There's a moment every parent remembers: your toddler crouches down in the grass, completely transfixed by a single ant carrying something three times its size. No toy, no screen, no carefully curated experience has ever held their attention like this. That's the magic of camping with small kids — the whole world becomes an exhibit, and the entrance fee is zero.
The Winona, MN area is genuinely one of the best regions in the upper Midwest to camp with toddlers. The terrain is dramatic but accessible, the pace is slow, and Camp Everyday Winona is built with families in mind. Here's how to make it work.
At the Campground
We designed Camp Everyday to be a place where families can exhale. The campground has a pool and a dedicated kids' splash zone — which, in our experience, will absorb the better part of two hours every afternoon without a single complaint. Beyond the water, there's open grass for running, a hammock zone tucked under the trees, and plenty of space to just wander.
Fire ring s'mores are a toddler rite of passage. Even a 2-year-old can hold a marshmallow stick (with supervision) and feel like they're doing the most important job in the world. The ritual of the campfire — gathering wood, watching sparks, waiting for the perfect marshmallow — is genuinely engaging for small kids in a way that's hard to replicate anywhere else.
Easy Nature Walks for Little Legs
Not every hike needs to be a summit. The best toddler trails are the ones where there's interesting stuff every 20 feet — and bluff country delivers.
The Pickwick Mill Trail, about 10 minutes north of camp, follows a gentle creek path to one of Minnesota's oldest grist mills. It's flat, stroller-accessible in dry conditions, and full of the kind of nature moments that stop toddlers in their tracks: ducks, frogs, wildflowers, smooth creek stones. The historic mill is a genuine point of curiosity for kids who have questions about everything.
The Winona State Recreation Area has paved, accessible paths along the bluff base — great for strollers and little bikes, with birdwatching opportunities that even very small kids can get into. Bring a kids' field guide and turn it into a game.
Water Play
The Mississippi backwaters near Winona are a revelation for toddler water play. The main channel has serious current, but the backwater sloughs and oxbow lakes are calm, warm, and shallow at the edges — essentially a massive natural splash zone. We're happy to point you toward the family-friendly access spots. Eagles, herons, and turtles are common sightings, which means every five minutes there's something new to point at.
Back at camp, the pool is always an option on days when you want the convenience of a contained, familiar swim.
Kids Fishing Derby
One of our favorite summer events at Camp Everyday is the Kids Fishing Derby. We set it up specifically to give young kids their first fishing experience in a low-pressure, high-fun environment — short poles, patient help, and the thrill of actually catching something. Even toddlers can participate with a parent right there, and the look on a 3-year-old's face when a fish bites is something you'll be talking about for years.
Winona Farmers Market
Saturday mornings at the Winona Farmers Market are a toddler sensory experience in the best possible way. Colors, smells, textures, people, dogs, music — it's a lot, and little kids tend to love it. Local vendors bring produce, honey, baked goods, flowers, and handmade goods. The market is compact enough to be manageable but rich enough to be genuinely interesting. Buy a jar of local honey and a scone and call it the best Saturday morning you've had in months.
Downtown Winona
Winona's downtown is more toddler-friendly than you'd expect. The stained glass windows throughout the historic buildings are genuinely spectacular — tall, colorful, and at exactly the right height to make a small person say "woah." Winona has the highest concentration of antique stained glass in the United States, a legacy of its wealthy lumber-boom era, and even a 2-year-old recognizes that something beautiful is happening.
Sugar Loaf, the distinctive limestone pinnacle above downtown, is visible from everywhere and endlessly fascinating to kids who want to know what it is and whether they can climb it. (The short answer: there's a trail, and the views are worth it for families with older toddlers who are steady on their feet.)
There are also good playgrounds in Winona's riverside parks — worth knowing when you need 45 minutes of structured energy expenditure before dinner.
Tips for Toddler Camping
A few things we've learned from hosting hundreds of families with little ones:
- Stick close to nap schedules. A well-rested toddler at a campground is a delight. An overtired one is a different story. Plan your bigger adventures around peak energy hours and let the campfire and hammock do the work during the slow parts of the day.
- Bring familiar comfort items. A beloved stuffed animal, their usual cup, a familiar blanket — these small anchors make the unfamiliar feel safe and help with sleep in a new environment.
- Sunscreen and bug spray are non-negotiable. Keep both within arm's reach. Reapply the sunscreen more than you think you need to.
- Pack an extra set of clothes for every day, then pack one more. Mud, water, s'mores, and curiosity happen.
- Lower your expectations for "activities" and raise them for "experience." Toddlers don't need a packed itinerary. They need space, time, and a grown-up who's willing to stop and look at the ant for as long as it takes.
Come Stay With Us
Camp Everyday Winona is 6 miles south of Winona — a pet-friendly, kid-friendly campground with family sites that have room to spread out, and we'll make sure you have everything you need from the moment you pull in. Book your site and come find out what your toddler thinks of their first campfire.
We have a feeling they'll be hooked.
Plan Your Stay
Ready to experience the bluffs for yourself? Book your site at Camp Everyday Winona.
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