If you're looking for a place to park your RV near Grand Rapids, look no further. Find the best information on RV camping near Grand Rapids, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your RVing experience. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect RV campsites that are scenic and easy to access.
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Formerly known as Kom-On-In Beach Campground, Trout Lake RV Park and Campground is now open with new owners.
We are here to deliver unforgettable summertime memories and lifelong friendships.
Covering over 10 acres with both beach front and water views you can enjoy the pristine wilderness along with fishing, boating, canoeing, hiking, biking, and wildlife that will awaken you to the true beauty of all that Trout Lake RV Park and Campground has to offer.
With both seasonal and short-term sites available along with remote tent sites, you can enjoy camping according to your schedule.
Trails INN is located on the ATV-Snowmobile Tail head, right next to a beautiful 9 hole Golf course, Hiking/Biking trails, Hill Lake access and much, much more!
$45 - $119 / night
$39 - $59 / night
$20 - $27 / night
Jessie View Resort is your vacation destination for fishing and family outdoor fun in Northern Minnesota.
Located on Big Jessie Lake we are centrally located among the 1,000 lakes area and within minutes from Big Winnie and Bowstring Lakes. At 1740 acres with a maximum depth of 42 feet and diverse structure, the lake is a premiere fishery for walleye and crappie. Jessie View is within the Chippawa National Forest offering boundless recreation opportunities both on and off the water.
You will find spectacular sunrise and sunset views from the dock or points along our 1600′ of shoreline. The 7 fully equipped housekeeping cabins have easy access to the waterfront with heat and air conditioning for your comfort after enjoying the outdoors. They range from 2-person studio type units to a large 5-bedroom family lodge. Our marina offers a private boat launch, boat slips and access to kayaks, paddle boards, and paddle boats for water fun. A pontoon and fishing boats are available for rent by the day or by the week.
Seasonal and daily RV sites offer full hook ups and access to the waterfront and boat launch.
The season begins May 1 for the seasonal and daily/weekly RV campground. Cabins are available for opening of walleye fishing mid-May through hunting season in November.
Jessie View offers a relaxing atmosphere with expansive open areas for quiet walks along the lakeshore or simply enjoy the view @ Jessie View. We look forward to seeing you at the lake!
Call 1-218-259-2594 or email jessieviewresort@gmail.com for reservations!
$40 / night
Pokegama Dam Campground (USACE) is situated in the heart of northern Minnesota's lake country next to the Mississippi River. Popular activities include boating, fishing, picnicking and wildlife viewing.
The Mississippi River offers great opportunities for boating and fishing. Anglers will find Walleye, Northern Pike, Blue gills, sunfish, Large and Small mouth Bass among other species. Birders enjoy viewing Bald eagles, loons, ducks, geese and many other species from the banks of the park.
A forest of mixed hardwoods and towering red pines cover the area, housing an abundance of wildlife including bald eagles, porcupines, black bears chipmunks and many others. Wild blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries grow seasonally on the forest floor.
Judy Garland Museum, Forest History Center, Itasca County historical Society, Childerns Discovery Museum, Tioga Beach, Mesabi Bike Trail
$14 - $35 / night
Traveler
This park is beautiful and right next to a lake. Very green and full of trees. Park is clean. The only reason I gave 4 stars is because the long-term residence aren't very friendly. This location cost $44/night for full hookups.
Legend
Pokegema Dam This is a campground established by the Army Corps of Engineers, adjacent to the Pokegama Dam. Highlights include fishing in the rapids below the dam, or in the still river water above it, camping and relaxing under the tall pines in the campground, canoeing and kayaking on the river, and having a base to explore nearby Grand Rapids and attractions like the Minnesota State Forest History Museum a few miles away. Unless you are here for the fishing on site, though, you will probably use this campground as a base to do day trips in the area, as the campground is not big enough to feature hiking trails and other on-site activities. The campground seems oriented towards RV and trailer camping, with hook-ups and hard packed gravel vehicle access on most sites. A few sites do include sufficient grassy areas for tent camping. Almost all the campsites are located on the shores of the Mississippi River just downstream from the dam, and are sheltered under huge shady pines. The setting is more beautiful and scenic than can be seen from the road when passing by. Unfortunately, that road is the 4-lane highway 2, which provides easy access to the campground, but also adds a bit of road noise to your experience. Plus factors include a thoughtfully designed handicapped accessible campsite, several canoe campsites for paddling the Headwaters Water trail, and easy fishing access via boat landing, the dam itself, and various fishing piers. Everything is sparkling clean and there are bathrooms, showers, potable water, and a kids playground.
