Pets

Toilets

Campfires

Trash

Rusty Star Ranch Riverview

The Rusty Star Ranch is nestled along side the Sauk River. The site is slightly elevated which give you a picturesque view of the river and the natural beauty of country scenery. Perfect access to the river if you want to enjoy canoeing, kayaking or fishing. Level sites for campingLearn more about this land:On the banks of the Sauk River. Kayaking. Tubing, bicycle access to the Wobegon trail. Fishing for pike. The view over the river is breathtaking at sunset 

18 ft pavilion for shade and rainy weather

The Woods

Nice pull in area for your vehicle that you can drive all the way through and not back up in

Willmar

Find & reserve the best private campsites near Willmar, Minnesota. Tent, cabin & RV camp on private & State Parks, on local farms, vineyards & nature preserves.

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Lake Maria State Park

Father Hennepin State Park

Willow River State Park

Gull Lake Recreation Area

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

Devil's Lake State Park

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Chequamegon National Forest

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Cooking equipment

Rosie's Ranch

We have a small sheep & lamb operation on our small farm nestled into the Glacial Lakes area in West Central MN. We are right off of the Glacial Ridge Scenic Byway. Surrounded by over 1000 acres of public land and Nature Conservancy preserves within a quick drive, our ranch rotationally grazes sheep on diverse native prairie pastures. Our operation is rustic, quiet, private and humble but inviting. Learn more about this land:Primitive, quiet private campsite on a small farm with sheep and dogs (dog lovers only please)! Native prairie hills hug a lake loaded with wild rice and wild waterfowl adjacent to oak woods. Abundant hiking options as well as some local access to the Chippewa river as well as some fishing holes we can guide you to. About 10 min drive to Green Lake/ Norway lake areas with great public beaches. Sunburg is close by with a bar & grill, New London is 17 miles with a great brewery and tons of outdoor events all summer long. We allow limited access to our mudroom/ bathroom area for campers. 

Enjoying the sunset by the lake across from the campsite

Pearsons Century Farm

Homesteaded more than 100 years ago this farm is somewhat stuck in time. Once this was a prosperous dairy operation.  Location location location, this place is my slice of heaven on earth. Located in the corner of 4 townships on an extremely quiet road. Our farm now raises grass fed beef and wooly pigs pastured along driveway along with the usual cast of a farm, dogs, cats, chickens, guineas and goats

No matter the time of day, the lighting in Auntie's Grove is perfect! 

The Auntie's Grove at Moonstone

Moonstone is a perennial polyculture (no annual crops, lots of diversity) on the bluffland of the Upper Minnesota River Valley.  A family-based farm specializing in grass-fed organic beef production, we also maintain a vineyard, an edible forest, farmstore, farmstay guest cottage and a full-shade camping area, the Auntie's Grove within walking distance of our pond, little beach, water points and restrooms.

Spending some time out on the lake in one of the two canoes is highly recommended!

One full size bed with floor space for cot or bedrolls.  

The bulls spend the day walking around their pasture eating and playing in the dirt. 

The vineyard is a beautiful setting for photos as the sun hangs low in the sky. 

Plenty of water on site, though not plumbed except for exit water.  Recycling and composting are part of the system.

New Story Farm

So what's the story with New Story Farm?  Well, it's a farm whose caretakers are working to enact just that…a new story! We believe that virtually all of the problems that come with civilization stem from people believing the predominant cultural story which says we are "above" or "separate" from nature. This story that is omnipresent in our culture tells us that the natural laws of nature are not applicable to us. A "story" is a scenario interrelating man, the world, and the gods."To enact" is to live so as to make a story a reality. "Culture" is a people enacting a story. If you believe that the world belongs to man, you will see all other life as a resource. If you believe that man belongs to the world, you see all other life as partners. On our farm, we are surrounded by annual agriculture and although we grew up eating from this system and have gratitude for that, we also see that annual agriculture is intrinsically unsustainable. Even at it's best, it is extractive and erosive, leading in time to desertification. We want to enact a new story that puts humans back in partnership with all other creation. Learn more about this land:IF YOU ARE ONLY LOOKING FOR A CHEAP PLACE TO CAMP, PLEASE DON'T BOOK If you want to be part of the change we are all hoping for, read further and get in touch if you feel called to. Visit and lend a hand to a regenerative farm fostering an intentional agrarian community for beginning farmers while offering educational & sacred community gatherings!  We need HELP building this community and vision— do you see value in preserving skills of the past? Re-learning how to live and communicate in a thriving and connected community? Consider putting your energy where your values are and spend a few days weaving this story with us.The garden needs tending, animals need rotating, the community building is functional but still in the construction chapter. Earthworks for water spreading and shedding, barn cleaning, thistle chipping, wild harvesting and drying, herbal medicine making and food preserving.Balance work time with rejuvenating time:Feed the cows some apples, cuddle up with a chicken and get some laughs watching the shenanigans of a full-of-character ex-street dog named Burdock. Take a hike through 76 acres of native prairie and hickory/oak forest.  LOTS of wildlife all around, at all times. You will probably hear geese, pheasants, song birds, coyote and see deer, trumpeter swans, mallard and wood ducks, sandhill cranes, leopard frogs, painted turtles, and maybe even a cougar ( one has been sighted here at NSF)! Cool off in the creek or visit Piepenburg Park  or Belle Lake which are right around the corner. If you want to learn about wild foraging, medicinal herbs or anything farm-related we can arrange that, just ask. Composting toilet is available for your use. Depending on the time of the year, you may want to bring extra mosquito protection.

Curious cows would watch us as we wandered through the garden

All the cows are absolutely adorable and many will come right up to you for some loves

We got a chance to help out in the garden and we loved it!

There was plenty of nice flat gravel for us to easily park our rv

The adorable composting toilet that is available for campers

We couldn't get enough cuddles with these hand-raised turkeys. They would come running up to us and hop into our lap to get pets

The Country School

Once a country school

 built in 1938 and used into the 1960s, this property with 5 wooded acres surrounded by pasture and farmland, has been our family home since 1982.

We are less than 10 minutes from I-94 , Lake Wobegon bike trail, St John's University, Avon Hills Folk School, county parks with hiking trails , and lots of lakes.

Fire ring, and

 picnic table on each site.

Learn more about this land:

We provide a walk-in only,  primitive, private camping experience. Pitch your tent in our woods, just a short walk in from the road. Campsite 1 is close to the road and house,  just about  50 paces in from the road. Campsite 2 is farther into the woods, uphill and offers more privacy.

The night and early morning sounds can be incredible! Coyotes, owls, loons,  frogs, sandhill cranes, wild turkey, cattle, sheep and chickens too.            

  

While we currently do not have many amenities, we do offer  a get away from humanity, darkness , nature sounds , and   campfires.  

While our property does not include a lake , there are many within a few short miles.

The small town of Avon on 1-94 is just 3 1/2 miles away. It offers access to the 65 mile long Lake Wobegon bike trail, the Avon beach,  a fishing pier, and legendary "Fisher's Club" , home of the best darn walleye, all  on Middle Spunk Lake. 

St John's University is a few short scenic miles away.   Hiking trails, maple syrup festival, bird watching, fall colors , and many more reasons to visit this Benedictine campus.

Stearns county has 8 county parks with miles of hiking trails. 

Birdwatching is excellent year around.

Avon Hills Folk School is little over a mile away.

El Rancho Manana is within 8 miles and offers horseback riding.

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Rusty Star Ranch Riverview

The Woods

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