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Afton Hike In Campsite permit area in Afton State Park (MN) - backcountry hiking destination
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Afton Hike In Campsite Permit

Afton State Park (MN) · Minnesota

A single hike-in campsite in the St. Croix bluffs. Minnesota DNR puts it "approximately seven-tenths of a mile from the parking area", and paddlers can reach it from the river.

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When it opens

120 days
First come, first served from 120 days before your start date, at 8 am CentralYou book on the agency's site.

Source: dnr.state.mn.us

70% of the openings our scanner caught on Afton Hike In were gone within 10 minutes.

Afton Hike In reservation dates

route distance, out and back
0.7mi
max group size
6people

How to get an Afton Hike In permit

As of September 2026, Afton Hike In in Afton State Park (MN), Minnesota requires a permit issued via reservation. Afton Hike In is a high-demand permit, rating 8/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Afton Hike In permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The Afton Hike In route covers 0.7 miles.

Type
Backpacking
Location
St. Croix River Valley, MN

  1. Step 1: Create a Minnesota State Parks (ReserveMN) account

    Sign up at Minnesota State Parks (ReserveMN) if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.

  2. Step 2: Know the release schedule

    Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.

  3. Step 3: Be ready when permits drop

    Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.

  4. Step 4: Monitor for cancellations

    If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.

Book at Minnesota State Parks (ReserveMN)
Learn more:
Best booking timesCancellation hunting

More on Afton Hike In: Live availability activityWhen Afton Hike In permits open upReserveMN (Minnesota State Parks) permit and campground cancellations

The Afton Hike In hike

Distance
0.7 miles
Route Type
Out & Back
Duration
1 night

Afton Hike In landmarks

  1. 1St. Croix River

    The National Scenic Riverway the park's bluffs stand above. DNR says paddlers can reach this site from the river.

  2. 2North River Trail

    DNR: "0.8 mile... Follow the St. Croix River as you head north along a former railroad grade."

  3. 3Prairie Loop

    DNR: "2.1-mile loop... Circle the park's largest open area."

  4. 4Deer Valley Loop

    DNR: "2.2-mile loop — Steep terrain • Narrow • Packed dirt."

  5. 5Trout Brook Loop

    DNR: "Be ready for a workout as you follow Trout Brook through a secluded ravine."

One hike-in campsite in the St. Croix bluffs, thirty minutes from the Twin Cities.

About this permit

Minnesota State Parks list this as the "Hike In" facility at Afton State Park, and it holds one site. Because the whole facility is a single campsite, any night it is taken is a night the facility is sold out, which is why it shows less open time than the park's larger walk-in areas. DNR's own Afton camping page describes it as "a single hike-in site... near the swimming beach and lower picnic areas", "approximately seven-tenths of a mile from the parking area", and says "camping is available year-round".

Why it matters

It is a single site inside a metro-area park, which is an unusual combination: close enough to reach after work, and scarce enough that a night here is either yours or gone. Minnesota's backcountry category means no road reaches it and there is no electricity.

The feeling

You walk in from the trailhead lot with everything on your back, and the river bluffs put a fair amount of climb into it. No hookups, no neighbours, primitive toilet, fire ring.

Afton Hike In hike highlights

  1. Minnesota DNR's definition of the category: "Backcountry campsites in Minnesota state parks are not accessible by motor vehicle and are a half mile or more from a parking area. They do not have electricity, and are a popular option for backpackers, paddlers, and bicyclists."
  2. "Backcountry sites typically have primitive toilet facilities and water, a tent pad, and a fire ring. Some have a picnic table and a grill on the fire ring, and a few have shelters."
  3. The Minnesota reservation system lists this facility as "Hike In" and it holds exactly one unit, named Hike-In #01. One site means the facility is either open or sold out. There is no partial availability to wait for.
  4. Minnesota DNR's published rate for an Afton backpack site is $22 per site, per night, plus tax.
  5. "Seasonal availability varies by park." The booking calendar shows which nights are open.
  6. DNR's Afton camping page describes this one under Walk-in Sites: "A single hike-in site is available and can be accessed from the hiking/bike trail. It is near the swimming beach and lower picnic areas." It also gives the distance: "This site is approximately seven-tenths of a mile from the parking area. Paddlers can also access the site from the river."
  7. Seven-tenths of a mile puts it on the wrong side of DNR's own category line, and DNR has it both ways: the page files it under Walk-in Sites, which DNR defines as "half a mile or less from parking", while its backcountry fee table (backpack and watercraft sites "over a half mile from parking") is the table that lists Afton at $22. Both statements are DNR's. Take the distance as the reliable part.
  8. "Camping is available year-round" at Afton.
  9. Water, and what it depends on. DNR lists taps at the Visitor Center, the backpack campground, the Lower Picnic Area and near the Camper Cabins/Yurt parking lot, and describes all four as running the whole year. A listed tap is plumbing, not a promise: DNR's own update dated August 5, 2026 says the backpack campground solar well "is awaiting repairs and is currently unavailable. A temporary bulk water tank has been provided. Tank levels will be monitored, but if the water station is running low, please contact the park office." The park office is the live authority. Fill at the lower picnic area or the visitor center if you want certainty.
  10. Toilets: "Vault Toilets — Located near campsites and picnic areas. Available year-round." Flush toilets are in the visitor center and ranger station when open, and DNR states plainly: "No showers at this park."
  11. Afton's other hike-in option is a separate 27-site backpack campground, and DNR publishes two different distances for it. Its camping page says the sites "require a roughly one-mile hike from the parking area" while the park map PDF calls the campground "a strenuous ¾-mile hike from the parking lots." Both are DNR.

