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.