Best Cabin Camping near Grand Portage, MN

There is not a lot of info out there on this camp site so I thought I'd fill in some of the gaps.  It is not shown on many maps.  It is on Isle Royale and is about 1/3 of a mile walk from the Windogo area where the Ferry boat lands.  The easiest access to the island is via Ferry which is about $150 round trip from Grand Portage MN.  A sea plane is also available for around $320 RT.  There are no motorized vehicles or bicycles at Windigo and the surrounding area.

Washington Creek is a popular overnight stay for backpackers who are on their way on/way off the island via the ferry as well as a great camp  for people who aren't up to the strenuous activity of backpacking.  Everyone is super-friendly.

There are 15 individual wooded campsites.  5 are tent/hammock sites and 10 have a shelter that is a wood structure about 10' x 16' with a wood floor, 3 wood walls and a forth wall made of screen with a screen door.  Each campsite has a picnic table, but no fire ring as fires are not allowed, only cook stoves.  There are a few pit toilet "privies" (out houses) which all campers are asked to use.  There is one potable water faucet for the campground and another at the Windigo flag pole.  At the time we were there there was some concern about filtering water from inland water sources, but this might have been just a CYA on the part of the park service.

There are 4 group campsites each of which consist of a picnic table and more open space than the individual sites - which might supply enough room for a half dozed tents plus or minus.  There are 2 privies in that area. 

In the nearby Windigo area there is a small store with the basics; Dry and canned food, beer, wine, soda, ice and some souvenirs.  All the basics you would need to survive if you showed up with no food as long as you are not picky.  Looking around there, I actually didn't know there was that many flavors of Romman Noodles. :-). No fresh meat or produce though.  The availability of only 1 kind of potato chips kinda sums it up for me… They do sell a bit of camping gear most notably the iso-butane canisters for cook stoves.  They have a bit of fishing gear too.  The store has an open porch that is a nice place to relax and drink a beer or read a book and mingle with other campers.

There was a nice new but un-opened store building(6/2021) which should boost the appeal, and perhaps the available merchandise.  I heard tell there was to be a few beer taps too (Woo-Hoo!!!) with indoor seating area.  Lots of outside covered and uncovered seating too.

In addition to the store there is a Ranger/visitor center with some interesting displays and is staffed with park personnel who are anxious to provide whatever info you may need.

There at Windigo (again 1/3 mile from the Washington Creek Campground) there is a "bath house".  This has flush toilets and hot/cold sinks, and pay showers and pay laundry facilities.

I heard there were a few rustic cabins there at Windigo for rent however I did not see them myself. 

I'll post some pics to provide further info.

This is a great park on the north shore, one of the smaller and quieter state park campgroynds with a few nice bonuses. The park is north if Grand Narais ( be sure to stip there first fir groceries and supplies) and is well licated for day trips along the Gunflint or up to Grand Portage. There is terrfic hiking within the park, trailing alongside the Brule River and its waterfalls all the way up the Superiir Ridge to connect with the Superior Hiking Trail. There is also a shorter trail over to Lake Superior, for nice beach access. There us goid fishing along the way. The park is unique geologically, shaped by rhyolite flows from ancient volcanoes and with a unique subterranean kettle stream for which scientists cant find an outlet.

The campground is small and quiet and has modern bathroom facilities and potable water but no hookups for RVs. There us room at each campsite for trailers to drive in. The campground is heavily wooded and very peaceful. One of the really nice amenities is that, after a long day of hiking, you can dine out if you want at one if the most unique, romantic and historic lodges along the north shore, the Naniboujou Lodge, immediately adjacent to the campground. They also have a high tea in the afternoons, and a fantastic brunch in weekends. If you want great hiking, quiet tent campung, swimming in Lake Superior—and with unique dining OR campfire cooking, this is the place for you!

