Campgrounds Near White Bear Lake in Minnesota

Swimming in ponds and lakes; hiking and cross-country skiing through vast woodlands; and angling and picnicking are some of the outdoor activities enjoyed by visitors to White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The city hugs the scenic shore of White Bear Lake about 20 miles from the Twin Cities airport. Enjoy the Land of 10,000 Lakes' famous outdoor scenery and still be close to the metropolitan hub of Minneapolis and St. Paul while staying in one of the nearby campgrounds.

  1. Lake Elmo Park Reserve

    • Sixteen miles southeast of White Bear Lake is Lake Elmo Park Reserve, a 3.5-square-mile park that includes scenic prairies and woodlands. The park has three spacious group campsites, which accommodate up to 100 people. Each site includes several fire rings, grills and picnic tables; one group campsite has a shelter area. Lake Elmo Park Reserve also has dozens of campsites for tents and RV trailers, each equipped with an electrical hookup, a picnic table and a fire ring. For more basic camping, the park offers several hike-in tent sites within 450 feet of the parking lot. Each basic site is equipped with a picnic table and a fire ring. Picnic at one of two shelters at the park, fish at the scenic pier along White Bear Lake's southwest shore and swim in the on-site man-made pond. The campground is open from late spring to mid-fall.

    St. Paul East RV Park

    • St. Paul East RV Park (stpauleastrvpark.com), 18 miles southeast of White Bear Lake in Woodbury, is open from spring through early fall. The park has RV and tent sites, as well as cabins. Each tent site comes equipped with a picnic table and a fire pit, and RV sites include water and electrical hookups, a picnic table and a fire pit. You can rent basic cabins with beds, but you'll need to bring your own bedroll. Each cabin has a ceiling fan and an electric heater, along with a picnic table, a fire pit and grill, and water. Restrooms and showers are in the campground's main building.

      St. Paul East RV Park is geared toward campers who want to explore the Twin Cities. Nearby attractions include cathedrals, museums and restaurants. For shoppers, it's only 20 minutes from the biggest mall in the country, the Mall of America (mallofamerica.com).

    William O'Brien State Park

    • William O'Brien State Park, about 26 miles north of White Bear Lake, is adjacent to the idyllic St. Croix River. The park includes several cabins and dozens of drive-in sites, many with electrical hookups. The park's handful of tent sites are close to running water and vault toilets. Amenities include showers, flush and vault toilets, and a dump station.

      Twelve miles of hiking trails, ranging from easy to difficult, wind through bucolic wooded hills and restored oak savannas. In winter, cross-country ski along the park's 10-mile ski trail, or snowshoe on the scenic, half-loop Riverside Trail, which winds along the St. Croix River and Lake Alice. The campground has a fishing pier; all anglers over the age of 16 must have a fishing license. Both the cabins and the Savanna campground sites are open year-round; Riverside and Wedge Hill group campsites and the Riverway campsites are open from late spring to mid-fall.

    Ham Lake Campground

    • Ham Lake Campground (hamlakecampground.com), 28 miles northwest of White Bear Lake in Andover, is in a bucolic, wooded area. The campground is open from late spring to late fall. Each site comes equipped with a picnic table and a fire ring; flush and vault toilets are nearby. The campground includes a bathhouse equipped with shower and toilet facilities. Ham Lake also has three cabins with views of the lake, where campers can paddle boat, fish or canoe. Boats are conveniently rented on site.