Best Cabin Camping near Finland, MN

Bear Head Lake State Park is just south of the Boundary Waters, and shares a comparable wilderness element.  The shoreline is beautiful and very fun to explore by kayak.

Campground features: Cabin rentals, tent sites, and RV sites.  The campground is open in fall & winter. The campsites are private, well shaded, and level. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit. Flush toilets, hot showers, dump station, group sites, and electric are also available.

Hiking at Bear Head Lake State Park

• Bear Head Lake State Park Trail is a moderate 3.2 mile trail. This hike is a loop route. Dogs are allowed but only on leash.
• Norberg Lake Trail is a easy 1.5 mile trail. It is a trail for all skill levels and dogs are allowed but only on leash. Mostly wooded.
• Blueberry Lake Trail is a easy 4.5 mile trail. Longer than the other listed trails. It is an out and back hike that is mostly wooded. Dogs are allowed on leash.
• Becky Lake Trail is a easy 2.7 mile hike. Beck Lake is a loop hike that is mostly wooded. Dogs are allowed on leash.

Fishing at Bear Head State Park

Bass, northerns, walleye, panfish, and trout can be caught at this State Park. Many people fish from the fishing dock or shoreline. Panfish are all over the lake and most likely the first ones biting. Good walleye fishing after 6pm.

Other activities:

Boat rentals, cross country ski trail (groomed), snowshoe trails, and snowmobile trails.

Stayed at a camper cabin- had the park to ourselves! Absolutely gorgeous. The drive off the main highway is a few miles, so you really end up out in the wilderness! We also appreciated that this park doesn’t allow hunting so you know you are safe during that season. 

The campground is along a series of winding lakes, with multiple access points to the water. Very spaced out and easy access to vaulted toilets and water. A couple of different fishing piers and docks right near the campground itself. Has electric and non-electric sites. Definitely impressed with the campground itself. Very pretty no matter where you camp. 

Park has:

- fishing pier

- hiking trails

- fish cleaning building

- stocked backcountry fishing lakes

- canoe rental

- a trail center with a community fire ring and comfy chairs

- dump station

- RV sanitation station

- camper cabins

- group camp

- swimming beach

- trailer access

- watercraft and backpack sites 

We enjoyed night walks and star gazing- we decided it was the best stars we had ever seen! Even saw shooting stars. Cooked some great meals, and enjoyed the hiking club walk through the woods to some super-secret small lakes. 

Checked out the group site- so cool. Right on the water with a personal dock and toilets.

This park is truly in the wilderness, felt like actually being in the Boundary Waters! Crystal clear water, thick gorgeous forests, and an amazing sky. 

Head into Ely, maybe 20 mins, if you need supplies or a break from the woods. Also can access the BWCAW there too. 

We appreciated that this park is open year-round, but can’t wait to go back in the summer!

Bear Head Lake is an established, full service state park that has something for everyone. There are a variety of camping opportunities, from camper cabins to guesthouse to tent campsites with lake access to RV sites. Though you have to hike to the beach, the beach is really lovely and has boat rental. There is an extensive network of trails for both hiking and cross country skiing, with a really great indoor Trail Center that serves as winter warming house, indoor meeting place for rainy days, and classroom for park naturalist events. The lake is great for boating, fishing and paddling. though part of the lake shore is privately owned, the lake is quiet and peaceful overall, nestled in tall pines with easy access to the town of Ely if desired. The vicinity is known for bears and is part of a long term bear research study; visit the American Bear Center nearby if interested! https://www.bear.org/website/

Camper cabins are nice. They have bunk type beds. The beds on bottom are FULL size (can sleep 2 each) and the ones on top are singles. So 6 could sleep here. There was a little table, electric heat and a small screened in porch. An outhouse style bathroom is close by. Easy lake access...it seemed pretty quiet. Nice way to "camp" if the weather is cold. Picnic tables and fire pits outside the cabin. Nice!

This is a  private campground that fills up quick.    It is 1 mile from Bayfield town center.  It is close to the ferry dock, restaurants, parks and beaches.  All sites are electric and water and some are full hook up.  There are cabins and tent sites as well.   The office/store is very clean and stocked with things you may need.  8 flavor ice creams on site!  There is a  dump station and picnic tables and fire rings at each site.   There is free wi-fi and a shower house, bathrooms and laundry.

Stopped here on the way to the Boundary Waters. A lot of the campground was closed and there was some rough weather, but still had a great time. At the campground you can do some hiking and also some water sports. 

The Campground Beach...not too much of a beach as it is a shallow spot, but it is still perfect for families to lounge in on a hot day. There are lots of shade trees to relax under if you like so that is nice. 

The Hiking...I hiked all the hikes and I can honestly say there are some good sites to see. I would recommend Blueberry Lake and Becky Lake hike. It is a mixture of rolling grass and rocky terrain. I did it in the rain so mosquitos were not as bad and was able to pass by the back country sites as well. You are mostly covered under the pine forest but you do get to glance some of the views. The hiking club hike (Norberg) isn't too bad, but it is very heavily trafficked. I saw more nature on the backcountry hike than the hiking club. 

The water...some good look nooks to get into in the east and north bays. The actual lake itself is pretty windy and made kayaking difficult. I would say it would be a great paddle on a calm day or early morning. Caught several pikes and many bass. There are also loads of panfish. The shallows have crystal clear water so it is nice to just sneak up on the pan fish to see them. 

