Banning State Park campground to close for construction after Labor Day

Posted Tuesday, September 1, 2026 9:10 am

Starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, Banning State Park’s campground will close for a construction project to replace the park’s shower building.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources anticipates that the campground, which includes 33 sites and a camper cabin, will remain closed during the entire 2027 camping season while construction is completed.

“We know some visitors may be disappointed to lose a season of camping at Banning, but we’re excited to reopen the campground in 2028 with a shower building that fits the needs of today’s campers,” said Clarissa Payne, park supervisor at Banning State Park.

The new building will include modern restrooms, accessible single-occupancy showers, two family-assist restrooms, an adult changing station and dishwashing stations.

Camping alternatives near Banning State Park include:

St. Croix State Park – 211 drive-in sites across three campgrounds
Moose Lake State Park – 33 drive-in sites
Several state forest campgrounds, including:
- Willow River Campground, General C.C. Andrews State Forest – 36 rustic drive-in sites
- Gafvert Campground, Nemadji State Forest – 18 rustic drive-in sites
- Boulder Campground, St. Croix State Forest – 22 rustic drive-in sites

To learn more, visit mndnr.gov/banning.

Keywords

Banning State Park’s campground, close for a construction project, shower building, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Clarissa Payne, park supervisor at Banning State Park