Campgrounds and RV parks near Madison Lake, MN

Madison Lake sits in south-central Minnesota's lake country, roughly fifteen minutes east of Mankato and within an hour's drive of the Twin Cities. The area gives RV travelers access to two Minnesota state parks, several private family resorts, and the 39-mile Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail, a paved rail-to-trail route between Mankato and Faribault that wanders past pastures and farmland. Closest to town, Sakatah Trail Campground and Peaceful Valley Campsites offer smaller-scale private sites, while Kamp Dels in nearby Waterville runs a full family resort with a waterpark, cabins, and RV sites. For public-land camping, Sakatah Lake State Park sits directly on Upper Sakatah Lake, and Minneopa State Park lies just west of Mankato along the Minnesota River. The mix suits both quick weekend trips from the metro and longer stays built around fishing, biking the Sakatah trail, and viewing the free-roaming bison herd at Minneopa. Most sites are reachable on paved county roads, and Mankato provides the nearest full-service grocery, fuel, and RV supply stops.

Public campsites at Sakatah Lake State Park and Minneopa State Park are booked through the Minnesota DNR reservation system at mndnr.gov/reservations, or by phone at 866-857-2757. Reservations open 120 days ahead of the arrival date, with new dates released at 8 a.m. Central. Electric sites and the camper cabins turn over quickly for summer weekends, so booking as soon as the 120-day window opens is recommended. A Minnesota state park vehicle permit is required in addition to the camping fee and can be purchased daily or annually. Same-day reservations are also available online or by phone. Private campgrounds, including Kamp Dels, Sakatah Trail Campground, and Peaceful Valley Campsites, take reservations directly through their own websites. Kamp Dels fills earliest for holiday weekends and themed event weeks.