The camper cabins at East Bearskin Lake Campground in Superior National Forest are the ideal way to take advantage of northern Minnesota's wilderness. The camper cabins include a picnic style table inside along with bunk bed sleeping areas. Foam sleeping pads are provided, but you're responsible for bringing your own linens. There is no heat or electricity in the cabins, but the structures are sturdy and provide shelter from wind, rain and snow. Each campsite has an outdoor picnic table and fire ring. There are four camper cabins and they can be reserved through the recreation.gov website. They are just under $70/night. There is plenty of space between cabins as well as other campsites to give you the feel of truly being in the middle of nowhere. We were surrounded by pine trees and had a trail located in our campsite that led to East Bearskin Lake. Keep in mind, it's Minnesota and there was still some snow on the ground and ice on the lakes at the end of May. Pit toilets were just a short walk down the road as was access to potable water.

We saw a moose and had a fox visit our campsite while we were there. We fell asleep to the sound of loons every night. This is also black bear country, so it's important to be bear aware; make sure you store food and water properly and bring bear spray while out hiking. We tried our hand at trout fishing with little luck, but it was still fairly cold, and so not much was biting.

We hiked the Caribou Rock Trail and hikers are required to fill out a hiking log slip before heading out. The 2 mile trail was moderate with a decent incline. Once at the top of the overlook, you can see East Bearskin Lake. There are several lodges throughout Superior National Forest where you can obtain fishing licenses and rent boats.

Grand Marais, MN is only about 45 minutes away from East Bearskin Lake. It's a cool, quaint little town located right along Lake Superior. There's a handful of good restaurants, specifically The Angry Trout, which serves up fresh lake trout out of Superior. The Java Moose has great coffee and Lake Superior Trading Post carries lots of outdoor gear and souvenirs.

We liked it so much, we went back 4 months later in September, and stayed again in the same camper cabin. For a true taste of the North Woods, East Bearskin is hard to beat.

There are two of these little beauties in the Windigo area so reserve early! The cost is pretty reasonable (was in 2021 at least) and the amenities are pretty extensive, I mean a full sized grill is provided! There is a small and very limited camp store in the area so plan on arriving with most of what you need. There is a small outhouse outside of the camper cabin but there are also really nice restrooms down the hill that have flush toilets, coin operated showers and coin operated laundry facilities. There are also a number of trails in the Windigo area, including the Miniong Ridge and Greenstone Ridge. We stayed here our first night on the island before heading across the island on the Greenstone. 

There are two separate bedrooms, each with a set of bunk beds and a common area with a futon and small table. There is a picnic table outside and a nice Adirondack chair on the porch. The windows and doors have screens so you can get good airflow inside. The electricity is also nice and allowed us to charge headlamps and things prior to our backcountry adventure.

This is a private campground adjacent to a Lodge off the Gunflint Trail. If you are wanting something less rustic than one of the nearby Forest Service campgrounds, and you don't mind paying a little more, then this may be for you. Current rates are $39 a night per campsite, plus an additional $5 a night if you have a dog, which adds up to a bit of a  steep price if you are tent camping. However, the sites do have electrical hooups and other amenities preferred by RV campers which arent found in the basic Forest Service campgrounds nearby, so that may be a plus. If tent camping by yourself, or wanting close proximity to food, lodge amenities, boat rental, etc, then you might find it is worth it. The campsites are very nice, and there is good fishing in the lake plus nice hiking trails nearby!

This is a rustic state park with no electric sites, dump station or water source for RV tanks, as well as nearly non-existent cell service, but it's a pleasant getaway spot. It felt like a rustic forest campground but had amenities like a bathroom/shower house. Regarding water, there is drinking water available to fill containers, just no hookup to fill RV tanks. They also have trash and recycling dumpsters available.

The sites are decent size; privacy depends on the site but most aren't crammed on top of each other. All sites are dirt/gravel and the roads are dirt so be prepared for some dust in dry conditions.

We saw mostly tents and smaller rigs but that's probably due to no electricity and no water source for RVs to fill from. Still, some sites were large enough for the Class As that were there.