Legend
As this was our second time here at Minnesota National, we had no problem finding the course or RV park. The RV navigation in our new Ford 450 was also spot on. When you turn in at the golf course, drive all the way to the club house/lodge parking lot and there’s a road to the right that takes you into the campground (CG). As you check-in online prior to arrival, you simply proceed to your camp site. As you turn down the short road to the CG, there’s a sign to help you identify your site location. We proceeded to back-in site 25 with full hook ups. The utilities are in the back of pad in this CG, so you may need 20+ feet of electric, sewer, or water cord/hose depending on your rig’s configuration. The sewer grade is a bit up hill. We got 3 bars LTE on Verizon and no CG WiFi. There is only a vault toilet/out house in the CG. We came here to golf for two weeks. The 18 hole course is quite challenging where the 9 hole Savannah is shorter and a little bit easier. The golf course restaurant has decent food and a good deal on draft beer during their Sunday to Thursday Happy Hours.There is not much more to do here except golf. McGregor is about 15 minutes away and is where we did laundry and got our groceries.
Legend
When I visited, the entrance was blocked and office closed. This is in the vicinity of Walker Bay, which is a primo location on Leech Lake, but it is not on the lake itself but set in a mature forest nearby. From the looks if it, it appears to have seasonal rentals that allow overwintering in the off season, the campground currently has a minimal Facebook page but no active website that I could find. I think this is more of a long term private RV and trailer park and may not have facilities for daily or weekly camper stays. It appears to be a decent campground, but I didnt see additional amenities aside from campsites and hookups, and it isnt actually on the lake, so I only gave it 4 stars. Probably best to call for info if you think you might be interested in camping here.
Scout
The sites were amazingly large with nice privacy between the lots. Easy to get into with plenty of room to spare. Each lot has full hook-ups, that was a huge bonus!! Definitely on our list of places to go back to!
Legend
Like many small town in the area, Floodwood has its own municipal campground, part of which seems to be staked out by a few long-term RV campers. This is a small campground in a really pretty location right on the banks of the wild St Louis River. There are mature trees, lots of shade, electric hookups for thise who want them, and canoe access to the river ( there is a regular boat landing in town to the west, near where the Floodwood River flows into the St Louis). Although it is a pretty spot, and Floodwood is a nice tidy quaint little town to be in, I have a couple of concerns: the check-in is completely self-check-in, with no apparent monitoring or security in the campground, and the bathrooms and showerhouse looked like they needed a bit of cleaning. If you were wanting to stay here, you might actually want to use the really nice restrooms at the Floodwood tourist rest stop in the old historic depot a few blocks away. This would be a good place to stay if you wanted to make day trip paddles on the St Louis or Floodwood Rivers. There are a few nice restaurants nearby, including the Savannah Portage Inn. There are stores for supplies nearby too.
Legend
Trout Lake is a small campground less than 10 minutes from Grand Rapids. We came here because we wanted to see Grand Rapids and liked that this campground was right on a lake that we could fish. The park is mostly occupied by seasonal campers who take advantage of the amazing fishing in the lake, but, there are some sites for transient RVers and tent campers. The park recently came under new management and they are working hard to improve the campground. When we were there the park was pretty full and because of our RV length they offered to let us park down near the pavilion. The site was great because it had a nice view of the lake with 30amp electric and water hook-up (there is a pump out service which costs $5/40 gallons) and we loved the privacy as the main part of the campground was a little too cramped for our taste. Unfortunately, the day after we arrived a woman with six kids drove up and set up her tent about 15 yards away from where we were camped. We complained to management because there were numerous other places they could have camped that were even more ideal than right in front of us. Finally, they moved but only another 15 or so yards. This campground actually has some really nice tent sites set right on the lake in some trees but apparently this woman wanted to be right near the pavilion. For us, it meant kids running through our campsite all day and night which kind of ruined our experience.
The campground has a swim beach which is a big attraction for kids. You can also launch a kayak or canoe there or use the concrete public boat launch right next to the campground. We spent many hours paddling the lake and had great luck catching bass and walleye. Apparently, the lake is well-known for its fishing in the area. The park was $35/night which seems a little high for what you get especially since a weekly rate is listed at $150-200. We did like that everything was on the honor system – self pay, firewood, t-shirts, etc.
