Red Fox Campground — Minneopa State Park

Most of the sites are roomy enough but not a lot of privacy. Short walk to water/bathrooms.

We stayed at A24 and A26. Overall, nice spots and were easy to find, and an easy walk to the bathrooms (which were standard but good). Theres a “little library” by them too with a small picnic table for kids. Your sites all face each other completely so don’t expect any privacy (it’s a campground so not that you should expect that usually).

Like others said, A24 is huge and has a beautiful tree in the middle, but it currently has a blue stripe around it which might mean it’s getting chopped or is sick?? (Photo attached) I think you’d lose a lot of your tree cover if they take it down.

Tons of mosquitoes like at many parks this year.

This park has one of my favorite sites. The site for your tent is up a short walkway from where you park your car. 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. Be sure to visit the waterfall in the other section of the park nearby! Will be returning this summer! Please note, raccoons are in the area, so please be kind to mother nature and keep your food and trash secure!!

Nice spot. Quiet during the off-season. The spots are plentiful here given its the off-season, but keep in mind, if you come, the only camping spots available are the ones that have power. The "A" section is closed down, but once the season gets going again, it will open. Camping is nice here. My preference is the "A" leg of the campground as it is more wooded and you're buffered better against other campers. The "B" leg isn't quite as private. Pick the perimeter spots if you don't want a neighbor right on top of you. These spots end in even numbers. The inner camp spots are odd numbers, and they've expanded the amount of spots, so there isn't much privacy. Once the foliage grows in, it might be "ok," but looking at it now during the winter season, there isn't any privacy at all. In the park there are bathrooms and a dump station. Parking over at the trail system, there are also pit toilets and community grills, and picnic tables. It's mostly quiet here with a slight bit of road noise. It's nothing bad, though. Anything from tents to cars to fifth wheels can camp here. Any larger fifth wheel, I believe, would be better suited to the "b" leg for camping. There is power there and spots large enough to accommodate your rig. If you're coming to see the bison, keep in mind that the bison drive is closed Wednesdays! Have fun!

We stayed in site A24. It’s a huge campsite, with trees all around. There are bits of view between the trees.

The bathroom has nice showers, and running water in the sinks, but has pit toilets.

Big sites with plenty of trees. Small hikes to river and waterfalls. A short drive to see the bison. Excellent 2 day visit. The town of Mankato is 10 min away with breweries and restaurants

This campground was on the small side with sites close together. They have a Buffalo drive trail to see the 30 Buffalo they have in the park. The Waterfalls are a short drive to the other side of the park. With great hiking trails down to the bottom of the falls.

This was a smaller campground with only a few electric spots. The bison loop is a cool feature in the park. There was nice hiking trails. The down fall to this campground is the falls are not within walking distance from the campground. The cell phone coverage was good in the campground.

Campground was small and dusty, but they had a cool bison range you could drive through and a waterfall right up the street for a small fee of $7.

Sites are so close to each other its like your camping with your neighbors. They are clean and typically quiet though so it's a great place to go.

Beautiful drive along CR 169 MN scenic byway! The park itself is different because right outside the campgrounds is a live herd of bison that you can drive thru for viewing!🦬

Best known for its waterfalls and trails alongside the Mississippi River! 💦

The park and waterfall are very pretty. The bison will walk right up to your vehicle for some great photos! Our campsite was loud however. Trains and vehicles flying by all night. The campground was clean and you have space between your neighbors!

This campground is definitely an awesome spot to spend the night. We arrived there around sundown, and set up camp in the spot we reserved. The view was absolutely beautiful over the hills, with the forest giving us cover from the bright sun rays in the a.m. Slight warning though, if you aren’t an early riser the sun might not be a problem but the railroad is right behind most of the sites and we did hear a couple trains go by. We headed out early in the morning, unfortunately too early to drive through the bison range but we did stop to see the beautiful waterfall on the other side of the highway exiting the campsite. Would 100% come again, and hopefully check out the range. Side note, drive slowly on the gravel road we saw a lot of little bunnies and they hop everywhere regardless of cars!

This is a decent park but the sites aren't too far off the road and many back up to rail tracks with the sound of passing trains day and night. There is an active herd of bison on the park grounds. They are fenced off from the rest of the park with enough prairie land that you don't always see them.
There are surrounding parks and bike trails that make for nice day trips along the Minnesota River Valley. For a newer park, I would have hoped that they would have taken more care to lay out the campsites to offer a quieter and more private camp setting.