Bathrooms were decent but be ready for push-button showers for water conservation. They run long enough to essentially do Navy showers, which works fine. Water never really hot but plenty warm enough to not be considered cold.

Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, plus firewood is available at the front office or at the camp host site (via self-service). Front office rarely staffed but there is a work garage and the DNR staff came through the campground regularly. Little to no cell service on T-Mobile and Verizon, but there is a WiFi spot available near the DNR work garage.

It's nice that you can hike from the campground to Devil's Kettle and another waterfall (same trail), both of which were great.

Access is from Highway 61 down a relatively short dirt road We would stay here again.

Kate and Jeremy run the Hungry Hippie Hostel. It has been two years since we last stayed with them, and since then they have expanded their lodging options to three Frost River canvas tents and 5 primitive campsites. These additions were accompanied by the construction of what might be my favorite toilet/shower outbuilding that I have ever come across. Oh yeah, they also bought Hughie’s Tacos in Grand Marais. I’m excited about all of this because everything is enjoyable AND affordable- this is a hard combo to come across in the North Shore of Minnesota’s private sector.

Private rooms and bunk beds in the upstairs communal room in the hostel itself are rented out through Airbnb. The nice thing about the rooms are that they are clean, climate controlled, and cozy. However, you WILL hear your neighbors even with your door shut. If you are a light sleeper like me you can forget sleeping in because someone inevitably will start grinding coffee in the common room. This is always fine by me because THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO ON THE NORTH SHORE and time slept beyond what is necessary for a day of adventure is time wasted.

This is why I’m excited about the Frost River campfire tents (Duluth Pack is the ubiquitous canvas goods producer in Minnesota- but not for long!!). They go for $59+tax a night and you have an amazing panoramic view from your little haven. The tents are located a quick walk away from the communal fire ring and the new bathroom building. Bring your own linens for a queen air mattress. I’ve attached a video of the bathroom which has three toilet stalls and two shower stalls.

We felt like we were camping with 20 other people we didn’t know. Sometimes that is ok, but it can get annoying with no privacy. I would recommend heading into the National Forest if you want privacy.

This was our least favorite of campsites of four this summer. The sites were so close together and I felt bad for the people who were next to my sometimes rambunctious kids. There were a lot of trees for our hammock, though! There was not a lot to do, but maybe a good stop if someone is hiking the Superior Trail.

We did enjoy hiking to Devil’s Kettle Falls and driving down to the lake to look for agates. Brunch at Naniboujou Lodge was a nice hot breakfast. Other than that, nothing too spectacular.

Campground Review:

On our 3rd day of a 4 day trip on the Superior Hiking Trail, heading north out of Grand Marais, we stopped at Judge C.R. Magney State Park. Our morning started at the Kadunce campsite; we headed south and did the famed lake walk and then headed north following the little Brule River, then a straight line East following private property until we hit Judge Magney and did a short stint south to the campsite. The next morning we'd be heading North again along the Brule River. Passing the famed Devils Kettle, a waterfall that splits in two and half disappears. Back at the campsite we were site #8. It is a spacious flat area that is suitable for drive in campers and vehicles. The fire pit and picnic table were together and there were a few trees at the site to hang our hammocks from. The bathrooms were across the road, a comfortable distance for noise but easy access at night. We were also very close to the SHT to hop right back on the next morning. Overall the location was pretty great, we were surrounded by nature on two sides and the other campsite was pretty separate from us. Just an FYI it was a quiet campsite mostly filled with older couples.

