Best RV Parks & Resorts near Lutsen, MN

The aspect of this campground we liked the best was that we could walk to town. The campground itself is o.k. It was full when we were and definitely felt crowded. There are some tent sites up in a wooded secluded area but most of the park is geared to RVs. Or you can pitch pitching your tent amongst RVs. Tucked up in the woods is a small tent area that is nice and quiet but a little far from the bathrooms so be prepared to walk.

There are 300 campsites of with full hookups, some with electric and water hookups and others no hookups. Some site have great views of Lake Superior, some are sunny and open and others have some large trees. Our site (#104) was very close to our neighbors and the RV right behind us and we had a big tree right in our “patio” which was not conducive to sitting outside. We had a 50 amp full hook-up site which all worked well and well-placed in the site. The campground is county-run and a mix of seasonal people (lots of whom appeared to be there for the fishing) and transients like ourselves. One aspect of seasonal campers that I don’t like is how they junk up their site and this certainly had that. 

There are four bathhouses on the property some of which are pretty old and tired whereas others are larger and more updated. The bathroom near us was large but was heavily used (which is an understatement) as four tour-size busloads of college students exiting the boundary waters spent the night in tents near it. It was pretty trashed with that volume of people. Since the park is pretty large they have amenities like baseball fields, playground, group camping sections, a beach with picnic area, fish cleaning station, and nearby boat launch. 

A short walk to downtown and you have restaurants, shopping, grocery, fuel, pretty harbor, art galleries, bait shops, and more. One of the most highly touted places in Grand Marais is World’s Best Donuts. Even before we got to Grand Marais, people in other parts of Minnesota told us about it. The donuts were really good but beware their closing hour is when they sell out which is why we went really early. We also ate at The Crooked Spoon Cafe and had an amazing meal. Nearby Grand Marais are a scattering of state parks known for their waterfalls which are worth seeing. Many people come here because it is close to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness but since we just came from the town of Ely we did not go back to the boundary waters. We liked this area and kept busy for the three days we were there but couldn’t see staying long-term.

This is an interesting campground and marina. Right on Lake Superior with gorgeous views. About 1/3 to 1/2 of the sites are non reservable and the rest are difficult to reserve. Campers are an interesting mix of long-term “guests”, those who are passing through on their way up to or off of the Gunflint, and folks who are working at or taking classes from the Folk School. We were lucky to get a non-reservable site on the water with full hookups. Cold and windy, but we had a great time!

A rare find - clean, level, large RV sites with full hook ups on the North Shore not filled with residents in all the good sites. Strict rules such as no early check in and no late check out. Tents and rvs also allowed in a section next to the highway with electric only. NOTE: no onsite dump station - if you do not stay in a full hookups site you must drive into the town of Silver Bay to use the city dump facility, which may be too awful to use, depending on how many used it first. ATV trails connect to this campground, so it is very popular with them. No one starts before the 8am quiet time end, so we enjoyed watching the different types pass by. A new security code locked bathhouse is clean and nice. We stayed during the Memorial Day weekend, and were pleasantly surprised at the well behaved and polite people here. I recommend this campground as a nice place to explore the North Shore from.

When traveling long term with the destination of peace and serenity, places like this are necessary. Freedom, silence and a feeling of oneness with nature heighten your intuition and joy for life. Simplicity is key and the mind is free to relax towards thought of beauty and love. Stay here if you appreciate nature and all it’s sustainable power, it’s magic.

Beautiful location but not a lot of trees or privacy. Very nice Rv park

This is a small lot for RV parking on the way to the scenic overlook. There’s a dump station and hose for fresh water down the hill. We stayed the night and ended up meeting another van couple and ate dinner together. If you stay, definitely recommend doing the City/Lake view trail at the top of the hill to learn a little bit about Silver Bay! The video I added is of the trail at the top.

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.

Simple 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!

