Unlocking Minnesota's Car Camping Landscape
A Series of Outings | Ways to Camp #1 to #5
The car campground is often stocked with services and amenities, allowing an outdoor experience that remains familiar to your habits at home. Those associated with the most popular parks and lakeshores are busy base camps and home for the whole weekend, or longer. More nomadic adventures are better when linked together with overnights at scenic and comfortable campsites. Some trips are meant to hit the end of a long, unmaintained road - if only for one night.
No matter your style, the Ways of the Car Camper include many benefits. Maximum capacity for toys and equipment. A backup shelter should things hit the fan. Fast and easy access to local area attractions, amenities or resupply runs. An immediate exit strategy.
This series of adventures organizes the Ways of the Car Camper into a sequential order, beginning with the most beginner friendly car camping experience. From the first time camping at a Minnesota state park, then beyond - this guide defines six distinct car camping experiences, and encourages you to participate in them all. The reward for achieving a confident and comfortable night outdoors in each of the six Ways to Car Camp is the total unlocking of Minnesota's public land car camping experiences.
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Outing #1 | A Night, or Weekend in a Modern State Park Campground | Way to Camp #1
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Full Amenities, High Fee, Reservation, Most People, Most Development
Outing #2 | An Amenity Rich Alternative: A Modern National Forest Campground
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Full Amenities, Moderate Fee, No Reservation, More People, More Development
Outing #3 | A 'Rustic' (But All You Really Need) State Forest Campground
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Moderate Amenities, Low Fee, No Reservation, More or Less People, Less Development
Outing #4 | Remote & Rustic Superior National Forest Campground
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Minimal Amenities, No Fee, No Reservation, Less People, Minimal Development
Outing #5 | 'Designated' Dispersed Campsites of Chippewa National Forest
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Minimal Amenities, No Fee, No Reservation, No Other People, Minimal or No Development
Outing #6 | True Dispersed Car Camping
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No Amenities, No Fee, No Reservation, No Other People, No Development
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Never been camping before?
We're going to keep as many comforts as possible on this first one.
Outing #1
A Night, or a Weekend in a Modern State Park Car Campground | Way to Camp #1
Full Amenities. High Fee. Reservable. Most People. Most Development.
Of the 75 state parks and recreation areas across Minnesota 61 of them have modern, developed drive-in car campgrounds.
Managed by the Department of Natural Resources Parks and Trails Division, these campgrounds tend to be what people envision when we mention the word "camping". The most amenity rich, and most highly developed campgrounds are going to be those 'destination' or 'core' state parks that are designed to accomodate large, high density groups of participants. High use creates high impact and the immediate surroundings will be less natural. This is campground camping.
Well distributed across the state, and these three recommendations are in closer proximity to the Twin Cities but well worth a little road trip.
Interstate | State Park
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37 drive-in campsites (22 with electricity)
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A scenic and spacious campground tucked between the river and rocky bluffs.
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Campground access to St. Croix River paddling.
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Hiking trails on basalt bluffs and along cliffs, with unique ancient geology.
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Down the street from Taylor's Falls amenities.
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William O. Brien | State Park
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Riverway Campground: 60 drive-in campsites (37 with electricity)
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Shaded but open and airy, less private.
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Great access to St. Croix River paddling, swimming and wading.
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Savanna Campground 54 drive-in campsites (34 with electricity)
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Fairly well screened with brush for privacy and not too dense.
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Some sites have a wide open wetland stargazing opportunity adjacent.
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Whitewater| State Park
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148 drive-in campsites (87 with electricity)
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Minneiska: Removed from river.
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Upper Cedar Hill: Spacious sites, well spaced, shady but airy.
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Lower Cedar Hill: A handful of sites are close enough to hear the running water.
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6 walk-in campsites
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Running water can be heard from walk-in sites.
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Hike craggy terrain of The Driftless region.
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Fish for trout in Whitewater River.
Approach | Minnesota State Parks
There are three categories of Minnesota state park; destination, core and rustic. The most amenity rich, and most highly developed campgrounds are going to be the destination or core state park campgrounds that are designed to accomodate large, high density groups of participants. High use creates high impact and the immediate surroundings will be less natural. This is campground camping. There is a difference in vibes between the largest destination parks campgrounds, smaller core state parks and those in the rustic class, but only two state parks do not have bathrooms with running water; Franz Jevne and Scenic.
Best Use: Set up a weekend base camp. Include lounging, cooking, eating and drinking stations. It won't be quiet and private anyways, so invite family and friends. Bring activities. Have a bike or a kayak. Plan to leave your campsite to explore adjacent park features, trail systems and other programming. Maybe take a drive to nearby points of attraction before returning to a robust camp.
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Located in the 'front country' and broadly accessible off of main, paved roads.
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Supported, by resident campground host, local law enforcement and park staff at a campground office or visitors center.
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Close proximity to park's attractions, recreation facilities and programming.