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.

Such a beautiful park with so much to offer, located practically downtown Mankato in a river valley, you get the delight of being 10 minutes from a great brewery!

The waterfalls are an easy walk from your car but the real treat is the bison range! When we visited the bison herd was right near the front gate so we didn’t even have to drive very far to have bison surrounding our car. But stay in your car! These bad boys can easily crush you so drive cautiously and respectfully!

Our campsite was very wooded but beautiful!

Everything you expect from a state park.

After reading all of the wonderful reviews, I was a little underwhelmed. Perhaps it is because we arrived after a rainy period. Many of the sites in the A Loop were flooded or muddy and there was only one site occupied. B Loop was a bit better and there were a few more people there. Some sites in the A Loop overlook the river valley through trees but they are directly over railroad tracks so you will hear loud trains. No flush toilets but for pits (A Loop has sinks and a shower), reasonably clean. However I would not choose sites closeby because the fans are quite loud. Bison viewing road was cool and leads to the rebuilt granary (all that remains from a mill). Waterfall (across the street and about a mile from campground) is nice. Unless you hike the Minnesota River Bluff trail, you could easily see the bison, granary, and waterfalls in half a day, making this good for just a one night stay.

After Seeing the Buffalo in South Dakota I just had to go see them again somewhere but South Dakota was too far away. Maybe open a state park offers a ton of things to do with seeing the Buffalo along the road

I have visited here a few times before. However, this time I was able to camp overnight on a trek toward Minneapolis. Another relatively small campground, but well shaded and ample spacing between sites. I unhitched the trailer and immediately headed for the Bison drive. Took a leisurely ride to Seppman Mill and was able to view the buffalo on the return trip. The next morning, I headed out early to geocache 2 other State Parks in the area. Electric sites, fill up your water holding tank and dump your tanks upon leaving. Be sure the enjoy the Minneopa Falls located in another part of the park. Oh yea, the park is split and divided by a highway and a railroad. Just don't miss both the waterfalls and the Bison drive/Mill.

Site 10

Campgrounds are somewhat private and pretty standard for a state park. the waterfalls are beautiful. The drIve through the bison herd area was really cool! would highly recommend. the hiker’s club trail was mostly prairie and some wooded areas and mostly flat. A really nice park.

Minneopa State Park is located near Mankato, MN. Minneopa is a smaller campground with only 12 sites maybe. They have multiple group camping sites that are secluded. They have a lot of trails. The buffalo are close to the campground and the other half of the state park is about half a mile away. That section has more trails and a large waterfall you can walk down too. It’s all prairie land so easy to walk around.

The campsites are very clean and within walking distance to the bathrooms. They also have plenty of room for several people in the sites. The area where the buffalo are is very wild and abundant for them. Lots of other animals are there to roaming around freely.

What a great place to camp! There are several beautiful things to see in this park. I actually made 2 trips. Gorgeous waterfall from any and everywhere you view it. Don't miss out! Take the trail down and around to get a lower view of the fall! Hopefully, you are there during a day/time when the Buffalo gate is open. The drive up to Seppman Mill is fabulous! First time I went it was closed, but luck was on my side on my return visit.

The waterfall brought me here it was awesome my little one loved the adventure. Close to the town of Mankato as well.

We arrived late but our site was marked reserved for us. Signage was good. Site was clean and well laid out.

Park was active but at 10pm everything was quiet and we were the only group with a fire. Not for partiers. Family friendly. Waterfall and buffalo were cool.

camp sites are very close together. Hiking circles around a buffalo enclosure, you have to drive to a different area of the park to experience the waterfalls.

Stayed in a camper cabin during the winter and it was lovely! The park was so quiet and trails were great for both hiking and snowshoeing.

What a great campground! Stayed here while visiting friends in a nearby town and we were so pleased with our site. I think it was #4? There was a nice leveled tent pad area for setting up. The area is wooded and it was on the outer loop, which provided more seclusion. In addition to the beautiful waterfall, there is an area with bison! The park doesn’t have a ton of hiking, but it’s a good place to stay while exploring the area or visiting friends.