The campground...I was in site 43 and it was pretty nice and secluded. The DNR had blocked off over half the sites due to the Covid. They also had the bathrooms closed along with the fish cleaning shanty. The cabins were opening up on the 1st for families. The sites that are back to back with the other loop (59-73 and 26-39) don't have much privacy at the back of their sites. Most sites have simple pathways to the sites on either side, but mines was pretty secluded and a good location. The sites along the water (51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58) all have pathways down to the water and some docks to hold boats over. It was a nice campground and there really is a lot to do. The sunset are great and the big field by the campground cabin was a great place to put a blanket and watch the sun set behind the trees.

The campground is nice. The sites are very private which I enjoyed. Had boat rentals available to go out on the beautiful lake.

We liked the easy drive through sites with full hookup.  The campsites were tiered into the hill.  This helped sound proof the campsites.  There was a large group a few sites down from us that we didn't hear until we walked past their site.  Some sites also had a view overlooking the pond and Lake Superior.  We could see the full moon reflecting off of Lake Superior.  Our site did not have this view but we saw it on a walk in the campground.  The unique looking cabins were on the pond and looked to be very convenient for families with children who want to be in the water most of the time.  We loved all the amenities of Water, Sewer, Electric and WiFi.   We loved the close access to Bayfield and the water excursions we took from Bayfield.  One of the highlights for our group was the excellent golf course close to the campground.  I gave my review a 4 star because the day we were leaving the campsites lost water pressure and had no water to get ready to leave.  I believe the owners will be addressing this problem.  They were working on it while we were there.

this state park was very well maintained and clean. A storm passed through a few days before I camped there and crews had already cleared all of the roads and hiking trails. A great family friendly park with a swimming beach, boat rentals, and trails.

Sawbill is one of our favorite campgrounds! We've stayed here numerous times and never had a bad visit. This was our first time at site #49. It is a very nice site with plenty of room. We usually do a day canoe rental when we visit and the staff at the outfitters are wonderful. Very nice and helpful - again never a bad experience!

This is the best base camp for exploring the Apostle islands. It’s about a mile from Bayfield. There is bike rental at Howl bike shop which is walking distance. Howl also has a brewery with outside seating. The camp ground itself is quiet and clean. We didn’t go in the bathrooms or use the washers due to Covid. Owners are very accommodating.

No joke, this was our family’s first camping trip. We have five kids 10 and under. The sites were clean and large. Some are larger than others. Ours was about 15 feet from the next site but that was through trees.

Plenty of drinking water and bathrooms. Each site has a picnic table and a fire pit with a grate.

The outfitters on site are amazing. Kind and helpful. They have pay showers and all the rentals you need.

We did a day trip and had a blast.

Perfect little campground (and outfitters) right in the lake. Great for those who still want a few amenities.

It’s a dry campground. Water at the outfitters. Vault toilets (clean and nice!) throughout. Water spigots in the campground. Dump station next to the outfitters. Outfitters have basic necessities and gear. Canoe rentals too. Campground is right in sawbill lake. Lord of portages nearby. Amazing place!

Sites are spaced out. Shaded. Most can accommodate trailers. Some are better for tents only. Our 34’ and 37’ fit perfect with plenty of room. Fire pits and tables in each one.

Highly recommend. It’s a wonderful place to camp!

BWCA entry point.

We visited some people staying here in the campground we were at fall lake. The Lodge is across the street with lots of  amenities. The lodge has a shower house, bar/ Lounge, restaurant,  boat and canoe rentals, game room, free Wifi, a playground, bait & tackle, a private swim beach and laundry facility. The laundry facility is near the other campground and suites I like the campground across the street better. Good homemade Pizzas! This area is beautiful. I gave it a 3 star rating because we like privacy, a little more wooded surroundings and you can hear traffic but it's not a very busy road.

Across the street from the lodge is the campground, boat ramp & small toilet rooms a little primitive. Better to be self contained in this part of the campground. Most sites back up to the water and some have docks behind them and there is water & electric.  Some have a little  shade. There isn't much privacy and there isn't a lot of room between them but a great view. You can fish from you campsite they had caught some Walleye. There are several lakes here you choose from if you boat, canoe or kayak. I would say my camper is bigger than it is to make sure you get a little larger spot. The ones across from the toilet rooms can be tight backing in having enough room to get in take that into consideration when booking. 

I believe they use the dump station in Ely at the visitor center they have a dump you can use for #5.00.  Ely is a small town it has a lot of canoe outfitters, 2 grocery stores, a few places to eat, gas stations, hardware stores, some gift shops, so come prepared there isn't a Walmart or anything near there. 

By far the best ice cream we ever ate. It's called Northern Expressions I had the caramel collision, the malts were good too. The line can be all the way down the side of the building but the wait is worth it. 

Lots of lakes in the area, Fall lake is close by which is nice for Kayaking, canoeing or boating. It's part of the BWCA. Nice campground there too.

We have enjoyed staying here. Minnesota does a nice job with their state parks. The campsites are varied in types, sizes and layouts. Ours works great for our 26’ travel trailer and truck, and includes electrical. Main restroom has showers. Nice canoeing lake adjacent to the campground. The Taconite State Trail is nearby. Only complaints are campsites are close to each other and only one bar of service on T-Mobile phone.

Wildhurst campgrpund has an awesome price point for the privacy of their campsites and the amenities they offer.

The owners are friendly enough and really won’t bother you unless you do something wrong. They can be difficult to get ahold of to make reservations, but if you’re persistent it’ll work out

The only downside that bothered me was that it is a bit of a drive from the campgrounds to a lot of the hikes and activities that my husband and I were interested in. We’ll be returning in August though and will be able to plan more accordingly to our location.