Campground is open year round. Showers/flush toilets are open May - October



Gooseberry Falls State Park

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

Bean and Bear Lakes Hike-In

Our campground is comprised of 49 sites and situated on 14.5 acres adjacent to the shores of Lake Superior, located near the intersection of the North Shore Scenic Byway and the Superior National Forest Scenic Byway. Situated in the heart of the North Shore, the Black Beach Campground is an hour drive north of Duluth following Highway 61 and only 50 miles south of Grand Marias. If traveling from the Iron Range cities (Biwabik, Eveleth, Gilbert and Virginia) our campground is approximately 60 miles east from Highway 53 when taking Highway 16/Forest Highway 11 towards Silver Bay. The campground's location makes it the ideal basecamp for those looking to explore the wonders of the North Shore. 

Black Beach Campground

Penmarallter Campsite

Nestled in a beautiful and scenic valley of northeast Minnesota’s Sawtooth Mountains is Lax Lake.  Once a logging community and Northern Rail stop, it was home to some of the state’s mightiest of loggers.  Although the sawmill is gone, the beauty that once drew the first settler remains.  It is here where each day nature’s ensemble invites your senses to experiences that no other place has.  We welcome those who appreciate the peacefulness of God’s country and offer an enjoyable vacation doing what we we can to make your stay pleasurable and memorable...

For those who are camping enthusiests, we offer 15 sites to fit your camping personality.  Whether you have a tent, pop-up, topper, or hammock, we have reserved a few sites for each. Two sites can accomodate a pull-thru camper or motorhome... up to 32'.
Electric hookups are available for most sites.

Modern bathrooms, quarter operated showers and laundry facilities are avaible in the central lodge.

Lax Lake Resort

Great for camping near Minneapolis and 58 miles northeast of Duluth in Lake County on scenic Minnesota Highway 61 lies a massive reserve of lakeside beauty and scenic wilderness. Situated on the shores of the mammoth Lake Superior, Tettegouche State Park is a Minnesota marvel which earns its name from the Tettegouche Club, an association of local businessmen which purchased the park in 1910 from the Alger-Smith Lumber Company. In fact, it was the club's members who guarded over the area, up until 1979 when the state of Minnesota acquired 3,400 acres from the Nature Conservancy, including Tettegouche Camp. 

 Today this park is absolutely huge, spanning 9,346 acres of wetlands, forests, and sandy beaches. The acreage contains six inland lakes which contain walleye and northern fish, four waterfalls, and an extensive 70 foot sandy beach right on Lake Superior. And thankfully, all of this beauty is now preserved. In fact, the Tettegouche Camp, on Mic Mac Lake, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 Perched on the Baptism River, one of the park’s most famous attractions is High Falls, the highest waterfall located (entirely) within Minnesota. The Baptism River Campground is home to a number of campsites with and without electric hookups, as well as a heated building open year-round, with flush toilets and showers, even in the winter. Firewood can be purchased at the park entrance year-round. Five picnic areas are also available with fire rings and tables. However, not only does Tettegouche boast the State’s highest waterfall and winter heated showers, it also contains one of the largest network of hiking trails in the region. 

 All in all, the park contains over 35 miles of hiking and ski trails, including access to the famous Superior Hiking Trail. The park is one of only four state parks in Minnesota offering rock climbing. Both Shovel Point and Palisade Head cliffs are popular spots offering climbing directly over Lake Superior. Additionally, on its North boundary, Finland State Forest and the Red Dot motorized trail attract OHV enthusiasts from all over the nation for the world class trails and off-road terrain. Thankfully, all of this wilderness creates plenty of room for animals to roam freely. 

 In fact, it’s normal to see all sorts of wildlife at Tettegouche. A a huge variety of flora and fauna shelter watchable animals such as the woodpecker, red squirrel, white-tail deer, peddle, snowshoe bunny, beaver, and weasel. Moreover, diligent spotters will encounter moose, wild bear, waterway otter, and red fox. Not as commonly spotted, one can find the timber wolf and even the Northern Flying Squirrel. For bird lovers, the recreation center is a great location to spot peregrine birds of prey that nest along the trees and bluffs of the Lake.

 The park contains several camping areas, with drive-in, cart-in, walk-in and kayak-in sites.One accessible cabin is open for reserve at Illgen Falls. Furthermore, the parking lot at the entrance to the park also serves as a highway rest area, with a year-round visitor center, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, restrooms, and vending machines. Aside from the accessible cabin, there are also four cabins available for those willing to hike in.



Tettegouche State Park

Eckbeck Finland State Forest

Sullivan Lake Campground

Indian Lake Campground

Knife River Campground

State Park

Lots of sites in this campground, some of which may be difficult to get most campers into. With the amount of sited there is something that should work for just about every rig. Firewood available at the office and dump station near the campground entrance 

Lots of site and lots of nearby hiking

**General:** Located on Lake Superior (with access to the lake from the campground). The main draw to this campground is the five waterfalls that are accessible via a paved bike path, riverfront trail, or you can drive to the Visitor Center parking lot and explore from there. During the summer of 2021, drought conditions made the falls less spectacular but still worth seeing.

  

**Site Quality/Facilities:** The sites are all heavily wooded which provides more than sufficient privacy; although you can hear your neighbors, you won’t see them (at least during months with full foliage). The sites all have gravel drives and are very generous in size. Site 54 is just slightly sloped sideways, a small challenge for sleeping in our van. Each site has a very generous-sized picnic table and fire grate (although there was a strict fire ban due to severe drought in Minnesota in the summer of 2021). There is a large Visitor Center and store, and you can park here for two hours without a pass which is required for all other activities (including camping) in the park. The pass is $7 daily or $35 for an annual pass. Good cell service throughout the park. 

**Bathhouse:** The bathhouse closest to our site is a CCC marvel. Very clean with three stalls, two sinks, and two showers. There was a bench by the sinks which was very handy for holding toiletries. The shower had good water pressure (almost too hard) and although it took a few minutes to warm up, the water was warm. You have to repeatedly push the button (every three minutes or so) but there is no extra charge for the shower. Although the campground was full our entire stay, I often had the bathhouse to myself.  

  

**Activities:** Hiking and biking! The Gitchi Gami paved bike path winds through the park and if you want to go further, it continues all along MN 61. You can hike to the falls from the campground (approximately a three-mile roundtrip to see the Upper and Middle Falls (the Lower Falls were completely dry due to the drought conditions when we were there). Access to the lake for water activities.

  

This is a nice state park on the North Shore. We drove two hours north to Grand Portage State Park and back with a stop at another state park for a full-day trip, making Gooseberry Falls a good jumping-off point. Make reservations as soon as you can as this is a popular park!

Nice state park along the North Shore

Site 34 - medium size, not a lot of tree cover, parking for 2 cars. Normal state camping fees. Ranger office has permitted firewood and full service bathrooms. Great access to the rest of the park!

Gooseberry Falls State Park

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2022 Explorer Giveaway

Lots of site and lots of nearby hiking

Nice state park along the North Shore

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