Your camping choices on the North Shore of Lake Superior are plentiful. The primitive, solitary spots are farthest from the hubs along the North Shore and the Gunflint Trail. Several privately operated campgrounds are located along Scenic 61, near the villages along Lake Superior's shore and up the Gunflint Trail.

Large portions of northeastern Minnesota is public forest land. The Superior National Forest covers over three million acres, and includes the million-acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). Camping is allowed anywhere in the Superior National Forest except where it is posted otherwise. In the BWCA, permits for entry are required and each entry point has a daily quota.

--Please respect private land and owners--

Private Campgrounds

Scenic 61
Duluth Tent and Trailer 218-525-1350
Near Duluth, there are 54 sites set among pines. Primitive and RV hook-ups are available.

Depot Campground 218-834-5044
Located on the western side of Knife River, 30 tent and trailer sites with full hook-ups. Access Knife River, a cobblestone Lake Superior beach, the town of Knife River and local hiking and biking trails. Great place for a fishing destination.

Wagon Wheel Campground 218-834-4901
Lake Superior shoreline campsites. Most are RV sites with full hook-ups, but they do offer six tent sites.

Two Harbors
Burlington Bay Campsite 218-834-2021
A great place to start exploring Two Harbors from this Lake Superior coastal campground. Twenty tent sites and 91 trailer sites with full-hook-ups stretch along the shore, just across from golf course and adjacent to the local visitor center.

Gooseberry, Beaver Bay & Silver Bay
Lax Lake Campground 218-353-7424
Lax Lake Campground and Resort offers sleeping rooms, cottages, cabins and tent and trailer sites with electric hook-ups. The resort features a swimming beach, fishing boats, pontoons and water bike rentals and even a lodge with clean restrooms, showers, laundry facilities and a gameroom.

Grand Marais to Canada
Grand Marais Rec Area 218-387-1712
The Campground has over 300 tent and trailer sites including waterfront sites. This full service Recreation Area is walking distance to downtown Grand Marais shops, attractions and restaurants and features a picnic area, pavilion, playground, public boat launch and docks plus an indoor Olympic sized swimming pool, children's pool, jacuzzi and sauna.

Gunflint Trail

Golden Eagle Lodge Campground800-346-2203 or 218-388-2203
On Flour Lake, 9 campsites for RV or tents with water and electric
(20,30,50amp) hook-ups, heated shower house, a dump station; swimming beach
and hiking trails from your door. The resort also has 10 lakeshore modern
private cabins; 1 Guest Suite, lodge with store; docking; fishing with boat
and motor or pontoon and canoe rental. Plus Tipi and nature programs for the
family.

Gunflint Pines Campground800-533-5814 or 218-388-4454
Gunflint Pines combines camping with all the amenities of a resort on Gunflint Lake off of the Gunflint Trail. The campground has 18 tent and RV sites with hook-ups, a dump station, clean bathhouse, lodge with snack bar, a gift nook and groceries, fishing with boat and motor rental, swimming, a playground, and hiking. Six modern housekeeping cabins are available.

Click on an area below for Public Campground Listings

State Parks

A vehicle permit is required for all Minnesota State Parks. Minnesota State Parks offer a half-price camping rate for disabled campers, Sunday through Thursday nights.

Activities within the park are generally free of charge. Fishing requires a Minnesota license and any applicable trout stamps.

The reservation phone number is 1-866-857-2757. 8am to 6pm daily. Reservations can be made up to 1 year in advance of arrival date, and are thus accepted all year. TTY 952-936-4008

Carts are provided at campgrounds with cart-in sites. Cascade River and Gooseberry Falls State Parks have rustic group camps which offer tables, fire rings, toilets and a water source. Tettegouche and Gooseberry Parks maintain heated shower and restroom facilities for winter campers. Click here for additional info on State Parks or click on the desired park below.

Gooseberry Falls State Park
Hwy 61 40 miles NE of Duluth/12 miles NE of Two Harbors
218-834-3855
70 drive-in sites with 3 pull-through, 40' RV length limit, 1 kayak site, flush toilets, showers, dumping station, group site, public phones, sell firewood & ice

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
Hwy 61 48 miles NE of Duluth/20 miles NE of Two Harbors
218-226-6377
20 walk-in/cart-in sites, 4 backpack sites, 2 backpack/kayak sites, 1 kayak site, flush toilets, showers, carts available for campers to transport gear, public phones, sell firewood & ice

Tettegouche State Park
Hwy 61 60 miles NE of Duluth/5 miles NE of Silver Bay
218-226-6365
28 drive-in sites, 60' RV length limit, 13 cart-in sites, 6 walk-in sites, 1 kayak site, flush toilets, showers, dumping station near park, public phones, sell firewood & ice, also offer 4 walk, bike or ski-in cabins on Mic Mac Lake

George H. Crosby Manitou State Park
From Hwy 61 at Illgen City, north on MN 1 about 7 miles to Co. Rd. 7, northeast 7 miles
218-226-6365 in care of Tettegouche State Park
21 backpack sites

Temperance River State Park
Hwy 61 in Schroeder, 77 miles NE of Duluth
218-663-7476
55 drive-in sites with 2 pull-through, 50' RV length limit, 3 cart-in sites, 1 kayak site, flush toilets, showers, public phones, sell firewood & ice

Cascade River State Park
Hwy 61 100 miles NE of Duluth/8 miles NE of Lutsen
218-387-3060
40 drive-in sites with 3 pull-through, 35' RV length limit, 5 backpack sites, group site, flush toilets, showers, dumping station, public phones, sell firewood & ice

Judge C. R. Magney State Park
Hwy 61 124 miles NE of Duluth/14 miles NE of Grand Marais
218-387-3039
33 drive-in sites, 45' RV length limit, 1 backpack site, toilets, showers, public phones, sell firewood & ice

Grand Portage State Park
no camping; 218-475-2360

State Forests

The State Forest Campgrounds are operated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. All sites are on a first-come, first-served basis and rates are about $10 per night. Some of the sites at the Eckbeck and Finland Campgrounds are on the Baptism River.

