What we’re about
Welcome to the Minnesota Camping Meetup. If you are a beginner camper with no or very little experience or an experienced camper with lots of experience you are in the right place. Come join us and make new friends while enjoying the great Minnesota outdoors. We will have about 6 camping trips every year.
If all you are looking to do is to sleep in a tent and hang around the campsite, no problem. Feel free to do that. If you would like to get more of a nature experience you will have the chance. Most trips will have two outdoor activities. Hiking will usually be an option. Biking (road, trail and mountain) will be available on many trips. Water activities (swimming, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, fishing) will be featured on the July and August trips.
We have some regular campers in the group. This means you are camping with people you know and seeing familiar faces. No need to worry about camping with a bunch of strangers every time. We are always happy to have people join us again and again and become regulars themselves.
We are looking forward to you camping with us.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Scenic State Parkscenic state park, Bigfork, MN 56628, Big Fork, MN
Summer at one of my favorite state parks. Scenic has great scenery. Hence the name . The plan is to camp in the Lodge Campground. Everyone will have to get their own campsite. I will host a campfire every night at my campsite. No need to get your own wood. The swimming beach is next to the campground. There is a fishing pier next to the beach. The park has 14 miles of trails. The park has canoe, kayak, paddle board, and boat rentals. This is just an all around great park.
The trip shows Friday to Sunday but I will go up Thursday. Reservations for a July 18 arrival will open March 20. I strongly urge everyone to come up Thursday to get more time to enjoy the park. Even if you come up after work Thursday night when you wake up Friday morning you will be in the park and can start having a great time!
If you click the map for directions it shows the Lodge Campground away from the lake. This is not accurate. The Lodge Campground is very close to the lake. Look at the map on the state park website. It is more accurate.
- Bear Head Lake State ParkBear Head Lake State Park , Ely, MN
If you are late to the party and can't get a site, no worries, we can share sites. Just post a comment. If you can make it to this trip I highly recommend coming. This is a great park.
During the hot summer month of August I would like to go to Bearhead Lake State Park. We will be in drive-in sites. Bearhead has 14 miles of trails. The Mesabi Trail is nearby. The swimming beach is a short distance from the campground. The park has kayak, canoe, paddle board and boat rentals. This is a great park for hiking in wooded scenery. This is a great park.
- Jay Cooke State ParkJay Cooke State Park , Carlton, MN
Let's end the 2025 camping season at Jay Cooke State Park. This park has 34 miles of hiking trails. There is a paved connection to the Munger State Trail. We will be in drive in sites. They have two group sites but there is only four parking spaces for each site.
Reservations for Sep 26th arrivals opens May 29.
Check out the park's website for more about the park.
- 2025 Camping TripsNeeds location
I have been looking at dates and locations for camping trips. I would prefer to camp at group sites but some of the best parks don't have group sites, they are really hard to get or they are not that great. Please comment on these trips to give me feedback. Click on the links in the description for more information. The trips with two beginning dates would be Thursday to Sunday or Friday to Sunday, your choice.
If a link doesn't work or goes to the wrong place let me know.
May 30-Jun 1 This is the weekend after Memorial Day. I am looking at parks that have paved biking trails in addition to hiking trails.. Some of the parks I am looking at are Lake Louise, Sakatah Lake and Jay Cooke. Lake Louise is a small park close to the Iowa border. The Shooting Star State Trail paved bike trail goes through the park. Sakatah Lake is a small park west of Faribault. The Singing Hills State Trail goes through the park. Jay Cooke is by Carlton. Jay Cooke has more hiking trails and a paved trail that connects to the Munger State Trail. We would stay at the group site for Lake Louise and individual sites for Sakatah Lake and Jay Cooke.
Jun 19/20-22 or 26/27-29 Temperance River/Tettegouche? I would like to go up to the north shore. Temperance River doesn't have a group site and the group sites at Tettegouche suck. Temperance River would be my first choice. The Gitchi-Gami State Trail goes through the park. Sawbill Lake is about 35 minutes away. There is an outfitter there that we could rent canoes from. My former chiropractor said he always saw moose there. I am putting Tettegouche out there just as another option. Tettegouche has suffered some flood damage and will need to be evaluated next spring if trails have been repaired.
Jul 17/18-20 Bearhead Lake/ Scenic? During the hot summer months of July and August I would like to go to Bearhead Lake and Scenic State Parks. It doesn't matter which park we go to in either month. If you have a preference, post a comment. Both parks are in the top 5 of state parks. They are both fantastic parks. Both parks have group sites but we will be in drive-in sites. Bearhead has 14 miles of trails. The Mesabi Trail is nearby. The swimming beach is a short distance from the campground. Scenic also has 14 miles of hiking trails. Both parks have kayak, canoe, paddleboard and boat rentals. Scenic has two campgrounds. We would be in the Lodge campground which is close to the swimming beach. Both parks are awesome.
Aug 14/15-17 Bearhead Lake/ Scenic - See above for comments about the parks.
Sep BWCAW Looking to do a two night trip in the BWCAW. We would camp close to the entry point the night before. Then two nights in the boundary waters.
