Best Campgrounds near Grand Rapids, MN

I would highly recommend this campground,it’s clean,great fishing,swimming,walking. We stayed for a week with our dogs,and our girls had a blast. Thank you

Our family loved the campground, extremely clean and wonderful place to stay

We were amazed by the family feel, the quality of the fishing on trout lake, and the amount of seasonal sites available.

A hidden gem by the lake! I recently had the pleasure of staying at this charming campground, and I can’t recommend it enough! From the moment I arrived, I was impressed by how clean and well-maintained the entire facility was. The grounds were spotless, and it was clear that the staff takes great pride in keeping everything in tip-top shape. The highlight, of course, was the stunning lake right next to the campground. Whether you’re into kayaking, swimming, or simply enjoying the view, this lake is the perfect backdrop for a relaxing getaway. The water was clear, and I spent hours just soaking in the peaceful atmosphere.

This is an amazing campground, extremely clean and helpful and friendly staff. Lots of seasonal sites available would recommend.

This is a small county park and campground off the beaten path. It is located adjacent to the Little American Falls, and alongside the Big Fork River water trail. There are several campsites you can drive into, and if it is not the muddy season you could drive with a trailer or small RV into some of the the camping sites. Although the sites themselves are pretty well kept, campers are advised to pack out their own garbage but it seems some folks don't feel they have to--so there is some litter around, and evidence of campers burning garbage in the firepits. There is little to no cell phone service here, no on site ranger or camp host, but sites have basic picnic tables and fire rings, and there is an outhouse available. You should bring your own water; any RV's should know there are no hookups of any kind, but you are allowed to use a generator here. 

The main appeal of this campground is access to the river, which involves going down a steep bank (there are stairs) but worth it for fishing or kayaking or canoeing. The falls are beautiful, and worth a visit. There arent official biking or hiking trails but you could easily walk or bike on the back roads adjacent to the campground. If you want more privacy, there is a canoe campsite on the bank opposite of the county campground, just downstream of the falls, that is maintained by the Minnesota DNR and is water-access only.

There is no cost to camp here, but also no reservations so first come first served. For maps, you can refer to the Koochiching County recreation maps to see location, which are here: 

https://www.co.koochiching.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/135/Outdoor-Recreation-Map-PDF?bidId=

https://www.co.koochiching.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/994/Koochiching-Recreation-Map-2018-PDF

The Big Fork Water Trail map is here: https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/canoe\_routes/bigfork1.pdf

And for more info you can contact the Koochiching County Lands and Forests office here: https://www.co.koochiching.mn.us/178/Land-Forestry

Savanna Portage State Park is a beautiful and peaceful spot for camping, especially if you enjoy tent camping. The campsites are well-spaced, private, and perfect for tents, offering a great connection to nature.

The park features a lovely lake that’s ideal for kayaking, fishing, or just relaxing by the water. There are also several great hiking trails, ranging from easy walks to more challenging routes, giving you plenty of opportunities to explore the scenic forest and wetlands.

One thing to note—there are a lot of bugs in the summer, so make sure to pack plenty of bug spray! Overall, it’s a fantastic place for outdoor lovers looking for a quiet and rustic getaway.

I came in late October. As are most of the campsites in upper Minnesota this time of year, the owner told me they were closed. But he was happy to let me stay overnight for a reduced off-season fee. There were no hookups at this time of the year. It's a very pleasant lake. A lot of permanent RVs parked here. It's very quiet, although there is a highway that runs right next to the property. For my very small off-season fee, I got a shower included!

The website for this RV park is broken

Came across this park while looking to put together a four-day trip in our travel trailer. This is a great park with great facilities and a great lake. No big boats allowed no more than 10 mph. No no waterskiing. Makes it ideal for paddling, kayaking, and calm water.

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!

Great campground right on Leech Lake.  A quick drive to Walker if you need any supplies.  Plenty of options for getting firewood near by.

We were on site 23 and it was a huge site (as were most sites)  No issues with neighbors being noisy other than a yapping dog.  Site was nice and level.

There are some sites that are definitely less desirable around the main bathroom / shower house.

With the wind off the lake bugs were well managed - but this is MN in the summer - so there were mosquitoes and flies - but that is expected.

Grass was well maintained

Beach was great albeit shallow. But nice soft sand.

Wouldn't have any qualms about going back

FYI - they don't supply a solo stove - but I love mine so I use it instead of the fire ring

Absolutely nothing interesting about this place. It’s just a standard issue dirt lot with a slight incline. Open parking, no sites.

I had the entire park to myself. Beautiful view of the Mississippi River, not far from the headwaters. Enjoyed the sounds of nature as I relaxed in site #6. I took advantage of the on-site fire wood via the Yodel Portal app. Amazed that I had the place to myself.

Was here last year also. Great place for older people that have a national parks card. $13.00 a night is unbeatable. Park is always clean and well maintained. And free laundry too. Yes, there are skeeters, but this is summer in Minnesota. You learn to deal. Quiet and not packed at all. Site is large and flat and trees galore.

Toward the last minute in July of 2024, I needed RV spaces near water (that I could kayak) for two travel trailers. I found this campground and booked two of the last three spaces available. Three hours from my house, as the crow flies, I found myself visiting Minnesota's iron range. This campground is next to a reservoir with many islands and no current (unless the mining company is pushing or pulling water from the lake. The sites are of varying sizes and some are pull through. Leveling took me a bit, but I found just the right angle to jack up the front of my RV for leveling. My site was smaller, but still large enough for my 20 trailer, a screen house, the picnic table and fire pit, my Grand Cherokee, and plenty of extra room onto which I could probably have put at least three more screen tents, with room to walk. Electricity is provided on each site. There are no water hookups per site, but there are a few water spigots around the grounds to fill fresh water tanks. Because the grounds are small (45 camping sites) a short walk gets you anywhere on the site; like to the showers, beach, and other recreational facilities. Frisbee golf is on site. There is no tank dump available. The campground is surrounded by forest, so wild animals can and do appear. The lake is large enough for some long and interesting kayaking, and there are multiple kinds of fish (from bullheads to northern pike). The woman in charge works very hard to keep these grounds as perfect as possible. The place is clean and mostly dead quiet after hours. Two free showers per gender, but they have minimal privacy. The free showers have sufficient pressure to do the job, although you cannot control the temperature; which I found to be fine, even if it was not the burning hot showers I like to have. The sites have pretty good privacy, although during the day I had to listen to the typical chatting from my neighboring campers. I very much love this campground and will be back as my time permits.There is no wifi. We had strong service on T-mobile and Verizon, so we used our hotspots for media connectivity.

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.

Small and well maintained park as you would expect for a USACE site. Super clean bathrooms. Level sites and great views of the Mississippi.

Road noise from Hwy 2 is a downside.