LegendThe Pokegama Dam & Recreation Area is a small but comfortable campground just minutes from Grand Rapids, Minnesota. There are 19 extra large campsites that can accommodate a large RV, boat & trailer, and vehIcle wIth room to spare, and also two gorgeous campsItes rIght along the bank of the MIssIssIppI RIver. We had a girls getaway camping trip here during the Tall Timber Days Festival so the campground was at full capacity.
There are so many activities to do while staying at the campground!! We toured the dam area that offers a great history lesson about the dam, we spent time in the boat fishing on Lake Pokegama, there are gorgeous and well maintained trails to hike (bring bug spray!!) and a great breeze coming off the dam/river to sit and enjoy the spectacular view of mighty pines and oak trees. The only drawbacks for us(hence the 4 star rating) are that you are just feet off the 4 lane highway, so there is a lot of traffic noise, and the cost per nIght Is $26.00.
All campsites (save the 2 tent areas) offer 30 amp electric service, and there is a roomy area for dump/fresh water/drinking water fill. There’s a great playground for kids, and a big picnic shelter that’s reservable. The bathrooms were very clean, and they have 1 shower stall in both the men’s and women’s bathroom. Plus they have 1 family/handicap accessible bathroom. The fish cleaning shack is clean, and has a beautiful flower garden surrounding it:)
Next time we visit we will bring our kayaks to paddle down the Mississippi. To make a reservatIon (up to 6 months In advance) by goIng onlIne to www.recreatIon.gov or callIng 1-877-444-6777. Check out is at Noon. And while you’re in Grand Rapids, we recommend taking the tour of the Forest History Center-great for adults and kids!!
Legend
This is primarily a cabin resort, however camping is also offered for both RV's and tenters. Camping rates are a little hard to find on the website, so check them at this link:https://www.thepinesresort.com/camping/camping-rates
There is a nice swimming area and dock on the lake, a camp store, boat rentals, laundry facilities, etc. I think staying in the cabins might be a nicer experience for a long term stay, as the campsites are rather open and close together, but the lake access and amenities are favorable for a short stay.
For through paddlers on the Mississippi Headwaters Water Trail, this is the most convenient campsite above the Winnie Dam. The tent sites are only $25 per night, you have more amenities than at the COE or Forest campgrounds on the other side of the dam, and your portage around the dam from the campground to the boat launch below is super easy if you have a canoe or kayak cart--just pull out at the resort boat launch dock, cart your craft a short walk on the paved road across the dam, and put in at the COE boat launch below the dam.Much preferable to scaling the dam on the steep rocky portage that is on the east side of the dam, plus you have a decent and reasonably priced place to camp the night before. So for that type of camping, this spot is ideal!
TravelerThe website for this RV park is broken
Legend
Our family just returned from a 9 day stay at Leech Lake Receeation Area, and wish we could have stayed 9 more!! The Campground is located in north central Minnesota (Federal Dam) about 30 minutes southeast of Bemidji or a 3 & 1/2 hour drive from Minnneapolis/St. Paul, MN area, and is run by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Volunteers. The park is located in the Leech Lake Reservation and Chippewa National Forest.
The park has 77 sites available that you can make reservations online at: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/leech-lake-rec-area/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73246
**Note: We reserved our spot 6 months in advance as they book up super fast in the short Minnesota summer months.
There are 73 sites with electric hook ups (5 are full hook ups) or if you want to tent in a private setting, they have 4 primitive walk to sites. Each site has a large picnic table and fire ring with adjustable grill.
When you check in they give you a code that allows you access to the comfort building (flush toilets, showers, and laundry facilities) We took advantage of the boat mooring area (just a few steps down from the campground) that includes a plug in area to recharge our boat batteries, and we really appreciated the fish cleaning station building!! (Super clean!!!)**See pics of the awesome fish we caught-Note all Walleye in the 20-26 inch slot size must be released.
We spent the majority of the time enjoying Leech Lake, but we also spent time hiking the trails (Check out the 400 year old Cedar Tree!!), we played horseshoes, and shuffle board (a new game to us!!), and relaxing by the campfire. **NOTE Only certified & approved firewood can be used in the park. There is a general store just outside the park that sells it for $20.00 a wheelbarrow full.
We would give this campground 6 stars if we could, and know you would too!! Enjoy the pics!!