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Communal, with many shared spaces (bathrooms, drinking water, playgrounds, beaches, etc.)
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Not very private.
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Not a place for solitude. Lots of these campgrounds have tent sites adjacent to each other in open areas with direct sight lines to each other.
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Not a place for quiet, despite the existence of 'quiet hours'.
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I'm also talking about people who wake up way too early.
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Administrative | Minnesota State Parks
100 % reservable. Reservations are required.
The ReserveMN portal allows bookings up to 120 days in advance. About ⅓ of our parks, including those on the North Shore of Lake Superior are incredibly popular and in such high demand that you may find most summer weekends sold out several months in advance. This is a bummer.
If such advance planning and commitment is not in the cards;
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Try signing up for an email notification that alerts if openings become available for an upcoming weekend.
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Remember, that two thirds of the park system is not in nearly as high demand. Even last minute bookings can be made to many other state park car campgrounds if you use the 'Search All' filter. Explore some new ground.
The upside of having a reservation is that you know exactly where you are destined. One less thing to worry about if you're new to learning your camping process. Upon arrival at your site, you have no administrative chores - just start building camp.
A vehicle entry permit ( windshield sticker) is required to enter the state parks.
If permits cannot be purchased on site, they can be found online. Day passes are $7. Annual permits are $35.
Nightly rates for these campgrounds are $20 to $25.
Electric campsites can be up to $35. Additional online reservation fees are $8.
Operating Season
May through October. Over 25 campgrounds are typically open through the winter, though bathroom and water facilities are turned off for the season.
Amenities | Modern State Parks
Skills & Equipment to Master This Outing:
☑ Cleared and level tent site is already selected, or obvious.
☑ Parking space adjacent to campsite.
Cleared tent area, fire ring, picnic table.
Park or campground office with staff support.
Cleared tent area, fire ring, picnic table.
☑ Picnic table.
☑ Campfire ring. With grill grate.
☑ Firewood, for purchase.
☑ Potable drinking water available.
☑ Dumpsters for garbage disposal.
☑ Bathrooms with plumbing;
sinks and mirrors, flush toilets and hot showers.
☑ Park or campground office, with support of staff or resident campground host.
Black bears are much less worrisome in busy campgrounds than other critters like mice, raccoons and skunks. All the same, practicing the secure storage of any food, garbage or smelly hygiene products should be followed. It’s easy in a car campground. Close packages, keep the lids on your coolers and bins and put them inside the vehicle anytime you plan to leave your campsite unattended, and especially at nighttime.
Shelter and Sleep Systems
☐ Pitch your tent (or hammock or other shelter).
☐ In the right spot?
☐ Did you pitch it without hassle? Securely against any wind? Dry against any rain, or condensation?
☐ Set up your sleep system (sleeping pad, sleeping bag, liner, pillow, appropriate clothing).
☐ Too cold? Know your pad and bag temperature ratings and insulation values. Match expected temperatures.
☐ Too hot? Wear less clothing, and slip into a comfy bag liner.
☐ Did you get any sleep? Getting good rest the first night of any outing is pretty unlikely, so no worries.
Resistance to the Elements
If the weather turns too cold, or shelters aren't staying dry - stash things in the car.
☐ Did you stay warm?
☐ Did you stay dry?
☐ Does your insect repellent work well, for you? Would you consider wearing a bug headnet?
Water
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Bring a large jug, or a collapsible water cube with several gallons.
☐ Fill or refill potable drinking water at the campground. Check the campground map. These are often pressurized faucets at buildings, or coming from a well. Sometimes they are manual well pumps or a solar powered still where you press and hold a button.
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In an "emergency", pick up a gallon jug from gas station or grocery store.
Cooking and Meals
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You have space in the car for a cooler and a food bin. Empty the pantry at home and hit the grocery store on the way, no specialized meal plans necessary.
☐ Try cooking with a double burner camp stove.
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A propane canister will fuel your cooking immediately, in any weather, without the labor of campfires.
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Use familiar kitchen cookware and recipes, no need for anything super specialized yet.
☐ Experiment with campfire cooking.
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Fry or grill on the integrated campfire grate. Bake with/on coals. Roast something on a stick.
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Carbon soot is likely to cake cookware over open flames. Applying a film of dish soap can reduce this.
☐ Build a campfire.
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Firewood is available for purchase - split, dried and bundled logs. Gathering tinder and kindling from nearby gets harder the more popular the park is, but is usually doable.
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Bringing your own wood, or transporting firewood is discouraged, and probably illegal. Invasive insects live in firewood, we move them around and kill our forests faster. Look into DNR approved firewood sales and other regulations.
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Food and Waste Storage
☐ Identify anything "smelly" - typically food, trash and hygiene products. Store these inside your car overnight, and not your tent or the wide open picnic table.
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Black bears are much less worrisome in busy campgrounds than other critters like mice, raccoons and skunks. All the same, practicing the secure storage of any food, garbage or smelly hygiene products should be followed. It’s easy in a car campground. Close packages, keep the lids on your coolers and bins and put them inside the vehicle anytime you plan to leave your campsite unattended, and especially at nighttime.
