Tent Camping in Minnesota

Hidden Meadows RV Park & Campground

35 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites

Hidden Meadows RV Park & Campground in Pine Island, MN, offers 35 full-hookup RV sites and 7 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 74 feet. Sites come in three categories — back-in 30-amp, back-in 50-amp, and pull-thru — each carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi. At 74 feet the sites take long coaches, which is unusual for a park this size. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, a dump station, and a recreation center with a game room cover the practical side. Pets are welcome. Walking trails, a playground, volleyball, basketball, billiards, corn hole, and biking fill the grounds, along the middle fork of the Zumbro River. Pine Island sits about 15 minutes from Rochester and the Mayo Clinic, which makes this park unusually practical as both a destination campground and a base for families with medical appointments. Rates for sites and tent spots are on the booking page. Ask about weekly and monthly rates if you're in Rochester for treatment — the park is set up for longer stays.

from $26/night

Lakeshore RV Park - Ortonville

6 RV Sites, 2 Cabins, 4 Tent Sites

Lakeshore RV Park in Ortonville, Minnesota, offers six full-hookup RV sites, two cabins, and four tent sites on Big Stone Lake, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 60 feet. An outdoor pool, a hot tub, boat docks and rentals, and a game room round out a compact lakeside resort two miles from downtown. Six full-hookup sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, in both back-in and pull-through configurations, with fire pits and picnic tables at the sites. Two cabins serve guests traveling without a rig, and four tent sites cover simpler camping. WiFi reaches the property, and laundry and a general store handle longer stays. Note that all RV sites and cabins carry a two-night minimum. On-site recreation centers on the lake. Boat docks and boat rentals put guests on Big Stone Lake directly, and fishing, boating, and swimming run from the property. An outdoor pool and a hot tub cover the non-lake hours, a game room and arcade handle rainy afternoons, and a pavilion hosts planned activities. Golf cart rentals make the grounds easy to cross. Pets are welcome. Big Stone Lake sits on the Minnesota–South Dakota line at the headwaters of the Minnesota River. The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge protects the surrounding wetland, making this a strong stop for birders on the prairie pothole flyway, and Ortonville's walkable downtown is two miles from the sites. The park operates through the Minnesota lake season, with summer fishing and boating driving peak demand. Reserve ahead for summer weekends — six RV sites go quickly, and the two-night minimum applies throughout.

from $35/night

Canary Beach Resort

6 RV Sites, 12 Cabins, 10 Tent Sites

Canary Beach Resort on Lake Villard in Minnesota offers 6 RV sites, 12 cabins, and 10 tent sites in central Minnesota's lake country, with 30-amp service and rigs accepted to 42 feet. A single back-in category joins a water park, splash pad, outdoor pool, mini-golf, beach, and boat rentals. Six back-in sites carry sewer and electric on 30-amp with site WiFi, sized to 42 feet, with picnic tables and BBQ pits. Confirm water service with the resort when you book, and note that service is 30-amp throughout. One consistent category means no guesswork. Twelve cabins and 10 tent sites make this predominantly a cabin property. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, firewood, and RV storage handle the practical side. A water park, splash pad, and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a lake, pond, and beach supporting boating, paddle boats, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, and inflatable water toys. Mini-golf, a fitness center, clubhouse, game room, walking trails, hiking, biking, a playground, pavilion, basketball, volleyball, shuffleboard, and horseshoes fill the rest, with live music and productive birding. Wine tasting is nearby. That amenity list at six RV sites is remarkable, and the resort has been crafting family vacations since 1920 — more than a century of accumulated hospitality in one of Minnesota's densest concentrations of lake country. Lake Villard sits in the Alexandria chain area, with Glacial Lakes State Park and dozens of fishing lakes within a short drive. Summer is the short, intense Minnesota season. Reserve well ahead for July and August.

from $42/night

Pine Mountain Campground

4 Tent Sites

Pine Mountain Campground on Devil Track Lake, ten minutes east of Grand Marais, Minnesota, offers lakeside tent and RV sites with water hookups, a dump station, a marina, and a fishing pier on Cook County's North Shore. Fire pits and picnic tables sit at the sites, with swimming and boating directly from the lake. Back-in sites carry water hookups with fire pits and picnic tables. This is a modest, lake-focused campground rather than a full-service resort — there are no sewer hookups, and a dump station serves RV guests. Restrooms are on site. Guests should arrive prepared for simpler infrastructure than a commercial park offers, which is much of the point here. Pets are welcome. The lake carries everything. A marina and fishing pier give direct access to Devil Track Lake for boating and fishing, with swimming from the shoreline. The setting is the amenity — quiet water ten minutes off the North Shore's main corridor. The surrounding geography is exceptional. Grand Marais sits on Lake Superior, where the Sawtooth Mountains' basalt ridges descend to the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness begins its million-acre lake-and-portage interior nearby, and the Gunflint Trail's 57-mile corridor reaches into the most remote accessible wilderness in Minnesota at the Ontario border. Grand Marais itself holds an established art colony, the North House Folk School, and southern trailheads for the Superior Hiking Trail. The campground runs the short North Shore season. Summer is the peak by a wide margin, with fall color drawing a second wave — reserve ahead for both.

