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Best Tent Camping near Knife River, MN

706 Reviews

State parks and national forests surrounding Knife River, Minnesota offer diverse tent camping options along Lake Superior's North Shore. George H. Crosby Manitou State Park features 22 hike-in backpacking sites situated along the Manitou River and Benson Lake, with trails ranging from 0.5 to 4 miles from parking areas. Tettegouche State Park provides both walk-in and cart-in tent sites, including the Bean and Bear Lakes hike-in area and Lake Superior Cart-in Campground with sites overlooking the lake. Thompson Beach Kayak Site offers boat-in and walk-in tent camping for those seeking more remote experiences.

Most tent campsites in the region require preparation for primitive conditions. The terrain at Crosby Manitou features challenging trails with exposed roots, rocks, and significant elevation changes, making it unsuitable for inexperienced hikers or families with small children. Sites typically include fire rings with grates, but amenities vary widely. Some lakeside sites at Tettegouche provide bear boxes, while river sites often require campers to hang food. Vault toilets are available near most sites, though sometimes a short walk away. Water must be carried in or filtered from lakes and streams. Cell service is virtually non-existent within most parks, with reception only available at park entrances or on main roads.

Tent campers seeking solitude will find the backcountry tent camping experience rewarding despite the challenges. According to reviews, "Site 13 sits on a ridge about 15 feet above a curve in the river and is completely secluded, with the breeze off the river keeping bugs at bay." At Tettegouche's cart-in sites, one visitor noted, "Sites were fully hidden from each other, spacious, and comfortable." The walk-in tent sites at Bean and Bear Lakes are described as "very spacious and private, located on a bluff on the edge of Lake Superior." Summer brings mosquitoes, particularly in wooded areas, while sites near water often offer natural bug relief. Many campers recommend bringing water filters, as accessing water sources can require steep climbs at some locations.

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Best Tent Sites Near Knife River, Minnesota (24)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Knife River, MN

28 Photos of 24 Knife River Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Knife River, MN

706 Reviews of 24 Knife River Campgrounds

  • J
    Sep. 9, 2019

    Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Campground

    Backpacking Site 2

    Spent a couple of nights here recently and really enjoyed the solitude. Trails are all marked and the proximity to the lighthouse was nice. Weather was cool and varied between clear and partly cloudy with a light rain for about an hour one morning. Site is on a relatively open, low bluff that overlooks Lake Superior to the South and has fire ring with grill grate, half a picnic table, a locker for food / gear, latrine and tent area padded with wood chips. Trees on site were perfect for my hammock. Waves crashing below site were calming and put me to sleep both nights - was much like beach camping in my home state of California! I did not hike the surrounding trails much as this was more of a short reconnaissance trip for future visits. If you plan on swimming be sure to bring water shoes! Pebbles/rocks are tough on bare feet.

    While there I also took the opportunity to scout backpack site 1. This site has same amenities though it is more sheltered by trees. There is a short path that leads down to the water’s edge and a little swimming cove that could be cool for shallow rock diving. Large, flat granite formations for sunning yourself as well. Either site is awesome and Split Rock I’ll definitely be back!

  • Tori K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 28, 2025

    Jay Cooke State Park Campground

    Lost Lake Backpack Site

    such a fun backpack site! The hike in was muddy and buggy as there was quite a bit of rain in the weeks prior to our camping trip. Picnic table, fire ring, and bear locker provided. Site offers great vies of a little beaver pond where you may get to see some wildlife! Site was able to fit 4 backpacking tents, most of which were 2 person size tents, so it is good for a small group. Private latrine a short walk into the woods.

  • Cassie D.
    Nov. 12, 2020

    Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Campground

    Beautiful park, well-maintained campsites

    My friend and I went camping here from October 19th-21st (which happened to be during an unseasonable cold snap- I'm talking 20 degrees at night with a bit of snow, but that's neither here nor there). The first night we lucked out and though it was cold, there was virtually no wind.

    We chose one of the campsites nearest to the parking lot since we had a lot of cold weather gear to lug and my friend was new to camping. Even though it was close to the lot and there weren't really leaves on the trees anymore to offer privacy, the park was quiet and we only heard people when they would walk directly past our campsite.

    The proximity to Lake Superior and the view was absolutely gorgeous. We gasped when we got to the site because it was so beautiful! In combination with how quiet it was, it really made for a worthwhile stay.

    The tent pad was flat and covered with woodchips. Tent pad was elevated, with a wooden bench built in. The site was cart-in, which made loading in and out a breeze. Going uphill to the parking lot was a bit of a pain, but it was a short enough distance that it was just fine. There was a sizeable metal bear box for food. The vault toilet was a short jaunt up the hill and had plenty of toilet paper in stock.

