Campgrounds and RV parks near Slayton, MN

Water recreation dominates the immediate area. Lake Shetek supports boating, fishing, canoeing, and paddling, and the state park maintains an interpretive trail out to Loon Island along with monuments tied to the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. The Casey Jones State Trail's Currie Loop links Lake Shetek State Park with the town of Currie and is popular with cyclists. Further afield, Camden State Park offers hiking on the Dakota Valley Trail, canoeing on Brawner Lake, and a spring-fed pool for swimming, with fishing for bass and bluegill. Blue Mounds State Park draws visitors for its bison herd, prairie hiking along Sioux quartzite outcrops, rock climbing routes, and prickly pear cactus that blooms in early summer. Olson Park & Campground in Worthington sits on the water and provides a practical stop for families breaking up a drive along I-90.

The prime RV season in southwest Minnesota runs from mid-May through mid-October. Summer is warm and humid with long daylight, and thunderstorm activity is heaviest in late spring and early summer. July and August bring the region's hottest weather and the highest campground demand, particularly at Lake Shetek and Blue Mounds. Weekends around Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day fill quickly. Spring arrives late. Snow can persist into March, and April brings variable weather with mud and cool nights. Wildflowers and prairie grasses green up through May, and the Blue Mounds bison herd is often most visible on cooler mornings. Fall is often the best window for RV travel. September and October bring cooler nights, fewer bugs, a fall show of color from the woodlands, maples, basswoods, oaks, and cottonwoods, and much easier reservations. Winter is cold and snowy. The lower campground at Camden State Park stays open year round with limited site availability and reduced facilities from December through March, but most water systems, showers, and dump stations at other parks are shut down through the cold months.

Lake Shetek State Park has three distinct campgrounds. Sunrise Campground caters to RV campers with 32 full-hookup sites providing water, sewer, and 50-amp electric connections. Oak Woods Campground provides 32 electric sites with 50-amp service, 6 non-electric sites, 7 cart-in sites, and 4 camper cabins, all shaded beneath old-growth oaks. Prairie Campground offers 12 rustic sites for tents and smaller campers in a large grassy area bordered by shade trees. Amenities include flush toilets, hot showers, and drinking water during the warm season. Camden State Park features over 80 drive-in campsites split between two main areas. The upper campground sits on higher prairie terrain, operates seasonally, and includes 45 sites with 21 electric hookups and seven pull-through sites. The lower campground nestles in denser woods near the river and provides 35 year-round sites. Campsites can accommodate RVs or a vehicle and trailer combination up to 60 feet. Expect prairie wind, biting insects in early summer, and limited cell coverage at some sites. Blue Mounds sites are open and exposed with little shade. Olson Park is a simple municipal campground with electric sites and a dump station.