Established Camping

Bearskin Lodge

1 Review

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About

Bearskin Lodge operates the East Bearskin Lake Campground on behalf of the US Forest Service. Bearskin Lodge is responsible for all its operations from May 1st through November 1st. The Campground is located on the shores of East Bearskin Lake, with many camping sites right on the water. East Bearskin Lake offers excellent fishing, swimming, boating/canoeing, waterfalls, BWCAW entry points, and world-class scenery.

East Bearskin Lake Campground has 32 campsites offering privacy and comfort. Tent camping and RV camping are permitted. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Like most Forest Service campgrounds, this is highly forested. There are no electrical hookups, nor is there an RV dump station at the campground or the resort. There are new vault toilet buildings and access to a solar-driven water pump. Showers are not available, although a refreshing swim in East Bearskin Lake will frequently do the trick.

Many people find this campground to be a good alternative to actual BWCAW camping, especially for people with younger kids or who need to have a vehicle nearby. The campground offers easy daily access to the Boundary Waters, without having to portage everything in.

The staff at nearby Bearskin Lodge will be happy to answer questions for you. Basic groceries, firewood, bait/tackle, ice, gifts, postcards, and boat/canoe rentals are available at Bearskin Lodge. However, the other amenities at Bearskin Lodge are for resort guests only and are not part of the National Forest Service campground facilities.

All campsites at the East Bearskin Lake Campground are $18.00 per night. One vehicle is included; an additional vehicle is $8.00. There is a limit of 8 people and 2 vehicles per site. If you registered online, you have paid your fees; if you are a drive-in camper, register and pay immediately after arrival. Campers who have not paid within 1 hour of arrival, or by 1 PM each day, forfeit their campsites.

Pets are allowed in the campground and the camper cabins, as long as they are quiet, well-behaved, and do not run free. The few campground complaints we get each summer almost always involve dogs in the campground. Be a good neighbor if you camp with your pets.

Reservation Info

Most sites in the East Bearskin Lake Campground have been added to the national forest service reservation website at www.recreation.gov (Answer “East Bearskin Lake” when it asks where you want to go.) Some sites are still on a “first come, first served” basis, with no reservation needed. In recent years more sites were added to the reservation system, including several favorite sites that were on a “walk-on” basis in the past. Reservations can only be made 4 or more days ahead of the desired dates; if you don’t have a reservation, this campground almost always has nice, unreserved sites still available. The NFS does not permit us to take reservations for future camping at the lodge.

Cash or personal checks are accepted; there is a drop box located at the campground entrance, so you do not need to visit the Lodge. Checks should be made out to “Bearskin Lodge.” Returned checks are subject to a $30 charge; because this is a federal campground, bounced checks and unpaid campsite bills can result in significant penalties and prosecution. A kiosk located near the campground entrance has self-registration instructions with payment envelopes.

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.

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WiFi
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AT&T
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T-Mobile
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Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Cabins

Features

For Campers

Market
Trash
Picnic Table
Phone Service
Reservable
Showers
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Fires

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Tori K.

Legend

Reviewed Mar. 31, 2024

Ski/snowshoe in cabin

Stayed at the new ski/snowshoe in cabin. Cute little cabin with everything you need plus whatever you can carry on your back/sled. Cabin is equipped with firewood and a wood burning stove. There is a little outhouse right outside of the cabin. The main lodge is where you park your car, and there is a hot tub available to reserve if you are staying in one of the main cabins or the showshoe in cabin. The snowshoe in trail is a little hilly, so be prepared to do some work getting in, especially if you are pulling a gear sled like we did! Required a little teamwork to avoid being run downhill by the sled. We slept three people in the cabin, one on each bunk and one on the floor. Recommend putting the person who gets hot easily on the floor and the one who gets cold easily up on the top bunk. I get hot easily and was up top and had to cuddle with my water bladder to keep cool overnight.