Gulch Lake Campground —Paul Bunyan State Forest

This campsite might become my go-to for a peaceful last-minute escape. The campsites are very wooded and private and situated along trails and the lakes. Small campground, and quite rustic so if that's what your looking for this is the ticket. 

There is a clean and nice boat access with a covered sitting area near it. Potable water at the welcome area and a few vaulted toilets throughout. No actual bathroom facilities. But it does have a group site. 

This also connects to the Northland Scenic Trail which is super cool! There is a high bluff at the end of Nelson Lake along the NCT that has AMAZING views about a miles hike from the campground.  

This is out in Paul Bunyan State Forest so is definitely away from ambient light and other houses, etc. It must be great fishing, I just wouldn't know cause I don't fish ;-) But seems like it would be! There is separate access for kayaks and canoes which is what I will bring next time I go FOR SURE. 

I also love the campground journal they keep by the boat access! This is my kind of camping, remote, quiet, serene, no light, and gorgeous.

Please note: I previously reviewed the group camp at the same campground, but it's in a different location. This is the review of the regular campground at Gulch Lake.

This campground is lovely because it's very near the North Country Trail, a few other camps on the trail and a group camp just up the road. It's a little off the beaten path, but has amenities that will serve you nicely. While here, I had the pleasure of testing out a pair of sandals from Tredagain, and they were lovely!

CAMPGROUND REVIEW:

There are about 9 sites at this small campground, but it was plenty big, since we were the only ones there. Each site appeared to have a picnic table, fire ring and plenty of space for a tent. It didn't look like there were many good places for hammocks, so this one might be best for tent camping. There was a water pump at site #1, where we were, which would be lucky if you needed fresh water! Plenty of sun streamed into the site we were in, so it would make it a bit warmer in colder weather. We were there in November, so it was welcome! There are vault toilets nearby and just down the road a bit is the North Country Trail. The nice thing is that the trail makes a figure 8 around 2 lakes, so it's a great way to get lots of scenery, yet still end up back at your car if you wanted to. There are also a few other free sites on the trail itself (first come first served) and a group camp (Gulch Lake Group Camp) that I've reviewed previously. While not the prettiest camp, it would be just fine if you needed a place to crash.

PRODUCT REVIEW:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the awesome opportunity to review products in exchange for an honest review. This time, I had the pleasure of testing out a pair of sandals by Tredagain! The Tredagain Guadalupe Sandal rocks out on their specialty…re-cycled rubber from tires. Here is a quote from their site about what they do:

"TREDAGAIN partners with Austin Rubber Company LLC which manufactures a de-vulcanized rubber compound called APX®. Using an environmentally friendly, patented process, this sustainable solution converts end-of-life tires and other vulcanized scrap rubber into a less expensive substitute for virgin rubber, which can be used in a variety of new products including the outsoles of TREDAGAIN."

Isn't that cool!?

I love the philosophy, and I loved some things about the shoes too…

1. The soles are solid. Just what you'd expect from a tire. And the sole is imprinted with "tire tread", thus re-enforcing and reminding the consumer about what the shoes are all about.
2. While this isn't the lightest weight shoe I've tried on, it feels as if it will last a long time. It's got substance to it. Not a "dime store" purchase…you'll get some wear out of these.
3. They are very compatible and comfortable with my toe socks! It was colder outside when I tried these out, so I took my toe socks and voila! They were great!
4. They use post-consumer waste to make their packaging. This just gets better and better!

The only thing that I was minorly concerned about is that they might take some time to break in without socks. I felt a few rub spots when I tried them on barefoot, but most new sandals rub on your feet in spots you didn't know existed, so I suspect my tootsies just need time to adjust to the new feel of this sandal.

I stumbled across this site which I believe is the Gulch Lake Group Camp. There is also another Gulch Lake Campground here, but this one that I reviewed is the GROUP camp. It's right on the trail, but don't let that deter you. It's one of the prettiest sites I've ever seen! You do, however, need a reservation (it says it on the website for the Paul Bunyan Forest where it's located). While I was there I tested our my awesome Ledlenser M10 flashlight and it did not disappoint!

CAMPSITE REVIEW:

Don't confuse this site with a few others in the area. It stands alone, and is directly on the trail. Or rather, the trail runs through it. It's huge!! Surrounded by pines, there are plenty of places for tents, a lot of trees for hammocks, the largest stone fire ring I've ever seen, a huge pile of firewood and in a quiet area as well. It sits not only on the trail, but just off the road too, in case you care to drive in instead of pack in. But it's still very quiet! NOTE: This site does require a reservation. It's $50 for the group camp site. Very picturesque and close to several segments of the North Country Trail. Some of the trail nearby even makes a figure "8" so it's an easy day hike (and there are more campsites nearby).

PRODUCT REVIEW:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the awesome opportunity to test out amazing products in exchange for an honest review. This time, I tried out a rechargeable flashlight. The Ledlenser M10 did not disappoint!

Now, while this is not the lightest or smallest flashlight in the world, it has so many features that rock, you won't really want to leave it behind. My favorite feature…it's rechargeable. That means no more wasted batteries!! Here are some of my favorite things about it:

1. I already mentioned it's rechargeable, and really..that's a great point! On one charge, it can be on high beam (1000 lumens) for about 6 hours. On low beam (10 lumens…still enough to read and hang a bear bag) about 144 hours. Tell me this thing doesn't rock!
2. It's not giant. It has a huge punch for it's size. That means you can toss it in a purse or a pack. And it comes with a little pouch (can be attached to a belt) and a clip (in case you want to clip it directly to your pack or pocket instead). Ya, it has a little weight to it, but you'll be glad you didn't leave it behind.
3. You can adjust the beam to "near" and "far". No…this is not a muppet reference. Okay, maybe it is, but seriously…you CAN! Create a wide beam for "all over" viewing, or zoom the beam in for more precise location. It's a unique feature that Ledlenser boasts with their products.
4. You can choose which "program" you want for your flashlight when you turn it on. There are a series of "high/medium/low" combos that are available, and you can program the flashlight to recognize the sequence you like best. Not only that, but one sequence creates a quick flashing "strobe" that helps in an emergency.

The only problem I had was reading the instructions for setting up the sequence I wanted. They are in English, but mainly in picture form. Once you know what the pictures mean, they make sense, but to make sense of them, I actually had to do a little research online. But it's well worth your time to be patient and learn the system.

Bottom line, this one is worth the money if you are a die-hard camper, hiker or outdoorsman (or woman). It'll keep you sane in the wilderness, help you distract that bear that's ravaging your granola bars and assist in the late night tent set-ups that might, otherwise, have you flummoxed. Get one…now. I mean it.

The Gulch Lake campground is a typical state forest campground, simpler and smaller and quieter than a state park campground but with the advantage of being close to several beautiful and pristine lakes for fishing and boating, as well as close to a trailhead for the North Country Scenic Trail. There are 9 basic campsites on the hill between Bass Lake, Lake 21 and Nelson Lake, but they dont actually have good views if the lake, hence the 4 star rating for the campground per se. However, just down the hill from the official campground there are actually three separate glorious hike-in sites right on Lakes Nelson and 21 which have long walks to the campground water pump and latrines, but which are off on their own with large campsites, their own beach at each site, and lots of solitude and beauty. These off the beaten oath sites are worth 5 stars for those who like primitive camping without a long sojourn into the wilderness. There is also a nice group campsite on the hill overlooking Bass Lake. These campsites, both at the campground and the separate hike in sites, are managed by nearby Lake Bemidji State Park, and are on a first come first served basis with self registration.