    Because it was off-season, the campground building with flush toilets/showers was closed, and there was no running water for the campground. (During the regular season, water is close by at the parking lot.) There was water available on the side of the Trail Center Picnic Shelter.

    I am looking forward to returning to camp here in a bit warmer weather!

  • Jennifer H.
    Nov. 30, 2017

    Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Campground

    Site 2 @ Split Rock in November

    The reservations were made online with ease. We were booked for November 5th of 2017. Parking lot was convenient, but the restrooms were closed. We did have a mouse in the car when we returned eating a bag of popcorn I had left. There were an adequate amount of carts for the cart in sites. The trails are groomed regularly. There were latrines houses along the way. The backpack in hike in to site 2 is all of 1.25 miles I believe. There is a stairway leading down to the beach that is in great condition. Campsite 2 is a large site on the most south side of the property. It is on a hill above the water. There are a few trees at the edge of your hill cliff area for a bit of a wind break, but not much. The view is amazing. Down the hill to the very rock water front you have access to an abundance of clean water. The waves can come crashing in on you. In most of the seasons this is very doable. When the rocks begin to freeze in November you will slip into the cold water. There is not an easy way to go about it. A pole attachment for your water bucket could work. There is a bear box, but I would warn you of the mice. The latrine is guarded on three sides and has a well build pedestal. There is a pad for your tent and trees for your hammock. There is no hiding from the wind in this large clearing of a campsite. There is a half wood bench with table top. This is very convenient. The fire pit has a metal grate to swing over the top with a few large logs for seating. The hike is easy and the view is amazing. It is mostly tall grass around you, but there is plenty of firewood in the surrounding area.

  • Kim K.
    Oct. 3, 2021

    Herbster Campground

    Amazing location

    We tried it on the way to the UP of Michigan and came back the same route for two more nights. If you are a water lover, you’ll love the easy access to the water and walkable beach. 12 Reservable campsites online. Tent camping and electrical camping on water, and dry camping in the back woods first come first serve. Camp hosts are nice. Picnic table and fire ring included. Wood bundles $5 for a lot of wood. Laundry, separate bathrooms from shower trailer. Faucets in shower were odd. Definitely would stay again.

  • E
    Jul. 4, 2018

    Pattison State Park Campground

    Beautiful, quiet

    A great campground! There is a beach, playground, as well as drive-in and hike-in sites. The waterfalls are very cool, and they have nice signage and pamphlets to learn more about them. I recommend taking the time to read about the geology. I haven't stayed in a car camping sites, but we thought they looked very nice.

    The hike-in sites are great, not too far to walk but you have privacy. One thing to note about the hike-in sites is that the trails aren't well marked. Once you're on the trail for a while, they start having regular signage, but the start of the trails themselves aren't marked. You park in an area behind the car camping sites, next to what I assume is a storage building or old house. There are two starts to the trail, the one I found best is down the service road maybe a couple hundred yards. There's also one on the other side of the lot, but it winds a bit, forks into another trail, and all in all seems a little more confusing. I'd recommend just talking to the campground host when you get there, they can explain everything. The walk is short enough (a mile and a half) that we hiked out and back a couple times when camping, either to access the beach or to fill up water. Another important note is that while it's in an area where hanging a bear bag is recommended, the woods aren't thinned enough to where there are strong branches low enough for a bag. It took quite a lot of looking to find a suitable spot for our bag. There's a fire ring and picnic table at each site, which was nice. The bathrooms outhouses, which was a nice surprise, as I was expecting an unenclosed vault toilet.

    There's a separate trail to the beach from the sites as well, but I went back the main way anyway. The beach isn't anything special, but is nice enough. There's a nice, small playground near the beach as well.

  • Jennifer H.
    Sep. 21, 2020

    Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Campground

    Winter Camping!

    I’ve stayed at Site 1 twice in the winter. We did manage to hike in on a blizzard night in November of 2019, but the park office made sure we were ok. The park office has limited hours so be prepared with firewood ahead of time. They do not plow the campground parking lot in the winter, but they do plow down to the pebble beach lot. You can snowshoe, hike, or toboggan in. The back trail off Of pebble beach parking is groomed and has views of the light house and nature center. There is a dumpster and a bathroom that is open. There is another bathroom off of the campground parking lot that I was able to use, but you will need to have snow shoes. Camping at site 1 in the winter is amazing. Perfect views of the lake and lighthouse. The site is protected from the lake by a large hill that has a bench at the top. The site has a picnic table, bear box, and grate. During the summer, the site would have a lot of noise from the parking lot and hiking traffic. In the winter, there are a lot of photographers. There are coyotes in the winter.

