Cabin rentals are a great way to see Balsam without the hassle of setting up a tent. Finding a cozy cabin in Minnesota has never been easier. Each cabin offers quick access to one or more of Balsam's most popular destinations.
The rugged land formations of Jay Cooke State Park enhance the beauty of the hardwood forests and make for great camping near Minneapolis. The water-eroded gorge, steep valleys, and massive rock formations are seen throughout the park. In some seasons, the water of the St. Louis River thunders over slabs of ancient, exposed rock. At other times, it slows to a gentle trickle. Visitors enjoy the scenic splendor of Jay Cooke State Park during all seasons. Drive-in Sites 79 Sites: Most are wooded sites. In winter, 12 sites are kept available for winter camping. Of these, five are electric sites. Pull-Through Sites: One Site Electric Sites: 21 Sites Majority of sites are 20 and 30 amps, some 50 amp. RV Length Limit: Variable by site up to 60 Feet Length is measured from front of tow vehicle to rear of vehicle being towed. Wheelchair Accessible Sites: 3 Sites Located near drinking water. Two sites are electric, one is non-electric. Backpack Sites: 4 Sites Sites are located from 1 to 4 miles from parking area. Each site has picnic table, fire ring and latrine. Campers must haul water or treat water on site. Trail access to these sites has been restored after a 2012 flood, but a few nearby trails remain closed. Please register at the park office for details on how to get to these sites. Walk-in Sites: 4 Sites Sites are located 50 to 150 feet from parking area. Group Camp: 2 Sites - Each accommodates up to 25 people Remote, wooded camp with walk-in sites approximately 150' from parking area (limited parking). Carts are provided to carry in camping gear. Water spigot and vault toilets available. Tents only. Lodging Camper Cabins: 5 Cabins All cabins have a screened porch. Electricity and heat are available year-round. Agate and Basalt cabins are ADA accessible and sleep 5. Slate, Gabbro, and Shale Cabins sleep 6 people. Pets not allowed in cabins. More information on camper cabins.
$16 - $60 / night
$24 / night
The Sandy Lake Dam and Recreation Area is situated at the outlet of Big Sandy Lake in northern Minnesota, 13 miles north of McGregor, MN. The dam is a part of the Mississippi Headwaters Project, one of the first reservoir systems in the country, and the Sandy Lake Dam structure dates back to 1895. Today the grounds have been developed into a park and campground that is noted for its clean, family-friendly environment and access to fishing and boating on both the lake and nearby Mississippi River. It offers the only public campground and beach on Big Sandy Lake. The area is also a part of the historic canoe route that connected the Mississippi River to Lake Superior and major fur trading companies. Artifacts from the area's long history are kept in a small museum located near the dam.
Sandy Lake offers many recreational opportunities including camping, boating, swimming, picnicking, birding and hiking. Anglers enjoy fishing the lake and river for Northern pike, walleye, small mouth bass, bluegill, crappie and even catfish. Playgrounds are located on both sides of the dam and are located near the beach and visitor museum areas. The old lock house has been converted into a free small museum containing historical artifacts from the area. Educational programs are offered seasonally and are open to the public.
Big Sandy Lake is a reservoir that was created in the late nineteenth century from the waters of a naturally exisiting lake and the Sandy River. A forest of mixed hardwoods and towering red and white pine covers the area. An abundance of wildlife can be found including bald eagles, white-tail deer, black bears, chipmunks, loons, mink, river otters and many others. Wild rice is harvested from the lake seasonally and wild berries are occasionally found.
Nearby attractions include golf courses, shopping and dining venues, Savannah Portage State Park, Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and many acres of state and county forest land.
$60 / night
Nestled in a forest on the western high point of Duluth, Minnesota, Spirit Mountain Campground offers walk-in tenting as well as 73 campsites equipped with fire pits, picnic tables, and electricity. Easy access to our award-winning Mountain Bike Trails, our Adventure Park and Superior Hiking Trail. Thirty-nine sites have water hook-ups, and two shower buildings offer 24-hour convenience. Spirit Mountain overlooks majestic Lake Superior and the St. Louis Bay. Natural beauty abounds in the area– you can quickly and easily access water, hiking and biking trails and much more. The trailhead for the Superior Hiking Trail is within walking distance of the Campground. And near the Campground, there is an overlook area of Lake Superior, the bay, the St. Louis River, and the Aerial Lift Bridge.
Trails INN is located on the ATV-Snowmobile Tail head, right next to a beautiful 9 hole Golf course, Hiking/Biking trails, Hill Lake access and much, much more!
