Minnesota's Best Sites For Camping With Kids

Blue Mounds State Park is set in the tallgrass prairie that once covered the entire southwestern corner of the state. The park also has a resident bison herd; you can take a 90-minute “Prairie and Bison Tour” to see them.

The campground has 71 sites, as well as 14 cart-in sites and (seasonal) teepees visitors can stay in. The campground also has swing sets and sandboxes for kids, and Blue Mounds has rock climbing (for adults), volleyball, and horseshoes.

A little further east is Bunker Hills Regional Park, which is part of the Anoka County Park System. Not only does this park have a ton of amenities — a natural play area, an archery range, walking and running trails, a Jr. Ranger program and 10 miles of trails — it also has the Bunker Beach Water Park, complete with a wave pool, waterslides and a lazy river.

If you’re looking to get outdoors and beat the heat, Bunker Hills might be the place. The park has 71 “secluded and shady” campsites, including both rustic and full electric and water, and two camper cabins.

A little south and east, near Rochester, is Chester Woods Park, a 1,330-acre park with 50 campsites and a ton to do for families. There’s a playground, a swimming beach, and 15 miles of hiking trails. You can rent canoes, paddleboats, paddleboards, and kayaks at the Chester Woods Beach House. And if you’re of a mind, you can paddle over to the remote, paddle-in (first come, first serve) Beaver Point campsite, which is only accessible by boat.

West of the Twin Cities, on the edge of Collinwood Lake, is Collinwood Regional Park & Campground, which is run by Wright County. The park offers plenty of activities for kids, including a playground, swimming beach, basketball and volleyball courts, plus excellent fishing on Collinwood Lake. The 308-acre park has 67 campsites with electrical hookups.

If you’re looking for a place to camp with your family in central Minnesota, Games Lake County Park is a great bet. Set on the edge of Games Lake, you’ll also have access to the other lakes in the Norway Chain of Lakes. The park, which is run by Kandiyohi County, has 56 campsites — mostly for RVs — and five new camper cabins. There are hiking trails, a boat and canoe center, a swimming beach, and play equipment for kids.

Other than Lake Superior, the Hok Si La Campground, just north of Lake City on the Mississippi River, might be the closest you’ll get to feeling like you’re camped on a freshwater ocean. The park sits right on Lake Pepin, where the river is at its widest.

When the campground was purchased by Lake City from the Boy Scouts in 1973, one condition was that it remain rustic and open only to tent camping. The campground has 38 sites, but it also offers nine camper cabins. There’s a huge, bustling swimming beach, a playground, and some of the best views of the Mississippi River in the state.

If you’d like to stick close to the Twin Cities for your family camping, Lebanon Hills is another great option, with lots for kids to do. The park has 93 campsites and more than 20 miles of hiking trails, as well as opportunities for boating and swimming. There’s also a “Kids' Play and Learn Nook” in the visitor center at Schulze Lake, and a playground at the Jensen Lake trailhead.

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park’s 10,000 acres are among the best places to camp with kids on the southern end of Minnesota's largest non-border lake. Not only is there a swimming hole near the visitor center, there are interpretive displays and naturalist programming (check the schedule for offerings).

For adults — or curious kids — the park also has a rich 9,000-year archaeological history to explore. And everyone will enjoy a climb to the top of the park’s 100-foot fire tower, where you can peer across 200 square miles of Lake Mille Lacs.

The park has 70 drive-in sites — 22 of which are electric — as well as four backpack-in sites, three walk-in sites, 10 horse camping sites, and five camper cabins.

Also in the Anoka County Park system is another great option for camping with kids: the Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Preserve, a large park with 80 campsites and two camper cabins. There are tons of outdoor activities for kids, including swimming, fishing, geocaching, a “nature play area,” and mountain biking.

You can also explore the Wargo Nature Center and the nature programs held in the campground amphitheater. The park is also home to the Rice Creek Water Trail, which starts in Lino Lakes and winds 15 miles to Long Lake.

Moving west, on the north shore of Sakatah Lake near Faribault, are two great options for family camping. In fact, the Dakota word “Sakatah" means “the sights and sounds of children playing on the hill.” These two spots sit at opposite ends of the camping spectrum.

On the north side of the lake is Kamp Dels, a private resort with more than 500 sites geared toward RVs. It has an arcade, a petting zoo, batting cages, and a 38,000-square-foot water park.

On the south side is Sakatah Lake State Park, which offers a more traditional camping experience with 62 campground sites and five bike-in sites located along the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. Depending on your preferences, you can always camp at one and day trip over to the other.

Starting on the North Shore, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is a great option for family camping, with waterfalls, a paved bike trail, an easy hike up Day Hill, and a rocky beach sheltered by Ellingsen Island, where kids can spend hours skipping stones.

What’s great about Split Rock is that it’s also home to the Split Rock Lighthouse, which was built in 1909 and will inspire awe in kids of all ages. There’s a great visitor center with interpretive displays, where you can retreat if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

The park has 46 electric campsites in the Shipwreck Creek Campground, as well as four backpack-in sites and 20 cart-in sites.

Deep in the driftless valleys of southeastern Minnesota is Whitewater State Park. This 2,700-acre park is an excellent option for trout fishermen and families. The park has a playground and a swimming beach, and the Whitewater Valley Visitor Center offers naturalist programs on everything from rattlesnakes to caves to fossils. Geocaching is also a popular activity.

The Chimney Rock Trail is a great hike to the bluff tops and is doable for adults and kids alike. The campground has 110 sites, and there are also 8 cart-in sites and four camper cabins.

Find out more about camping in Minnesota .