Traveler
Quiet little place, far enough away from too many things to make you feel like you're in town but anything you need is a hop skip and jump away. Paved walking and biking trails and hundreds of miles of ATV trails connected right to the rv park. Would recommend
ScoutFirst off, and most appealing to me is the fact that there is no cell service. All 12 campsites are first come first serve and you can’t jump a line by going on a website to reserve a spot.  there are no water or electric hook ups but there are hand pumps for pumping water and you could bring a generator or not.
Located north of Grand Rapids Minnesota about 60 miles or 35 miles from Nashwauk Minnesota which is the closest gas station, grocery store or post office. All the sites are back in no pull through sites, generally level however there’s a few that are on an angle
GuideThis is a relatively new (2016?) campground built right next to the Minnesota National Golf Course clubhouse, and in the corner surrounded by Savannah holes 8 and 9. It’s literally inside the golf course.
Gravel pads, some a bit out of level. All 50 amp water and sewer. Some great options in here for group camping as there are several loops you could be placed in the have sites near one another.
Our site (33) was tucked way back in the woods, had a nice bit of privacy.
No bath house.
The golf course is amazing - one of the nicer public courses in the state. I can see a lot of folks choosing this RV park as a golf vacation - we were here because we were spending two weeks with family on Big Sandy Lake, just ten minutes away.
Don’t miss breakfast at the Palisade Cafe and dinner/beers at the Craft House - both are legit culinary experiences, not Sysco reheaters.
With 50+ sites, park was full for the three days around July 4, but was under 50% the rest of the time. An under appreciated gem.
Legend
We went on a busy weekend, but the campground itself was in good shape and had several options for individuals who want to tent camp or RV camp. This is the best campground in the area in my opinion as it offers a lot. The hosts were great and very welcoming. The electric sites are not on the water which is fine. Sites are big and offer some privacy. The sites on the water are a little smaller, but that is the price you pay to have the ability to doc your boat at your site. Mostly RVs in the campground but you can easily tent camp and get some peace. It is a popular destination bc of its proximity to other lakes.
LegendOur RV GPs took us to the golf course, but we called the info phone number, which was the golf course clubhouse, to find out exactly how to get to the campground(CG) area. We were told to take the main road into the clubhouse, and right at the clubhouse, there’s a road to the right with a sign that shows the CG and where the sites are situated. We went in that way, where our other travel partner went past the golf course entrance(on the left side of the road) and took the unmarked RV park entrance less than a 1/4 mile past on the left. Either way works fine. We had registered online so we could go straight to the CG and to site 25 with FHUs. We had no issues backing our 40’ Brinkley TH into the site and still had room to put our patio down and park our F-450. The only problem with site 25 is that the entrance to site 24 comes in at a weird angle right next to the entrance of site 25. If our truck was centered on site 25, someone coming into site 24 might clip our truck. The utilities are in the far back of the site. I needed about 20’ of sewer, electric, and water hose to reach my rig. We got our Starlink maneuvered around the trees to get a good north shot of the sky. The loop we were in had quite a few trees along with the first loop as you come into the CG from the clubhouse area. The 44-50 loop more towards the golf course had fewer trees to block satellite. We got 3 bars LTE on Verizon, and there was no CG WiFi. The water pressure is very good at 60+ psi, so suggest a reducer. The sites were gravel with a picnic table and a nice fire pit. There were three 5th wheels in our group, and we parked in adjacent sites and did not need to use levelers; all the sites here are FHUs, and the CG does not have a dump station. There was one outhouse in the CG, along with a dumpster. The clubhouse has a locker room and shower, but there is no CG information or rules we saw at the clubhouse about the CG or whether you can use the showers, and we did not ask. The workers at the pro shop could answer simple questions about the CG. There is no playground or lake to fish, just golf. We had no issues, so did not need any more info or help. Occasionally, a worker drove a golf cart around checking campsites, and when we stayed, there was no CG host. The registration email stated that they charge 10 dollars a day for each dog. During our 7-night stay, along with the four seasonal campers, only one other camper came in for 2 days. The 27-hole golf course was in good shape and fun to play. McGregor is about 15 minutes away and has grocery, gas, hardware store, and restaurants. We plan to come back to this CG sometime in the future.
GuideSmall campground, large sites with electric, tables and fire grills. Nice restrooms!
We used our Senior National Park pass for 1/2 of $26. Sweet deal!!
