Best RV Parks & Resorts near Grand Marais, MN

The aspect of this campground we liked the best was that we could walk to town. The campground itself is o.k. It was full when we were and definitely felt crowded. There are some tent sites up in a wooded secluded area but most of the park is geared to RVs. Or you can pitch pitching your tent amongst RVs. Tucked up in the woods is a small tent area that is nice and quiet but a little far from the bathrooms so be prepared to walk.

There are 300 campsites of with full hookups, some with electric and water hookups and others no hookups. Some site have great views of Lake Superior, some are sunny and open and others have some large trees. Our site (#104) was very close to our neighbors and the RV right behind us and we had a big tree right in our “patio” which was not conducive to sitting outside. We had a 50 amp full hook-up site which all worked well and well-placed in the site. The campground is county-run and a mix of seasonal people (lots of whom appeared to be there for the fishing) and transients like ourselves. One aspect of seasonal campers that I don’t like is how they junk up their site and this certainly had that. 

There are four bathhouses on the property some of which are pretty old and tired whereas others are larger and more updated. The bathroom near us was large but was heavily used (which is an understatement) as four tour-size busloads of college students exiting the boundary waters spent the night in tents near it. It was pretty trashed with that volume of people. Since the park is pretty large they have amenities like baseball fields, playground, group camping sections, a beach with picnic area, fish cleaning station, and nearby boat launch. 

A short walk to downtown and you have restaurants, shopping, grocery, fuel, pretty harbor, art galleries, bait shops, and more. One of the most highly touted places in Grand Marais is World’s Best Donuts. Even before we got to Grand Marais, people in other parts of Minnesota told us about it. The donuts were really good but beware their closing hour is when they sell out which is why we went really early. We also ate at The Crooked Spoon Cafe and had an amazing meal. Nearby Grand Marais are a scattering of state parks known for their waterfalls which are worth seeing. Many people come here because it is close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness but since we just came from the town of Ely we did not go back to the boundary waters. We liked this area and kept busy for the three days we were there but couldn’t see staying long-term.

This is an interesting campground and marina. Right on Lake Superior with gorgeous views. About 1/3 to 1/2 of the sites are non reservable and the rest are difficult to reserve. Campers are an interesting mix of long-term “guests”, those who are passing through on their way up to or off of the Gunflint, and folks who are working at or taking classes from the Folk School. We were lucky to get a non-reservable site on the water with full hookups. Cold and windy, but we had a great time!

I've been going to cascade since the very first time I ever went camping, which was at cascade. It's the perfect campground. Trails, the lake, 10mn from Grand Marais (world's best donuts!), great hiking, everything rocks. I'd move there if I could.

This is one of our go to camp spots. It is a 45 minute drive up from Grand Marais, but worth every mile to get there.
Most sites have a unique layout, and almost all are private! Site #17 is my favorite, by far. It is large, picturesque, and has a path to the water.
Wilderness Way outfitters is at the entrance to the park, and they have a small cafe, shower house, and store. They also offer everything you need to get out in the BWCA and explore. I recommend finding all the hiking trails along the gunflint and making day trip hikes. Trails are of varying challenge, and you'll often find moose.

The campsite wasn't huge, but it did what we needed it to do...it allowed us to set up a tent, have a campfire and sleep!  That's all you need, right?

The tent pads were very level and without any lumps or holes.  The were, however, gravel type sand pads that made it very hard to pound in stakes, but fortunately, it wasn't windy so we didn't have an issue.  The fire grate was clean and provided a nice campfire in the evening.  Each site had a picnic table that was nice and solid.  Our site, number 21, had a small path that led down to the lake.  You couldn't see the lake from where we were, but it was only about 20 yards and BAM...BINGO!  The lake! The bathroom (pit style enclosure with a door) was just down the path from us and we were on a loop, so it was easy for the kids to walk around a bit and stretch their legs after the long car ride. Everyone was quite and respectful after dark and remarkably, we didn't have any critters that night!  Not even a mouse :)

Easy to get to from Grand Marais, and the sites were fairly private from one another.  A good choice, even when it's busy season.  But make sure to bring bug spray...the mosquitoes were brutal!

On our way back from Grand Marais, Mn I stopped and toured the campground at Temperance River State Park. This park is located just outside Schroeder, Mn which is 1.5 hours north of Duluth, Mn. It’s just off of highway 61 with spectacular views of Lake Superior.

There is an amazing foot bridge with amazing views of the Temperance River Lagoon that is also an awesome fishing spot for Salmon, Trout and all other kinda of fish.

This park has a great campground woth amazing views of Lake Superior right from your campsite. Campsites can be occupied by a maximum of 6 people and cost $15-$23/night for standard campsites and an additional 8$ for electric sites.

