Best Tent Camping near Ellsworth, WI

Recent Tent Reviews near Ellsworth, Wisconsin

505 Reviews of 16 Ellsworth Campgrounds

• B

  Blair

  Guide

  

  Jun. 1, 2021

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Secluded in the Minneapolis Suburbs

  Lebanon Hills is a great park and has a lot of trails for hiking and mountain biking. Our family selected this camp ground to test out some gear -- if we had problems or if we forgot something it was a short drive home. Turns out this is a wonderful camp ground and offers a lot of seclusion. 

  Tent camp sites are far enough from each other that neighbors can't be seen, and we didn't hear them either. 

  The bathroom facility near the ranger station was very well maintained and cleaned several times a day. 

  The only criticisms we have are that you can hear road noise -- and depending on your site you'll hear the alarm of one of the access gates for the Minnesota Zoo.

  We went here as an experiment, but will definitely be coming back throughout the year. Reserve early online, most weekends were already reserved by mid May.

• A

  Alyssa

  Scout

  

  Jul. 15, 2023

  Interstate State Park — Interstate State Park

  Great location!

  This was a great spot for our first time camping with our kids! We camped in a tent so booked a site on the river side (no hookups) but it was very spacious and was perfect for our group! Bathrooms seemed fairly decent. They weren’t too far away. I would definitely stay here again!

• J

  Joanna M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2017

  Willow River State Park Campground

  The trails were fun, though the hill was a bit grueling!

  We experienced wonderful customer service, tent camping, nature center and waterfalls.

• 

  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.

• 

  Rico R.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 12, 2019

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Great place

  The office was open till 9pm very friendly. A little pricey for tent camping. The sites are private. Great biking and hiking trails. Great amenities. Close to the zoo as well as the city.

• 

  Stephanie K.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 30, 2020

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Amazing campground close to the city

  Definitely check this place out great campsites for tent camping right next door to the MN Zoo campsites nicely wooded spread out nicer than some state park campgrounds. Definitely going to check it out again.

• A

  Adam H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 22, 2018

  Interstate State Park — Interstate State Park

  Rolling prairies along the river

  Some nice hiking and beautiful landscapes of wildflowers, grasses, and the river Typical state campground set up, not a ton of privacy but enough. Stayed 3 nights, tent camping. Biy certified firewood outside the park if you plan on using a lot. A nice weekend getaway close to the metro!

• 

  Tori K.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 1, 2023

  Wildwood RV Park & Campground

  Close to Taylors falls and stillwater

  Be sure to check out Franconia sculpture garden if you're staying here and have the time! It's such a fun and quirky place. Some of us stayed at an RV site and some of us stayed at a tent site this trip 😁

• 

  Stacy S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 9, 2020

  Wildwood RV Park & Campground

  All around nice.

  We tent camped for two nights in site CC, which had a small quiet creek beside it. These primitive sites are down a small dirt road away from the main RV camping area and are nicely wooded, but you can still see neighboring sites. The staff were friendly and kind, the facilities were clean, and it was a convenient location.

• 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.

• N

  Nanci D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 21, 2023

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  County park close in to Minneapolis/ St Paul area

  In demand park close in to cities. RV portion has full hook ups. No hook up sites for up to 24ft RVs also available. Non hook up sites are wooded and well spaced. RV sites similar to private campgrounds. Must reserve months in advance as usually full. Have secluded tent sites too.

• 

  Jaime N.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 9, 2020

  Willow River State Park Campground

  A nice getaway off season

  Three campgrounds, first come first serve. $10/day entry $40/daily for electric hook up (non-resident); no full hook-ups, no water, only 1 vault toilet open per campground. Year round availability, however- tough to find! Very hard to get a cellular connection (T-mobile). Beautiful views of the river, right along the edge if you tent camp. Multiple playgrounds, hiking trails and loads of nature, large beach and waterfalls.

• 

  Emily.Michael B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 22, 2021

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  In-City Surprise

  What a wonderful park for being surrounded by the cities! We had previously come for walking and kayaking, but this was our first overnight here. The site and restroom/shower are well kept and there are enough trees/plants between the (tent) sites to make it feel private. It's always fun seeing deer, turtles, fish, gardner snakes here.

• 

  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.

• N

  Nicole R.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 7, 2018

  William O'Brien State Park Campground

  Homey, Picturesque, Fresh Air

  I camped here in April and got a camping spot on the edge of the River Campground facing the woods. I loved this spot and it was plenty big for parking two cars, tent, hammock, chairs, you name it! It appears that most tent camping is on the outer edges and RV camping is in the middle. No one was noisy, wasn't a "party" campground which was great for peace and quiet. It was great being so close to the river trail. Great views and fresh air!

