The best dog-friendly camping in Minnesota

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Minnesota's gleaming lakes and sweeping woodlands make the North Star State a firm favorite for campers, and many of the state’s outdoor adventurers are pet-friendly. Whether enjoying fall foliage walks through Afton State Park, hiking to waterfalls at Tettegouche State Park, or backcountry camping in Voyageurs National Park or the Superior National Forest, there’s no reason your dog can’t come along for the ride. Pets are permitted at all Minnesota state park campgrounds (cabins, yurts, and beaches are off-limits), so you could also admire the views in Blue Mounds State Park, swim and paddle at Bear Head Lake State Park, or camp by the riverside at Itasca State Park. Just don’t forget the leash―pets must be on a six-foot leash at all times. Spring and fall provide the most dog-friendly weather, but if your pooch needs to cool off, there are dog beaches at White Bear Lake and Minnesota Point.

95% (7.5K) 1,469 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Minnesota

Swan Lake Resort & Campground

1. Swan Lake Resort & Campground

98%
(52)
21 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Fergus Falls, MN
⛺️ Since 1949, we've been a family-operated resort & campground on Swan Lake in Fergus Falls, MN. We offer lakeside cabins, tent camping, and full hook-up, pull-through RV sites. Here, there is time to slow down, room to breathe, and lots to explore. 🏖️ Soak up the sun on the sandy beach, hike through the hidden trails, and take the pontoon out for a cruise. Be sure to turn the tech off and challenge a rival to ping pong, crack a cold one, and explore the water on stand-up paddleboard. 🍦 Bring the little ones and get messy at the arts & crafts table, catch a sunfish off the docks, and indulge in s’mores around the campfire. Don’t forget to show us what you got on the volleyball court and savor an ice cream at the camp store. Curl up in a hammock and get lost in a good book, smile at the flowers and gaze in awe at the night sky. Just be.
Toilets
Campfires
Full hookups
from 
$53
 / night
Sunset Pines MN

2. Sunset Pines MN

100%
(6)
71 sites · RVs, Lodging · Backus, MN
Mike and Loellen discovered Ruttger’s Camping Resort in the winter of 2005 while driving around the area and scanning websites for trailers. We bought a trailer on a seasonal site and have thoroughly enjoyed our summers here ever since! Our sons grew up on the lake, boating and fishing and exploring the area and we have developed a wonderful lake-family. We have watched Bill and Candy Ruttger build the resort into the beautiful property that it is today and feel privileged to have the opportunity to now share it with you. Under our new ownership and with a new name, Sunset Pines MN in January 2023, we are eager to carry on the legacy created by our friends and mentors. We welcome you to enjoy our piece of “Up North” Minnesota lake-life with your family and friends, and don’t forget to enjoy a sunset or two! Mike & Loellen
Toilets
Campfires
Full hookups
from 
$55
 / night
Camping on private lake

3. Camping on private lake

99%
(370)
10 sites · Tents · Westbrook, MN
This property has 4 camp spots. Sites 1 and 4 have a boat landing. All sites have shades trees that can hold hammocks. All sites are right next to the lake. Site 3 has a dock that all can use. There is excellent swimming with a sandy bottom at the south end of the lake. The lake is stocked with perch in 2024 but has walleye, northern, bass as well. It is also close to many lakes that are good for fishing. I have a 14' fishing boat with trolling motor, a paddle boat, 2 kayaks, and canoe for campers to use for free. Firewood is available for $5/day. There is some hiking on the property and much near by. Biking is also good with small lakes nearby to visit. The camping here is very peaceful with wonderful views and the wildlife is awesome! 120 volt power is at all sites and 220 can reach sites 2 and 3. There is warm showers and flushing toilets. Also all sites are drive through on hard ground grass. Grates are provided for cooking over the fire. There is Wi-Fi internet that reaches sites 1-3
Campfires
Toilets
Showers
from 
$40
 / night
Vaddu's Nature Reserve