Ham Lake Resort

5 RV Sites

Ham Lake Resort in Ham Lake, MN, offers 5 RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and back-in sites for rigs up to 42 feet. Sites come in two categories, water-and-electric back-in 30-amp and water-and-electric back-in 30/50-amp. There's no sewer at the site, so plan on the on-site dump station. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, and firewood cover the essentials, with cabins available for guests without a rig. Pets are welcome, with a dog park and a playground. For five sites the recreation is generous: boat docks, a beach, walking trails, volleyball, horseshoes, and planned activities, with fishing, boating, paddle boats, kayaking, and swimming on the lake. Ham Lake sits about thirty minutes north of the Twin Cities — close enough for a spontaneous weekend, far enough that the loons at dusk make the point. The Mall of America, Como Zoo, and the Sculpture Garden are all an easy drive. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. With five RV sites this close to the metro, summer weekends go quickly — reserve ahead.

from $65/night

Swan Lake Resort & Campground

11 RV Sites, 5 Cabins, 5 Tent Sites

Swan Lake Resort & Campground in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, offers 11 RV sites, five cabins, and five tent sites on Swan Lake in Otter Tail County, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 80 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Lakeside and woodside pull-through categories, a disc golf course, boat rentals, and an outdoor pool anchor a resort with more than 70 years of family history. Eleven sites run in lakeside pull-through, woodside pull-through, and Northlands full-hookup configurations, carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Five cabins and five tent sites round out the accommodations. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with WiFi and recycling throughout. The resort is cannabis friendly. The lake carries the recreation. A boat ramp, boat docks, and boat rentals put guests on the water, with a beach for swimming and fishing, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, paddle boats, and water sports from the property. An outdoor pool, disc golf course, recreation center, game room, craft room, billiards, ping pong, basketball, volleyball, bocce ball, horseshoes, corn hole, and gaga ball fill the grounds, with walking trails, a playground, and on-site dining besides. Pets are welcome. Fergus Falls sits on I-94 and US-59 in Otter Tail County, which holds over 1,000 lakes — Minnesota's densest lake country and a resort tradition dating to the 1890s railroad tourism era. A state park is nearby. Summer is peak. With 11 RV sites, reserve well ahead.

from $35/night

Swift Falls County Park

18 RV Sites, 3 Tent Sites

Swift Falls County Park in Benson, Minnesota, offers 18 RV sites with water and electric on 20 and 30-amp service and three tent sites directly on the Chippewa River, taking rigs to 45 feet. A county-operated campground open May through October, it gives paddlers and anglers direct river access without the carry-and-launch logistics most river campgrounds impose. Eighteen back-in sites carry water and electric on 20 and 30-amp, sized to 45 feet, and three tent sites cover simpler camping. Note there are no sewer hookups and no 50-amp service — this is a county park rather than a commercial resort, and guests should plan power and tank capacity accordingly. Restrooms, showers, and firewood are on site. The river is the reason to come. Direct Chippewa River access supports kayaking, canoeing, and fishing straight from the campground, and walking trails and hiking run the property. A playground serves families. The park's operation reflects the practical outdoor recreation needs of the surrounding agricultural community and the paddlers and nature travelers who seek out western Minnesota's quieter areas. Pets are welcome. The Chippewa River through Chippewa County offers flatwater and gentle moving-water paddling through the prairie-and-forest transition zone of west-central Minnesota's glacially shaped landscape. The surrounding county sits between the South Dakota border and the Minnesota River valley. The park runs May through October. Summer paddling and fishing drive the season, and fall brings quieter conditions on the river. Reserve ahead for summer weekends — 18 sites in a county park fill quickly in the warm months.