• 

  Jennifer H.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 26, 2023

  Tresure Island RV Park

  Crowded park, nice people

  We were here for a night to see a concert at the amphitheater and everyone was super friendly. It was easy to check in, and we were able to do laundry and shower which was great. It’s mostly gravel but they have some tent sites on the grass. They are dog friendly and have some grassy areas to walk your pets which was great.

• 

  Sam R.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 18, 2018

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  One of the few places you can camp in the cities

  This is one of the few places that you can camp in twin cities metro. Both car and RV camping is allowed. Some of the tent sites do have power as well. Bathrooms and Showers are centrally located. Firewood is available for purchase. The camp grounds are located near the Lebanon Hills mountain biking area and miles of day hiking trails. Camping is only permitted in this area and it's not open in the winter.

• 

  GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

  Legend

  

  May. 5, 2019

  Island Campground and Marina

  Water access

  Great location, near Red Wing Minnesota. However, it's your typical Mississippi river camping -- you're there for river access and not much more. If noise bothers you then this is not the place for you. It is situated directly under the highway 63 bridge.  

  Full hookups and tent camping available. Bathrooms are pretty clean. There are also train tracks along the MN side of the river with several trains running during the day and at night. The perks for the campground are the water access and you can walk to the Harbor Bar for some good food.

• 

  Anne T.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 6, 2016

  Hok-Si-La City Park & Campground

  Perfect Camping Getaway!

  This is one of my favorite campgrounds in Southern Minnesota! It is only 1 1/2 hours away from the TwinCities which makes it an ideal getaway. The campsites are wooded and have enough distance between them that noise is minimal. I especially love the view of Lake Pepin and the nice little swimming beach. On our last stay, we were able to watch eagles from our campsite, which was amazing. They have recently added 3 small cabins to rent which would be a nice alternative to tent camping. If you do plan a camping trip to Hok-Si-La and you're driving in from the Twin Cities, be sure to take Wisconsin Highway 35 through Maiden Rock, Stockholm, Pepin, and other small towns. You can loop back into Minnesota through Wabasha. This adds about an extra half hour to your drive but it is definitely worth it!

• 

  Mike L.

  Traveler

  

  May. 22, 2023

  Aefintyr

  Beautiful campsite with a lot of amenities.

  Its nice to have a place this nice only 35 minutes from Rochester. Beautiful campground with great amenities available. The hike to the site is steep but worth it once you get up there. I stayed at the Talia bell tent site so I didn't have to bring much so it made the hike a lot easier. Short drive to White Water State Park. A lot of great trout fishing spots along the river. Very peaceful campground, great view of the stars on clear nights! Will definitely be back.

• h

  holly

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 3, 2022

  Bluff Valley Campground

  Awesome place

  I have stayed here a couple times before memorial day and after. I tent camped by the river. #67 is extra large and perfect. Electric and water was $35/night for electric and water for a weekday. Bathrooms near by need updated. But brand new showers by main entrance. Very clean, nice staff. They have a little restaurant that I saw but didn't eat or see open.

  This is the prettiest campground I've been to so far in this area. But there is a lot of construction so watch your maps. 1 mile was 15 miles bc of an important road closure. Get everything you need before you settle. A gas station alone is a trip.

• S

  Sara A.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 2, 2022

  Interstate State Park — Interstate State Park

  Trade Offs

  Tent sites line the exterior of this campground while electric, RV sites are close by. While I was at a riverside spot, the amount of RVs across the road can really detract from the experience. People in RVs (this is a generalization made after many'a'night in campgrounds) tend to not recognize their voices penetrate tent walls with incredible ease -- many lack the personal experience that their voices are disruptive at midnight and should speak in hushed voices while their neighbors try to sleep. Not to mention, what's with the bright lights they shine on their exterior? Camp Hosts (who slept in an RV as well) were useless to manage quiet hour expectations. Bathrooms have a shower and while I did not use, seemed in good condition.

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 8, 2020

  D N Campground

  Beautiful shady camping on the Apple River!

  We had a last minute idea to go camping on Labor Day weekend, hopefully omewhere near St Croix Falls so we could visit Interstate State Park and explore the surrounding area.  As luck would have it, there were no campsites avaialble at any of the local state parks on the Wisconsin side or Minnesota side of the river. So, we checked for other area campgrounds and discovered this gem of a private campground right on the shores of the Apple River. This is mostly a campground that rents seasonal sites to RV owners, and these are tucked away in the woods near the river with a real sense of privacy. But, for the casual camper,  they also have a swath of sites located right ON  the river, including sites with hookups if desired, or a separate lane of very large and very secluded tent sites also right on the river that I dare say are nicer than any of the tent sites at area state parks. The Apple River is really beautiful, and if we had brought our kayaks we could have plopped them right in the river from our campsites and had an amazing paddlle on this pristine tributary of the St Croix.  (See attached photo for map of the Apple River upstream towards its various headwaters lakes. Further down the Apple River is a canyon and whitewater section for tubing or paddling: 

  https://www.stcroix360.com/2013/06/floating-the-apple-river-canyon/)