☐ Locate the campground dumpsters. A place to deposit your waste, instead of storing in your vehicle or driving it home with you.
Dishwashing
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It will be uncommon for a campground to have a dedicated dishwashing sink or station, but some do. Use that.
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Do NOT wash dishes inside bathroom sinks, or at the drinking water faucets.
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☐ Practice 'Leave No Trace' dishwashing methods:
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At your own site, scrape food scraps from dishes into trash.
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Gather water in a collapsible bucket or other container. Rinse and scrub with soap.
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Optional; a second collapsible bucker or other container can offer a bleach water rinse to finalize the cleaning.
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Don't 'dump' the dirty dish gray water... cast it. Spreading it wide into the surrounding woods is less impactful, or attractive to animals. Supposedly.
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Hygiene
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There are bathrooms with plumbing, open seasonally between mid May and mid October.
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Just please, for the love of dog, don't brush your teeth and spit your toothpaste into one spot on the side of the campsite. Use the bathrooms sinks.
Risk Management and Security
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Lock valuables in your car.
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You likely have cell service and law enforcement or emergency responders have easy access to you.
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The car is right there, for self-evacuation scenarios.
☑ A campout in the state parks... complete.
That was comfortable?
Let’s keep the modern amenities of a developed car campground… but head deeper into the northwoods and avoid the heavy competition of the state park reservation system.
Outing #2
An Amenity Rich Alternative: A Modern National Forest Car Campground | Way to Camp #3
Full Amenities. High Fee. No Reservation. Many People. Much Development.
Our two national forests are managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a 'multiple-use' mission; to balance commercial resource extraction, nature and resource conservation or preservation and robust outdoor recreation development.
Superior National Forest is a 3.9 million acreage of mixed conifer-hardwood forest punctuated by ancient bedrock exposures and pristine lakes. This vast swath of the Minnesota Arrowhead is home to the Iron Range, the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area and 23 national forest car campgrounds with 597 campsites.
Chippewa National Forest is 666 thousand acres of sopping wet north central conifer-hardwood forests, wetlands and recreational waters. It hosts several of the state's largest lakes, the source of the Mississippi River and 21 national forest campgrounds with 660 campsites.
The vast majority of national forest car campgrounds are more rustic, lacking some modern amenities (see Outing #3).
Here on Outing #2, there are a handful of national forest car campgrounds with fully modern amenities.
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Superior: Fall Lake Campground, South Kawishiwi Campground, Whiteface Reservoir Campground
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Chippewa: Norway Beach Campground (Chippewa Loop has electricity).
CHIPPewa National Forest
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Norway Beach
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37 drive-in campsites
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Chippewa Loop offers electric sites
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No showers.
Superior| National Forest
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Fall Lake
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all modern amenities
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high demand, some first come first served
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vegetated and well screened privacy between sites
Superior| National Forest
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South Kawishiwi
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some electric
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no showers
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Approach | National Forests in Minnesota
The U.S. Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture manages national forest lands for harvesting timber and preventing forest fires, as well as developing infrastructure and access to outdoor recreation. Unlike a national park, or the National Park Service, the Forest Service's investment in public recreation amenities is moderated in comparison. Amazing camping experiences are to be had in the national forests, through more rustic means than the heavy development of state and national parks.
Best Use: Set up a robust weekend campsite basecamp. Secure your campsite and leave it for day trips, driving to nearby trailheads or points of attraction - though these features are significantly more limited than typical state parks. The national forests are best used to support seasonal mushroom and berry pickings, or with a boat of somekind. Boating, fishing and paddling are almost always directly accessible from these campgrounds.
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Not a place for solitude. Lots of these campgrounds have tent sites adjacent to each other in open areas with direct sight lines to each other.
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Not necessarily quiet, despite the existence of 'quiet hours'.
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Fewer to none specific points of attraction, entertainment or programming.
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The forest, lakes, rivers and maybe nearby hiking trails invite you to structure your own activities and interpretation.
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Supported; by resident campground host, local law enforcement and park staff at a campground office or visitors center.
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Modern national forest campgrounds are 'front country' accessible, but many are more remote drives - perhaps even on unpaved roads.
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A campground; with many communal amenties (bathrooms, drinking water, playgrounds, beaches, etc.)
Administrative | National Forests in Minnesota
Some campsites are reservable. The remainder are first come, first served.
The reservation portal for federal public lands is Recreation.gov
☐ Investigate First-Come, First Served Camping
Go ahead and make a reservation if you like, it shouldn't be as competitive as the popular state parks. But now is a good time to begin navigating how to claim first come, first served campsites, since the following outings will depend on this.
1. Upon arrival, if there is a campground office, staff can help you. Otherwise, seek out the self-service kiosk with helpful resources like campground map, and other instructions. This typically includes a registration card you can place on your individual campsite post to claim occupancy.
