Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Akeley, MN

We had electric site and easily fit our 27 foot trailer. Beautiful campground. Lots of biking and hiking trails. Pets allowed.

What an amazing find and diamond in the rough! This resort is amazing, quiet, clean, friendly people, and pet friendly! Only a 3 mile ride down the gravel to get to ATV trails, and a premium gas pump to fill up with when you get back at the resort after riding. Private boat launch and swimming beach make it fun for the kids and convenient for dad to dock his boat to go fishing. Will definitely book a stay here again, soon!

• This is the headwaters of the Mississippi, which is a neat experience.
• Itasca Rentals is here. This is a great option for pontoon, kayak, canoe, SUP, bike, and child/ pet carrier rentals.
• TONS of hiking throughout the massive park.
• The wilderness drive is very scenic.
• Some k the best hiking included: preacher’s grove and the fire tower
• This would be a great location to host an event such as a family reunion, because there is something for everyone.
• Very nice playgrounds for the kids.

This campground is in Paul Bunyan State Forest. First come, first serve. No ATVs are allowed, perfect if you have young kids on bikes. There are no hook ups at all. Must have a generator for power. Water is available but not at every site. Pets are allowed. Outside toilets are clean. This is a quiet camp ground. The site includes a table and fire ring. There is no place to dock your boat over night. Keep in mind these sites are only $14 a night. There is a host but no security. There are signs up warning about bears.

CAMPGROUND REVIEW

Itasca State Park is a primo destination in northern Minnesota for folks interested in exploring the headwaters of the Mississippi River. There are several campgrounds, group camps, cabins and lodge accomodations in the park that suit most visitors. But for folks who want a wilderness experience while at the headwaters, there are miles of wilderness trails in the backcountry area on the southern end of the park—and there are campsites and Adirondack shelters scattered throughout the myriad glacial lakes of this backcountry, enough so that you could backpack by foot or on snowshoes or cross country skis for a week through the territory, staying at a different lakes every night. April in Minnesota means we are still winter camping—but despite the snow, the sun is bright and warm, and it is great to get out into it. The park is at its peak of solitude in the winter, but if you can find a way to get to a campsite, they are open and reservable. This review is for Remote Campsite 11, located on an isthmus between Coffee Break Lake and Deer Park Lake. It is a several mile hike in from the nearest parking areas, either via Mary Kake and the Ozawindib Trail, or via the Deer Park Trail from Douglas Lodge. The trail is rolling and maintained for cross country skiers, snowshoers and snowhikers in the winter. This campsite is located just past the Ozawindib Adirondack Shelter, which is a good backup if its too windy or cold at the campsite. The campsite itself is down a hill by the lakeshore, between two lakes actually, on a rise that overlooks both. There is an additional campsite nearby on the south end of Deer Park Lake, campsite 10. There is a tent pad sheltered under the tall pines (and currently under the snow!) as well as a fire ring and an outhouse. There is no water provided, but a large bucket is available, so you can get lake water and filter it, or melt snow or bring your own. This is a great location for folks who like winter camping as the trek in is only a few miles, I was able to do it easily carrying a backpack of gear on my back, and a front pack with my dog when she got tired if trudging through the snow. And of course it is an easy hike in during the milder snow-free seasons. The site is scenic, pristine, and largely sheltered from the wind. The vista north over Coffee Break Lake would be awesome for viewing northern lights, this is a dark sky part of the park. It can get a little muddy in the transition season, including around the campfire area, so we hung out at the Adirondack shelter nearby and did our cooking there.