Product Review:

During our backpacking trip we took a few "excursions" without our heavier backpacks and we used the Ethnotek Cross Body Bag to bring along snacks and extras. Some pro's of the bag were the large opening and sizable closure. Inside were a few different sized pockets for holding smaller items and a small side zip for quickly grabbing an item without opening the whole bag. The large 'seatbelt' looking strap could be held around the waist, fanny pack style, or cross body. For me the crossbody was a bit of an awkward fit. Being a women the strap goes right across the chest and either smooshes you or divides you extravagantly. Wearing it as a fanny pack, it's a bit large so you wear it with the bag to the back and it works well. The unique styling of the bag design and the fabrics make this a fun bag to travel with. I always enjoy products that support artisans from other cultures and Ethnotek does just that. Overall I give the Cross Body Bag by Ethnotek 4.5 out of 5 stars. https://ethnotek.com/products/cyclo-cross-body-bag?variant=1894797639704

Judgr Magney was a visit for me while hiking the Superior Hiking Trail. This trail cuts through the park as part of it's 300 + mile journey through the Northeast part of the state. This park was a beautiful place for a good night rest and the free Wi-Fi was a good chance to touch base with family. The park is well layed out, the campground was well kept and facilities were immaculate! Just walking through the park was such a different feel and atmosphere than the trail itself, but you could tell that the park was going to be a gem as you followed the river into the park. This park has spectacular over looks including the famous Devil's Kettle Falls! These are a sight to see but be prepared for steps, steps and more steps. There are a couple of different views of the falls and none should be missed. The park is located of HWY 61, if you need to stop for conveniences Grand Marais is a short drive south.

This campground had a good amount of space in between campsites and amenities that suited our needs. Beautiful park especially with the river and Devil's Kettle. Visiting again soon!

Over night camping trip while hiking Eagle Mountain in the BWCA. Great site with bathroom and shower facilities (free showers). Small with limited sites, but spaced for room. Going back soon.

The walk to devil's kettle is pretty nice. Long trail, lots of beautiful scenery to see on the way. I liked sitting by the lake at night (a theme in my reviews).

Loved stopping here for a night in Grand Marais this summer. Ranger was friendly and said hello while I enjoyed a morning hike to Devils' Kettle. Downside was sites are very close together, not much privacy from your neighbors. Sites was crawling with tons of bugs that look like ticks, but aren't (you could squish them).

A big draw of this state park is the viewing on of this areas many waterfalls. A popular 2.2 mile (round-trip) trail leads from the parking lot upstream along the Brule River to “Devil's Kettle.” The river splits around a mass of volcanic rock leaving half the river to plunge 50 feet into a pool while the other half surges into a huge pothole.  The trail is dog-friendly so bring Fido but it can be crowded too so you may want to go early. The trail is considered “strenuous” and has nearly 200 stairs that need to be climbed but it was not bad and worth the trip.  The Brule River is very popular among anglers where brook and rainbow trout are said to be plentiful and I regretted not bringing my fly rod along for the trip.

The campground is small with just 27 drive-in sites for RVs or tents and one walk-in tent site. The first thing you notice is how wooded the campground is which is very welcome on the warm summer days.  The tall trees also provide a bit of privacy between sites and you get the feel of being tucked back in the woods. Picnic tables and fire pits (with grills) are at each site. Sites are without any hook-ups but there is potable water in the campground.  The bathroom was nice and clean with flush toilets and showers. During our stay, we routinely saw staff attending to the bathrooms and other campers were courteous and didn’t trash the place. The campground is very peaceful and quiet when we were there. Part of that is probably due to its small size and little traffic. There are numerous other great state parks in the area with gorgeous waterfalls and hiking.

Campsites have space between them, nice bathhouse and showers and great hiking!

We were impressed with how great the hiking trails were. We only had a few hours to explore the park and we were not disappointed. The trail to Devil's Kettle was a nice hike. Be warned lots of stairs but excellently maintained.

Didn’t camp there but hiked it last year in May!

Nice cozy campgrounds, the restrooms/showers were nice and clean! The hike up to Devil’s Kettle was rough but oh so worth it! The park staff member we ran into was able to help direct us to the perfect store for us to pick up some supplies we forgot! Grand Marais is only a 15 minute drive away. We’re only here for two nights but we love it and will definitely be coming back! 

The facilities are nice and well maintained. Not many bugs but I did go later in the year. Medium sized open sites