2. Locate an unoccupied campsite and identify the individual campsite number. Use the kiosk instructions to complete payment. Increasingly, thus involves processing payment through the Recreation.gov mobile app.
No entry permit.
Nightly rates for these modern campgrounds are $25 to $28.
Electric campsites can be up to $35. Additional online reservation fees are $8.
Season is typically May through September.
Amenities | National Forest
Skills & Equipment to Master This Outing:
☑ Cleared and level tent site.
☑ Parking space adjacent to campsite.
Cleared tent site and adjacent parking area.
Fire ring with cooking grate and picnic table.
Resident campground host.
Cleared tent site and adjacent parking area.
☑ Picnic table.
☑ Campfire ring. With grill grate.
☑ Potable drinking water available.
☑ Dumpsters.
☑ Bathrooms with plumbing;
sinks and mirrors, flush toilets and hot showers.
☑ Park or campground office, with support of staff or resident campground host.
Shelter and Sleep Systems
☐ Pitch a secure shelter, and get a comfortable sleep.
Resistance to the Elements
☐ Stay warm, stay cool, stay dry and avoid bug bites.
Water
☐ Fill or refill potable drinking water at the campground well.
Cooking and Meals
☐ Build a campfire and cook with it.
☐ Use a camping stove.
☐ Firewood is available for purchase.
Food and Waste Storage
☐ Keep all "smellys" locked in car overnight and when campsite is unattended.
☐ Deposit trash in campground dumpsters.
Dishwashing
☐ Practice Leave No Trace dishwashing method.
Hygiene
☐ Use the bathrooms.
Risk Management and Security
☐ Lock valuables in your car.
☐ Use cell phone service to call emergency services.
☐ If needed, self-evacuate with car.
☑ Outing 2... complete.
Can you be comfortable without electricity, flush toilets and hot showers...
especially if it means a smaller campground with less people?
Outing #3
“Rustic” but All you Really Need, State Forest Car Campground | Way to Camp #3
Minimal Amenities. Low Fee. No Reservation. Some People. Minimal Development.
Unlike state parks, our state forests and their campgrounds are geographically concentrated to the forested regions of Minnesota. They are absent from the western and southern prairie counties. But elsewhere, they range from eastern deciduous Big Woods biome to the coniferous boreal forests of the North.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources manages state forest lands with a 'multiple-use' mission. This includes timber harvest for state revenue, conserving wildlife habitat and water quality as well as outdoor recreation - from hunting and fishing to camping and paddling. There is less development of infrastructure and amenities than most state parks, appropriately.
For this next trip, if you can become comfortable and satisfied with the amenities of a “rustic” or “primitive” campsite (by state park standards) you’ll be unlocking the core car camping experience and greatest number of campsites on Minnesota's public lands. This campground description applies to:
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all of 22 state forest car campgrounds,
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almost all fee car campgrounds in the Superior and Chippewa National Forests.
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the Minnesota state parks designated as 'rustic', which include;
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Beaver Creek Valley, Carley, Charles A. Lindbergh, Franz Jevne, George Crosby Manitou, Greenleaf, Judge C.R. Magney, Kilen Woods, Lake Louise, Monson Lake, Old Mill and Schoolcraft.
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Finland| State Forest
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Eckbeck, in Finland State Forest
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31 drive-in campsites
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A semi wooded peninsula surrounded by a loop of the Baptism River.
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Outer ring sites are well-spaced apart, even though broad sight lines don't allow lots of privacy.
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A very close base camp to Highway 61 and exploring along the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Kabetogama| State Forest
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Woodenfrog Campground
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59 rustic drive-in campsites
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Very wooded, well-screened vegetation for privacy.
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A peninsula surrounded by huge lake, but no open views or sightlines from campsites.
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This state forest campground offers a car camp base for exploring the mainland amenities of Voyageur's National Park, who doesn't offer any car campgrounds of their own.
Richard J. Dorer| State Forest
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Kruger
Approach | State Forests in Minnesota
Best Use: Comfortable overnight pit stops. In a few places (the North Shore, southeast, along the St. Croix) these campgrounds can make a quality multi-day basecamp for exploring the surrounding area. Otherwise, these campgrounds serve very well as a one night stay while road tripping the state or entering and exiting boundary waters paddling trips.
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Accessible, but often on unpaved gravel roads and lots.
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Many are in large areas of state forest, and reasonably remote from town or city services.
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Unlikely to have any staff support. No resident campground host. Patrols by agency staff or local law enforcement not expected.
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While a handful of state forest car campgrounds are popular and busy (near the North Shore or St. Croix river), many of them see light demand and light occupancy.
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No programming or specific points of attraction. Generate your own activities, education and entertainment.
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Minimal development of recreation infrastructure.
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A boat launch or landing at nearby lakes of rivers is common.
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Hiking trails and systems are less present or less maintained.
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Administrative | State Forests in Minnesota
Campsites are first-come, first served. There are no reservations.