To see a map and reserve a back country campsite at Itasca, check this link:

https://reservemn.usedirect.com/MinnesotaWeb/Facilities/AdvanceSearch.aspx

For more info on Remote Camping in Minnesota State Parks, see this link: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/remote_camping.html

For general info on Itasca State Park, go to the homepage: www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00181#homepage

PRODUCT REVIEW

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I ocasionally get camping products to test out. Today I am testing Mountain House Southwest Breakfast Hash https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/product/spicy-southwest-breakfast-hash.html

Mountain House makes lightwieght, freeze-dried trail meals that are "cooked" in their own pouches using only boiling water. The sealed pouches are durable and lightwieght to carry, and the no-fuss no-muss prep of adding boiling water and letting it stand for 4 minutes in the re-sealable pouch is really easy. Since I was carrying my gear on my back, and carrying my tired little dog in a front pack carrier, I certainly didnt want to have extra weight! But these meal pouches are so light you hardly know you are carrying them. This pouch of SW breakfast hash had more than enough for two people plus some leftover for the dog, we served it up on tortillas that we had also packed, but you could eat it straight up. The hash featured beans, corn, potatoes, veggies and shredded beef for a well rounded complete meal as is, but you could extend the servings by scrambling it with eggs to dish up for a larger group. The taste and texture were surprisingly good, tasty without being too spicy, and I would defintiely buy this again. See our video review at https://youtu.be/nB9lBmjUsqU

At a rate of$40 a night for camping here with all the amenities of a resort, this is a pretty good deal! Campers have access to the heated pool, free use of canoes and kayaks, there is a camp store and bait shop, showers and bathrooms and indoor recreation facilities in the lodge, and a boat launch(though you do have to pay extra to reserve docking space). The campsites are pet friendly too. However, the campsites are a bit close together and would not be my favorite way to camp. For paddlers crossing Lake Winnie on the Mississippi Headwaters Water Trail, this is a convenient place to camp, with easy pull out to the southwest side of the Winnie dam, and more amenities than the Forest Service campground or COE campground on the other side of the dam. From here, paddlers just have a short portage on the paved road across the dam to the downstream boat launch below it.

This is a full service fishing resort with a lodge and cabin rental, but RV and tent camping is also available. The campsites are very nice and wooded, the tenting sites include some very secluded spots back in the woods which is nice for solitude but precludes a view of the lake. There are daily rates as well as weekly rates for camping or cabin stays. This is a top notch place to stay for a fishing vacation, off the beaten path but with full amenities. It can be a destination vacation spot, or can be a great stop-over  for through-paddlers crossing Lake Winnie on the Mississippi River Headwaters Water Trail. Although near the National Forest campground on Tamarack Point, this has many more amenities which is nice when you are so far from the nearest town, especially if you are paddling through and have no vehicle for travel. Amenities include groceries, ice cream shop, full service boat launch and fishing supplies, and more. You might not be into winter camping in a tent, but there are ice houses to rent that you could camp in if you come in winter. More expensive than usual campgrounds, but with more amenities provided and with a stellar location. Pets welcome at no extra charge! Seasonal campsite rental can also be arranged.

The campground has either electric or water or just electric sites for RVs and there are also tent-only sites.  The tent sites are located across from and adjacent to the RV sites.  The RV sites are pretty close together but, we were there in the middle of the summer and there were a couple of open tent sites on one side of us.  The campground is pet friendly and the management is friendly.  The campground is close to Itasca State Park as well.  Others have mentioned that getting in to the campsites near the circle drive area (closest to the lake parking lot) are a little difficult to get into & this is very true.  We have an 8x17 Ice Castle/RV that we pull behind the truck and backing into our spot without disturbing other campers was not an easy task.  The circle drive is right where the last couple of RV sites are sitting and there is a tree at the point of the circle drive so you have to avoid the tree and maneuver around it when backing in.  The sites that are closer to the entrance & the playground that do not have a good view of the lake are easier to get in to.  We used the dump station which is nicely situated on a slope just outside the entrance so it's easy to completely pump out a tank that might sit lower on your unit.  There was a picnic table and campfire ring at each site.

While this seems to be mainly an "RV" campground, but there were a few cabins on the lake and two gorgeous tent sites that would be the envy of many other camps. They were ideal, especially for the family that wanted the "tent" experience without having to huff it through the woods with toddlers in tow.

Sleeping Fawn is very clearly marked from the road, and although they don't say "campground" on the sign, there are a few tent sites available. It's about a 3/4 mile drive off the main road, but signage is apparent the entire way, and it's super easy to find once you get there. There is an office for check in, cabins to rent and lots of RV sites available too. Even though RV's seem to dominate here, the roadway through the woods and past them is peaceful and serene. Pine needles cover the ground and create a softness to the scenery. The posts that mark each site are wooden, tall, and are clearly numbered. Close to the entrance is a "tent parking" area, a cart for hauling your things, and 2 tent pads, just across the drive and down a little path about 20 yards. Perfect!