4. Vaddu's Nature Reserve

1 site · Lodging · Iron, MN
Named in honor of a late great nature enthusiast from the owners' family, Vaddu's Nature Reserve offers a cute cabin for rent in 40 acres of picturesque North Minnesota hunting/birdwatching territory, 10 minutes from Bob Dylan's home town of Hibbing, 45 minutes from Duluth, and 3 hours from the Twin Cities. Barely 10 minutes north of the Sax-Zim Bog, one often hears a veritable symphony of birds while at the site. The glampsite is ideal for folks who want to enjoy nature, find tranquility, and access nearby attractions in north Minnesota. A driveway provides easy access from Gerzin Road for people who might have a hard time walking long distances, with driveway parking right by the campsite; The location provides birding, hiking, bogging, and snow-shoeing possibilities for people of various abilities, both in the property and at nearby attractions like Washington State Forest or Cloquet Valley. Property is about half wetland and half forest, so ensure you safely prepare for expeditionary activities you might undertake...but you already knew that :-) A map is attached with the photos, where the light green is bog/wetland and the darker green is forest, with the campsite shown in a white pin drop and some other markers like deer stands and feed lots in red/blue pin drops. The trails are marked in teal lines on the map (some blaze orange ribbons on trees irl) but not state-park-level by any measure (goals!) My buddy who has leased the hunting rights this year maintains the trails from time to time, but be aware of both, overgrowth and marshland. Dress in bright colors. The campsite has a campfire setup, picnic table, firewood pile, other seating areas, space to play games/sports (some equipment provided), grills, propane stoves (propane not provided), an outhouse, borewell water (not drinkable without boiling/treatment but can be used for dishes, washing etc.). The cabin has heat by way of a propane heater. Solar-powered lantern in the cabin can charge cell phones. NOT ON THE GRID, but a generator takes care of any electronic or electrical appliances you might want to run. Bring drinking-water/TP/food/layers/sleeping-bags/blankets/trash-bags/repellant/etc.
Toilets
Campfires
Cooking equipment
from 
$80
 / night
The Auntie's Grove at Moonstone

5. The Auntie's Grove at Moonstone

100%
(106)
3 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Montevideo, MN
Moonstone Farm is a perennial polyculture (no annual crops, lots of diversity) on the bluffland of the Upper Minnesota River Valley. A family-based farm specializing in grass-fed organic beef production, we also maintain a vineyard, an edible forest, occasional farmstore, farmstay guest cottage and a full-shade camping area, the Auntie's Grove within walking distance of our pond, little beach, water points and restrooms.
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
from 
$41
 / night

Minnesota's gleaming lakes and sweeping woodlands make the North Star State a firm favorite for campers, and many of the state’s outdoor adventurers are pet-friendly. Whether enjoying fall foliage walks through Afton State Park, hiking to waterfalls at Tettegouche State Park, or backcountry camping in Voyageurs National Park or the Superior National Forest, there’s no reason your dog can’t come along for the ride. Pets are permitted at all Minnesota state park campgrounds (cabins, yurts, and beaches are off-limits), so you could also admire the views in Blue Mounds State Park, swim and paddle at Bear Head Lake State Park, or camp by the riverside at Itasca State Park. Just don’t forget the leash―pets must be on a six-foot leash at all times. Spring and fall provide the most dog-friendly weather, but if your pooch needs to cool off, there are dog beaches at White Bear Lake and Minnesota Point.

95% (7.5K) 1,469 campsites

Top-rated campgrounds near Minnesota

Swan Lake Resort & Campground

1. Swan Lake Resort & Campground

98%
(52)
21 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Fergus Falls, MN
⛺️ Since 1949, we've been a family-operated resort & campground on Swan Lake in Fergus Falls, MN. We offer lakeside cabins, tent camping, and full hook-up, pull-through RV sites. Here, there is time to slow down, room to breathe, and lots to explore. 🏖️ Soak up the sun on the sandy beach, hike through the hidden trails, and take the pontoon out for a cruise. Be sure to turn the tech off and challenge a rival to ping pong, crack a cold one, and explore the water on stand-up paddleboard. 🍦 Bring the little ones and get messy at the arts & crafts table, catch a sunfish off the docks, and indulge in s’mores around the campfire. Don’t forget to show us what you got on the volleyball court and savor an ice cream at the camp store. Curl up in a hammock and get lost in a good book, smile at the flowers and gaze in awe at the night sky. Just be.
Toilets
Campfires
Full hookups
from 
$53
 / night
Sunset Pines MN