Summer weekends, especially holidays can be busy but high demand is not super common in these campgrounds.
Each campground has a physical self-service kiosk with guidance for check-in. This generally involves:
1. Gathering a physical registration card that you will place on your campsite's individual numbered post.
2. Paying the fee for your stay on the digital mobile app Yodel.
When you arrive, drive the campground loop and find an unoccupied space. If there is no equipment present in the site, and no registration card on the post you should consider it available. Sometimes folks leave behind their registration card on the post, so it can pay to take a closer look at the occupancy dates they filled out.
What if I have no mobile phone? Or it's dead? Or I have no service or internet connection?
Not a huge stress. Pay via mobile after your stay when you regain service. Or find instructions at the self-service kiosk on how to mail-in a payment.
No entrance fees or permits are required to enter Minnesota state forests.
Nightly rates for Minnesota state forest campground sites are around $17.
The national forest fee car campgrounds with equivalent experience to this Outing #3 are between $18 and $20 each night.
Operating Season is generally May through October. Many may be closed or choked with snow in the winter season. Those that are open during the winter are unlikely to have certain facilities operating, like drinking water wells.
Amenities | Minnesota State Forests
Skills & Equipment to Master This Outing:
☑ Cleared and level tent site area
☐ Specific tent site is not selected
☑ Parking space adjacent to campsite.
☑ Picnic table.
☑ Campfire ring.
☑ Potable drinking water available.
☑ Bathrooms are outhouse style vault toilets.
☐ No running water sinks, toilets or showers.
Shelter and Sleep Systems
☐ Pitch your tent, in the right spot.
★ The exact place to pitch your tent within your campsite is up to you. From the several options, including the often obvious ones, be doubly discerning of the ground's gradient. Where will rainwater pool and drain if there is a rain event?
Resistance to the Elements
☐ Stay warm, stay cool, stay dry and avoid bug bites.
Cooking and Meals
☐ Build a campfire.
★ Gathering tinder and kindling from nearby is much more feasible since there are fewer users.
☐ Use a cook stove.
Food and Waste Storage
☐ Secure all 'smellys' inside the vehicle overnight, or while campsite is unattended.
★ At many of these campgrounds, there are less people compared to modern car campgrounds. Surrounded by undeveloped wildlife habitat, your animal encounter preventions are more important than before.
Hygiene
★ ☐ Build a backcountry toiletry kit.
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Have the supplies necessary in case remote bathrooms are unstocked.
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Toilet paper and hand sanitizer.
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Wet wipes can cleanse face, hands and feet etc.
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Carry a scent proof zip loc bag to pack out used wet wipes. Don't toss them in the vault toilets.
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★ ☐ Rinse off in a lake, stream or river.
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Remember that "biodegradeable" soaps work when grey water is cast onto soils, with living bacteria. When used directly in water, they are contaminants. Carry water away from source in a collapsible bucket for actual soaping and sudsing. Pour this out on the ground.
Dishwashing
☐ Practice Leave No Trace dishwashing methods.
Risk Management and Security
☐ Lock valuables in your car.
☐ Use cell phone service to call emergency services.
★ May not have cell service in many state forest car campgrounds.
☐ If needed, self-evacuate with car.
☑ Garbage disposal, if not a dumpster, than trash cans.
☐ No park staff or office expected.
☐ Resident campground host is unlikely present.
Cleared tent area, parking space, picnic table and fire ring.
Potable drinking water well.
Garbage cans.
Cleared tent area, parking space, picnic table and fire ring.
☑ Outing 3... complete.
So, you’re comfortable with ‘rustic’ amenities. You've gained confidence in skills and equipment.
Are you ready for a bit more wild, natural and remote setting? How about we do that. And do it for free.
Outing #4
A Free Night in the Superior National Forest, Rustic and Remote | Way to Camp #4
Minimal Amenities. No Fee. No Reservation. Few People. Minimal Development.
One of the better kept secrets in all of Minnesota public land camping are to be experienced on this outing.
The Superior National Forest maintains 18 rustic campgrounds with drive-in car campsites. They only include a few of the most basic amenities, but are completely free to use. This is an opportunity to explore some of the most wild and remote region of the state
Keep the most necessary comforts of a maintained campsite while exploring the more remote corners of Minnesota.
Harriet Lake| Rustic
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6 campsites total
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some in more sun or full sun
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some more shady
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These pine barrens feel like western alpine meadows, especially during wildflower blooms.
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A lake with dock and boat launch is behind the meadows, but not super close to the campsites.
silver Island Lake| Rustic
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8 campsites total
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metal fire rings with cooking grates
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outhouse vault toilet
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A communal feeling driving loop surrounding a boat launch.
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Somewhat partitioned and screened by cedar and spruce.
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Site #5 has a personal dock on a stunning, wide open northern lakeview.
Baker Lake| Rustic
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5 campsites
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metal fire rings with cooking grates.