The tent sites are far enough apart to be "separate", but close enough that if you had family or friends, they are close by. Garbage cans are at the split in the path between #1 and #2 and each site has a fire ring, picnic table, gorgeous, flat tent pad and a view of the lake. And again, if you needed something from the car, it's a 50 yard walk. Not a 3 mile trudge through the woods.

Camping in tents May 18 - Oct 1

Camping rates were a bit steep for my liking, but I like primitive sites in the woods. So if you were a family trying to introduce wee ones to camping, it would still be worth it. $28 for a site as of 2018. Or a weekly rate of $170. Showers and laundry available, as well as free coffee in the morning. They also have a beach, nature trail, small store and other amenities.

NOTE: Pets are not allowed at this resort

We stayed at Balsam Beach Resort & RV Park at the height of summer vacation on Lake Plantagenet in Bemidji. The resort was at full capacity, so it was crowded with no privacy that we prefer to have. (one of the reasons for the lower star rating) We brought our RV and boat, and there was room to park our boat trailer by the boat landing. There are many seasonal sites, cabins for rent, and an open field area for camping in a tent, and 4 RV spots. We stayed in RV spot #1, and the spot came with a picnic table and a fire ring which we did not use because the size of the space put our RV to close to the ring. There is a big fire ring down by the lake that anyone can use (please note you can not bring in your own firewood, they have it available for purchase in the lodge for $5.00 for a small bundle) All RV sites are full hook up with 30 amp electric service, and water and dump. If you bring a boat, it will need to be inspected before you launch it into the lake. There is a big dumpster where you can put your trash in, and they also have bins for aluminum cans, and glass and plastic recycling.

Most of our time was spent fishing on the lake, but we were impressed with the other activities they offered to people staying there including a swimming pool, beach toys, paddle boats, canoes, inflatable rafts, a playground, a baseball field, horse shoes, volley ball sand pit, work out room, and laundry facilities (bring your quarters!! A regular wash and dry is $4.00) They also off cable TV hook up, and have a "general store" that sells sweatshirts, tshirts, ice cream, coffee, and has movie rentals for $4.00 per movie/per day. (Yes, we got the sense that everything is an additional fee) They do allow pets, but at a cost of $5.00 per day. The resort was clean and well maintained by the owners. We just did not feel a sense of welcome from the owners, and will not be making a return trip in the future. It was nice being only a few miles away from the city of Bemidji as we spent a day visiting Paul Bunyan and Babe, and Bemidji State Park to hike the Bog walk (recommended!!) We also spent a day fishing on Lake Bemidji, which is a 10 minute drive from the resort.

We were on the main part of the loop with more traffic and no barrier to the dusty road. Less wind made the next day better but I’d recommend being further in. Great ambiance and real friendly people, dog friendly too. We were here when fall colors peaked, beautiful!

This is both a campsite review and Dyrt Ranger Product Review.

CAMPSITE REVIEW:

Coffee Pot Landing is a canoe landing and campsite located near the LaSalle Scientific Natural Area and along a wild and scenic section of the Mississippi River Headwaters Water Trail. You can download a map and brochure about the water trail at this link: https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/canoe_routes/mississippi1.pdf

If you are paddling “from source to sea,” or just from source to the first town on the Missisippi which is Bemidji, then this is the second campsite you come to downstream from Itasca State Park. It takes most people two days paddle to get here, then another three to five days til Bemidji (Close to 100 water miles, but only 30 as the crow flies) Of the various campsites available in this first stretch of the Headwaters, this is one of the nicer ones, and the only one in this first segment that you can drive or bike into as well as paddle-in. There is a large group tent site on one side if the river adjacent to the parking area, and it has space for several tents and has a fire grill. Across a foot bridge to the north side of the river you will find another large group site with even more tent sites, two great Adirondack shelters, several picnic tables, two fire grills, a stone fire ring, and a fairly well maintained outhouse. There are canoe landing sites on both sides of the river.