  We were in site T3, which had an electric hookup used by friends who joined us in their van; there was also a water hookup which was handy even if we didnt hook up to it. There was a fair amount of  space at our site, but If we were to come back again we would want a bit more space and privacy so we would absolutely go for one of the tent sites, any one of them would be great! The campground over all is clean and well maintained, a lot of retired folks as seasonal campers but also a lot of families with kids, and a nice family atmosphere. Given that is was Labor Day weekend and every site ended up being taken, you might expect it to be busy and loud, but it was pleasant and quiet, and the neighbors friendly, The bathrooms and showers were clean and well kept, and bleach water disinfectant was avaialble to wipe down surfaces if anyone had concenrs. There is a small pub with a patio attached to the campground office, but it was surprisingly quiet and low key. There is volleyball and more outdoor games adjacent, and this is all a bit set apart from the campground anyway. Along the river is a small beach, boat dock for canoes and kayaks and fishing, and a nice playground for kids.  It is a good 20-minutes to half hour drive to Interstate State Park and the Falls towns, which has pluses and minuses. We also took the opportunity to try some hiking a little closer to the campground, and enjoyed the Stower Seven Lakes Trail on the old Soo Line : https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/stower

  Other outdoor activities and special places to visit in Polk County near the campground: 

  https://www.co.polk.wi.us/landinfowisdnrmaps

  Really a lovely spot, and a nice surprise.

• 

  Mandee L.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 12, 2020

  Lebanon Hills Regional Park

  Tucked away in the middle of the Cities

  I love this park and use it frequently for our "test runs". We have a new puppy and a new teardrop, so this was the perfect place for us to have our maiden voyage within 20min of our home. But besides just being close, it's also a really nice campground. It's very wooded and feels private. The RV section has sites that are a bit close together and open, but the tent sites (where we stayed) are much more secluded. The facilities are clean and well-kept.

  The park itself is also really nice. There are lots of hiking trails, mountain biking, lake access for kayaking/paddle boarding... In the winter we love coming here for day trips to take advantage of the cross country skiing and snow shoe rentals.

• 

  Krista T.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 25, 2022

  Lake Elmo County Park Reserve

  Eagle point lane section- Nice metro park for RVs/camper trailers or groups

  We went on a day trip to the eagle point section of the Lake Elmo park district. This is set in a lush rolling prairie with lots of hiking trails in addition to other attractions like an archery range and swimming pond. 

  The modern campground is built for non-tent campers, which is kind of a bummer because it is so much nicer than the “rustic” tent campground. Could you set up a tent there? Sure, but most of the site is devoted to a gravel parking pad. 

  The rustic campground is an offshoot of the horse trailer parking lot. The sites for the most part are not spacious or private. Only portapotties. I think the best camping opportunity I saw was the group campgrounds, which had more modern outhouses. This will continue to be a great day trip location for us.

• 

  Justin J.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 15, 2023

  Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park

  Great spot right outside the twin cities

  Great campground with all the amenities one might need, including showers, nice bathrooms, a park, a beach, trails. Right next to lakes and a nature preserve. Close enough to town in case you forget some things like we did. A county parking pass is required, they don't like people parking on the grass, and they have staff making rounds to enforce the shortest list of rules I've seen in the last couple of years. My only complaint is that the location of the porta-potties didn't match what the maps showed, so my seemingly perfect plan to be somewhat far from them failed and I ended up right next to one; it was clean and didn't smell, but we heard the door close every time. They have the campsites spaced out better than most other places I've camped and have trees and brush between the sites whenever possible. We tent camped and plan to bring our travel trailer next year. Definitely plan to stay here at least once a season.

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 11, 2020

  Apple River County Park Campground

  Primitive county park campground

  This is a small county campground with 15  simple campsites geared towards tent camping, though 5 of the sites are equipped with electricity so folks with vans or small trailers might be comfortable here. The park is nicely wooded and there are basic facilities such as water and vault toilets. They are adjacent day use areas including a group picnic shelter and playground. This is a good spot for fishing, and canoeing or kayaking https://amerywi.gov/432/Canoeing-Kayaking and there are other activities in and around the nearby town of Amery. 

  I might not camp here as a destination vacation spot, but it might be a good stopover if on a weekend paddling trip. You could start at the DN Campground of vicinity further north https://thedyrt.com/camping/undefined/d-n-campground, then paddle a nice easy day trip to this campground, and then the next day paddle into the town of Amery and pull out there.

  The camping is currently closed for the season, and will be have repairs and needed upgrades. It would be worth checking in spring 2021 to review the improvements!