. We found a site tucked away from people which is what we like. We set up hammocks right next to the river. The hike from parking is not bad at all about a 10 minute walk from parking to the farthest site.
Campgrounds near Waterville, Minnesota offer varied terrain along the Cannon Valley with elevations ranging from 980-1100 feet above sea level. The region experiences humid continental climate with warm summers averaging 83°F and cold winters dropping to 7°F. Fall camping is particularly popular from mid-September through October when mosquito populations decline significantly and hardwood forests display vibrant colors.
Birdwatching and wildlife viewing: Nerstrand Big Woods State Park Campground features exceptional bird habitats. "I was so amazed with all the sounds of birds in this park. I heard Everything from Eagles, Canadian Geese and Swans to Woodpeckers and multiple song birds," reports Shelly S., who also noted the "frogs and toads were adding their voices too."
Paddling opportunities: Sakatah Lake State Park Campground provides direct lake access for kayakers. "This was my third time camping at this campground and I love it more and more every time. It's next to a lake so we can easily bring our kayaks with," shares Kayla O. The lake is shallow, making it ideal for beginners but requires timing consideration.
Wildlife photography: Minneopa State Park offers unique bison viewing opportunities. "The bison herd can be seen from the Seppman Mill area, though they're often just far enough away that quality photos are challenging," notes Krista T. The park features both a drive-through bison enclosure and hiking trails around the perimeter.
Seasonal swimming: Bray County Park maintains a clean swimming beach. "Beach is nice and clean," reports Josh B. The lake water quality remains good through early August but can develop algae later in the season.
Privacy between sites: Sakatah Lake State Park receives praise for site spacing. "It was perfect. There wasn't a lot of people there. The lots are pretty nice and secluded," notes Thomas D. Sites in multiple loops provide varying levels of seclusion.
Modern facilities: Nerstrand Big Woods Campground maintains clean shower buildings. "The bathroom/shower building was new and clean, the camp host was friendly and helpful," shares Deb M., who appreciated these amenities despite challenging cell service.
Family-oriented amenities: Kamp Dels features extensive recreation options. "This is such a great campground for families! So many activities including a water recreation area, petting zoo, shuffleboard, mini golf, pool, toddler water park, multiple playgrounds, basketball and more," explains Tami W. The campground schedules organized activities throughout summer months.
Reasonable insect conditions: Rice County McCullough Park maintains manageable mosquito populations. "Price is very reasonable for water and electric hookup. Just be prepared for the bugs!" advises Tonya B., indicating bug levels remain tolerable compared to other Minnesota parks.
Site selection strategy: Select sites carefully at Nerstrand Big Woods based on your equipment. "There's some sites that are tricky to back a trailer into, which would have been helped by some maintenance - there were LOTS of branches that needed to be trimmed back," notes Deb M.
Campground personality differences: Some local campgrounds have distinct management styles. At River View Campground, Elizabeth R. observes, "While the long term sites were pretty, level, and relatively private, our site was definitely none of those. Very unlevel gravel and mud and very close to our neighbors."
Water quality timing: Rice County McCullough Park provides lake access but conditions vary. "Just be prepared for the bugs!" warns Tonya B. Similar to other area lakes, early season visits (May-July) offer better water conditions.
Gate restrictions: Bray County Park enforces strict gate hours. "Biggest problem with the campground is gates in and out lock every night at 10pm and don't open again until 8am. So our first night we got locked out and had to sleep in the vehicle," cautions Cody.
Dog-friendly trail options: Several dog friendly campgrounds near Waterville offer canine-specific amenities. At Nerstrand Big Woods, the "Hidden Falls" trail is particularly accessible for dogs. "The trails were great and at the end of the trails there were beautiful falls," shares Halie B. Dogs must remain leashed on all trails.
Kid-friendly entertainment: River View Campground provides structured activities. "Lots of activities for kids and teens. Teen social on Fridays to help them meet friends," notes Kim R. The campground's terrain requires consideration as "the campground is on a hill if you have mobility issues."
Animal encounters: Kamp Dels offers supervised animal interactions. "Has a nice walk they animal area for the kids to look at goats donkey pigs and such. Friendly staff as well," writes Mark B. The petting area operates during specific hours posted at the office.
Night activities planning: Minneopa State Park provides evening nature programs. "We had an awesome time roasting mallows and hotdogs over the fire and singing songs!" shares Sarah F. from Sakatah Lake, where similar programming exists during summer weekends.
Size restrictions awareness: Sakatah Lake accommodates larger RVs with caution. "Very nice park if your RV is not to big. I put our 38 foot 5th wheel in a site but you better be on your game here. Lots of shade and big trees," warns Tim B. Sites with fewer trees work better for larger rigs.
Site topography consideration: Roberds Lake Resort has compact sites. "Hook ups a bit squished together and as always we rolled in late, and Saturday night had a very thick smoky haze due to the density and humidity," reports Jaime N. Arrival timing affects site selection options.
Utility access planning: Bray County Park offers reliable hookups on level sites. "Sites in the back loop away from the lake are big, but not much for shade yet," notes Josh B., indicating newer sections accommodate larger RVs but lack mature trees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Waterville, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Waterville, MN is Sakatah Lake State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 24 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Waterville, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 72 dog-friendly camping locations near Waterville, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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