All campsites in the Mississippi Headwaters State Forest are managed by the Department of Natural Resources, and many of them are free, including this one. Although the campsites here are considered primative they still come with really nicely built Adirondack shelters. Campsites are first-come, first-serve, but even in the peak summer months there is usually at least one site open. Even if you can find a site, dispersed camping is permitted, so it's a safe bet to come here if you want to make last minute plans to camp.

Amenities include fire pit, picnic table, and shelter. No water faucets, but you can always get water from the river and filter or treat it.

This time we drove here from Bemidji, which is only a 30 minute drive, but you can also canoe to this campsite from Lake Ithaca. That canoe route is about 17 miles and can be completed in a half day.