Afton Hike In Gear Checklist
The Afton hike-in sites sit about a mile up a hill from the parking lot, and the people who camped there mostly write about the carry. A summer couple regretted hauling a cooler uphill, a winter pair wished for another blanket on an 18 degree night, and a father and son found out the hard way what a butane stove and chemical hand warmers do in the cold. Water and wood are the other open question, because sources disagree on whether the pump runs and whether you buy firewood or cut it.
What shapes your gear on Afton State Park
- How far the walk is
- The park's own virtual tour calls it a one-mile walk from the parking area. A 2014 blogger put the hike-in sites 0.75 to 1.25 miles out and straight uphill. A Twin Cities Outdoors guide says up to a mile, mostly uphill, and steeper than it looks.
From Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wander the Map and Twin Cities Outdoors: Camping Options in Afton State Park
- Water and wood on site
- The park says a solar pump supplies water and firewood is sold at a central spot in the campground. The 2014 blogger found a wood-cutting area and a water station. A February 2010 overnight found the solar well down, and a January 2019 winter camp wrote that the pump was not working.
From Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wander the Map, Backpacking Light and Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park
- Booking and lights
- Twin Cities Outdoors says reservations are required year-round, even for a same-day stay, and a state vehicle permit is required to enter. Bright lights from the Afton Alps ski area next door can show from some sites, so pick a site with that in mind.
From Twin Cities Outdoors: Camping Options in Afton State Park and Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park
- A winter night, with no snow
- Two women camped at a backpack site in mid-January and logged a low of 18 degrees Fahrenheit with no snow on the ground. They kept a fire going in the evening and morning and still were cold inside the tent.
From Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park
- A winter night, with snow
- In the last week of February 2010 a father and son found trails groomed for hiking and skiing, so snowshoes stayed in the pack. Even skiers carried their skis on the steeper sections. They pulled a sled in and used a safety rope to control it on the downhill walk out.
From Backpacking Light
- Number of sites
- The 2014 blogger counted 28 backpacking sites that cars cannot reach, plus a canoe-in site and two group sites. Twin Cities Outdoors says the park's website lists one canoe site while its map shows three.
From Wander the Map and Twin Cities Outdoors: Camping Options in Afton State Park
What hikers carry on Afton State Park
A load you can carry up in one trip
Everyone describes the same grade: a blogger said straight uphill, a Twin Cities Outdoors guide said it is steeper than it looks, and the winter writers said to bring everything in a single trip. Water and a firewood source on site mean you do not need to haul either in.
From Wander the Map, Twin Cities Outdoors: Camping Options in Afton State Park, Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
A tent with a rain fly that stays on
The 2014 couple considered taking the fly off, then left it on all night because showers were forecast. It also gave them cover when something rustled outside, which they guessed was a raccoon.
From Wander the Map
Warm bags, good pads and one more blanket
The two January campers credited good sleeping pads with keeping the frozen ground from pulling heat out, and said another blanket or two would have helped. They found even a campfire did not make up for thin bedding at 18 degrees.
From Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park
Traction for icy trail
Some trails were icy from melting and refreezing, so the January writer suggested snowshoes with crampons or slip-on boot traction. In February 2010 the groomed trails made snowshoes unnecessary, so match the choice to the conditions you find.
From Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park and Backpacking Light
A way to keep a phone charged
The January writer found the cold drained phone batteries quickly and suggested a solar charger.
From Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park
A four-season tent in deep winter
The father and son built a snow shelter instead, spent about three hours getting it to roughly 90 percent done, and slept in it. Their own lesson was to bring a four-season tent rather than count on the snow cooperating.
From Backpacking Light
A stove that works in the cold, plus extra water and socks
The butane canister stove performed poorly in the February cold, and they listed a white gas stove, more water and twice as many socks for the teenager as fixes. With the well down they melted snow for water.
From Backpacking Light
A sharp saw or cash for wood
The February 2010 pair cut firewood from a pile of six-foot timbers with dull saws. The 2014 blogger found a wood-cutting area, while the park and Twin Cities Outdoors say wood is sold, so check which applies before you go.
From Backpacking Light, Wander the Map and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
6 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Afton State Park
A heavy cooler
The 2014 couple hauled a cooler the full way up the hill to their site, and also reached camp having forgotten a few essentials that friends had to cover.
From Wander the Map
Chemical hand warmers
The father and son said the chemical warmers did not work well, and they lost a camcorder to the cold. They suggested keeping anything that must stay above freezing in a soft-sided cooler.
From Backpacking Light
Snowshoes and a pulk on a groomed trail
The snowshoes stayed unused because the trail was groomed, and pulling a sled uphill was hard work. The father's own advice was to pack lighter and maybe skip the pulk.
From Backpacking Light
Gear questions for Afton State Park
How far is the hike to the Afton State Park backpack sites?
The park's tour says one mile from the parking area. A 2014 blogger measured 0.75 to 1.25 miles to the sites, and Twin Cities Outdoors says up to a mile. All three say it is uphill.
From Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wander the Map and Twin Cities Outdoors: Camping Options in Afton State Park
Is there drinking water at the Afton State Park backpack sites?
The park says a solar pump provides water, but reports differ. A February 2010 camper found the well down and melted snow, and a January 2019 camper wrote that the pump was not working. Check the park's current notice, and carry a spare bottle in winter.
From Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Backpacking Light and Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park
Do I bring firewood to Afton State Park?
Do not bring it from home, because Twin Cities Outdoors notes Minnesota law bars that. The park says wood is sold at a central spot in the campground, and a 2014 blogger found a cutting area, so sources differ on whether you buy it or cut it.
From Twin Cities Outdoors: Camping Options in Afton State Park, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Wander the Map
Can you camp at Afton State Park in winter?
Yes, the backpack sites are open year-round, and two January campers logged a low of 18 degrees with no snow. A February 2010 overnight found groomed trails and snow deep enough for a shelter. Bring heavier bedding than you think you need.
From Twin Cities Outdoors: Camping Options in Afton State Park, Twin Cities Outdoors: Winter Camping in Afton State Park and Backpacking Light
Sources
- Afton State Park virtual tour · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources · Agency
- Afton State Park, Minnesota · Wander the Map, Jenna Kvidt · Blog
- Afton State Park, MN, A Father/Son Winter Overnight · Backpacking Light, fourkeelers · Forum thread
- Camping Options in Afton State Park · Twin Cities Outdoors, Sharon Brodin · Blog
- Winter Camping in Afton State Park · Twin Cities Outdoors, Sharon Brodin · Blog