Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin)
PAY THE DONATION: this one is free of charge, but the City of Franklin asks for a donation in the City Hall drop box at 320 2nd Ave E -- leave a few dollars so it stays free for the next traveler. Franklin is a small town on the Minnesota River in Renville County, southwest Minnesota, and the city's own free camping is its Boat Landing site right at the Minnesota River access, just south of town off County Road 5. It is PRIMITIVE camping -- a picnic area, a picnic shelter, vault toilets and direct river/boat-landing access, but NO hookups -- so come self-contained. The stay limit is 5 nights, set by the city. Good for tents or a self-contained RV wanting a quiet riverside stop. SECOND IN-TOWN SITE, CONFIRM BY PHONE: OpenStreetMap and Explore Minnesota also list a Franklin ballpark campsite with 30-amp electric, a shower and flush toilets and a 3-night limit, and OSM tags it free -- but the city's own page does NOT state that site's price, so we can't call it free yet; call the city at (507) 557-2259 to confirm the ballpark before you count on it. Honest caveats: it is a river bottom (bugs, possible high water in spring), primitive, and rules can change. The deal these towns offer is simple: camp free, and they hope you buy fuel, groceries or dinner in town. Be a good guest and it stays free for the next traveler. Town rules change often and we have not visited -- confirm current rules with the town before you go.
Everything you need — measured from Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin) · public land · MN
- @Mail1 mi
- FFuel6 mi
- DDump8 mi
- MMechanic8 mi
- ShShower8 mi
- GGrocery10 mi
- EVEV fast charger10 mi
- HHardware11 mi
- RxPharmacy12 mi
- WWater17 mi
- LLaundry23 mi
- PPropane25 mi
- +Urgent care40 mi
- AAir-up40 mi
- OOutfitter49 mi
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 6 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin)
Nearby & resupply — around Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin) · public land · MN (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureMinnesota River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townFranklin · ~0.7 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelBP · ~5.8 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump station~8.1 mi
- GroceriesWalmart Supercenter · ~10.1 mi
- PharmacyRandy's Family Drug & Gift · ~17.3 mi
- Hospital / clinicCentraCare - Redwood Hospital · ~10.1 mi
- HardwareSleepy Eye Self Storage · ~17.0 mi
EV charging — from Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin) · public land · MN — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger10.4 mi straight-line W — WEELBORG FORD, Redwood Falls, MN (at a public site) · FORD_CHARGE · CCS · 4 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reach2 within 25 mi · 10 within 50 · 182 within 100 · 271 within 150
- Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)41.0 mi — Willmar, MN - Tesla Supercharger, Willmar
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO35.1 mi — HUTCH UTILITIES DC FAST 2, Hutchinson
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)25.2 mi — NUPUC1 NUPUC1, New Ulm, MN · ChargePoint Network · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily
- Also listed, not counted aboveNACS-only Level 2 — Dacotah Ridge Golf Club - Tesla Destination, Morton, 2.6 mi · NACS (Tesla) · hours: 24 hours daily. Open to Teslas only. · AFDC lists it “Free”
- Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
- Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
- Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 358383 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin) · public land · MN — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- No mapped restroom within 30 miles — plan to pack it out.
Open Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin) elsewhere
Other camps near Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin)
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Clear Lake Park (Sibley County)~18.9 mi
How we know this — Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin)
What we don’t know about Franklin City Campground - Boat Landing (Franklin)
A land record can put you within a few meters of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
- Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it