Frontenac State Park Campground

We did a one night camping trip for my birthday at Cart-In Site 1 the second to last weekend of September.

We loved the hiking at Frontenac State Park - walking along the lake and then walking along the bluffs at sunset was magical! Fantastic views. I imagine if we had gone two weeks later, we would have had a fantastic display of fall color. We went a little too early to catch the changing leaves.

We loved how easy Frontenac was for a casual weekend getaway. It was an easy, scenic one hour drive from St. Paul that was very enjoyable. The park was also nice with great bathrooms at the main campsite, nice trails, and they even had board games to check out at the front office for a rainy day- a great idea!

We stayed at Cart-In Site 1. I would rate the site itself a 3. It was very secluded and spacious, which was fantastic! We could not see any other campsites from our site, which was fantastic. We only occasionally saw some hikers on a nearby trail. We could hear some other noisy campers, but it wasn't too much of a disturbance. Very wooded, nice, spacious site. There is not water at the Cart-In parking lot, so be aware that you will have to fill up prior to parking and heading to your site (easiest place to do so is the main office/ visitor center).

I also slept poorly because of a nearby train that kept going past and honking at least until midnight. So if you're a light sleeper, be aware of persistent train noise at these sites!

Overall good site and an easy, fun, and relaxing weekend getaway from the twin cities.

We stayed at Frontenac the first weekend of May, and lucked out with some really incredible weather! The park offers a number of really nice hiking trails along the bluffs of Lake Pepin, which we took full advantage of. There were a few boats on the water , which looked so appealing on our hot day :). If I was to come here later in the summer, I would for sure find a beach! 

We were in site 49, part of the outer ring of the 4th loop. Most of the outer loop sites were pretty large, this site being no exception. Sites 40-49 have a view of Lake Pepin through the trees, which was especially nice at sunset. The only downside of site 49, and a little bit of 48, is the trail to the Bluffside trail and In Yan Teopa lookout was right next to site 49. 48 had a little more privacy with some more trees in between, but it was right next to the driveway of 49 so we had regular traffic. If you're in a tent it wouldn't be a huge deal as your car would add a layer of privacy, but since I parked my trailer there were a lot of "hello's" while I was making breakfast and dinner.

The inner ring sites are fairly close together and don't offer a ton of privacy from site to site. Though a couple of families took advantage traveling together. If I was to stay here again, site 42 and 44 would probably be the ones I'd try for in terms of views and privacy. Note for summer of 2021 -- The main restroom/shower building is being torn down and rebuilt. Construction hadn't started while we were there, but the building was closed for the season. A number of vault toilets are available but no flush toilets or showers this year.

Site 20 has an absolutely outstanding view of Lake Pepin and fall colors. The first and second loops have a mix of tent sites and electric sites, but it was quiet and peaceful. The electric sites seem small, so big rigs are deterred from setting up shop(and generators). The third and fourth loops are non-electric and also pretty closely packed in. The sites on the inside of all the loops are TINY and there’s very little privacy between sites. My top sites would be 5, 19e, 20, 22, 42, 46, and 49 in terms of view and privacy. 

Site 20 has adequate privacy between sites—but everyone on the trail can see your campsite, and the trail from the campsite to the bluff trail is right next door. All of this is offset by the gorgeous view. Plenty of trees for hammocks if you’re on the outside circle. The site itself was level and had a very spacious gravel tent area. The fire pit was clean and had a grate on top. Restrooms were clean with lots of social distance signage. When the wind died down, you could easily hear trains—there are several that run nearby. 

A couple random notes:

• Firewood is $6/bundle and ice is $3/bag (5 lbs). Both are self-pay with the options of cash, check, or credit card.
• Cell reception for T-Mobile was good.

Red Wing is extra quaint, and worthy of at least a day trip if you live in the metro area. Frontenac state park technically isn’t in Red Wing, but you basically drive by the pretty prison(yes!) and you are almost there. Do yourself a favor and enter the park from the entrance closest to the river(if you look at a map you will see it’s the same road that just loops through) or when you are leaving the park take a left to drive through the same area. It is basically our very own Minnesota version of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. There is also an impressive former convent, Villa Maria, that is currently an event center and will soon offer lodging.

A lot of people come to Frontenac as a picnic destination, my mom and stepdad have a tradition of going to Nelson creamery in Wisconsin and bringing cheese curds and having a picnic at the scenic overlook off of the parking lot. From the parking lot you have access to the bluffside trail that goes down to the river. Going down is easy, going back up is a challenge. I would say that if the thought of running a mile seems daunting, then you should consider taking another trail. We started our hike with the hiking club trail in reverse, and it was gorgeous and enjoyable in the fall. We probably would have avoided the bluffside component if we had started the trail going the correct way.

There is a selection of hike-in and drive-in camping. We went the last weekend in October for a last hoorah with the fall colors, and the only bathrooms open were the pit toilets which were ok. The drive-in sites are pretty crammed together, so my site recommendations are based on view of the river and separation from your neighbors. Best sites(photos/videos are provided as well): 5, 20, 36, 42, 50

Food tip: Eat at The Smokin’ Oak on your way into Red Wing. It is a hotel parking lot restaurant, but it is amazing.

Campground Design

I like that it's split into 4 small loops (1-11, 12-28, 29-38 and 39-59). There shouldn't be much traffic in any one loop. It's a very shady campground - lots of trees so it's quite dark at night with no stargazing from your site.

Our site #42 was right next to #40 and there's not much privacy between the 2 sites. There's a lot more distance and privacy between #42 and #44. In general, sites are fairly close together but there are some trees in between.

I thought we might be closer to the Mississippi River, but the campground is located above the river (called Pepin Lake at this wide point). You can hike down to the river; the steep descent makes the short hike more interesting. There are Lower and Upper Bluff trails as well as other short, connected trails throughout the park. (See photo of trail map.)

Tent Campers

There are 6 'cart in' sites, but they are about 1/2 mile away from the main campground and on the other side of the road. Park, put your gear in a cart, and walk about 1/4 mile to your site (C1 through C6). 

Special rule for these sites: You have to pay $2 to use the showers at the main campground! Your camping rate is $15 instead of $23 for a non-electric site. If a cart in site doesn't appeal to you, the regular sites are good for tents; many have tent pads. There are also a couple backpacker sites.

Amenities

• Picnic table and fire ring on each site. Some sites have a tent pad. The 'rule of 3' says you can have 3 'units' on a site - 2 tents + vehicle, RV + rent +vehicle,... - One restroom with flush toilets, sinks and showers (old but no temperature control) located near the road in front of the loop with sites 12-28. We were in the last loop on site 42, and there was a pit toilet that smelled okay but had lots of flies.

• Some electric sites ($31) in the first 2 loops; the map (see photo) has an 'e' next to the site number and so does the post at the site.

• Dump station that includes a potable water filling station. There are water spigots in the camping areas.

• Trash dumpsters and recycle bins.

Extra fees

• There's a $7 reservation fee for online or phone reservations, and the site posts indicate you need to 'reserve' the site before you set up camp.  You avoid that fee by showing up without a reservation when the office is open, but I wouldn't do that on a Friday or Saturday in the summer. You can always get a sense of whether showing up without a reservation is feasible by checking availability online. It also looks like you avoid the fee if you reserve online on the day you stay.

• $7 entry fee per day is standard in MN parks. A $35 pass is good for 12 months.