2. Sunset Pines MN

100%
(6)
71 sites · RVs, Lodging · Backus, MN
Mike and Loellen discovered Ruttger’s Camping Resort in the winter of 2005 while driving around the area and scanning websites for trailers. We bought a trailer on a seasonal site and have thoroughly enjoyed our summers here ever since! Our sons grew up on the lake, boating and fishing and exploring the area and we have developed a wonderful lake-family. We have watched Bill and Candy Ruttger build the resort into the beautiful property that it is today and feel privileged to have the opportunity to now share it with you. Under our new ownership and with a new name, Sunset Pines MN in January 2023, we are eager to carry on the legacy created by our friends and mentors. We welcome you to enjoy our piece of “Up North” Minnesota lake-life with your family and friends, and don’t forget to enjoy a sunset or two! Mike & Loellen
Toilets
Campfires
Full hookups
from 
$55
 / night
Camping on private lake

3. Camping on private lake

99%
(370)
10 sites · Tents · Westbrook, MN
This property has 4 camp spots. Sites 1 and 4 have a boat landing. All sites have shades trees that can hold hammocks. All sites are right next to the lake. Site 3 has a dock that all can use. There is excellent swimming with a sandy bottom at the south end of the lake. The lake is stocked with perch in 2024 but has walleye, northern, bass as well. It is also close to many lakes that are good for fishing. I have a 14' fishing boat with trolling motor, a paddle boat, 2 kayaks, and canoe for campers to use for free. Firewood is available for $5/day. There is some hiking on the property and much near by. Biking is also good with small lakes nearby to visit. The camping here is very peaceful with wonderful views and the wildlife is awesome! 120 volt power is at all sites and 220 can reach sites 2 and 3. There is warm showers and flushing toilets. Also all sites are drive through on hard ground grass. Grates are provided for cooking over the fire. There is Wi-Fi internet that reaches sites 1-3
Campfires
Toilets
Showers
from 
$40
 / night
Vaddu's Nature Reserve

4. Vaddu's Nature Reserve

1 site · Lodging · Iron, MN
Named in honor of a late great nature enthusiast from the owners' family, Vaddu's Nature Reserve offers a cute cabin for rent in 40 acres of picturesque North Minnesota hunting/birdwatching territory, 10 minutes from Bob Dylan's home town of Hibbing, 45 minutes from Duluth, and 3 hours from the Twin Cities. Barely 10 minutes north of the Sax-Zim Bog, one often hears a veritable symphony of birds while at the site. The glampsite is ideal for folks who want to enjoy nature, find tranquility, and access nearby attractions in north Minnesota. A driveway provides easy access from Gerzin Road for people who might have a hard time walking long distances, with driveway parking right by the campsite; The location provides birding, hiking, bogging, and snow-shoeing possibilities for people of various abilities, both in the property and at nearby attractions like Washington State Forest or Cloquet Valley. Property is about half wetland and half forest, so ensure you safely prepare for expeditionary activities you might undertake...but you already knew that :-) A map is attached with the photos, where the light green is bog/wetland and the darker green is forest, with the campsite shown in a white pin drop and some other markers like deer stands and feed lots in red/blue pin drops. The trails are marked in teal lines on the map (some blaze orange ribbons on trees irl) but not state-park-level by any measure (goals!) My buddy who has leased the hunting rights this year maintains the trails from time to time, but be aware of both, overgrowth and marshland. Dress in bright colors. The campsite has a campfire setup, picnic table, firewood pile, other seating areas, space to play games/sports (some equipment provided), grills, propane stoves (propane not provided), an outhouse, borewell water (not drinkable without boiling/treatment but can be used for dishes, washing etc.). The cabin has heat by way of a propane heater. Solar-powered lantern in the cabin can charge cell phones. NOT ON THE GRID, but a generator takes care of any electronic or electrical appliances you might want to run. Bring drinking-water/TP/food/layers/sleeping-bags/blankets/trash-bags/repellant/etc.
Toilets
Campfires
Cooking equipment
from 
$80
 / night
The Auntie's Grove at Moonstone

5. The Auntie's Grove at Moonstone

100%
(106)
3 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Montevideo, MN
Moonstone Farm is a perennial polyculture (no annual crops, lots of diversity) on the bluffland of the Upper Minnesota River Valley. A family-based farm specializing in grass-fed organic beef production, we also maintain a vineyard, an edible forest, occasional farmstore, farmstay guest cottage and a full-shade camping area, the Auntie's Grove within walking distance of our pond, little beach, water points and restrooms.
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
from 
$41
 / night

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Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
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