$45 - $119 / night
Guide
The camp site was big enough for our car and our 6 person tent. The office had weird opening ours. I would recommend getting ice and wood at the nearby gas station. Overall a quiet campground. Was a pleasant experience
Guide
The campsite was perfectly good: nice and spacious over looking the river. It is well off the main hiking trail and quite private. The view of the river is heavily obstructed and there really is no easy and safe way down the cliff to the river. Still it is nice to hear the river. You need to bring on drinking water, otherwise you need to go about 1/8 of a mile to a small creek to get filterable water.
The hike in is easy, but once you are off the main trail (the first mile) the trail is grass—be prepared for lots of ticks.
Guide
Lovely sites with plenty of trees so most sites are quite private. Mosquitoes are brutal here, especially on the hiking club trail and to a somewhat lesser degree in the campground. We were thankful to have a screen tent for this visit. No Verizon cell service at the campground. Surprisingly good cell service at the Loon Lake area of the park, which also has a beautiful short hike!
Guide
Base camp for fishing Big Sandy. Stayed here several times in a tent and a trailer. Nice sites but surrounded by swampy areas so mosquitoes are thick.
Very clean, pay attention to north or south entrance. Have to drive on either end can’t cross the dam with a vehicle.
But firewood before hand as well.
GuideAs a tent camper, i prefer quiet and private sights. The circle this site was part of, was just that. The walk to the updated bathrooms (with showers) is pretty pretty. It was buggy (mosquitoes) but fire and bug spray kept it manageable. The pit toilet next to site 18 had an occasional waft of smell but nothing too lingering or bad.
Guide
Nice campground well maintained. The water and subsequently bathrooms were not available but this information was available ahead of time of the state park website. The vault toilets were in great shape
GuideThe site was nice a secluded but still close to water and bathrooms. The downside to this specific site is that it is close to the group camp so it was pretty noisy.
Guide
We stayed in a cabin for a week of biking. Excellent location with all the trails. It has a great swimming area, though it did get deep fast for little kids. We brought our paddleboard and had a great time on the quiet lake. We did hike up to the top of the camp area and were glad we stayed in the cabins. The shower/bathroom house was nice. Overall, we would stay here again.
RangerNice well maintained State Park. Some sites (12e) are hard to back a trailer into because the main road is VERY NARROW and not enough radius to back a 24ft trailer using a full size truck, extended cab, with long bed. Nice sized sites and picnic tables.
BRING DRINKING WATER! The water is VERY RUSTY! We even ran the water through a filter and still couldn’t get it cleared up. Sign says better water is by the park office.
Can hear the interstate highway in the park during the night.
Great trails.
We will try site 34 next time, nice location.
Guide
Some sites that are closest to the river are close together but okay view. Vaulted toilet and recycling/dumpster close proximity.
Traveler
We spent a long weekend here. The sites seemed to vary a lot. We had picked a specific site but when we got there were told that we were in another spot. It was difficult to see where we should actually park on the site. The water hookup was so far away that I needed to buy another hose to reach it. The bathrooms weren't kept up well but were ok. Banning State Park is really close and is very nice. We also drove up to Duluth on two of the days.
TravelerSavanna portage is gorgeous with serene lakes and some nice hiking! We loved the continental divide trail. The campground is a little cramped and rustic. My main complaint was the water was full of iron- it was a little brown and didn’t taste very good. Overall, a perfectly great experience though- beautiful nature, not many people, what more could you want? Mosquitos are terrible- come prepared!!!
Ranger
This COE campground is fully open and functional. There’s a nice variety of sites available, a boat landing and docks, shower building, dump station, playground, beach, etc. It’s all very nicely maintained. Some of the sites are a bit open to each other, but are well spaced. Tip - drinking water in the North Campground is not at the dump station, but on the other end near the boat launch.
TravelerWe stopped here on our way to north Minnesota. Originally we planned 2 days but really needed to rest so extended it to 4 days. It was a little hairy getting to, the 2 lane winding road with the raging river on one side did slow us down a bit. The Rangers were friendly and accommodating. The park had taken quite a beating with the winter storm that had been there the previous week, a lot of sites were closed due to trees down and snow. While we were there they were actively cleaning up, but left in the afternoon so we had no disturbances from saws or equipment noise. The water was not turned on yet for the season, so the bathroom/showers and dump station were not available. There was a potable water source at the front of our loop to fill our fresh tank and our water storage cubes. The sites were shaded well, and easy to back into. We had to work a bit to get our camper level but that may have been due to the snow and water that was on the site so we figured it was par for the course. We walked to the Welcome Center and the swinging bridge, there were multiple hiking trails accessible by the camping area. It was relatively busy on the weekend but cleared out during the week. We had lots of wildlife visitors. The park is pet friendly. We found affordable propane and a dump site closer to Duluth.
Legend
This was my first time at this location and we decided to do a cabin (package) so that we could stay and ski (well, they skied I snowshoed). The cabin was nicely located close to the slope but not in the way of the action.