I really love this section of the river, and this is a great place to camp. I dont give it a full five star rating, however, because the campsites used to have water pumps and more picnic tables; however, as these were vandalized at some point, rather than being replaced and maintained, they were removed and the campsites downgraded from rustic to primitive. Another disappointing aspect is that there is supposed to be a larger buffer zone of undisturbed forest on both sides of the river as this stretch has wild and scenic status, but there has been a fair amount of blowdown and logging near the north side. The SNA on the south side is well protected though. overall, this is a nice place to camp, for individuals or groups, whether through paddling or using this as a destination for a short trip.

PRODUCT REVIEW As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I sometimes have the opportunity to try new camping products and evaluate them. This product review is for Nature’s Kettle coffee, and yes I purposely chose the Coffee Pot Landing campsite to try it out!

Nature’s Kettle coffee is a real brand of high quality coffee that comes conveniently packaged in its own reusable brewing bag that very cleverly functions like a drip coffee maker without you having to bring along and fuss with a coffee pot while on your trip. SEE THE ATTACHED VIDEO TO SEE THE BREWING PROCESS.

Pros: wow, this coffee tastes really good! I hate instant coffee but tolerate it when camping because then we dont have to have a big fire or lots of pots when cooking breakfast. However, with this along you need just one pot water heated up—use some of the water for your morning oatmeal or freeze dried eggs or whatever, then the rest of the water is used to easily brew your coffee right in its own brew bag. The bag is two chambered and the coffee steeps almost like french press coffee, then you pour it out just like a coffee pot. and the brew bag is reusable too. So, good coffee, great variety of refill coffees, even tea or cocoa if you want. and such a clever but simple compact and lightweight brewing system! Great for camping

CONS Actually….only one. Since you use boiling water, you have to be really careful when you first pour the water in because the bottom of the brew bag doesn’t flatten out and stand on its own til you get the first cup in. And the bag gets a bit hot. Therefore, this isnt something to do around kids or pets unless you are very careful.

For those of you who love canoeing, backpacking, or camping with streamlined supplies and gear, but really cant start your morning with anything but real coffee, this is a great product for you! Rich tasty real coffee, with no extra pots to pack and no fuss no muss brewing.

My best friend and I love to camp with our dogs, and this location was perfect we had a wonderful tent spot. The back was all woods and we went pretty late into the season so there was only us and maybe 5 other campers through out the whole park!! The hiking trails are wonderful and well kept!

As a native Minnesotan who relocated to Oregon just a few years ago, I miss my regular summer visits to Itasca State Park in Northern Minnesota. From May through October, I have enjoyed tent camping and biking the trails there. Every visitor should plan to stay at least 2 days to take in all the activities they can here, including walking (or wading) across the Mississippi headwaters, hiking the volumous and beautiful trails, and if possible plan to bike one of the trail routes or rent a kayak or canoe to enjoy the lake. The tent sites are well-spaced, with plenty of privacy between, due to the thick woods. Be prepared for lots of mosquitos, woodticks, deer ticks, and occasionally biting flies... a heavy duty insect repellent with DEET is your best bet. This area is teeming with wildlife, too: watch for bald eagles, deer, fox, coyote and bears. The bears are most active around the campgrounds at night, so be sure all food and fruit-scented products are locked up in your vehicle to be safe. These are typically smaller black bears, which are easily scared off by dogs or noise, and I've never met an experienced camper who was afraid of them. However, as with all wildlife they can be unpredictable and you should always take precautions for your safety. Enjoy the wild beauty, the historical sites from early settlers, the call of loons at night, and the fabulous smell of the freshwater lake through the pine trees!

This was our second visit to Itasca State Park. We have camped in both the tent campsites and the electric ones. We again rented a pontoon boat and drove around the lake which is very beautiful. They offer dog friendly rentals which is right up our alley. They also have a wonderful gift shop at the visitor center with lots of great finds. The headwaters, although usually somewhat crowded, are always fun to visit and just a short walk from the parking lot. This is a very popular state park so book a year in advance whenever possible.

