Ottawa National Forest Black River Harbor Campground

Took an overnight trip with my wife, daughter and mother to see the legendary Fall colors of the western U.P. The sights along the Black River did not disappoint. The park itself had ample space and plenty to see. A few trails can be seen going through the area. The many nearby waterfalls make this a hidden gem. I can't wait for my next trip here!

Epic Fall Colors

Black River Harbor is one of the Top Ten most beautiful places in the United States. Plenty of nice sites. A beautiful harbor on Lake Superior surrounded with by a cornucopia of natural beauty. Five named waterfalls that are simply amazing, each awe inspiring along with several hidden un-named falls that anywhere else would be named and a major attraction. Together in such a short span of river makes the place the best place to see waterfalls in the US. Harbor features a beautiful suspension bridge, gorgeous picnic ground, amazing examples of Civilian Conservation Corps architecture and perhaps the most beautiful beach on the great lakes. Short drive from Copper Peak, where you can see three states and Canada. Needs to be on everyone's bucket list.

One of the Top Ten Most Beautiful Locations in the US

Campground Review:

A nice well maintained campground in the Ottawa National Forest. This campground is very close to the North Country Trail, Lake Superior, and to several beautiful waterfalls. A large loop, there are 38 sites to pick from of varying sizes. If you are lucky, you will score a site that is set back a bit from the road and has some good hammock trees. Try to get a site on the outside of the loop, closer to the lake. No sites are on the lake with beach access, but there are a few that have lake views. The vault toilets are older but well maintained, and there are water pumps scattered around the campground. There are no hookups for RV’s, but they are permitted in the campground. There are no pull through sites. Just up the road is the Harbor with a boat ramp and large picincing area with some historical buildings and signage. There is some construction going on here, so be aware there might be some parking lots and access points closed. Further inland is a series of four spectacular waterfalls that can be accessed either individually from pull outs and parking lots or along the North Country hiking trail. Be forewarned: there are LOTS of stairs to access the waterfalls. Not too far away is Copper Peak, the only ski flying facility in North America. In the summer you can ride up to the top to see pretty far. It’s not for the faint of heart, you really can’t mind heights if you are going up there. The Red Bull X Games used the ski launch for some crazy competition earlier this summer.

Product review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I get to test products. On this camping trip I tested the [Matador Camera Base Layer](https://matadorup.com/collections/matador-products/products/camera-base-layer?variant=16831186502) while hiking and photographing the waterfalls. I think some of the purpose of the [Matador Camera Base Layer](https://matadorup.com/collections/matador-products/products/camera-base-layer?variant=16831186502) is to provide some insulation for sensitive cameras from extreme cold air, but I was hiking in July so this was not something I could really put to the test. However, I could test the padding and the water resistance of the 30D Cordura fabric and the integrated rainfly.

Here’s what I liked:

1.  The padding was nice in that I was really comfortable tossing my camera in my day pack and not worrying about the screen getting scratched or losing my lense cap.
2.  It was really easy to use: put the camera in the bag, roll the top closed, and clip like a dry bag.
3.  My camera strap becomes the base layer bag strap, which means no added weight of extra straps, and no extra straps getting in the way.
4.  The rain fly is integrated in a small pouch in the bottom of the base layer bag, and since it is attached, it won’t get lost or left behind.
5.  I like the black color, makes it look like the professional, high end piece of equipment that it is.

Here’s what could be improved:

1.  I would like some sort of clip or tie or velcro that I could use to attach this to my camera strap. Currently when you take it off your camera, you are left holding the bag, literally, in one hand and your camera in the other. Then you need to find a place to stash it while you use your camera. A single connector would allow this light as air bag to hand from the strap while you use the camera.
2.  I wish the sides were closed up just a tad (an inch or two at most) more. I feel like the side openings are maybe too big and sewing them up just a bit more would provide a deeper, more protective bag for my camera (time to get out the sewing machine!).

Overall, I like the product and am glad I had it with me while out clambering around the ravines and waterfalls.

Ranger Review: Matador Camera Base Layer at Black River Harbor

this campground was nice, clean,  decent size sites with pressurized water throughout the park, a few sites with nice Lake Superior view, is up on a ridge so can’t actually access water from the campground, has trash, fire pits, picnic tables, NO DUMP STATION,, they removed it years ago, verizon cell service is NO GOOD,, a lot of falls on black river to walk to and a harbor to put your boat in,,stayed 2 nights July 2018,