Sullivan Lake Campground
From Hwy 61 in Two Harbors, north on Co. Rd. 2 for 27 miles, then east on Co. Rd. 15 for .75 mile
218-834-6602
11 sites, boat launch, outhouses and drinking water

Eckbeck Campground
From Hwy 61 in Illgen City, north on MN 1 for 3 miles
218-834-6602
30 sites, outhouses and drinking water
Finland Campground
From Hwy 61 in Illgen City, north on MN 1 for 6 miles, then east on Co. Rd. 5 for .25 mile
218-834-6602
39 sites, boat launch, outhouses and drinking water

Superior National Forest

Although you can camp anywhere in the Superior National Forest, the US Forest Service maintains a number of designated campgrounds. All have picnic tables, fishing, fire grates, toilets, are first come-first served, have drinking water (unless otherwise noted) and are RV accessible (no hook-ups, though) Rates are from $6-12 per night. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area(BWCA) is a canoe-in wilderness park in the Superior National Forest and requires a BWCA camping permit.

Ninemile Lake Campground
From Hwy 61 in Schroeder, north on Co. Rd. 1 for 10 miles, east on Co. Rd. 7 for 4 miles
23 sites along the lake, a boat launch, an area for large groups and a 5 mile hiking trail

Kawishiwi Lake
From Hwy 61 in Tofte, north on Sawbill Trail (Co. Rd. 2) for 16 miles, west on Forest Rd. 3 for 6 miles, north on Forest Rd. 7 for 2 miles, north on Forest Rd. 354 for 3 miles
5 sites on the lake - no fees are charged / no drinking water is available

Temperance River Campground
From Hwy 61, north on Sawbill Trail (Co. Rd. 2) for 12 miles, campground is on west
9 sites on the Temperance River

Baker Lake
From Hwy 61 in Tofte, north on Sawbill Trail (Co. Rd. 2) for 16 miles, east on Forest Rd. 170
5 secluded sites, a boat launch and access to the BWCA - no fees are charged / no drinking water is available

Crescent Lake Campground
From Hwy 61 in Tofte, north on Sawbill Trail (Co. Rd. 2), east on Forest Rd. 165, or From Hwy 61 in Lutsen, north on Caribou Trail (Co. Rd. 4), west on Forest Rd. 165
33 sites, a barrier-free fishing pier and campsite, a boat launch & large group facilities

White Pine Lake Site
From Hwy 61 in Lutsen, north 7 mile on Caribou Trail (Co. Rd. 4), west 3 miles on Forest Rd. 164
3 back country sites, a boat launch and barrier-free fishing pier - no fees are charged / no drinking water is available

Clara Lake
From Hwy 61, north 9 mile on Caribou Trail (Co. Rd. 4), west on Forest Rd. 340 for 3 miles
3 back country sites, a boat launch - no fees are charged / no drinking water is available

Cascade River Site
From Hwy 61, north 20 miles on Caribou Trail (Co. Rd. 4), east on Forest Rd. 153, south on Forest Rd. 158 to junction with Co. Rd. 57
4 sites, day-use picnic area - no fees are charged / no drinking water is available

Devil Track Lake Campground
From Hwy 61, north 4 miles on Gunflint Trail (Co. Rd. 12), west 8 miles on Co. Rd. 8
16 sites, a swimming beach, carry down boat access, a picnic site, berry picking and a boat launch a 1/2 mile east

Two Island Lake Campground
From Hwy 61 in Grand Marais, north 4 miles on Gunflint Trail (Co. Rd. 12), west 6 miles on Co. Rd. 8, north 4 miles on Co. Rd. 27
38 sites and a boat launch (fishing lake)

Kimball Lake Campground
From Hwy 61, north 11 miles on Gunflint Trail (Co. Rd. 12), east 2 miles on Forest Rd. 140
10 sites, a trail around the lake and nearby Mink Lake has a barrier free fishing pier and swimming beach - note a trout stamp is required to fish on Kimball Lake

East Bearskin Lake Campground
From Hwy 61, north 25 miles on Gunflint Trail (Co. Rd. 12), east 1 mile on Forest Rd. 146
(800) 280-2267 Reservations or TTY 800-879-4496
33 sites (some along the lake, which is partially within the BWCA)

Flour Lake Campground
From Hwy 61, north 27 miles on Gunflint Trail (Co. Rd. 12), east miles on Clearwater Rd (Co. Rd.66)
(800) 280-2267 Reservations or TTY 800-879-4496
35 site, nearby Honeymoon Bluff hiking trail

Iron Lake Campground
From Hwy 61, north 36 miles on Gunflint Trail (Co. Rd. 12), south 2 miles on Co. Rd. 92 to entrance at Forest Rd. 150
(800) 280-2267 Reservations or TTY 800-879-4496
7 sites and a carry down boat access

Trails End Campground
From Hwy 61, north 57 miles on the Gunflint Trail (Co. Rd.12) to campground entrance
(800) 280-2267 Reservations or TTY 800-879-4496
32 sites, two boat launches, two boat accesses, nearby phone, gas, cafe, groceries and sundry items - some RV hook-ups

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