A free county camp very well maintained grass with nice toilet, clean well water, firepit, benches all well cared for. I was alone all day mid week in summer until a big rig pulled up at 10pm and took half the other spots about a dozen horses. It seemed cool for one night as a tenter but a clicky type of horse owners environment where they may not want folks without horses. A nice creek near by with space and a interesting place for my dogs to soak in all the smells even if its just one night.

Three different people recommended Lake Itasca so I made my way here. It’s the start of the mighty Mississippi with a large natural area surrounding it. There are even a pack of wolves getting started here. Bring your bicycle or your boat or just enjoy the hiking. 

Campground review: 

I showed up without a reservation and was limited in my selection. I went with the rangers suggestions and found myself in a central location. I stayed at pine ridge but there is bear paw campground, cabins or the lodge. Plenty of choice. They do suggest reserving a spot during peak times such as weekends. Sunday night arrival was perfect and I ended up near the shower house (maybe too close for my dog). The sites on the outside of the loops are more private but watch out for the poison ivy. 

The shower and restroom were older but well kept. Love the water pressure! The garbage/recycling areas are convenient. It’s a large park so expect to drive to destinations if you don’t bring your bike. This was a crowded time in the campground but we found our own space in the park. There is plenty of space to spread out. 

Insider tips: I wish I brought my bike. The paved bike path is beautiful and you can continue around Wilderness Drive. We were all alone at the headwaters by getting there between 9 and 10 am. You can rent a canoe or take a boat tour. 

This turned out to be an ok place to visit. There are a lot of people and it stressed out my dog. She calmed down once people left on Monday morning.

This site has better private camp sites compared to the East. IT also have more sites located with water access. Very deep sites so you get lots of privacy as well. Very wooded and secluded so you have to watch out for the ticks as we pulled several off of our dog. Mostly tent and small pop ups at this campground...hard to get a big rig in here or anything really over 20 feet. Some of the sites don't look like they get used much and they were not overly maintained, but it was full!

Great campground right on Leech Lake.  A quick drive to Walker if you need any supplies.  Plenty of options for getting firewood near by.

We were on site 23 and it was a huge site (as were most sites)  No issues with neighbors being noisy other than a yapping dog.  Site was nice and level.

There are some sites that are definitely less desirable around the main bathroom / shower house.

With the wind off the lake bugs were well managed - but this is MN in the summer - so there were mosquitoes and flies - but that is expected.

Grass was well maintained

Beach was great albeit shallow. But nice soft sand.

Wouldn't have any qualms about going back

FYI - they don't supply a solo stove - but I love mine so I use it instead of the fire ring

We give this resort 5 stars because, despite it not being visitor friendly, they are up front in their policies about visitors and the place is great in all other respects. If you want to have visitors while staying here it is best to consider these policy before visiting as they are strictly enforced. We won’t stay here again because of those policies despite how great the amenities are.

OK, for the good stuff. Sites are huge, very dog friendly, quiet, ice and firewood on site, cute little lake with gorgeous sunsets, huge kiddy play area on water, free kayak and paddle board use, nice little onsite store. Be aware much of the place is seasonal rentals but these sites are kept very tidy. Whole place is immaculate. Also have 3 docs and a small boat landing.

I camped at this location with my siblings and cousins in early August a few years ago. We had 2 tents for sleeping and a canopy shelter near the picnic table. The campsite was plenty big enough for a party of 7 & 2 dogs. The area and campsites are wooded, mostly shaded with large evergreens. Bathrooms and showers were nearby, just a walk across the road from our campsite. We were on a back road, which was enjoyable yet an easy walking distance to the beach. The lakeside campsites also looked nice. We had friends that were camping in a RV nearby who's campsite was also inviting. The ground space is level and gravel/dirt with occasional pine needles from overhead evergreen trees. The bike path goes along the lakeshore/woods that provides access of miles of bike paths in the Cass Lake & Walker area. The beach was sandy & provided gorgeous views of Cass Lake. I highly recommend this campground to those that want to experience Cass Lake.