Swift Falls County Park

Campground in Benson, MN • 22 RV Sites

Swift Falls County Park in the village of Swift Falls, Minnesota, sits directly on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County — a scenic county-operated campground open May through October offering kayaking, fishing, and hiking alongside the clean river corridor of the Upper Chippewa as it winds through the prairie and forest transition zone of west-central Minnesota's glacially shaped landscape. The park's position on the Chippewa River, in the quiet agricultural county between the South Dakota border and the Minnesota River valley, provides the accessible natural riverside camping that western Minnesota's glacial lake and river country rewards guests who take the time to explore beyond the more famous resort areas of the northern lake country. Electric hookup sites, clean bathrooms, and a dump station give the county park the practical overnight infrastructure that makes Swift Falls a viable base for western Minnesota river exploration rather than purely a day-use natural area. The pet-friendly policy and the park's welcoming character reflect a county parks operation built around the practical outdoor recreation needs of the regional agricultural community and the paddlers, anglers, and nature travelers who specifically seek western Minnesota's quieter natural areas. The park's direct Chippewa River access eliminates the carry-and-launch logistics of less accessible river campgrounds. The Chippewa River through Chippewa County provides flatwater and gentle moving-water paddling in a river corridor that the Nature Conservancy and various conservation programs have targeted for restoration of the native prairie and cottonwood bottomland vegetation that historically fringed the river's meanders across the western Minnesota plains. Canoe and kayak travel on the Chippewa through this section offers the specific paddling experience of a Great Plains agricultural river — wide skies, cottonwood gallery forest, and the kind of solitary river travel that the better-known BWCA canoe country's camping pressure makes difficult to find. Lac qui Parle State Park, west of Benson near the South Dakota border, protects the Lac qui Parle Lake impoundment on the Minnesota River and the surrounding upland prairie, marshes, and hardwood forest in one of Minnesota's most important migratory bird staging areas. The lake's position on the central flyway and the surrounding wetland and prairie habitat make it a nationally significant stopover for sandhill cranes, snow geese, white-fronted geese, and dozens of waterfowl and shorebird species during the spring and fall migration periods that draw birders from across the Upper Midwest for the sheer volume of birds concentrating in the refuge's fields and wetlands. Swift Falls County Park operates May through October in the Chippewa County climate, with the summer paddling and fishing season from June through August representing the primary visitor window and the September-October period delivering the fall color on the river's cottonwood and maple gallery forest alongside the excellent walleye and northern pike fishing that autumn cooling stimulates in the Chippewa's river-pool habitat. Big Stone Lake State Park on the Minnesota-South Dakota border and the Montevideo area's natural areas extend the day-trip range from a Swift Falls base into the broader Chippewa-Minnesota River headwaters country. Reserve sites ahead for summer holiday weekends when regional river recreation demand fills Swift Falls's modest site inventory.

Campground rules and policies

Check-in Procedure
- Check-in is at noon and checkout is at 11:00 a.m.
Arrival Times
-12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Please check the kiosk in front of the bathrooms to confirm your campsite(s).
- All open sites are first come first serve within 24 hours of stay and after 8 a.m. on Fridays.
- While each park attempts to accommodate your exact spot request, the on-site manager has the ultimate decision for spot placement.Wifi Password
- Wifi littleiris900Deposits & Payments
- At the time of booking, 100% of the reservation balance will be collected. Payment for all retail items and gift certificates will also be collected.Children & Pets
- Children are welcome with an accompanying adult.
- It shall be unlawful for any person to: A. Bring any dog, cat, or other pet into a park, unless caged or kept on a leash not more than six feet in length.
- B. Allow any dog, cat, or other pet to enter a beach area, picnic area, park building, or other unauthorized area within a park.
- C. Permit a pet under his/her control to disturb, harass, or interfere with any park visitor, a park visitor's property, or a park employee.
- D. Tether any animal to a tree, plant, building, or park equipment.
- E. Have custody or control of any domestic pet in a designated area of a park without possessing an appropriate device for cleaning up pet feces and disposing of it in a sanitary manner.Credit Card Security
- Your credit card information is stored and processed securely. Click here for more information about credit card security.Firewood
- Firewood can be purchased from the white building across the river (over the bridge) next to the dam.Questions
- If you need to make a cancellation, or assistance, or have questions about the park, please contact us at 320-843-5341.
- For weekend campground issues contact: 320-269-1505Penalty Fees
- If you or a member of your group violates the Swift Falls Park Ordinance, the card used to make the reservation will be charged a penalty fee.
- Examples include and are not limited to Untested and/or excessively loud pets, excessive garbage at the site, and damage to Park property.