You can walk over the dam to a short walking path along the river.
Lots of choices to eat, drink and be merry in Grand Rapids!
Forestry History Center was great! History of logging in the area and we saw a draft horse pulling logs for demonstration.
Guide
Better for Rvs but a few sites that are good for tent camping. Very clean facilities, super helpful & friendly staff. Swimming beach was small but the water was the perfect temperature. Really cool walking path around the fishing docks. Ventured into town (bigfork) so cute. Ate at both the pizza parlor and parks & rec. Got a giant ice cream at the local gas station.
LegendThere are countless outdoor adventures that await you at the Leech Lake Rec Area in Northern Minnesota. From fishing for plentiful Walleyes, Northern Pike, Perch, and Bass, to biking on the trails, or spending a day at the playground, this park offers adventures for all ages!!
Campground Review
This was the second year our family spent 9 days at the Leech Lake Rec Area. https://www.recreation.gov/camping/leech-lake-rec-area/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73246\. We were very happy that we picked a site change to #11 this year as this spot offered plenty of tall pine trees that offered wonderful shade, and gave us a great opportunity to test out our Grand Trunk Hang Anywhere Single Hammock!! Again the park was at full capacity when we arrived, so make sure you make your reservations plenty early. (We made our reservations 6 months in advance.) The campground volunteers have done an amazing job with keeping the area full of fun activities for the whole family, and I can't stress how CLEAN the bathrooms are:) This park offers 68 sites with electric hook ups, 5 full hook up sites, and 4 primitive walk to tent sites, and 2 sites being Handicap Accessible within 3 different loops. Each loop has a bathroom with Mens/Womens sides, and the main loop offers a Fish cleaning building, Laundry facilities, and a Shower/Restroom building seperated for Men/Women. There are garbage and recycling cans every 3rd to 4th site. And they have specific check in times, but let you set up and come back later to check in if you arrive earlier or later.
The sites are comfortable with plenty of room for a bigger RV, screen tent, boat trailer, and vehicle with plenty of room to spare. We spent the bulk of our time out on Leech Lake having luck catching some really nice Walleyes!! You have to navigate a channel to reach the lake, but it is easy to find your way. We brought our kayaks last summer and had a blast exploring all the nooks and crannies in the channel. The sound of the Loons calling at night are so beautiful to listen to while enjoying a campfire at the site. (Note only approved firewood is allowed at the park, and can be purchased from the general store for $20.00 for a wheelbarrow.)
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. Last year I won the June West North Central Review contest and won a gift certificate for Grand Trunk https://www.grandtrunk.com/. I was able to purchase 2 items the Parasheet Beach Blanket (reviewed at Fisherman's Point Campground) and the Single Parachute Nylon Hammock. On this trip, I tested the Hang Anywhere Single Parachute Nylon Hammock https://www.grandtrunk.com/products/single-parachute-nylon-hammock?variant=17340207875\. The website at Grand Trunk is so easy to navigate, and their customer service department is top notch in knowledge and support!!
Let me start by saying our family has never owned or used a hammock, ever. I was suprised how small of a item this is when packed in its attached carrying bag. I ordered the hammock in Royal/Kahki, and the colors are gorgeous!! The hammock comes with everything you need to hang it up with instructions that are very simple and easy to follow. The hammock comes with a starter rope kit (Two 5 foot long 5mm rope thickness cords) that you wrap around the tree and knot to the attached carabiners. Even with being a newbie to hammocks, my husband Rich had the hammock hanging up within 5 minutes flat.
I can not put in words how extremely comfortable a person is while hanging out in this hammock!! It makes no difference your height or weight (up to 400lbs capacity for this single) the parachute fabric wraps around your body and has you melting all your cares away. Our rescue pup, Max even loved taking an afternoon snooze (and photo opportunity) with me!! The little storage pouch was super handy for holding my water bottle and phone, and it was super easy to pack the hammock back up in it when we were heading home from our vacation. The super light 20 oz. weight would make it a breeze to carry while backpacking too.
Overall, I have fallen in love with our Grand Truck Single Parachute Nylon Hammock. We have plans on ordering the Double Hammock and Hangout Hammock Stand for our backyard. (Who doesn't need a little hanging therapy after mowing the lawn?!?) The amazing color choice they have are going to make it hard on which one to pick, but my vote is going to Crimson/Charcoal. Grand Trunk offers a lifetime warranty on their hammocks, and that really adds to your peace of mind. I always do my best to review product transparently, and can not find one thing I would change with this product. You will be extremely happy and comfortable swinging your cares away in a Grand Trunk Hammock!!