There is an upper and lower campground with showers, bathrooms and water at the upper campground. The lower campground has pit toilets and water spicket‘s. The lower campground also has cart in sites if that is an interest of yours. There are carts provided.

We ate at the picnic area in the lower campground and were able to get our feet wet in Lake Superior that was a bit cold this time of year. We found some awesome rocks and fished at the base of the waterfall in the Lagoon. We didn’t catch anything but we definitely were not fishing with the correct lures. Other people were reeling in the fish.

Temperance is also close to the famous Betty’s Pies, Castle Danger Brewery and a TON of other amazing food places.

This park is definitely on my list of parks to stay at in the future.

Most sites have a view of the water, but this campground has a very specific purpose to this area, and it's not for long term camping. I mean, you can, but there isn't much glamour here.

The good part... They have electric, the bathroom is close, you can take a shower and even do laundry! In the summer, my husband says it's fun to people watch here (he's stayed before), but this time of year, it's quieter. The slips and dock are right in front as well as the camp office. The casino is an easy walk, and since you are so close to the border, you can exchange your money as well (Canadian to USD and vice versa).

We didn't know in advance, but paying for the campground allows you free use of the pool inside the casino!

Now, the ugly party.. The price. It was about $45 for an electric site. I think tents were about $20. While it did come with the amenities mentioned above, there is no privacy at any of the sites. The back row sits against the trees, but that's as good as it gets.

Bottom line, it's a good stopping spot near the border where you can plug in and swim, but not great if you want privacy or upscale.

I'd stay here again, but probably opt for a tent site to save some money if I could make do off the grid.

The RV park, lodge and casino, and a gas station/store are on a reservation with convenient access to the ferry that takes you to Isle Royale. It is conveniently located three miles away. There are standard and premium sites. The premium sites have a better view of the marina and the lake. 

When it is not foggy you can see Isle Royale. The sites and bathrooms are just average. The hookups all work well, but the fire pits and tables are fairly old and the maintenance of the park is just ok.

Beautiful location but not a lot of trees or privacy. Very nice Rv park

After an hour of back roads north of Grand Marais you'll come upon Esther Lake Campground. It's a primitive campsite located on Esther Lake (obvi) and maintained by the Judge C.R. Magney State Park in Grand Portage State Forest. There are 3 sites and all are first come first serve. Only one site is on the lake and it's really the only worth working to stay at as the other two are nothing special. They are spacious though and you can tent or rv camp in all the sites. There is a boat launch and dock as well as a vault toilet which is a bit of a bonus considering the remoteness. The lake is most definitely worth the drive. It's beautiful, pristine and your typical iconic northwoods lake with giant eastern white pine, rock outcrops and islands. In the campground there is a very short trail to a lovely rock outcrop that slides into the lake. Mealtimes here are a must if you don't get that lakefront site. The lake is clear and swimmable.

Do you love camping and Grand Marais a whole lot? If so, then this is the campground for you. You are within easy strolling distance of downtown Grand Marais, and all of the glorious offerings. This is probably the only campground close to Hwy 61 that you do not get highway noise from, thanks to the reduced speed limit through Grand Marais.

There is a wide variety of sites available, and not all of them offer the same amenities. Their campground map does a good job reflecting which sites have electric/water, electric/water/sewer, or nothing beyond the site itself. The campground is overwhelmingly dominated by rvs and trailers(some of which look pretty permanently settled there).

There are a lot of amenities on the propert. You have a picnic shelter, ball field, play ground, clothes lines, a bathhouse AND a community garden. Oh, and you also have Lake Superior RIGHT THERE. This campground is a little more cramped than I would like, but you can’t argue against the premium location for both lake-viewing and access to town.

Grand Portage Lodge and Casino is not what I imagine as a place to pitch a tent, but right next to the marina is an RV park and a bunch of spots for tents. I'm not a gambler so this is not normally a destination for me, but it is the best place to camp to make it to the Ferry by 6:30 a.m. the next morning to be transported to a paradise in Isle Royale National Park.

The nice thing about the campground is that you sit on a hill and look out at lake superior. There is a large gas station next to the marina where you can make phone calls at a pay phone (There is no cell service) and get some last minute treats before you head out on the boat.

This is the place to stay if you are going to Isle Royale National Park from Minnesota.

If you’re looking for a good campsite last minute or are you really really really like the North Shore I want to be right on Lake superior this is a good campground for you. This campground is located in Grand Marais Minnesota right inside the city on the harbor. The RV sites with electric are pretty dang close together which is not my style camping but for most people at RVs they don’t mind that. The tent sites were sent away from the RV sites and we’re pretty secluded from each other which I really really really like.

