How to Get a Great River Bluffs Permit
Four cart-in sites on the goat prairies five hundred feet above the Mississippi.
Check Great River Bluffs permit availabilityAbout Great River Bluffs
Four cart-in sites on the bluff top above the Mississippi.
The bluff tops here carry goat prairie — dry, steep grassland that survived because nothing could plough it. Four cart-in sites is the park's entire non-drive-up inventory.
The Experience
You wheel the cart up onto the bluff and the river opens out below Winona. No vehicles at the site, a fire ring, a tent pad and a lot of sky.
What to Expect
Minnesota DNR's definition of the category: "Cart-in and walk-in campsites in Minnesota state parks are not accessible by motor vehicle, but are a half mile or less from parking."
"All sites typically have access to primitive toilets and water, and will have a fire ring, picnic table, and tent pad." DNR's own hedge — "typically" — is worth taking seriously; ring the park if water matters to your plan.
"Cart-in campsites will have a large cart available at the parking area to help you carry gear."
The Minnesota reservation system lists this facility as "Cart-in Campsites" with four units, Cart-In #CI 1 through #CI 4.
Minnesota DNR's published cart-in rate at Great River Bluffs is $24 per site, per night, plus tax.
"Seasonal availability varies by park." DNR publishes no season for this facility specifically, so the booking calendar is the authority on which nights exist.
DNR: "Cart-in Sites | Four rustic sites - tents only! — Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Drinking water and rustic toilets nearby."
No distance from parking is published for these four sites, on either the camping page or the park map. DNR gives the category bound and nothing more.
Season is published only as a state, never as dates: "The campground is open for the season." "Water is on for the season. The park does not have a fill station." "Shower building is open for the season."
Water: "There is a drinking fountain in the campground and picnic area."
Toilets: "Vault toilets are available throughout the park year round," with seasonal accessible showers and flush toilets in the campground.
No electricity anywhere in this park. DNR: "There are NO electric sites at this park. Sites big enough to accommodate RV's are limited. The nearest state park with electricity is Beaver Creek Valley."
Reservations: "ALL campsites must be reserved ahead of time."
Sourcing note: the park-page sentences on this page were read on 2026-08-10 from Minnesota DNR's own live park-content endpoint. maps.dnr.state.mn.us refuses our requests outright, so that fetch went through a Wayback Save-Page-Now capture of the live DNR endpoint, with the Internet Archive acting only as transport. www.dnr.state.mn.us and files.dnr.state.mn.us were read directly.
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Permit Requirements
All campsites require a reservation. Minnesota DNR: "All campsites require a reservation. Please make a reservation online or call 866-857-2757."
Reservations open 120 days before arrival, and same-day bookings are allowed. On the day a date first becomes available, online reservations cannot be made before 8 a.m.
The reservation fee is $8.00 online and $10.00 by phone, non-refundable. There is no fee for a same-day booking.
Camping check-in is after 4 p.m. and checkout is by 4 p.m. If you have not checked in by 11 a.m. on the second day of the reservation, DNR may cancel it.
"A campsite's occupancy is limited to one camping group of six people or less, one camping shelter, and one vehicle." More than that needs the park manager's prior approval.
Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and generators may not run in those hours.
Park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days a year, and "only campers with a reserved campsite are allowed in the park after 10 p.m."
Every vehicle entering a Minnesota state park must display a valid year-round or one-day state park vehicle permit.
Firewood transport is regulated. DNR allows wood bought at this park for use in this park, Minnesota Department of Agriculture certified firewood anywhere on DNR land, and an uncertified bundle only if it is not ash and was harvested in the county where you will burn it — "be sure to keep your receipt and the bundle label to show proof of purchase."
Firewood from home, pallet wood, and painted, stained or metal-bearing lumber are all prohibited, and "collection of firewood in state parks is not allowed."
Pets are welcome on a leash six feet or shorter, or in a portable enclosure, and must be personally attended at all times.
It is illegal to consume or display intoxicating liquors in Minnesota state parks.
Fireworks and metal detectors are not permitted.
Hammocks need trees at least 12 inches in diameter and straps at least an inch wide, one hammock per tree, hung over mowed and cleared ground.
You may pick edible fruits and mushrooms for personal consumption; picking wildflowers or other plants is not allowed.
Campfires here run on a live burning restriction that moves with fire danger, so a fire ring at the site is not permission to use it. The authority is this park's own Camping & Lodging page, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/great_river_bluffs/camping.html — read it in the week you travel, not the week you book.
Read 2026-08-10, that page carried: "Attention visitors - fire danger is very high!" The same notice said "Attended campfires are allowed in established fire rings in state park campgrounds, including drive-in, cart-in and walk-in campsites. If you choose to have a campfire, please keep it small, always supervise the fire, and make sure it is completely out before you walk away." That was DNR's position on that date under fire danger it called very high, and the same notice already banned fires at the backcountry hike-in, backpack and boat-in sites. It can tighten to a full ban before you arrive.
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •Nothing specialised; DNR provides the cart at the parking area
- •A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car you leave at the trailhead
- •Water, or a way to treat it — DNR says these sites "typically" have water, which is not the same as always
- •A camp stove, and a meal plan that works on it — Minnesota DNR closes fire rings at short notice, and its Tettegouche notice of 2026-08-10 read "Camp stoves are permitted for cooking."
Recommended Gear
- •A wind layer for the bluff top
- •Water containers, given DNR's "typically" on site water
Hazards & Safety
DNR's visitor tips: "Use caution when hiking trails to overlooks or along steep slopes. Keep small children close."
DNR: "While timber rattlesnakes live in the park, they are not numerous. Stay on the trails and give them space in the unlikely event that you see one. They are a protected species."
DNR: "Dogs are not allowed in State Natural Areas within the park." The park contains two of them, King's and Queen's Bluff.
Tents only at these four sites, and no electricity anywhere in the park.
Best Time to Visit
DNR sells this park on autumn: "Easy trails with scenic overlooks of Mississippi River Valley. Excellent area to see fall colors," and "the scenery is especially beautiful in fall when colorful maples and oaks cover the bluffs." Its highlights list is blufftop views, fall colors, goat prairies and birdwatching, and it recommends the five overlooks at sunrise. The campground is described only as "open for the season" with no dates, so check the booking calendar for which nights exist.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Great River Bluffs permit?
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Great River Bluffs permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Great River Bluffs?
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DNR sells this park on autumn: "Easy trails with scenic overlooks of Mississippi River Valley. Excellent area to see fall colors," and "the scenery is especially beautiful in fall when colorful maples and oaks cover the bluffs." Its highlights list is blufftop views, fall colors, goat prairies and birdwatching, and it recommends the five overlooks at sunrise. The campground is described only as "open for the season" with no dates, so check the booking calendar for which nights exist.
What gear do I need for Great River Bluffs?
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Essential gear includes: Nothing specialised; DNR provides the cart at the parking area, A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car you leave at the trailhead, Water, or a way to treat it — DNR says these sites "typically" have water, which is not the same as always, A camp stove, and a meal plan that works on it — Minnesota DNR closes fire rings at short notice, and its Tettegouche notice of 2026-08-10 read "Camp stoves are permitted for cooking.".
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