This is a campground that, unless you know it is there, you might just pass it by. It has been around since the late 1960s. While it has its populated moments, there are many days where one practically has the campground to her/himself. It is suitable for RVs and tenters. It has a boat access landing. The beach at the campground, in the last couple of years that we had visited was not very active. The water level at the beach is shallow.

One might say it is an upscale rustic. It has pit toilets and water spigots available. But the campsites are nicely laid out.

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.

Temperance River State Park campground has always been a favorite of ours! On a recent backpacking trip on the Superior Hiking Trail we utilized the campground and stayed in the upper campground site 10. Formally this would have been right across from the old bath house but they tore that down and are currently getting that area prepped for new camp spots. The campsite #10 is a lovely spot with ample space, a little grove of trees that have a moss carpet beneath them and space to hammock, tent or rv camp.

Temperance River has two really nice campgrounds, each with their own highlights. The Lower Campground sits on the lake and if you’re fast enough you can get lake view sites reserved. We were at camping with family that was RV camping so we chose two sites right next to each other. They were sites 57 and 58. The bathrooms were just vault toilets a little bit down the road so not super convenient as with the shower bathrooms at the Upper Campground but they worked fine for us. Our site did not have a view of the lake but was a fine size for our car and a large tent. A short 3 minute walk brought right to the lake and rocky beach where there were plenty of books and crannies to explore. The Temperance River also comes out in this beach so you can play around that as well. From our location at Temperance we easily explored and enjoyed hiking the Oberg Mtn Loop, trails like Honeymoon Bluff up the Gunflint and visiting other parks like Cascade River.

After an hour of back roads north of Grand Marais you'll come upon Esther Lake Campground. It's a primitive campsite located on Esther Lake (obvi) and maintained by the Judge C.R. Magney State Park in Grand Portage State Forest. There are 3 sites and all are first come first serve. Only one site is on the lake and it's really the only worth working to stay at as the other two are nothing special. They are spacious though and you can tent or rv camp in all the sites. There is a boat launch and dock as well as a vault toilet which is a bit of a bonus considering the remoteness. The lake is most definitely worth the drive. It's beautiful, pristine and your typical iconic northwoods lake with giant eastern white pine, rock outcrops and islands. In the campground there is a very short trail to a lovely rock outcrop that slides into the lake. Mealtimes here are a must if you don't get that lakefront site. The lake is clear and swimmable.

The Cascade River is a great river to hike from its upper falls area to the mouth at Lake Superior. 5 falls or cascades are all visible from the trails along the river. The campsites are close and most are not level and have only electric hookup. The road in is not big rig friendly with low branches and washboard gravel roads. The hiking trails are well worn so easy to hike safely.  This is a perfect camp for small trailer or tent camping as the sites are shaded. Bath houses are fine and water sources are good. There is a free dump and fill station for campers..a bonus!

A fire in 2007 hasn’t stopped this lake on the Gunflint Trail from its beauty, and it's thriving. The saplings are dense, but consider this when needing tie-outs for things.

Site 3 is reservable and on water. It is a steep climb down, but the ”lake access” launch is right next door for canoes. Carry down only. Dense saplings divide 3 and 4 as well as 3 from the launch. You cannot see through, but you can hear your neighbors.

Close and convenient drinking water, double pit toilets, and dumpster. The site has a fire pit with a grate and a picnic table. Site 3 has a long driveway for drive-up camping. Site 4 is a short driveway. Site 3 has a fair amount of room of even class 5 for RVs and trucks. It has wood bumpers before the picnic area. There is room on the class 5 for a tent pad, but there is another smaller space for an additional tent. The class 5 is excellent for staking down and draining water for rain. Bring something to hammer in stakes.

Lots of turtles laying eggs, foxes, dragonflies, fireflies, and beavers at work. It is still really full of pest bugs too.

The Trail Center is right down the road if you need anything. Groceries, fuel (double price), bar food, camp gear, and dehydrated meals.

