If you're looking for glamping near Grand Portage, look no further. Glamping near Grand Portage is a great way to travel off the beaten path. Find the right glamping site for you with our user-submitted photos, reviews, and tips. You're sure to find glamping for your Minnesota camping excursion.
Minnesota's arrowhead region is famous for spectacular scenery, pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, rugged Sawtooth Mountain range, Superior National Forest and numerous Minnesota State Parks. A rich history of first nations, explorers, pioneers, artists and adventurers speaks to the special sense of place found with Grand Marais Camping. The Grand Marais municipal campground is the ideal base camp for exploring Minnesota's arrowhead and north shore of Lake Superior. Campers especially enjoy the convenience of set-up and walking to downtown Grand Marais. Our 60 acres of public parkland includes: Sweetheart's Bluff nature area, cobblestone beaches, harbor break wall and public water access, 4 clean bathhouses, ball field, playground, pavilion, Rec Hall, community garden, Gitchi-Gami bike trail connections, and cozy office with free coffee and wi-fi. Here's a few more details: -A full spectrum of camping options across 300 campsites -Pull-thru and 50 AMP RV sites -Lakeside and Wooded tent sites -Nightly, Weekly and Monthly rates -Reservable and Drop-In sites -Open Year Round -Full service bath houses, water at sites & reservations May-October
East Bearskin Lake Campground is located on its namesake lake, at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. It is a perfect spot for visitors who want the experience found in Boundary Waters and the convenience of car camping. Visitors can reserve standard or walk-in tent sites, or rent small cabins that accommodate up to five or seven people. Canoeing, kayaking and motorized boating is available on East Bearskin Lake. The facility can be conveniently accessed by vehicle. Guests are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Over a million acres in size, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness extends nearly 150 miles along the borders of the United States and Canada, containing over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and over 2,000 designated campsites. The two eastern bays of the lake are within the boundaries of Boundary Waters, thus the campground attracts canoe enthusiasts. Portages link to Flour Lake. Entering the wilderness area requires a special permit. Day permits for non-motorized use are available at the campground, but overnight and motor use permits must be obtained in advance. More information on the Boundary Waters region can be found here. East Bearskin Lake features several shallow bays, making the campground and shoreline good places for wildlife watching. Moose, beavers, eagles, ducks, loons, songbirds and bears are the most common visitors. See recreation guides and maps of hiking trails and canoe routes in the national forest. Fishing is also a huge draw for the area, with East Bearskin Lake offering great fishing for bass, walleye and lake trout. A boat ramp at the campground allows motorboats and canoes access to the lake. Back on shore, a variety of hiking, mountain biking and cross-country ski trails are nearby.
The campground and surrounding area is shaded with majestic red and white pines, balsam fir, spruce, birch and aspen trees. A thick understory offers plenty of shade and excellent privacy between campsites. The campground lies on the shore of the 643-acre East Bearskin Lake, a typical loon nesting site. The surrounding Superior National Forest is located in northeastern Minnesota's arrowhead region and is comprised of 3 million acres. The forest spans 150 miles along the border of the United States and Canada. Visitors can find recreation opportunities year-round, including travel in the famous Boundary Waters area.
Boats, canoes and kayaks are available for rent at the neighboring Bearskin Lodge. The store also offers fishing licenses, day use permits, groceries, ice, firewood, maps and fishing guide services for sale.
$76 / night
$29 - $59 / night
Devil Track Campground is a nicely wooded campground located on the shore of Devil Track Lake. There are many young pines in the area, making it an excellent spot to look for wildlife. Devil Track Lake is a rough translation of the Ojibwe name: 'spirit' would probably better capture the concept than 'devil'. Regardless of the name, the lake is fun to fish. A carry down boat launch and pier are located at the campground and a drive in ramp located about 0.5 miles away will help you get a line in the water. Downloadable information and map.