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outhouse vault toilet
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solar powered potable water
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The surrounding pine forest feels like old growth. The open subcanopy from on top of a large hill affords glimpses of the surrounding lake.
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Wide gravel boat launch on lake, and an entry point into the BWCA.
Approach | Rustic Campgrounds in Superior N.F.
Best Use: A secluded, remote and simple retreat. Testing your backcountry camping skills with the security of the car. Some of these make great weekend destinations, and many others function pragmatically as a single night stay while touring.
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Reasonably accessible, but considered remote.
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The Forest Roads approaching these campgrounds are well-graded gravel roads but winter weather and severe rain can close them at times.
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Several have final approaches where minimum maintenance roads offer challenging driving for non AWD vehicles.
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Unlikely to have any staff support. No resident campground host. Patrols by agency staff or local law enforcement not expected.
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These are very limited occupancy 'campgrounds'. Sometimes there are only 2, at most there are 8 campsites.
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Fewer people means less disruption. You may even have the whole place to yourself.
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Fewer people can also become awkward, if any unlikely conflict arises.
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Intended to serve as rustic base camps to access adjacent lakes and rivers.
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Most of these have a primitive boat launch and/or dock adjacent to campground.
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Paddling and fishing are typical activities to pursue here. Hiking trails are very limited. No other programming or recreation infrastructure present.
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Administrative | Rustic Campgrounds in Superior N.F.
No entrance fees or permits are required at these campgrounds or to drive in the Superior National Forest.
They are FREE.
Campsites are first-come, first served. There are no reservations.
Several are better known and busier around summer holiday weekends. Just be prepared with a backup or two campground should you arrive to full occupancy.
Operating Season is generally May through October. In the winter months, roads may be impassable and bathrooms may be locked.
Amenities | Rustic Campgrounds in SNF
Skills & Equipment to Master This Outing:
☑ Cleared and level tent site area
☐ Specific tent site is not selected
☑ Parking space adjacent to campsite.
☑ Picnic table.
☑ Campfire ring.
☐ Potable drinking water not available.
☑ Bathrooms are outhouse style vault toilets.
☐ No running water sinks, toilets or showers.
☐ No garbage disposal.
☐ No park staff or support.
☐ No cell phone service, likely.
Shelter and Sleep Systems
☐ Pitch your tent, in the right spot.
Resistance to the Elements
☐ Stay warm, stay cool, stay dry and avoid bug bites.
Cooking and Meals
☐ Build a campfire.
☐ Use a cook stove.
★ When dry summer conditions increase the risk of wildfire, burning bans may be in effect in the national forest. Canister fuel camping and backpacking cook stoves are still allowed, when open campfires are not. Having the ability to use these for meals becomes very useful.
Food and Waste Storage
☐ Secure all 'smellys' inside the vehicle overnight, or while campsite is unattended.
★ The greatest risk for encountering black bears, wolves and most other wildlife will be in this region of the state.
Water
★ ☐ Gather and treat drinkable water from a wild source.
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Larger volume water bodies are better than small. Moving water is better than still or stagnant.
★ ☐ Use a water filter.
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Remove macro detritus and micro contaminants (bacteria, virus, protozoa) with most 0.1 micron filters commonly sold for camping and backpacking.
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Research and choose from pump, squeeze or gravity filter styles.
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Alternative treatment methods include chemical, ultraviolet or boiling.
Hygiene
☐ Bring your backcountry toiletry kit.
☐ Rinse off in a lake, stream or river.
Dishwashing
☐ Practice Leave No Trace dishwashing methods.
Risk Management and Security
☐ Lock valuables in your car.
★ ☐ Be prepared to have use emergency communication devices, when out of cell service range.
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Understand emergency use of cell phone.
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Carry a personal locator beacon.
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Use a satellite communication device like a Garmin inReach.
☐ If needed, self-evacuate with car.
Cleared tent area. Parking space.
Picnic table and fire ring.
Vault toilet outhouse.
Cleared tent area. Parking space.
☑ Outing 4... complete.
You really want to be dispersed camping? All alone?
There is one more option before we go completely off the beaten path...
Outing #5
'Designated' Dispersed Drive In Campsites in the Chippewa National Forest | Way to Camp #4
Minimal Amenities. No Fee. No Reservation. No Other People. Minimal Development.
Before you head off to true dispersed camping experiences, we have one more unique outing. And an opportunity to explore the other national forest in Minnesota. The Chippewa National Forest maintains a collection of over 30 designated "dispersed" drive-in campsites. The Forest calls these "dispersed" campsites, but they are in specific locations. Why not take the solitude and free nightly rate, and keep a few basic campsite amenities?
battle point| D28
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Wide open views of Cut Sioux Lake and across Lake Winnibigoshish.
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But an unattractive shoreline for swimming or wading.
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Adjacent to a dirt road, but not a busy one.
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Small space for 1 or 2 tents.
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Rock fire ring.
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No toilet.
Orange Lake| M7
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A scenic wooded glen with views of little lake.