A lot of people choose this park to park their RV for the summer and pay the summer fee for it. You can also get a daily rate which is not that bad. Check out the picture for info on the rates.

There’s a boat launch into Lake superior in the Grand Marais harbor right inside the city park which is amazing if you’re on a boat and want to go fish or just swim.

All in all this is a great park for families. They also have group camps if you’re interested in that but they were pretty centralized in the the park and were not secluded to anybody.

Inside the city limits you can grab yourself a worlds best donut And for an amazing cup of coffee check out Java Moose For dinner you could do a sit down at The Angry Trout right on the harbor and follow it up with a Voyager Brewing Company beer with amazing views of the sunset.

On the outskirts of Finland, along the Baptism River, in the Finland National Forest. Just a few miles north of Eckbeck Campground, off of MN 1 & County Rd 6. Really nice wooded sites, some can accommodate big rigs. Level sites. Vault toilets. Trash bins. Some privacy between sites. I would recommend staying here overnight if the nearby state parks are full. I do not recommend staying here for peace & quiet. Noise from ATVs, a few with modified mufflers. Since there are no electric hookups, there is some noise from generators for the big RVs. What was really annoying was the noise from a bunch of drunk middle aged folks down at the group site on the night of Oct 8, 2021. I had my own drunken moments at parties, but their behavior was pathetic. Their loud voices carried throughout the campground, including some loud f-bombs. Vault toilets were just okay; not particularly clean but usable. IMO, $17 fee is too high for this particular campground. 4 bars T-Mobile.

Simple campground with full hookups. Pretty close together. Older campers accepted which is not the greatest (the one next was really run down and leaking some sort of stinky liquid). Close to the water which was great!

This is a huge community campground within the village of Grand Marais, right on the harbor. Most folks are here with RVs, but there are three separate sections for tent camping only: one right on the lakeshore, one right on the bike path, and one tucked into the woods up the hill to the south. We always do tent camping, and had intended to go to Magney State Park nearby but they were filled for the weekend, so we reluctantly decided to try the town campground and were pleasantly surprised. Although the RV sites are jam-packed close together in the open throughout most of the campground, the forest tent sites are private, quiet, spacious, well wooded, and I would say comparable to the sites at Magney. We were at one of the smaller tent sites, but most are pretty big, the one called Honeymoon Hill is really great, ask for that if you can! The tent area does have drinking water but the toilets are just porta potties, though they are very clean and well kept. There is a full bath house down the hill about 1/4 mile walk, good facilities but heavily used and it got a bit muddy very quickly after the rain Sunday morning. The main advantage of this campground is great location on Lake Superior and Grand Marais Harbor, easy biking and walking distance into the village with all its amenities, and easy driving distance to numerous trailheads and other outdoor opportunities, so overall a pleasant surprise and an excellent alternate if area state parks are filled.

What a great place. Clean bathrooms if needed with showers. Many of the RV sites have lake access if not you just use the launch ramp. RV spots can be a little tight getting in and out for hook, but doable. Great supply store open during day. The “sisters” and crew are super hostesses! Mosquitos were horrible, but hey it’s MN in June. You never know.

Beautiful campground. Close to hiking and biking and Grand Marais. Spotty cell reception with Verizon. Friendly chipmunks, they may climb on you!

Temperance River State Park campground has always been a favorite of ours! On a recent backpacking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail we utilized the campground and stayed in the upper campground site 10. Formally this would have been right across from the old bath house but they tore that down and are currently getting that area prepped for new camp spots. The campsite #10 is a lovely spot with ample space, a little grove of trees that have a moss carpet beneath them and space to hammock, tent or rv camp.

A perfect little campground right in grand marais. If you attended the Norfolk house this is the perfect place to stay and you can walk right over! Either way check out the Norfolk house! It’s a simple campground but you can’t beat the location!

Gorgeous area around the river! Campsites need to be booked in advance, but easy to get to. Tucked away pretty nicely between two harbors and grand marais, quiet area but attracts lots of hikers due to the beautiful river views! Def recommend staying here!

My husband and I absolutely LOVE this campground. We came here to celebrate our anniversary and will definitely be back!! I love that you feel like you’re mikes out of town but you are actually really close to all the fun things that there are to do in Grand Marais! There’s also a lot of hiking near by! I highly recommend this camp ground!

The campground is close to everything in Grand Marais which is nice not have to drive. The bathrooms are very clean, but if you want a hot shower good luck. The sites are small for any big rig(s) and you are very close to your neighbor, so if you don’t like close proximity this is not a campground for you. The views are beautiful from the marina. The campground is very family friendly.