$16 - $18 / night
McCargoe Cove Campground is located in McCargoe Cove, on the north shore of Isle Royale National Park, off of the Indian Portage and East Chickenbone Trails. Boats can overnight at dock. Canoe/kayak access from Lake Superior or 1.2 mile portage from Chickenbone Lake. Stay Limit: 3 nights effective from June 1 Labor Day annually. Shelters: 6 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 7 . Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
Todd Harbor Campground is located in Todd Harbor on the north shore of Isle Royale National Park, off of the Minong Ridge Trail. Boats can overnight at dock. Stay Limit: 3 nights from June 1 Labor Day annually. Shelters: 1 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 2 . Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
$34 - $750 / night
Free camping often comes with a beautiful hike or paddle, and when you get there it can be hit or miss if they are full since they are all first come first serve. Be prepared to have to continue on to the next area or return to your last point so you are not caught off guard or end up recking a wonderful experience for someone else. And remember to be mindful that much of the Superior Hiking Trail is on private land and they owner can remove it from the system if you are not respectful of this gift. East Lake Agnes Campsites are located on the Superior Hiking Trail and the shores of Lake Agnes. They can be reached by traveling south and west 1.1 miles from the SHT overnight lot on the Caribou Trail/Cty Rd 4 near White Sky rock. Remoteness and wet slopes make advance planning and caution important. Drinking water available with filtration.
Chippewa Harbor Campground is located in Chippewa Harbor, on the south shore of Isle Royale National Park. Trail access is via the Indian Portage Trail. Boats can stay overnight at dock. Stay Limit: 3 nights from June 1 Labor Day annually. Shelters: 4 Depth at dock (normal conditions): 7 Access: Foot/canoe/kayak/private boat
Guide
I stayed here in late October. The campground was officially closed at this point in time, but they were still allowing you to stay here at the remarkably low rate of $10 per night. The bathrooms were closed and locked, but there was a single porta potty by the marina. The water was supposed to have been turned off but it wasn't. They're still closing up for the winter. But, the place was essentially empty. I saw one or two other campers in this huge area. So I had lots of space and privacy. It's within walking distance to downtown, which was wonderful. And, on the other side, away from town, there are some hiking trails for your morning stretch. I was able to take my dog off leash in the sledding area for a bit. I'm not sure if that's within the rules, but it didn't bother anybody because there was nobody to bother. The trails take you up to an overlook that allows you to look out over the town and watch the sun come up. You're within a very short driving distance of several ski/hiking areas in the national Forest. Also. I can't speak to how the place would be in the summer when it's busy, but it certainly was a good value for me in October.
RangerLARGE campground! Right on Lake Superior. Sites are close together. Some nicely located TENT sites by the lake, can hear the waves. Very easy walk on paved trail into town. Men’s bathroom was very clean. Showers are in great shape.
GuideWe walked into town for a donut and didn’t make it back to the site until 3 o’clock. Lots to see and places to shop. Everyone very friendly. Lots of art. The campground is very crowded. But right on the Lake. No matter where you are it is just a few steps to a beautiful view.
TravelerWe called a few hours ahead on a Monday and were able to stay for a week at a site with electrical and water hookups. While the sites are close together, we felt like we still had plenty of privacy with how many trees are in the campground, and all of our neighbors were so nice and also quiet. Very kid and dog friendly place. There's a sink for washing dishes by the bathrooms/showers which came in handy and there are multiple bath houses. A quick walk to town too, so we didn't have to ever leave the site with our rig.
Legend
Recently I stayed in the upper level bunkhouse suite, which means that I have stayed in all of the accommodation types that HH offers. I loved having our own dedicated lounge space upstairs. The upper level used to be a traditional hostel format, but sometime during the pandemic they switched it to a single booking for the entire space. You get a large bed (full or Queen I can’t recall) and then 4 bunks.
This was the most affordable option to take my nephew up to the north shore while still having a roof over our heads and running water. The only things that are still communal with this space are the showers on the first floor (only a toilet and sink upstairs) and the fire pit. Love love love hungry hippie!
GuideWe had a good Campspot and the neighbors were nice. The beach is 2 minutes and the city 20 minutes. Great pleasant experience
Guide
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.