Cabin 1 was an RV Cabin (as they call it) which is sort of RV shaped but not on wheels. Wooden cabin, 2 bedrooms and a loft with plenty of space for sleeping. It was carpeted with outlets and windows and lights . We had three teenage boys up there and could easily have slept 2 to 3 more. A mini kitchen with fridge, stove, pots, pans, dishes, soap and microwave as well as full bathroom with shower. All linens provided. Ah yes - and it's heated/cooled too! Not with a wood stove, but an actual thermostat adjustable heater. Bedrooms have mini plug in ceramic type heaters for extra warmth.
If you stay in a cabin or campsite (they are open in summer) you get a discount on lift tickets. During the summer, there is a lazy river, mini water slide type of platform and a summer tubing area that runs through the trees!
While I can not speak for the actual campsites since they were snow covered, I can say that they do have them.
Additionally, all sites have a fire ring, picnic table and the cabins have BBQ grills. Firewood available for purchase.
TravelerThe park is a little off the beaten path so quiet on the whole. Jay Cooke has many miles of walking trails and the swinging bridge (St. Louis River) is a must see and a must cross. Campsites are fairly secluded and heavily wooded. Spend a few days at Jay Cooke, there is much to see.
LegendLots to do here and even has a bit of history thrown in there for some education. Good trails that everyone can enjoy. Great to come out here in the winter and walk around when it is a little bit more peaceful. I’ve stayed here during the warmer months and really enjoyed it. Close to the cities which is always a bonus for a quick get away. Also floated by on the kettle River a few times and noticed that you can access the campgrounds which is nice. Gotta portage but still nice to know you can get here if you needed too.
LegendOffice staff and store were clean when we came through in the summer months. It is a mixed bag of tricks here as the sites can be level and some others are not at all. All and all it is a great place. Nice people and super helpful. Great alternative if the state park is full.
Legend
Interesting set up as this is great for families. Lots of full timers and season guests coming here annually. Great location and the fishing is great and you have direct access to it! Couple full time cabins but the main attraction here is the bar. Lots of locals come in and enjoy this. Food was good!
LegendNever fails this campground is perfect. Lots to do and honestly I have grown to really enjoy coming here in the winter. Yes water is shutoff and you don’t get to us le the awesome shower house but there are hardly any people here! Always enjoy this campground and the area surrounding. Lots of good hikes!
ScoutBawning park is a walk through the history of the area the self guided tour is both informative and entertaining and the hike along the river is one to remember featuring the only class 5 rapids in Minnesota the park is well maintained and signs let you know where your at this is just a beautiful peaceful place to enjoy nature and find the peace your looking for
LegendExcellent hiking and camping experiences here. Stayed for a weekend and returned after for many, many day hikes. Plenty of wildlife to see, a newly rebuilt “swing bridge” over the rusty rushing of the Saint Louis River. And the locals are pleasant, heck, it’s Minnesota! Buggy in summer due to all the water, bring excellent hiking shoes for the rocks yer gonna wanna climb around on. Excellent autumn photography options for all occasions. Camping is is a more secluded area where most day-hikers don’t come across ya.
LegendI have stayed here in the past, but that was a couple years ago. I stayed this time to go hiking and kayaking in the area. There are several trails near the area and some connected to the campsite. I tried to hike around the lake but ran into several impassable spots bc of a recent rain. I really do like the variety of this camp ground as you can get both electric, non-electric, group sites, and smaller sites all right close. I have hiked several of the trails and always see lots of wildlife. It is a great place to go and get lost in the woods...on some trails of course. I would highly recommend.
GuideNice campground near great hiking. If you can be picky when booking I would avoid 2E, 4E and 6E as these sites are wide open with no privacy from the foot traffic to and from the restrooms/shower.
GuideThis campground has it all: sites for families to reserve by one another, campsites with more privacy, RV specific loops. With newly updated facilities, it can feel like glamping. Good proximity to bridge and nearby hikes. I highly recommend finding the cedar forest near the CCC Trail on the north side of campground.
GuideOur site was a fairly level pull through, full hook up site. The office had a camp store inside of it. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The bathrooms were very clean. The fenced in dog park was a big bonus for our pup. The grounds hosted outdoor games and volleyball/basketball courts. Would stay again.
GuideBeautiful hiking trails and spacious campground. Campsites are more sand than rock which is no so great. Bathrooms and showers were not open for the season unfortunately. They have vault bathrooms.
Camping near Balsam, Minnesota, offers a great mix of nature, fun activities, and family-friendly spots. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping near Balsam, Minnesota, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just remember to prepare for the bugs and enjoy the beautiful nature!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Balsam, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Balsam, MN is Jay Cooke with a 4.7-star rating from 64 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Balsam, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 cabin camping locations near Balsam, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
