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Minnesota Free Camping Rank and Rules

Minnesota ranks #2 of 50 for free camping

Minnesota ranks #2 of 50 for free camping, with 36.3 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

Minnesota free camping in numbers

Minnesota ranks #2 of 50 for free camping, with 36.3 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#2
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
36.3
Known dispersed sites
2,894
Land area
79,627 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
739
State-land rule
Open by default
Forest restrictions tracked
0

Dispersed camping in Minnesota

Can you camp on Minnesota state land?

Open by default. Camping is open across about 4 million acres of state forest, free and with no permit, as long as you stay a mile from a built campground. Wildlife management areas are the exception. Camping on them is banned by rule. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in Minnesota?

Our records hold no National Forest restriction on dispersed camping in Minnesota. That is not the same as having none, so check the forest's own alerts page before you camp.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.