How hard the Afton Hike In hike is

  • Physical DemandFitness and endurance required1/5
  • Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
  • NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity1/5
  • CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route3/5

Best for: Hikers of moderate fitness willing to put in the effort.

Recommended experience: Basic hiking experience. Start with shorter trails if new to hiking.

Trailhead information

Afton trailhead parking

Primary

DNR: the site "can be accessed from the hiking/bike trail" and is "approximately seven-tenths of a mile from the parking area."

  • Restrooms
  • Water on site

Before you rely on this water

DNR lists taps at the visitor center, the backpack campground, the lower picnic area and near the camper cabin/yurt parking lot, and describes them as running the whole year, which says what is plumbed, not what is flowing. The backpack campground supply is not dependable right now: DNR's update of August 5, 2026 says the solar well "is awaiting repairs and is currently unavailable" and a temporary bulk tank is standing in. The park office is the live authority. Fill at the lower picnic area or the visitor center if you want certainty.

Parking

Every vehicle left here needs a Minnesota state park vehicle permit displayed in the lower right of the windshield.

Nearest Services

Hastings and the Twin Cities south-east metro. DNR states there are no showers at this park.

When to hike Afton Hike In

Best time to visit

DNR does publish a season for Afton, "Camping is available year-round", which is more than most of this set gets. For what to come for, DNR describes "prairie pasque flowers and woodland ephemerals in the spring; butterfly weed and puccoons on the summer prairie; and sunflowers and blazing star in the fall," and birdwatching for "hawks and waterfowl on the St. Croix flyway, bluebirds and meadowlarks in the grasslands, and waves of migratory birds in the floodplain." One site against that means the 120-day window and the 8 a.m. release on the first day a date opens are the whole contest.

Afton Hike In rules, gear and safety

Gear checklist

Required
  • A pack: DNR's backcountry category is defined as sites you cannot drive to
  • 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

  • Head torch: park hours run to 10 p.m. and only reserved campers may be in the park after that
  • A hammock kit only if you have checked the trees. DNR requires 12-inch trunks and inch-wide straps

Rules & regulations

  1. 01All campsites require a reservation. Minnesota DNR: "All campsites require a reservation. Please make a reservation online or call 866-857-2757."
  2. 02Reservations 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.
  3. 03The reservation fee is $8.00 online and $10.00 by phone, non-refundable. There is no fee for a same-day booking.
  4. 04Camping 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.
  5. 05"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.
  6. 06Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and generators may not run in those hours.
  7. 07Park 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."
  8. 08Every vehicle entering a Minnesota state park must display a valid year-round or one-day state park vehicle permit.
  9. 09Firewood 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."
  10. 10Firewood from home, pallet wood, and painted, stained or metal-bearing lumber are all prohibited, and "collection of firewood in state parks is not allowed."
  11. 11Pets are welcome on a leash six feet or shorter, or in a portable enclosure, and must be personally attended at all times.
  12. 12It is illegal to consume or display intoxicating liquors in Minnesota state parks.
  13. 13Fireworks and metal detectors are not permitted.
  14. 14Hammocks 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.
  15. 15You may pick edible fruits and mushrooms for personal consumption; picking wildflowers or other plants is not allowed.
  16. 16Campfires 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/afton/camping.html. Read it in the week you travel, not the week you book.
  17. 17Read 2026-08-10, that page carried: "Attention visitors - fire danger is very high!" and "Campfires are not allowed in backcountry (hike-in/backpack and boat-in) campsites, even if there is a fire ring." DNR sells this facility as a hike-in site, which is the half of that sentence the ban names.

Hazards & considerations

  • DNR's visitor tips for this park: "Wear good hiking shoes." "The swimming beach is a ½-mile walk from parking areas. No lifeguard is on duty." "River access requires a ½-mile portage. There is no drive-in boat ramp."
  • DNR alert: "Be advised that there are sharp zebra mussel shells on the swimming beach and in the water. Please use caution and consider wearing water shoes."
  • Water is on a temporary fix. DNR, updated August 5, 2026: the backpack campground solar well "is awaiting repairs and is currently unavailable. A temporary bulk water tank has been provided. Tank levels will be monitored, but if the water station is running low, please contact the park office."
  • No showers at this park, in DNR's own words.

Safety & planning

Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Afton Hike In.

Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.

Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Afton Hike In · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides

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Afton Hike In FAQ

How do I get a Afton Hike In permit?

PermitSnag alerts you the moment a Afton Hike In cancellation opens, so you can book it before anyone else. Afton Hike In permits use a reservation system.

When is the best time to visit Afton Hike In?

Season dates are on the agency's page. Weekdays have better availability than weekends.

How competitive is the Afton Hike In permit?

This permit has a demand score of 8/10, making it highly competitive. We recommend having backup dates and using PermitSnag's cancellation alerts.

What if I can't get a Afton Hike In permit?

Cancellations happen daily. Set up alerts with PermitSnag to get notified the moment a spot opens up. Pro and $19 single-permit alerts are checked about every minute, 24/7; free accounts are checked hourly.

Afton Hike In trail conditions and trip reports

Trail Conditions

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Trip Reports(1)

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Afton State Park's Lone Hike-In Site: Early Fall Booking Notes

Afton Hike In

4.0
Sep 11-13, 2026

Alternatives to an Afton Hike In permit

  • Same AreaPermit required

    St. Croix Backpack Campsites

    Two sites on the same river system, up at Minnesota's largest state park.

    Tradeoffs

    The reservation system labels the facility "5-6 mile hike in", so it is a half-day walk rather than an after-work one.

  • Similar ExperiencePermit required

    Frontenac Backpack Campsites

    Two backpack sites above Lake Pepin on the Mississippi, an hour southeast.

    Tradeoffs

    Two chances a night instead of one, and DNR's rate is the same $22.

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