Minnesota's famous 10,000 lakes and heavily forested regions are magnets for a multitude of campgrounds that have been developed to take advantage of the state's ample natural resources. Popular in the summer for outdoor recreational pursuits, such as hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing and fishing, Minnesota's campgrounds turn into a winter playground enjoyed an increasing number of hearty and adventurous visitors.
Campgrounds
Many of Minnesota's more than 70 state parks allow winter camping as do most of Minnesota's 58 state forests. Two national forests in the northern region of the state offer numerous U.S. Forests Service campgrounds that are available for winter camping. In addition to designated campsites, dispersed camping is allowed anywhere on the public lands of the more than 4 million acres of state and national forest land.
Facilities
Most public campgrounds in Minnesota offer semi-modern or rustic facilities in the summer months. Wintertime facilities will be lacking a few of those comforts. Electricity and running water are typically cut off in late October through late April. Campers will have to use vault toilets or create their own cat holes. Roads leading to designated campgrounds may not be maintained in winter and campers may have to hike, ski, or snowshoe to their sites.
Weather
As you might expect in Minnesota, winter can be cold. With numerous towns competing for bragging rights as the nation's icebox, winter weather forecasts usually call for cold to frigid temperatures with intermittent periods of snow and wind. But the winter weather also ensures that you'll have most campgrounds and campsites to yourself. Part of the lure of winter camping is that the bitter stillness of the winter in the deep woods can surround you with a quiet solitude not easily replicated anywhere else.
Activities
The seemingly endless miles of hiking and biking trails available throughout Minnesota's campgrounds in the summertime, turn into powdery paths for cross country skis, snowshoes and dog sleds in the winter. Hiking is still possible in the winter but can be an especially arduous winter activity in deep snows. Proximity to water makes fishing is a Minnesota campground lure no matter what the weather or time of year. Drilling a hole through ice-covered lakes and dropping a line in the frigid waters can be rewarded with sizeable fish eager to bite.
Equipment
Modern outdoor technology or proven traditional equipment can both keep you warm and comfortable during a winter camping expedition. Nylon ripstop sleeping bags can keep you dry and fills rated to minus 40 can keep you warm. Canvas tents that breathe have been used in the winter for hundreds of years and when paired with a portable wood stove and chimney can be a toasty alternative to modern nylon tents. Dressing in multiple layers with a combination of moisture-wicking fabrics, wool and fleece will give you plenty of options to adjust to weather conditions and activity levels. Don't forget the skis, snowshoes, sleds and fishing poles.
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