Legend
This is a lovely campground on Isle Royale - none of them are terrible (let's face it - you are on a gorgeous island that's basically untouched!), but this one is a little larger than some with more shelters than others.
Shelters - they are first come first served. If the campground is uber full, the policy and expectation is that you consider sharing with others, especially if you are a party of one or two. Not a bad policy and courteous, for sure. But this didn't happen when we were here. Each shelter is four sided with the front side "screened in" for bugs. This is lovely in buggy weather! There are also boards all over the inside (parallel to the floor around the walls) that are great for hanging and airing out wet items. Each one had a picnic table and trees and was a very short walk to water and a toilet.
Tent pads - there are separate tent areas that are away from shelters, for the most part. Nothing is "close" here so there is quite a bit of room.
Group - there are three group areas. If using group areas on a normal basis, you must have a group reservation and groups of more than 6 require this in advance. Three group areas all near to each other but with nice green buffers in between and a toilet to share between them.
Toilets - not fancy but offer privacy. Small wooden shelters with a metal toilet and a pit. **NOTE: they do not provide TP - you must take your own** They don't smell like roses (what pit toilet does?) but they allow privacy and no need to dig a cat hole. Bonus win win.
This is one of only a handful of camps on the island that has a fire pit! It's a shared fire (not one for each site) with picnic tables nearby and a lovely view of the water. Only collect downed wood (no bigger than your wrist) to burn.
As others have mentioned - there is a very nice dock here since a boat comes a few times a week with passengers. This is a "stop" for drop offs from the mainland (you must book this boat in advance to get here). So it's a great place to chill in the breeze, do a bit of yoga stretching, dry your socks, enjoy an evening coffee or fall over after hiking - lol.
***Be aware - there are leeches in the lake. We attempted to splash off a bit and noticed them.***
Oh yes - the camp fox. He/she is a regular here. We saw the fox many times. Not afraid of people, will steal your stuff (including shoes) so be careful, tie your drying shoes to the picnic table, and do not feed the wildlife. But it it a beautiful specimen of an animal!
GuideStayed here on my way to Isle Royale and had a wonderful night. I booked an electric site (#233) to charge and camp in my Tesla, which worked out great. It was crowded on a Thursday night (August 17th) but it got really quiet after dark. I had plenty of space at my site and didn’t mind that the other sites were close by. Bugs weren’t bad, but I used spray, a citronella candle, and a Thermacell for protection. The women’s bathrooms were clean, and firewood was available at the office (I think a bundle was $6). Very pet friendly- my dog was relaxed here. Loved the location next to town, which was a beautiful walk during sunset (and I highly recommend getting coffee at Java Moose in the morning). Night skies are beautiful, especially on the water. A little pricey with all the fees (a $43 site turned into $60). I booked my site over a month in advance and there were only a few spots available, so don’t delay!
RangerLarge campground with many many sites, both RV and tent that are crammed close together. The best part about it is how close it is to the lake and how easy it is to access the rock beaches. The bathrooms are clean and modern. However, if your site happens to be next to a loud, obnoxious group, it can be a pretty miserable experience. Also, watch out for the hoards of kids on bikes, both when walking and driving! :)
Traveler
It is a lovely camp ground. Most of the spots are lakefront
LegendNice campground that is out of the way from the other busier campgrounds. Enjoyed a night here. Very rustic but had some water spigots to get water from which was nice. Facilities were clean. Fairly private campsites so you are not bugged by your neighbors noise too much. Close to fishing and hiking and just far away from town to feel like you are on your own.
Legend
Watched a YouTube video of someone reviewing this campground before heading up...thank you good sir. This campground is clean, simple, and amazingly located. If you are looking to get away from everything and just enjoy nature and go for a paddle or a hike this is the best place to do it. You can't go wrong really with any of the sites here but some are better than others. The campground has a couple loops that offer a variety of sites and some go quicker than other because of their proximity to the water and the views, but you should be able to get a site. You would probably be better served fitting a smaller camper in here or even just tent camping which seemed to be the popular way to go while I was there. I would highly recommend spending a couple nights here and recharging and connecting with nature!
