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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

  1. Home
  2. Minnesota
  3. Sandy Lake

Camping at Sandy Lake near Mcgregor

Public campground · Mcgregor · 58 campsites · 2 group

A forested campground near fishing, and hiking. RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

Sandy Lake Dam and Recreation Area sits where Big Sandy Lake drains into the Sandy and Mississippi rivers, about 13 miles north of McGregor on Highway 65 in Minnesota's lake country. The dam structure on the outlet, part of the early Mississippi Headwaters reservoir system, dates to the late 19th century and the site still preserves its trading-post and lock-house history in a small, free museum near the dam.

4.0 on Recreation.gov · 185 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 12 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 75 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • Electric hookups
  • Pets welcome
  • Dump station
OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 58 sites
No sites offered for these dates.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Check dates on Recreation.gov. Showing 40 of 60 sites.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
Tent 5
walk to
––$16
Tent 8
walk to
––$16
Tent 6
walk to
––$16
Tent 7
walk to
––$16
Tent 4
walk to
––$18
Tent 2
walk to
––$18
Tent 1
walk to
––$18
Tent 3
walk to
––$18
36
standard electric
––$26
08
standard electric
–
No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

No sites offered for these dates
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

  • Boat Ramp
  • Dump Station
  • Fish Cleaning Stations
  • Fishing
  • Interpretive Trails
  • Parking Area
  • Pay Phone
  • Picnic Area
  • Playground
  • Ranger Station
  • Recycling
Check-in
1:00 PM
Checkout
12:00 PM
Pets
Allowed (per listing)
Maximum stay
14 nights

Hookups (individual campsites): 50 electric individual sites · group sites listed separately (2 electric).

Location

22205 531ST LANE
Open in Google Maps ↗

Sandy Lake: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Sandy Lake?
Longest RV site listed: 75 ft (47 of 51 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Sandy Lake have RV hookups?
50 electric individual sites · group sites listed separately (2 electric) (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Sandy Lake?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Are pets allowed at Sandy Lake?
Allowed (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 75 ft (47 of 51 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 50 electric individual sites · group sites listed separately (2 electric)
Pull-through / back-in
Listing 8 pull-through, 43 back-in
Road & site access
Listing 2 paved, 50 gravel site driveways; 1 hike-in site
Pets
Listing Allowed
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): Verizon 3 (60 reports), AT&T 3 (41 reports), T-Mobile 3 (33 reports)
Water
Listing Water at 61 sites
Shade
Listing 25 of 51 sites that report shade are listed as shaded
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $16/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 14 nights max
Getting there
Listing 22205 531ST LANE (map in Location below)
Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Themes from recent written reviews on Recreation.gov. Quotes are verbatim.

Trails and biking · 2 reviews

“We hiked the Continental Divide trail over at nearby Savanna Portage State Park, the colors were stunning!”

Scott C · Oct 2025

Selected reviews

Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (185 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.

“Awesome place to stay. Historic and clean. Camp hosts were awesome folks. Quiet, plenty of room, awesome hiking.”

Jeffrey T 5 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Love the sites, walking opportunities and the dam museum artifacts. This site is a memorial site and educational if you're into that (overlook on hwy 65 at the rest stop has historical monuments). ”

Mike J 3 · Oct 2025 · Recreation.gov
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

Prefer a roof?

Prefer a roof over your head

All glamping →
  • Minnesota National Golf Course & RV Park5.5 mi · McGregor
  • Savanna Portage State Park7.9 mi · Mcgregor
  • Trails Inn Quadna Motel & RV Park18.1 mi · Hill City
  • Hill City Park and Campground18.9 mi · Hill City

Explore nearby

  • Campgrounds near McGregor
  • RV rentals near McGregor
  • Glamping & cabins near McGregor
  • RV rentals in Minnesota
  • Glamping in Minnesota

Guides for this trip

  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
–
$26
42
standard electric
––$26
34
standard electric
––$26
03
standard electric
––$26
20
standard electric
––$26
13
standard electric
––$26
10
standard electric
––$26
40
standard electric
––$26
35
standard electric
––$26
45
standard electric
––$26
25
standard electric
––$26
09
standard electric
––$26
05
standard electric
––$26
31
standard electric
––$26
06
standard electric
––$26
24
standard electric
––$26
07
standard electric
––$26
28
standard electric
––$26
41
standard electric
––$26
46
standard electric
––$26
01
standard electric
––$26
21
standard electric
––$26
30
standard electric
––$26
12
standard electric
––$26
14
standard electric
––$26
43
standard electric
––$26
27
standard electric
––$26
33
standard electric
––$26
29
standard electric
––$26
37
standard electric
––$26
26
standard electric
––$26