GuideSmall 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.
ScoutThis is a nice campground. With a playground and indoor "facilities", it's ideal for the faint-of-heart campers. Great for a day trip, but I don't know how long I'd like to stay considering how close it is to highway 2 and Grand Rapids.
GuideI 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!
Legend
We planned a huge family camping trip this year and the lovely Chippewa Loop campground in the Chippewa National Forest was the camp ground that we had the honor of staying at! We had three sites, 79, 80, and 81 with 17 people total. 9 Adults and 8 kids ranging from ages 7 to 1. The campground is right outside Cass Lake Minnesota that had a nice grocery store, a pretty weird liquor store, a family dollar, and a fishing pier if you didn’t have a boat. It was about a half an hour outside of Bemidji, Mn that has a lot of history from Minnesota and a great fireworks display over the lake on the Fourth of July. The City of Bemidji has a lot a little boutique shops if you are into shopping while on camping trips. It also had a cute little ice cream store that we took all the kids to across from the Paul Bunyan and Babe the blue ox statue and a nice park for the kids to play at right off of Lake Bemidji. If you’re into craft breweries Bemidji also has a brewery called Bemidji Brewing right in town. There’s also a Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and a dollar tree amongst other stores if you have that “I forgot list”.
Site number 80 was the best to put up a travel trailer, but it was also extremely close to site number 82 and practically joined site number 82. We ended up putting our Jayco Eagle 30 foot travel trailer in site number 81 because with everyone else tent camping and we were the only one with a travel trailer, we felt this site was the best to park our travel trailer in because it was the least level site and only had one small pad for a tent. Site number 79 and 81 were joined together by a path that made it easy for us to all eat in one site. We all pretty much congregated in site number 81. We put most of our tents, three to be exact, in site number 80 because it was the most level and open for tents. The site was capable of having two large cabin tents and a small 4 person tent comfortably. Site had a lot of good pine trees for hanging Hammocks but, like I said before, it was almost right on top of site number 82 so we decided to only put up the 3 tents and congregate across the road in site number 81 as to not disturb the other site occupants. It was pretty frustrating that that was the most level site because it was also the best one to park a travel trailer in and have an awning out and a picnic table but we couldn’t do it because we didnt want to disturb the other site with 17 people.
Site number 79 had a good drive pad but the tent pad was extremely un-level. we put up a single pole tipi in that site because the people in that site had cots and didn’t mind sleeping on an incline. When I say incline, I mean incline, the tent pad was not level at all which is kind of frustrating. Site number 79 was the least friendly for hammocks so we hung all her hammocks in site number 81.
Site number 81 is where we decided to put up the trailer but the trailer pad was super un- level. We ended up making a Walmart run to get two more packs of leveling blocks and we use three packs of leveling blocks to make it level with room to have our awning and out. Right behind the travel trailer was a sloped hill that went down to the fire pit and a tent pad that was also on a slight incline which we were up by eight person tent there but that person had a raised air mattress and didn’t mind sleeping on an incline. Attached to site number 81 was also the path to the showers that was right down the hill. It worked out great because the showers and the bathrooms were so close to our site but we felt like the trees were blocking everything from our site.
We took a lot of bike rides and got to see a lot of the other sites and they had a lot of good tent sites in some of the other loops and it seems like all of the electric sites were not as great as the tent sites. All of the electric sites seem to be un-level and not a great place to pitch a tent as well as having the camper.
The park itself was very beautiful had a lot of nature things like milk weed and monarch butterfly’s everywhere and a beautiful swimming beach that was about waist high (4 feet deep) for about 300 to 400 yards out from shore. The beach was great for swimming and kayaking and you could dock a boat on the sandy beach and eat lunch if you wanted to. We ended up catching 40 crawfish and doing a crawfish boil, which the kids absolutely loved. The picnic shelter was pretty awesome too, very shaded and on a rougher part of the beach. There was a really long bike path that went through all of the loops and the main road was super bike friendly as well.
In the visitor center there was a really cool area for the kids to go to play if it was too hot or rainy, or if you just wanted to be indoors for a little bit. They had a bike decorating event and we brought all the kids bikes and decorated them. There was a little gift shop and they also gave out free stickers which we ended putting on our camper as we do at every park we get a sticker from.