from $15/night

Camp Everyday Winona

Six miles south of Winona, Minnesota—in the Mississippi River Valley bluffs where the Upper Mississippi's dramatic limestone escarpments create one of the most visually striking camping landscapes in the Midwest—Camp Everyday Winona combines 74 camping sites with Mississippi River boat ramp and slip access, a swimming pool, hiking trails to bluff viewpoints, and a programming calendar of live music, games tournaments, pancake breakfasts, and DJ dance parties that gives the campground a social energy rare in the bluff country camping market. The river access, the bluff hike, and the events calendar make Camp Everyday the campground that distinguishes Winona as a river town camping destination rather than just a highway waypoint between the Twin Cities and La Crosse. Seventy-four sites accommodate the full range of camping preferences: full hookup RV sites with water, electric, and sewer service serve the RV population, tent sites bring guests who want the bluff country natural experience in the most direct form, and cabin rentals provide the enclosed alternative for guests who want weather protection without a fully outfitted camping setup. A swimming pool provides controlled aquatic recreation when the Mississippi current is too strong for casual swimming, and the bluff hiking trail—leading to a viewpoint above the river valley—delivers the panoramic Upper Mississippi perspective that organizes the entire visual experience of camping in this landscape. Horseshoe pits, picnic tables, fire rings, and available firewood support the outdoor gathering culture that riverside camping has always centered on. Restrooms, hot showers, laundry facilities, a propane service, and a dump station complete the practical infrastructure for extended stays. The Mississippi River access—with a boat ramp and slips for guests with their own watercraft—is the campground's most distinctive natural amenity. Camp sites positioned on the river side of the highway give guests immediate water proximity in a stretch of the Upper Mississippi where the bluff-and-bottomland landscape is at its most dramatic. Fishing for walleye, catfish, bass, and the diverse fish community of the Upper Mississippi River system is available from boat or bank throughout the season. The programming calendar that Camp Everyday maintains is the dimension that most consistently distinguishes it from the quieter camping experience that the bluff country's natural setting would otherwise be the sole focus of. Friday evenings feature live music; Saturday brings a coffee camper service and tie-dye activities; relay races, bags tournaments, and DJ dance parties fill the social calendar; Sunday morning pancake breakfasts and church livestreams serve different guest populations with the same community-building instinct. Candy bar bingo rounds out the organized activities with the specific appeal that casual prize games have always had for camping families. Winona, six miles north, provides additional cultural programming—the Winona National Bank building, one of the finest Prairie School architectural examples in Minnesota, and the Winona Art Center extend the day-trip options. Camp Everyday Winona is open from April 15 through October 15 in alignment with the Upper Mississippi camping season. Summer represents peak demand for river access and the full programming calendar. The bluff color in fall—when the limestone escarpments glow orange and red above the river—makes October one of the most visually rewarding weeks of the camping season. Reserve your river-access site early for summer weekends and let the Upper Mississippi bluffs frame what Minnesota river camping looks like at its most spectacular.

Red Barn Campground & Restaurant

33 RV Sites, 2 Cabins, 10 Tent Sites, 3 Onsite RV/Trailers

Red Barn Campground & Restaurant in Lansing, IA, offers 36 RV sites, 2 cabins, and 10 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 100 feet. Sites are labeled by exactly what they deliver: 30-amp full hookup pull-through, 30/50-amp full hookup pull-through, 30-amp water and electric, and 30/50-amp electric only, plus a rental unit. Full-hookup sites carry water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. At 100 feet the pull-throughs take the longest coaches. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, firewood, a dump station, a barn, and an actual working restaurant cover the rest — the kitchen is part of the appeal, not an afterthought. Pets are welcome. Mini-golf, a beach, boat rentals, sport courts, volleyball, basketball, corn hole, a playground, river frontage, and walking trails fill the grounds, with swimming, boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, and birding. A state park and wineries are nearby. Lansing sits on the bluffs above the Mississippi in northeastern Iowa, on the Great River Road. Rates by site type are on the booking page. Full-hookup pull-throughs book first.

from $31/night

Wilder Park

52 RV Sites, 6 Tent Sites

Wilder Park in Allison, Iowa, offers 51 RV sites and six tent sites across 88 acres, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet. Full-hookup and water-and-electric categories in both back-in and pull-through join two fishing ponds, a disc golf course, mini-golf, and a storm shelter. Fifty-one sites run in 30/50-amp water-and-electric back-in, water-electric-and-sewer back-in, and water-electric-and-sewer pull-through categories, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and site WiFi. Six tent sites round out the accommodations. A dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, and a storm shelter sits on the grounds — a genuine safety feature in Iowa. The recreational range is unusually broad for a park this size. Two fishing ponds support angling and paddle boats, with a boat ramp for canoeing and kayaking. A disc golf course, mini-golf, ball field, sports courts, volleyball, basketball, pickleball, walking trails, hiking, biking, a playground, dog park, library, and community fire pit fill the 88 acres, with planned activities through the season. Off-roading is nearby. Pets are welcome. Allison sits on Iowa Highway 3 in Butler County, and the park works as both a genuine destination and a practical overnight for travelers crossing the state. The J&C Grocery, Allison Variety Store, and municipal swimming pool are in town, with Waverly 25 minutes away, Cedar Falls 35, Mason City 60, and five golf courses in the area. Summer is peak. Reserve ahead for warm-weather weekends.

from $16/night