With so many natural wonders in Minnesota, it only makes sense that we are blessed with many wonderful places to camp. Whether you’re looking for solitude, beautiful views, or all the amenities when seeking a camping spot, you’re sure to find a Minnesota camping experience that will meet your specifications. But to help make that decision a little easier for you, we’ve compiled this list of our picks for the best campgrounds in Minnesota across several categories. We hope you’ll see a place among these that makes you want to get out and go camping!

Best State Park Campgrounds in Minnesota

Our Minnesota State Parks are simply incredible – and we think you’ll find some of the best campsites in Minnesota in the parks’ campgrounds. Here are a few of our favorites.

Best Beach Camping in Minnesota

With as many lakes as we have in The Bold North, it only follows that folks enjoy camping on or near beaches. These Minnesota campgrounds, we think, offer some of the best beach camping in the entire state.

Top Glamping in Minnesota

For those who enjoy getting out in nature but don’t enjoy all that’s involved in setting up a campsite, there are plenty of luxury yurt camping spots in Minnesota (or should we say “glamping spots?”) for you, as well. Here are a few of our favorite places for glamping in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

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Best RV Camping Sites in Minnesota

Most of the campgrounds on this list have RV sites and can accommodate recreation vehicles of certain lengths, but not all of the best campgrounds in Minnesota can be described as particularly “RV friendly.” Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of awesome campgrounds in Minnesota that not only welcome RVers but cater to them with amenities like water parks, golf courses, and wifi. Have a look at some of the campgrounds that we think do the best job of blending nature with creature comfort.

Best Primitive Tent Camping in Minnesota

If you’re willing to forsake restrooms with plumbing for nothing more than a fire ring and a tent pad (and sometimes not even that), you can find solitude while you soak up some of the state’s most stunning natural settings. We think these are some of the best places to camp in Minnesota.

These two dozen places exemplify how wonderful it is to enjoy camping in Minnesota. This list is far from exhaustive, but we’re pretty sure some of the best camping spots in the Land of 10,000 Lakes are included. We hope you think so, too!

Don’t forget to take a look at our ultimate hiking essentials packing list if you plan on hitting the trails during your camping adventures.

Looking for more? Check out this beautiful footage of an iconic scenic byway in Minnesota:

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Camping In Minnesota

What are the most popular state parks in Minnesota?

Some of the most popular state parks in Minnesota include:

  • Afton State Park
  • Interstate State Park
  • William O'Brien State Park
  • Wild River State Park

 

A few state parks in Minnesota are very popular simply by virtue of their proximity to larger cities. Afton State Park, Interstate State Park, William O’Brien State Park, and Wild River State Park are all located on the St. Croix River across from Wisconsin and less than an hour from the Twin Cities. This makes it very difficult to find campsites at these parks on weekends. Afton State Park, in particular, is a busy year-round camping park. Similarly, Whitewater State Park is close to Rochester and Jay Cooke State Park is just outside of Duluth. It can be hard to score campsites at these parks, as well.

Other state parks are popular as destinations unto themselves, and you can find yourself battling crowds of other campers on weekends and during the summer. These include Itasca State Park, the oldest in the system and home to the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Other places where you may find a scarcity of camping spots are Gooseberry Falls State Park, which is also less than an hour from Duluth, and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park - two of the most-visited parks on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park has recently added an additional campground with RV sites, but its lakeside cart-in campground books up early and fast.

What time of year is best for camping in Minnesota?

Summer is the most popular time of year for camping in Minnesota.

Any time of year is great for camping in Minnesota, but depending on your preferences, some may be better. No matter what season, though, when planning a camping trip in Minnesota, especially at one of the state parks, it’s crucial to make reservations well in advance - especially for a trip on a summer weekend. The thing about camping in the summer, though, is the temperatures can get pretty warm, and worse, the bugs (mosquitos, ticks, black flies) are at their worst. In my opinion, then, the shoulder seasons - late spring and early fall - are the best times of year to go camping in Minnesota. You’ll encounter far fewer bugs and some of the best camping weather at these times of year. Bear in mind, though, that the farther into northern Minnesota you camp in the shoulder seasons, the more likely you are to encounter colder temperatures, particularly overnight,

Where can I find secluded campgrounds in Minnesota?

The best places to find secluded campgrounds in Minnesota are the rustic campgrounds in the state and national forests, farther from Minneapolis and St. Paul. For example, you may be unable to get into the wonderful - but very crowded - Split Rock Lighthouse State Park campground, but you could camp at one of the several campgrounds in the nearby Cloquet Valley State Forest. There are also several camping options in the Finland State Forest near Tettegouche State Park.

Similarly, you won’t find any “campgrounds,” per se, in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, but there are several campgrounds - with varying degrees of amenities - in the adjacent Superior National Forest. East Bearskin Lake and Trails End Campgrounds, for example, are campgrounds off the Gunflint Trail that can accommodate some RVs and happen to be adjacent to BWCAW entry points.

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