Each camp ground loop also had a campground host that sold firewood, three bundles for $10. The firewood was pretty bad and some of it was wet and it burned really really fast. But like every park in Minnesota you can’t bring your own firewood unless it’s kiln dried lumber or something like that within a certain number of miles of the place you are camping.
A few downsides to this park where there’s no official places to fill water up for your camper and no official place to dump your black and grey water tanks from your camper. You end up having to go to another park and pay to dump your camper. This could be a problem if you are staying for an extended time and use a lot of water. There also wasn’t a whole lot to do aside from biking and hiking and swimming like there was a leech lake recreation area we were at a few days prior to this trip. The restrooms and showers were pretty unkempt and dirty. Everyone but me and my sister had cold showers every time they went to take a shower.
All in all the park is very beautiful and I had some very good attributes like friendly staff, clean campsites and secluded campsites where you didn’t feel like you are right on top of the other site aside from site 80 and 82. It seemed like there were three or 4 sites together in groups and then a little ways away there were a few more clumped together.
I don’t know if we would actually come back to this park because the sites weren’t as big as they seemed in the pictures online and we felt cramped most of the time. There wasn’t a good space in the sites to put up games like corn hole or ladder ball which made it a bit boring at times to just stay at camp. We spent a lot of time at the beach.
GuideBring bug spray! LL rec area is a large campground best suited for fishing trips. I missed that there is no swimming available and my kids weren’t happy with me. This is on a river and is not suitable for swimming. There is a nice large play area for the kids and the roads around the campground are good for biking. We rained out one day so drove to Grand Rapids for a movie and stopped at Tioga Beach in Cohasset(well worth the trip) on the way back. This is very well maintained but there is very little to do outside of the campground without traveling 45 minutes in either direction.
Bring certified wood along as you don’t want to buy it from the local outfitter/guide service (trust me).
Guide
About a 25 minute drive west of Grand Rapids, MN, Schoolcraft State Park is a less-often visited park that makes up for its lack of hiking trails and in-park amenities with cozy, quiet charm.
The park does not have a visitor center, but it does have a small shelter near the entrance of the park which houses a box with maps and self-registration envelopes. It also has bundles of wood for $6.
We are visiting during Labor Day weekend and there are still sites available. I think next time we visit this park we will skip the $7 online registration fee and just take whatever site is available because this campground just doesn’t fill up.
There is one hiking loop around the entirety of the park that very easy, but it is a beautiful walk through peaceful red pine forest.
The campsites are semi-wooded and private with fire pits equipped with grates and picnic tables.
Overall, the park is quiet and peaceful. Just right for a camper who likes to relax at camp.
Legend
Our family has stayed at the Onegumme Campground twice last year, and we have reservations set to go again this July!! The sites are super spacious that fit our 28 foot camper, boat & trailer, and 2 vehicles with room to spare!! There are nice wooded areas between each campsite so it feels very private as well. We spent many hours on the lake, and also walking the many hiking trails. Our campsite also came with electric hook up. Our campground hosts were very friendly, and available at all times. This campground is highly recommended!!!
Legend
Popular backcountry sites in the Marcell area of the Chippewa National Forest include Spider Lake, the birch forest of the Suomi Hills and Trout Lake.
Both my boyfriend and myself grew up visiting the Grand Rapids area so it’s an old favorite. We’ve dispersed camp in a few different spots in the Marcell area and particularity like the Suomi Hills campsites. Some are only a short walk from the (usually small) parking area, some are a mile or two backpack-in and others are only accessed by canoe or kayak. They vary in degree of how “primitive” they are - some have only a rock fire pit while others have a metal fire pit, picnic table and pit toilet. I think some are quite luxurious for being a FREE dispersed campsite. Not only that but they are well traveled and taken care of. It’s nice to see people adhering to LNT principles.
These campsites can be popular so you may need a backup plan or two to keep moving on until you find a vacant spot. Many are located on a lake and you have that entire lake to yourself. There are also hiking trails so you will find plenty to do to keep busy.
If you are looking for complete privacy, great fishing and some amenities, the Marcell area of the Chippewa National Forest is your destination.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/chippewa/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=26780&actid=34
Explore the beauty of RV camping near Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where stunning lakes and lush forests create the perfect backdrop for your outdoor adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Grand Rapids, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Grand Rapids, MN is Trout Lake RV Park and Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
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