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Good shoreline access to wading or swimming.
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Picnic table, metal fire ring and pit toilet.
First River lake| D32
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A remote and private area of open ground below the pines.
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Adjacent and watercraft accessible to the calm and quiet First River, and a scenic viewshed.
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Rock fire ring, pit toilet, picnic table.
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And a tiny makeshift dock.
Approach | Rustic Campsites in Chippewa N.F.
This collection of campsites includes sites approachable by car, boat and backpack. Explore them all in greater detail with Minnesota Camp Guide's Chippewa National Forest Guide to (Designated) Dispersed Camping.
Best Use: Having a remote and secluded campsite all to yourself. Practicing backcountry camping with the security of the car. Some make great weekend destinations to support boating, paddling and fishing on some of Minnesota's most interesting lakes including Trout, Winnibigoshish and Leech.
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Reasonably accessible, but considered remote.
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The Forest Roads approaching these campgrounds are well-graded gravel roads but winter weather and severe rain can close them at times.
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Several have final approaches where minimum maintenance roads offer challenging driving for non AWD vehicles.
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Unlikely to have any staff support. No resident campground host. Patrols by agency staff or local law enforcement not expected.
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These are typically individual occupancy campsites. You may still fit multiple tents or vehicles into many of them.
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Being alone can be the desire. It can also be a little nervewracking.
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Folks are unlikely to attempt to share these sites, unless they are ones at boat landings or river access.
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Intended to serve as rustic base camps to access adjacent lakes and rivers.
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Most of these have a primitive boat launch and/or dock adjacent to campground.
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Paddling and fishing are typical activities to pursue here. Hiking trails are very limited. No other programming or recreation infrastructure present.
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Administrative | Rustic Campsites in Chippewa N.F.
No entrance fees or permits are required at these campgrounds or to drive in the Superior National Forest.
They are FREE.
Campsites are first-come, first served. There are no reservations.
Several are better known and busier around summer holiday weekends. Just be prepared with a backup or two campground should you arrive to full occupancy.
Operating Season is generally May through October. In the winter months, roads may be unplowed and impassable.
Amenities | Rustic Campsites in C. N.F.
☑ Cleared and level tent site area
☐ Specific tent site is not selected
☑ Parking space adjacent to campsite.
Cleared tent area. Picnic table. Fire ring.
Pit toilet.
Cleared tent area. Picnic table. Fire ring.
☑ Picnic table. Sometimes.
☑ Campfire ring. Often a rock ring, sometimes a metal one with fire grate.
☐ Potable drinking water not available.
☑ Bathrooms are wilderness latrines. Sometimes are not present.
☐ No running water sinks, toilets or showers.
☐ No garbage disposal. Pack out what you pack in
☐ No park staff or support.
☐ No cell phone service, likely.
Skills & Equipment to Master This Outing:
Shelter and Sleep Systems
☐ Pitch your tent, in the right spot.
Resistance to the Elements
☐ Stay warm, stay cool, stay dry and avoid bug bites.
Cooking and Meals
☐ Build a campfire.
☐ Use a cook stove.
★ When dry summer conditions increase the risk of wildfire, burning bans may be in effect in the national forest. Canister fuel camping and backpacking cook stoves are still allowed, when open campfires are not. Having the ability to use these for meals becomes very useful.
Food and Waste Storage
☐ Secure all 'smellys' inside the vehicle overnight, or while campsite is unattended.
★ The greatest risk for encountering black bears, wolves and most other wildlife will be in this region of the state.
★☐ Try backcountry food and waste storage methods (since there are no other campsites around);
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Bear bag, made from critter proof fabrics and can be tied up in away from campsite.
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Bear barrel, wedge under something away from campsite.
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Bear hang, if you can find the proper setup site.
Water
☐ Gather and treat drinkable water from a wild source.
☐ Use a water filter and treatment method.
Hygiene
☐ Bring your backcountry toiletry kit.
☐ Rinse off in a lake, stream or river.
Dishwashing
☐ Practice Leave No Trace dishwashing methods.
Risk Management and Security
☐ Lock valuables in your car.
☐ Be prepared to have use emergency communication devices, when out of cell service range.
☐ If needed, self-evacuate with car.
☑ Outing 5... complete.
That right there? Not a campsite.
You disagree? Well, go ahead and make your own way...
Outing #6
True Dispersed Car Camping in State and National Forests. | Way to Camp #5
No Amenities. No Fee. No Reservation. No Other People. No Development.
Literally, off the beaten path. Despite some confusing language from the Chippewa National Forest, true dispersed camping is the practice of picking and choosing your own individual campsite in the undeveloped areas of our public lands. In Minnesota, and when approaching this by car, this opportunity is acccessed by more than 2,500 miles of roads and thousands of minimally maintained spur roads used for forestry management in our state and national forests. Just to be clear, there is no dispersed camping, no camping outside of designated campsites in state parks, national parks or the BWCA wilderness.
