Campgrounds and RV parks near Winthrop, MN

Winthrop sits in Sibley County in south-central Minnesota, roughly midway between the Twin Cities and the South Dakota border. The town itself has no destination campground, but several RV-friendly options fall within an hour's drive across the Minnesota River Valley and the Cottonwood River corridor. Most trips base out of state parks near New Ulm and Fairfax, or at municipal and private campgrounds serving small towns along U.S. Highway 14. The closest state park facilities are at Flandrau State Park, on the Cottonwood River adjacent to the city of New Ulm, and at Fort Ridgely State Park above the Minnesota River near Fairfax. Fort Ridgely preserves the ruins of an 1850s U.S. Army outpost and interprets the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, a major event in early Minnesota history. Smaller options include Shirley's Park and Country Retreat outside New Ulm, Peaceful Valley Campsites, and Kuhar Park Campground in Lamberton, a municipal park along the Cottonwood River. Together they cover the range from electric RV sites and horse camping to primitive tent sites along river valleys.

Minnesota state park sites at Flandrau and Fort Ridgely are booked through the Minnesota DNR reservation system. Reservations can be made up to 120 days in advance, 24 hours a day, except for the first day a reservation becomes available; on that first day, reservations cannot be made online before 8 a.m. Central Time. Booking is available at mndnr.gov/reservations or by phone at 866-857-2757. A Minnesota state park vehicle permit is required in addition to the campsite fee. The Horse Camp at Fort Ridgely operates differently from the drive-in loops. All Horse Camp sites are first-come, first-served and available April 1 through November 1. Kuhar Park is managed by the City of Lamberton, and Shirley's Park and Country Retreat and Peaceful Valley Campsites take bookings directly through the operators.