Best Tent Camping near Lutsen, MN

We were tent camping and although most of the campground is geared towards RVs, they do have sites for tents only. We chose to stay in a tent site in the RV area since it was close to Lake Superior. There was also a nice secluded tent only area on a wooded hill which would be a good choice if you prefer less hustle bustle. The big attraction for this place is that it is easy walking distance from town where there are many interesting shops, restaurants and sites to see!

This is a huge community campground within the village of Grand Marais, right on the harbor. Most folks are here with RVs, but there are three separate sections for tent camping only: one right on the lakeshore, one right on the bike path, and one tucked into the woods up the hill to the south. We always do tent camping, and had intended to go to Magney State Park nearby but they were filled for the weekend, so we reluctantly decided to try the town campground and were pleasantly surprised. Although the RV sites are jam-packed close together in the open throughout most of the campground, the forest tent sites are private, quiet, spacious, well wooded, and I would say comparable to the sites at Magney. We were at one of the smaller tent sites, but most are pretty big, the one called Honeymoon Hill is really great, ask for that if you can! The tent area does have drinking water but the toilets are just porta potties, though they are very clean and well kept. There is a full bath house down the hill about 1/4 mile walk, good facilities but heavily used and it got a bit muddy very quickly after the rain Sunday morning. The main advantage of this campground is great location on Lake Superior and Grand Marais Harbor, easy biking and walking distance into the village with all its amenities, and easy driving distance to numerous trailheads and other outdoor opportunities, so overall a pleasant surprise and an excellent alternate if area state parks are filled.

This is a private campground adjacent to a Lodge off the Gunflint Trail. If you are wanting something less rustic than one of the nearby Forest Service campgrounds, and you don't mind paying a little more, then this may be for you. Current rates are $39 a night per campsite, plus an additional $5 a night if you have a dog, which adds up to a bit of a  steep price if you are tent camping. However, the sites do have electrical hooups and other amenities preferred by RV campers which arent found in the basic Forest Service campgrounds nearby, so that may be a plus. If tent camping by yourself, or wanting close proximity to food, lodge amenities, boat rental, etc, then you might find it is worth it. The campsites are very nice, and there is good fishing in the lake plus nice hiking trails nearby!

LARGE 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.

We've stayed here everytime we go up to the BWCA.  Typically we arrive on a Sunday night and then leave early Sunday AM for Gunflint outfitters down the road.  The campsites are great and the staff is absolutely AMAZING!  FYI, we tent camp.  Haven't stayed in any of their lodges so I can't speak to that

We camped in a cart-in site, with privacy and a beautiful view of Lake Superior. It is a splendid place for tent camping.

The MN Historical Society runs the tours and manages a visitor center for the lighthouse. Go up in the lighthouse and look around the lighthouse keepers home from a hundred years ago.

This campground is our go-to place to stay on our summer visits to Grand Marais. We usually stay in the wooded tent sites on the hill which provides nice shade, protection from the frequent winds off of Lake Superior, and a little bit of privacy. When we stayed in site W213R in June 2018, I could still see glimmers of the lake through the trees. They have portapotties and potable water on the hill, and it’s only a short walk down the hill to the bathhouse.

When you first come up the hill to the tent sites, the first path to the right of the split leads to a little creek where the kids love to go and explore.

The tent sItes in the lower campground are open, have few trees, and you are likely to be next to an RV, but it could be worth it to wake up to the sound of the waves and a vIew of the bay. The sites closest to open water (not the bay) have bushes that block the view of the lake, but are necessary for the frequent wind.

The staff in the office have always been friendly and helpful to me. They also sell wood, have some camping supplies for sale, firewood, and they used to have a take-a-book/leave-a-book inside, but I haven’t looked for that for a couple years. There is online booking and pictures of many of the sites on their website.

It’s a nice walk around the bay into town. Some of our favorite places are Voyager Brewing Company, World’s Best Donuts, Gunflint Tavern on the Lake, Angry Trout Restaurant, North House Folk School (feel free to walk through, check out their available classes onlIne, and book a ride to sail on their 50 foot steel schooner, the Hjordis), Drury Lane Bookstore, My Sister’s Place Restaurant, walking out to Artist’s Point and the lighthouse, and visiting the multiple state parks within a short drive. Many have waterfalls.

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!

One of my favorite things about Cascade River is that it has a more modern shower/bathroom facility, so during non-COVID times you basically get your own little shower room with a lockable door instead of a flimsy shower curtain. Another nice thing is that the trails here are great- the waterfalls are easy enough to get to and then you can just keep going if you want to get away from the crowds. So in case you couldn’t tell, I really like this park. The sites are heavily wooded and private. However, a lot of them are on the smaller side, so make sure you do your research on sites if you are coming with an RV or an enormous tent. 

Sites that I like: 5, 6(close to vault toilet), 13, 16, 29, 30, 31, 32(close to bathroom building), 34, 35

This is a great campground in a beautiful state park adjacent to lake Superior on the North Shore. It is a smaller state park, but worth staying at for the beautiful hiking trails along waterfalls, the access to the Superior Hiking Trail and Gitchigamee Bike Trail, Lake Superior, and nearby tons like scenic Grand Marais.  It also may appeal to fly fishermen along the river. There is plenty to do in the park, and it is well situated as a base camp for myriad day trips up and down the shore and into the Superio National Forest. It is more tent friendly than RV oriented, and for those of us who prefer tent camping that is a plus. You must really reserve far ahead in the summer, and fall weekends fill up quickly too, so you may need to look at weekday camping if you have planned much in advance. The Cascade Lodge is tucked into the edge of the state park with hiking trails that connect to it, and there are nice homecooked meals there if you need a break from camp cookery!