A vehicle with all wheel drive and significant ground clearance will certainly increase your access to these opportunities, and there are many chances to find logging clear cuts, inactive gravel pits and the like to pull over and set up camp, free of charge.
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Your camp must be 150 feet away from roads, trails, buildings, water bodies and other designated campsites.
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You are not allowed to park motor vehicles anywhere it may impede traffic, harm vegetation or soils.
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U.S. National Forests in Minnesota have the same rules.
When scouting dispersed camping opportunities, determine the boundaries of private, state forest and national forest land with the DNR's Recreation Compass. The large print national forest maps are a great resource for this task also.
Approach | Dispersed Car Camping
Best Use: Doing something extra adventurous and not spending a dime for it. Creating a base camp for hunting and foraging in deep woods. The quest for a totally unknown and super scenic campsite, all to yourself is a fun one. But, dispersed camping is often the backup plan to the backup plan, if all other campsites you've visited are occupied and the sun is on it's way down. A very pragmatic overnight stay with the intent to continue traveling the next day.
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Considered remote. Reasonably accessible, to borderline inaccessible by motor vehicle.
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Many, if not most forest and fire roads will eventually deteriorate in quality the farther down them you explore. Expect rocks, ruts, pits, ditches, water holes, fallen trees, etc. These places are playgrounds for all-terrain and off highway vehicles after all.
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Lack of water.
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It's not hard to find a dispersed campsite, but one adjacent to good water access - or a scenic view - is harder than you might think.
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No amenities of any kind.
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Unless, you move into a spot that's popular with parking hunting season camp trailers and RVs. Then you may find a fire ring and some log furniture left behind.
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Total solitude.
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Free.
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Quite adventurous.
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Having "secret" spots is pretty great.
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Greater chance for uninterrupted night sky or wildlife encounters.
Amenities | Dispersed Car Camping
Skills & Equipment to Master This Outing:
☐ Cleared and level tent site
☐ Specific tent site is not selected.
☑ Parking space adjacent to campsite.
Cleared tent area and parking.
Cleared tent area and parking.
☐ Potable water
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must gathered and treated.
☐ No amenities.
☐ No bathrooms.
☐No garbage disposal. Pack out what you brought in, and leave no trace.
☐ No park staff or support.
☐ No cell phone service, likely.
Shelter and Sleep Systems
☐ Pitch your tent, in the right spot.
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Dry and level ground. Do not pitch beneath dead or dying trees and limbs.
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Keep 150 feet away from any nearby structures.
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Do not block any roads with your vehicle.
Resistance to the Elements
☐ Stay warm, stay cool, stay dry and avoid bug bites.
Cooking and Meals
☐ Build a campfire.
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You might locate a site where fires have been had before.
☐ Use a cook stove.
★ When dry summer conditions increase the risk of wildfire, burning bans may be in effect in the national forest. Canister fuel camping and backpacking cook stoves are still allowed, when open campfires are not. Having the ability to use these for meals becomes very useful.
Food and Waste Storage
☐ Secure all 'smellys' inside the vehicle overnight, or while campsite is unattended.
★ The greatest risk for encountering black bears, wolves and most other wildlife will be in this region of the state.
☐ Practice with a bear bag, bear barrel or bear hang.
Water
☐ Bring enough water in the car with you.
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Dispersed camping must be 150 feet away from a water source, and is usually a challenge anyways to find a dispersed camping spot very close to water features.
☐ Gather and treat drinkable water from a wild source.
☐ Use a water filter and treatment method.
Hygiene
☐ Bring your backcountry toiletry kit.
☐ Rinse off in a lake, stream or river.
★☐ Poop in the woods.
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Dig at least a 6" deep hole to poop in and bury it.
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Pack your toilet paper or wipes into a scent lock bag, do not bury them.
Dishwashing
☐ Practice Leave No Trace dishwashing methods.
Risk Management and Security
☐ Lock valuables in your car.
☐ Be prepared to have use emergency communication devices, when out of cell service range.
☐ If needed, self-evacuate with car.
Conclusion
☑ Outing 6... complete.
With that, you've completed Ways to Camp #1 through #5.
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Tour the entire Minnesota state park system.
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Use state forest campgrounds to avoid competitive reservations or save a little money.
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Access Voyageur's National Park or the Driftless region's Richard J. Dorer State Forest.
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Explore the vast Arrowhead region and Superior National Forest
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From a modern campground to a remote and secluded campsite.
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Heading into or out of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
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Explore the Chippewa National Forest:
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From modern campgrounds on some of Minnesota's largest lakes,
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Or secluded individual campsites in the wildest pockets of national forest.
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The skills and equipment required to unlock some of these car camping experiences are the exact same backcountry camping skills required to leave the front country roads and trailheads for even greater public land access in Minnesota. Begin a new progression by
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Unlocking Minnesota's Backpack Camping Landscape
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Unlocking Minnesota's Paddle Camping Landscape
Happy Camping.
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