Big Island Campground

Site was electric only, but we knew that. I did not use the wash house, but husband did and he said it wasn't very clean. It was a brief stopover for us, but we managed to do a couple of nice walks around the island. Several trees down on the trail, but paths were well marked.
Friendly check in, and had to pay the additional $7 for a daily SP entry, which we did know about so no surprise.
Sites were close together and the screening had not yet grown up (maybe from winter still?). Lots of big families with 5+ children each, so probably good for families? Although 3E was on the water side, you can't see the water.
Overall all, great quick stay and we'd do it again.

Booking was easy on the Minnesota DNR website. Check in was relatively easy after that but you must produce your state park sticker confirmation number. Our site was a back-in electric only site. There is water nearby but not for connecting. There are restrooms/showers a short walk away and they are immaculate. The campground is on a peninsula in the largest lake in the Albert Lea area. It is a wooded area with good separation. Every site had a fire ring and picnic table. I imagine mosquitos in the summer but we camped in the spring so no problems. Antenna reception is nonexistent (4 choppy channels). AT&T had 2-3 bars but enough signal to stream with minor resolution issues. The park has numerous trails and lots of lake access. There is a picnic shelter with a fireplace that could hold a big party. There are benches facing the lake presumably for ranger talks. Nearby Albert Lea has limited offerings (pop. 18000) but the number one tourist site is the Myre Big Island State Park. We only stayed one night but it looks like a place that could take a few days to fully explore and enjoy.

Our site 18E was wooded and large. Tricky to back into due to all the trees and one large log on the side of the site entrance. Only 30 amp so had to watch what we use. Very wet while we were there. On the plus side they have access to a paved bike trail that leads into Albert Lea.Big plus was the brand new restroom/shower house!
Next time we'll reserve a site in White Fox campground for our big rig.

Bugs-yes
Deer-yes
Dragonflies, frogs, pelicans, blue heron, some other fantastic birds- yes yes yes
Remote sites where the best wild life viewing is great but I stayed in a developed site by the spanking new bath house is. Holy heck its nice but I'm afraid the camp host is complacent like the brand newness is going to clean itself
Besides the tree falling there was literally no noise.
I never know how to rate this category, 5 star no noise? Then 5 star.

I thought this campground had underrated, but maybe we hit it just right. The site was clean and level, the lake was stunning, the bathrooms were decent and the weather was perfect. It was midweek toward the end of August, so there were only a handful of other campers in the campground.

Site 4E was level and long enough that we didn’t have to unhitch. Which was nice for a quick overnight. Our site had 30amp electric.

The lake was beautiful, especially at sunset.

I could see how it could be a very muddy experience in the rain. The showers were free, pretty clean but old. There was plenty of hot water.

We dodged rain all day in Minnesota and finally landed here after the rain had stopped. Lots of puddles and mud (obviously not the fault of the park). We found a relatively dry site with electric. Grill ring (didn’t use) and generous size picnic table. Sites are wooded and spaced a good distance apart. We tucked in for the night in our camper van and although we woke to a sunny morning, this is when our experience went downhill. Floors in bathrooms were wet all the time. When I first went, I assumed they had just been cleaned but they were wet every time. Also no hooks to hang your towel. I made it in but when my husband went, he found the bathrooms were locked up at 8:30am. Yes there are pit toilets but even though it is not “prime” season, I would expect bathrooms to be open all the time for the fee paid. I understand the camp hosts needed to be off property but still. I can appreciate the sign in the bathrooms prohibiting washing dishes but then you would need to have the water spigots turned on!! If we had an RV this would not be an issue but we are leaving with dirty dishes😝