Camp Creek skirts the northern edge of Cascade River State Park. Your water access comes from the creek and is accessible either via a 60 second walk to the bridge or if you are lucky enough to get the secluded camp spot down by the creek then you can access it from there. The tent spaces were spread out nicely with a couple larger ones and a couple smaller. The big if about this site is the latrine is very hard to find. It's past a large fallen tree and then back on a trail that is hard to find because it is so overgrown. It appears many have given up trying to find it and just go out in the woods, aka tp was a bit of a mess. The tent sites are on dirt so for us a huge storm rolled thru and our tents were covered in mud for the next mornings pack up. Most of the sites on the SHT are dirt but sometimes we luck out with a nice bed of needles or grass. Some good trees for hammock camping at this site as well.

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.

A big draw of this state park is the viewing on of this areas many waterfalls. A popular 2.2 mile (round-trip) trail leads from the parking lot upstream along the Brule River to “Devil's Kettle.” The river splits around a mass of volcanic rock leaving half the river to plunge 50 feet into a pool while the other half surges into a huge pothole.  The trail is dog-friendly so bring Fido but it can be crowded too so you may want to go early. The trail is considered “strenuous” and has nearly 200 stairs that need to be climbed but it was not bad and worth the trip.  The Brule River is very popular among anglers where brook and rainbow trout are said to be plentiful and I regretted not bringing my fly rod along for the trip.

The campground is small with just 27 drive-in sites for RVs or tents and one walk-in tent site. The first thing you notice is how wooded the campground is which is very welcome on the warm summer days.  The tall trees also provide a bit of privacy between sites and you get the feel of being tucked back in the woods. Picnic tables and fire pits (with grills) are at each site. Sites are without any hook-ups but there is potable water in the campground.  The bathroom was nice and clean with flush toilets and showers. During our stay, we routinely saw staff attending to the bathrooms and other campers were courteous and didn’t trash the place. The campground is very peaceful and quiet when we were there. Part of that is probably due to its small size and little traffic. There are numerous other great state parks in the area with gorgeous waterfalls and hiking.

Wunderbar Eatery and Glampground is located in the breathtaking town of Grand Marais, Mn. It’s literally right off the main drag when you are coming into town making it kind of noisy with traffic sounds. The “glampground” is set up outside a cute little bar/restaurant that is a local hangout. There are five vintage campers, and two super cute lotus belle tents available year round. There are also tent and Rv sites available. Each camper is a different theme making it a bit more interesting. They sleep 2-5 people depending on how cozy you want to get.

There is a full service restaurant and bar that offers room service in a little red wagon right to your camper or tent. If you like music there is live music inside the restaurant by local artists. Along with your reservation you get a swag basket filled with local coupons, local treats, passes to the YMCA (so you can shower), and a complimentary drink to start your experience right.

When I visited I had chicken strips that were pretty stellar and a local brew. My husband had chili cheese fries that were nothing more than ordinary. The fries were pretty good but the chili did not taste homemade. All in all I thought the food wasn’t anything to write home about. The beer however was awesome! Local brews are my favorite!

The restaurant also has a banquet room and playroom with crafts and toys/games for the kids. This is pretty great for rainy days.

The town of Grand Marais is spectacular right on the shore of Lake Superior. There are amazing views of boats coming in and out of the harbor and you can even snag a few lake trout right in the harbor. The famous Worlds Best Doughnut shop is located here, and when they say world best THEY MEAN IT! I have literally never had a better doughnut.

If you travel up MN-61 you will pass Voyagers Brewing Company with rooftop seating and spectacular views of the harbor. One of my favorite places to be in the evening for the sunset! You will also find a ton of great places to eat that are a bit more “fancy” and a cute coffee shop with awesome drinks.

Aside from location ( being right next to the highway) this is one of the quirkiest campgrounds I’ve been to. With prices between 25$ for a tent site to anywhere from 100$-125$ for one of their vintage campers, this is the place to beat for pricing.

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.

Originally we were going to stay at a different campsite but that one was first come, first serve and all the spots were already taken. It was getting dark and we needed to find somewhere to sleep for the night. We saw good reviews for Cascade and decided to give it a shot. We got to the park office and it was closed but we were able to call a number and get a spot booked pretty easily. It was $23 for the night plus you needed the parks pass. We stayed on June 24th and it was a kinda chilly night and had previously rained so things were a little damp but not muddy at all. We stayed in spot #19 that was a drive in and tent camping. It was pretty spacious and out of the spots that we saw, it seemed to be one of the more secluded ones. We were setting up the tent around 10 PM and everyone was very quiet even though there were people in almost every campsite. Only saw a few people around their fires. There was a primitive toilet right next to our spot but it was out of order. There was another one just a short pathway away which was nice and also clean. We didn’t use the showers but the building looked really nice and wasn’t too far from our site. The dumpster/garbage was close to our spot which was also convenient. The spots just seemed so close together and we could hear our neighbors child cry early in the morning. The birds were also extremely loud. Nothing to do with the campsite but I couldn’t believe how loud they were screaming at 5 AM. We got up around 8 AM and went for a hike and there not many people around. It was a nice morning not too hot with a little breeze and partly cloudy. The cascade falls were pretty cool! The trail information place and the trails were right behind our site. We hiked to the lookout mountain which was about a 3.5 mile loop and it was beautiful but definitely bring water. We had to rest a few times since it was a lot of uphill trails but the view is worth it. When we started heading back, there were a lot more people on the trails. It took us about two hours to get there and back but we stopped and took our time getting there. I would stay at Cascade River State Park again but also would probably check out other places to see what else is out there.