  • Jeremy B.
    Sep. 19, 2020

    George H. Crosby Manitou State Park Campground

    Rugged, Beautiful, Challenging

    The trails of this park are either a hikers dream or nightmare. Exposed roots, large rocks, and elevation changes are common. Good potential for a twisted ankle. I would not advise bringing small children or inexperienced hikers as they will likely not have a very good time. Although there is the Bensen Lake trail that is a wooden boardwalk that rings Bensen Lake. This trail connects to the picnic grounds that is a great place for a day outing. You can drive almost right up to it and there is a vault toilet. The lake itself is fairly small. I don't know if it is worth the trouble of bringing a canoe or kayak unless you plan on taking some trout out of the lake.

    9/14/2020 - 9/16/2020
    I camped in site 19 which is only .5 miles from the parking lot. Flat road and wooden boardwalk sounds good until you get to the trail that leads from the boardwalk up a hill to the campsite. According to my GPS this is 138 feet of elevation. And remember what I said about the large rocks and exposed roots? This trail doesn't disappoint. Let's put it this way, you will not feel guilty for playing hooky from the gym during your stay here. This site is also not level. It has a pitch of about 5 degrees which doesn't sound like much until you attempt to balance your cookpot on your backpacking stove. There also isn't a bear box which I am told the other campsites do have. My guess is that nobody wanted to carry one up that hill.  You do get a field latrine and decent view of the sky. There is a rocky outcrop in the middle of the site that is a perfect platform to lay down on and stargaze. There is a couple of bushcraft style benches and a stool near the fire ring. Good luck finding dry deadfall for firewood around the campsite. If you want a fire you are going to have to bring your own up the hill. 

    I decided to take a look at the neighboring campsite 18 thinking that this must be a cakewalk compared to 19.  It wasn't on a hill but the trail resembled something like what Indiana Jones had to contend with getting into the Temple of Doom. I didn't even get all the way to it. Although I didn't come across any signs that said, "I'd Turn Back If I were You" - I turned back partially because I already had a long hike planned for that morning, and this isn't the trail I wanted to have to run down while being chased by a huge boulder. 

    All this toil has its payoff though. There are some great views. The cascades on the Manitou river, the overlooks, and the Matt Willis trial that looks like you are going to see Robin Hood come walking down the trial at any time. This trail seems like it hasn't been touched by humans in a while. There were lots of trees fallen over the trail and there are parts where it is difficult to tell where the trail goes. 
    Would I come back to this park? Absolutely. Will I reserve campsite 19 again? I think I will pass on that, and site 18 for that matter - wherever it is.

    Note - there is no cell service in the park, You do get it when you get out to the park entrance on county road 7. There is a hand pump for water near the entrance. Otherwise you will need to filter or boil the water you find in the park. The map shows springs that flow towards the Manitou river, although they are not marked as such.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 9, 2021

    Finland State Forest Campground

    Okay for overnight

    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.

Guide to Knife River

Tent camping near Knife River, Minnesota, offers a blend of stunning natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.

Some prices for tent camping range from free to $20

  • The Thompson Beach Kayak Site provides a free camping experience, ideal for those who want to enjoy the great outdoors without breaking the bank.
  • At Bean and Bear Lakes Hike-In, camping is also free, making it a great choice for budget-conscious adventurers seeking breathtaking views.
  • For a more structured experience, the Lake Superior Cart-in Campground offers reservable sites, typically around $20, with easy access to the stunning shoreline.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Enjoy kayaking or canoeing at the Thompson Beach Kayak Site, where the beautiful surroundings make for a perfect day on the water.
  • Hike the scenic trails leading to Bean and Bear Lakes, where the stunning vistas reward your efforts with breathtaking views.
  • Explore the rugged beauty of Tettegouche State Park from the Lake Superior Cart-in Campground, which serves as a great base for hiking and swimming.

Unique features of local campgrounds

  • The Thompson Beach Kayak Site allows pets, making it a welcoming spot for those who want to bring their furry friends along for the adventure.
  • At Bean and Bear Lakes, campers can enjoy campfires under the stars, enhancing the outdoor experience with warmth and ambiance.
  • The Lake Superior Cart-in Campground features bear lockers for food storage, ensuring a safe and enjoyable camping experience in bear country.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Knife River, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Knife River, MN is Thompson Beach Kayak Site with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Knife River, MN?

TheDyrt.com has all 24 tent camping locations near Knife River, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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