They do have a couple cabins that looked pretty basic and during the buggier months might be better suited for some. All of the sites located in the front or near the water were my favorites, but even some of the sites away from the water were perfect as well.
GuideSimple 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!
TravelerBeautiful location but not a lot of trees or privacy. Very nice Rv park
TravelerLooking out over the bay at two lighthouses right from our RV and open my door to the sound of the babbling brook right on our site. Large sights flat paved. Lots of walking places pet friendly.
TravelerMcCargoe is one of the most beautiful campgrounds on the island. I have heard that it can get busy due to the dock, but when I stayed there it was quite peaceful and solitary. A loon was swimming in the cove and we came across a cow moose just south on the trail.
LegendGiven that there is a relatively large dock here and a concessionaire ferry comes through here several times a week, there can be a lot of traffic. That being said, there are nice tent sites and some really cool tent/cabin structures. It wasn't super buggy while we were here so being in a tent was just fine. There are some nice open, rocky, sunny spots that are nice for sitting and enjoying the view. Be advised, there are quite a number of waterfowl that frequent the area so treat your water well, in fact the Park Service recommends treating your drinking water in two ways (ie. filter AND boil, chemically treat AND filter, some combination of two). The water is refreshing but there are leaches in addition to abundant bird poop. All part of the experience I suppose!
Legend
We visited in August so the bugs weren't bad, almost non-existent really. These spots were well spaced and while impacted, had a nice pine duff layer on the ground which was nice for sleeping. The view of Todd Harbor was beautiful and we enjoyed sitting on the rocky beach in the evening. The area is well shaded and there was a large group fire pit in the middle of the campground area. Super quiet spot with several tent sites and a cabin type tent, but it was occupied when we arrived. Sites are first come, first serve but permits are issued to insure that there are sites available. I would definitely recommend this spot.
LegendConcessionaire is Bearskin Lodge. Clean sites, several level. Wooded. Unpaved road to access campground is good. Some sites are first come, first serve. Clean vault toilets. Good water supply near campsite #3. Privacy between most sites. No T-Mobile cell service. Pretty lake.
GuideWe visited this campground in June 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Services were pared back quite a bit, regardless we had a great time. Our 33' motorhome was able to fit nicely in a pull-through site and we rented a boat during our stay. The campground is in a very secluded part of the world, and it was very relaxing. It was worth the trip up the gunflint trail.
Scout
Steep but short hike in to the lake via superior hiking trail. Quiet campsite right on the lake, with great views. Sites are in the middle of a spruce forest and are quite rooted, so make sure you have a good pad.
TravelerI love having a lakefront site so this place was perfect. The lake is beautiful!
ScoutMy 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!
GuideThe beauty and serenity here is exponentially greater than anything I've ever experienced before. I encourage you to go and explore nature. Become reconnected to our planet.
TravelerI stayed here for two nights prior to the launch of a solo SUP trip on what can be called the East Bearskin Loop of 9 lakes and 9 portages back to the launch just outside this campground. I pulled up in late morning on a Thursday and had no trouble snagging a decent first-come spot. I think it was #9. Anyway, the spots are in the trees and very private. The whole campground has that way up north feel and you can launch your canoe, paddle board, or kayak from either the boat launch or the other end of the campground. Just a wonderful experience. But remember—you’ll be way out there a fair pace up the Gunflint, so don’t expect to have any amenities close by to purchase. Bring everything you need and just have fun!
GuideWe were amazed and sure glad we had reservations. The camp was full. Spent one night traveling along the north shore. Because of Covid-19 many places are closed but the Scenery is superb. Travel up to higher elevations to see beautiful vistas below of Lake Superior. Very clean sites. Grocery shopping not far away. Beautiful hiking trails out side of town.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Grand Portage, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Grand Portage, MN is Grand Marais Campground & Marina with a 4.3-star rating from 31 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 11 glamping camping locations near Grand Portage, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
