CampgroundsDB

Camping in Minnesota

Minnesota has 74 public campgrounds on record, 42 reservable and 30 first-come. Most (65 of 74) are run by the U.S. Forest Service. Each row below says who runs it, how to get a site, and what it costs.

74
Total
42
Reservable
30
First-come
Cross Lake Recreation AreaCut Foot Horse CampgroundDeer LakeEast Bearskin Lake CampgroundFort Charlotte Backcountry Campgrounds
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Baker Lake Rustic Campground Lutsen · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Bimijiwan Recreation Area Beltrami · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
13
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Birch Lake Campground Ely · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
32
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $19 per night
 Cadotte Lake Campground Hoyt Lakes · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
10
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $24 per night
 Cascade River Rustic Campground GRAND MARIAS · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Cass Lake Cass · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Cass Lake Loop Cass · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
12
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Chippewa Loop Cass · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
45
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Clara Lake Rustic Campground Lutsen · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Clubhouse Itasca · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $16 per night
 Crescent Lake Campground Lutsen · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
33
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site with electric): $20 per night
 Cross Lake Recreation Area Crow Wing · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
122
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cut Foot Horse Campground Itasca · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
33
Season
05-02 to 10-20
Fee
Site: $16 per night
 Deer Lake Itasca · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
30
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $16 per night
 Devil Track Lake Campground Grand Marais · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $22 per night
 Divide Lake Campground Isabella · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $18 per night
 East Bearskin Lake Campground Grand Marais · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
32
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $22 per night
 East Seelye Bay Deer River · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
13
Season
05-02 to 09-02
Fee
Single Site: $16 per night
 Echo Lake Campground Orr · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
22
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $18 per night
 Eighteen Lake Rustic Campground Isabella · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Fall Lake Campground Ely · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
62
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site Electric: $30 per night
 Fenske Lake Campground Ely · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
16
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site with electric hook-up: $20 per night
 Flour Lake Campground Grand Marais · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
37
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $24 per night
 Fort Charlotte Backcountry Campgrounds Cook · National Park Service · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Fourmile Rustic Campground Tofte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Gull Lake Recreation Area Cass · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
42
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Harriet Lake Rustic Campground Finland · National Forest · First-come
Sites
9
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Hogback Lake Rustic Campground Isabella · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Iron Lake Campground Grand Marais · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
7
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $24 per night
 Jeanette Lake St. Louis · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
12
Season
05-12 to 09-05
Fee
Site: $18 per night
 Kawishiwi Lake Rustic Campground Tofte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Kimball Lake Campground Grand Marais · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $22 per night
 Lake Jeanette Campground Orr · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $18 per night
 Leech Lake Rec Area Cass · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
77
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Little Isabella River Campground Isabella · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
11
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $18 per night; $504 per season
 Lower St. Croix District Washington · National Park Service · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Mabel Lake Remer · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
21
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $14 per night
 Mcdougal Lake Campground Isabella · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
21
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $18 per night; $504 per season
 Mosomo Point Itasca · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
22
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Ninemile Lake Campground Finland · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
26
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $18 per night
 North Star Itasca · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
38
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $14 per night
 Norway Beach Loop Cass · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
50
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Onegume Itasca · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
47
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Pfeiffer Lake Campground Tower · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
16
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $18 per night
 Pokegama Dam Campground Itasca · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
21
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Poplar River Rustic Campground Lutsen · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Sandy Lake Aitkin · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
60
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Sawbill Lake Campground Tofte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site with electric hook-up: $20 per night
 Sawbill Lake Campground - Superior National Forest Cook · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
50
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Section 29 Lake Rustic Campground Isabella · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Silver Island Rustic Campground Isabella · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 South Kawishiwi River Campground Ely · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
31
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site with electric hook-up: $20 per night
 South Pike Bay Recreation Area Cass Lake · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
22
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $16 per night
 Stony Point Recreation Area Walker · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
43
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $26 per night
 Sullivan Lake Campground Lake · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Tamarack Point Cass · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Temperance River Campground Tofte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site with electric hook-up: $20 per night
 Toohey Lake Rustic Campground Tofte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Trails End Campground Grand Marais · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
33
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $24 per night
 Two Island Lake Campground Grand Marais · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $22 per night
 Voyageurs National Park Camping Permits Koochiching · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
159
Season
01-01 to 12-31
Fee
Site: $10 per night
 Wanaki Campground Cass · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Wanaki Loop Cass · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
25
Season
05-23 to 09-08
Fee
Site: $21 per night
 Webster Lake Blackduck · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
15
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $14 per night
 West Seelye Bay Itasca · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $ 5 per night
 White Pine Lake Rustic Campground Lutsen · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Whiteface Reservoir Campground Hoyt Lakes · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
46
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $26 per night; $420 per month; $1125 per season
 Whitefish Lake Rustic Campground Tofte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Whitewater Lake Complex St. Louis · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Williams Narrows Itasca · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
16
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $16 per night
 Wilson Lake Rustic Campground Tofte · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Winnie Itasca · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Winnie Campground - USFS Itasca · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
33
Season
05-09 to 09-08
Fee
Site: $16 per night
 Winnie Dam Campground - USACE Itasca · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
22
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record

How booking works in Minnesota

There is no single system: each campground books through its managing agency. 42 campgrounds book through Recreation.gov. 30 campgrounds take no reservations at all, first-come, first-served.

For a park's own hours, entrance fee, and boundary, see Minnesota state parks on publiclandsdb.com.

Narrower lists

By agency

30 first-come campgrounds need no reservation; 0 stay open year-round ; and 23 sit on a named lake . By agency: 6 Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds , 65 National Forest campgrounds , and 3 National Park Service campgrounds .

Common questions

How do I reserve a campground in Minnesota?

It depends on who runs it. Of the 74 public campgrounds on record here, 42 book through Recreation.gov and 30 are first-come, first-served with no reservations.

Where can I camp for free in Minnesota?

17 public campgrounds in Minnesota charge no fee: Baker Lake Rustic Campground, Cascade River Rustic Campground, Clara Lake Rustic Campground, Eighteen Lake Rustic Campground, and 13 more. Free camping away from campgrounds (dispersed camping) is a land-management rule, not a campground; see the managing agency.

Is boondocking legal in Minnesota?

On BLM land, dispersed camping (boondocking) is generally allowed under the agency's rules. BLM limits dispersed camping to 14 days within any 28-day period (stay limits vary by field office), asks campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams, and says most areas need no permit or reservation (blm.gov, read 2026-09-26).

What are the best campgrounds in Minnesota?

This site doesn't rate campgrounds. The most fully documented here are Fall Lake Campground (17 sourced facts), Jeanette Lake (17 sourced facts), and Wanaki Loop (17 sourced facts); the table lets you sort every campground by agency, booking, season, and fee.