Site 20 is the furthest from the parking lot, just under a mile with a decent hill on the way. Worth it for the privacy though. The stone steps prevent the cart from getting all the way into the main area. The site is on the top of a peninsula with steep drop down to Superior. The picture I included with the best view of the water is just about 30 feet along the ridge, on a private path separate from the actual trail. The site has two tent beds, one on a lower level. 

Site #11 was too close to the main hiking path, but did have a true lake view. 

Site #4 is very close to the showers and parking lot. It has a bench with a direct view of the lighthouse that is very nice. 

Overall you can't go wrong at Split Rock. Make sure to hike to Corundum Point, and take the extra little path off to the left for a 180 degree view of the lake.

Do you love camping and Grand Marais a whole lot? If so, then this is the campground for you. You are within easy strolling distance of downtown Grand Marais, and all of the glorious offerings. This is probably the only campground close to Hwy 61 that you do not get highway noise from, thanks to the reduced speed limit through Grand Marais.

There is a wide variety of sites available, and not all of them offer the same amenities. Their campground map does a good job reflecting which sites have electric/water, electric/water/sewer, or nothing beyond the site itself. The campground is overwhelmingly dominated by rvs and trailers(some of which look pretty permanently settled there).

There are a lot of amenities on the propert. You have a picnic shelter, ball field, play ground, clothes lines, a bathhouse AND a community garden. Oh, and you also have Lake Superior RIGHT THERE. This campground is a little more cramped than I would like, but you can’t argue against the premium location for both lake-viewing and access to town.

This was our last trip in the fall of 2020. It was a bit chilly and perfect hiking weather. We spent most of our time hiking and made it up to the peak of lookout mountain. It was worth the view. The campground itself is well maintained, has a dump station, and was easy enough to get in and out of. I do recall we struggled a bit leveling our motorhome. We did leave a day early due to snow in the forecast. It was the right decision as it did end up snowing 4 inches overnight.

Excellent litle primitive campground. First come, no reservations, cash or cheque for payment only. Every spot for camping had a very sound fire ring and flat area for tents. No electric hookups. Drinking water available at a central tap. Outhouse style toilets. Very quiet, pretty. Spots by the river are the nicest, but each one is nice. Bring your own firewood, which can be bought locally.

If you’re looking for a good campsite last minute or are you really really really like the North Shore I want to be right on Lake superior this is a good campground for you. This campground is located in Grand Marais Minnesota right inside the city on the harbor. The RV sites with electric are pretty dang close together which is not my style camping but for most people at RVs they don’t mind that. The tent sites were sent away from the RV sites and we’re pretty secluded from each other which I really really really like.

A lot of people choose this park to park their RV for the summer and pay the summer fee for it. You can also get a daily rate which is not that bad. Check out the picture for info on the rates.

There’s a boat launch into Lake superior in the Grand Marais harbor right inside the city park which is amazing if you’re on a boat and want to go fish or just swim.

All in all this is a great park for families. They also have group camps if you’re interested in that but they were pretty centralized in the the park and were not secluded to anybody.

Inside the city limits you can grab yourself a worlds best donut And for an amazing cup of coffee check out Java Moose For dinner you could do a sit down at The Angry Trout right on the harbor and follow it up with a Voyager Brewing Company beer with amazing views of the sunset.

This is a primitive campground off of the beaten path. Six campsites along the River give great access to some very nice brook trout water. Clean bathrooms and a portable water pump on site. Room for medium size RV’s, but no hook-ups.

Fantastic state park on Lake Superior! Best bath house ever! Great little  camp store and informed staff. Sites are large and most in the upper ground are private. We stayed in 4 sites over 2 weeks. Most have only electric hook up...no water or sewer. The roads are paved so no dust!  Easy access to lake via trails. Great hiking al miles and river. Lower campground has access to a more friendly beach area for swimming. We loved our stay here and some sites have fabulous views of the lake.

We 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.