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights5 sites open for every night

Minnesota National Golf Course & RV Park

5.5 mi from Sandy Lake (straight-line)
Sites from $39/night
$78 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Campspot · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights61 sites open for every night

Savanna Portage State Park

7.9 mi from Sandy Lake (straight-line)
Sites from $22/night
$44 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Minnesota State Parks · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights54 sites open for every night

Trails Inn Quadna Motel & RV Park

18.1 mi from Sandy Lake (straight-line)
Sites $23/night
$45 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Trip idea

Ideas for your stay

An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.

  1. Day 1 · Arrive and settle in

    • Check in and set up camp.
    • go fishing (per the campground listing)
  2. Day 2 · Get out and explore

    • Minnesota River Valley 14-Line Thrilling Zipline Canopy Tour Minnesota area · 2.5 hr · from $99/person
    • Minnesota's Ultimate High Ropes Course Minnesota area · 2 hr · from $49/person
  3. Optional full-day extension

    Longer tours — plan travel time before and after.

    • Voyageurs National Park Boat Tours Minnesota area · 6 hr · from $300/person
Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 49 sites take tents. See open sites ↑
  • Electric sites: 49 sites have power.

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 75 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

Sunset Rideaway- 2014 Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature
Sunset Rideaway- 2014 Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature

Travel trailer · 22.2 ft · sleeps 4 · 83 mi from campground

$109/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
2017 Forest River XLR Hyper Lite 30HDS Toy Hauler
2017 Forest River XLR Hyper Lite 30HDS Toy Hauler

Toy hauler · 35.67 ft · sleeps 7 · 85 mi from campground

$125/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
2019 Winnebago Travato
2019 Winnebago Travato

Camper van · 21 ft · sleeps 2 · 91 mi from campground

$220/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Things to do

Activities near Sandy Lake

Bookable tours nearby

Paid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

Minnesota River Valley 14-Line Thrilling Zipline Canopy Tour
Minnesota River Valley 14-Line Thrilling Zipline Canopy Tour

Minnesota area · 2.5 hr · from $99/person

Minnesota's Ultimate High Ropes Course
Minnesota's Ultimate High Ropes Course

Minnesota area · 2 hr · from $49/person

Voyageurs National Park Boat Tours
Voyageurs National Park Boat Tours

Minnesota area · 6 hr · from $300/person

See 6 more bookable tours
Murder Mystery Detective Experience in Stillwater MN
Murder Mystery Detective Experience in Stillwater MN

Minnesota area · 2.5 hr · from $15/person

Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season May 1–Oct 14: Tent $16–$35, RV & Tent $26–$60 per night
  • Peak season May 1–Oct 14: Tent $16–$35, RV & Tent $26–$60 per night

stays up to 14 nights (Recreation.gov rules).

Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Sandy Lake

For July weekends, book about 172 days ahead. Three in four July Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 116 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
May85 days ahead150 days ahead94 days ahead170 days ahead
June96 days ahead158 days ahead80 days ahead154 days ahead
July116 days ahead172 days ahead87 days ahead175 days ahead
August90 days ahead159 days ahead46 days ahead159 days ahead
September23 days ahead59 days ahead10 days ahead52 days ahead
October5 days ahead17 days ahead2 days ahead26 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (14,584 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

Compare site types

58 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 8 · 2 group sites listed separately. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Standard sites with electric

Tent or RV, with power

49 sites · $26, $52/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Walk to

8 sites · $18, $16/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Group standard electric (group)

2 sites · $60/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Cabin electric

1 site · $60/night

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Canoe National Forest Lakes (Lutsen/Grand Marais)
Canoe National Forest Lakes (Lutsen/Grand Marais)

Minnesota area · 3 hr · from $145/person

Loon Liquors Distillery Private Tour
Loon Liquors Distillery Private Tour

Minnesota area · 1 hr · from $20/person

Charming Stillwater, MN, Tour with Private Transportation
Charming Stillwater, MN, Tour with Private Transportation

Minnesota area · 2 hr · from $480/person

Group Rock Climbing in Interstate Park
Group Rock Climbing in Interstate Park

Minnesota area · 4 hr · from $185/person

Private Customizable Ghost Walking Tour in Anoka
Private Customizable Ghost Walking Tour in Anoka

Minnesota area · 2 hr–4 hr · from $572/person