A swimming beach and a boat ramp share the shore of Lake Independence at Maple Plain, west of Minneapolis. Baker Campground's loops run through the woods around that water, close enough to walk from a site to the beach. Three Rivers Park District runs this as its largest campground, a west-metro lake overnight on that same shore.
Reservations open 120 days ahead on Three Rivers Park District's own system, as of September 2026. The pad is the first booking, and the van is the second. About half the sites have electric, and a dump station is on site for registered campers.
If you need more sleeping space than a campervan holds, Minnesota RV rentals fit the same loops. The campground runs late April through mid-October, and that window is the Minneapolis van-overnight season on these lakes.
Lake Auburn Campground at Carver Park Reserve
Lake Auburn Campground in Carver Park Reserve keeps drive-in sites next to an unguarded beach on a different Three Rivers lake. The campground has no electricity and no showers, so this is the rustic night. Book it on the same district system as Baker when Baker is full. The beach is the reason to take this overnight.
Bunker Hills Regional Park
In Coon Rapids, Bunker Hills Regional Park puts a campground in the same grounds as Bunker Beach Water Park and an activities center. Modern sites have water and electric. Stays cap at seven consecutive nights, and the season runs early May through mid-October.
The Chain of Lakes, Minnehaha Falls, and the Stone Arch Bridge
Walk the Chain of Lakes west of downtown on a Minneapolis day, then Minnehaha Falls on the way to the river. You do this in daylight and sleep at Baker or Lake Auburn.
The Stone Arch Bridge crosses the Mississippi below St. Anthony Falls in native granite and limestone, a railroad bridge from 1883, now a walk over the falls, with the downtown skyline behind it. You walk it inside the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, looking back at the city. Across the river, the St. Croix valley and the Minnesota State Fair belong to Saint Paul.
Lake Minnetonka Regional Park
A chlorinated swim pond opens the day at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park, and a public boat launch with trailer parking puts you on the lake. Camping is not permitted in the park or on its islands, as of September 2026.
South-metro campgrounds are a Lakeville trip. Minnesota campervan trips cover Voyageurs, the Boundary Waters, and Itasca.