Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Ranier, MN

We love to drive around, aimlessly, enjoy the scenery and then find a place to plop for the night.  Our preference is generally State Forest type of places that are self check in, less than $20 and quiet. Oh yes, and pet friendly.

We were pulling our teardrop on this trip, since it gets cold in MN earlier than southern areas. This campground does not have electric, but it wasn't too cold so we were just fine. Upon pulling in, the place appears huge!  Most State Forest campgrounds are small-ish, but this one has 60 spaces!  Two are ADA accessible, the rest are split between two "loops".  The lower seemed quieter, and the upper had more RVs. Many are lakeside, and there is a hiking trail that runs around the camp on the outskirts that's up and down over rocks and terrain...lovely with the dogs!  A small dock provided a jumping off spot for a quick rinse in the lake (dogs too!).

The campsite was tucked in the trees with all the things you expect.  Fire ring, picnic table, etc, and many of the sites (this one too) were so tucked in the trees it was hard to see neighbors.  Lots of space, not too close together!  We visited in September. Water spigots scattered for drinking water, self check in, easy access.

We loved this campground, It is beside the Boondocks Bar and Grill and is owned by the same people. Dez and Kirk were the consummate hosts, friendly and so nice, we could not have asked for better. We cold called them last minute in late April, most of the other campgrounds were not open for the season, but they welcomed us, which saved our butts because we literally would have had to drive hours and completely redo our itinerary. The Bar and Grill is next door and has great food, awesome drinks, friendly locals and bingo on Thursday nights. The campground is easily accessible and the sites are not difficulty to back into, all were graveled and we had minimal leveling, even with the water and mud. I think there are at least 1 or 2 pull throughs but due to the snow and standing water we parked in site #2.  They have 30 and 50 amp, potable water (wasn't on throughout the park when we were there due to the weather) and a dump site at the exit. They are pet friendly and there are areas for walking leashed pets behind the park.  It is conveniently right off the highway and we did not even notice any traffic noises in the evening. International Falls is approx 20 minutes away, with shopping, laundromat and the Canadian Border.  Voyageurs NP, Rainy Lake Visitor Center is approx 30 min. This is now our go to campground when we visit Voyageurs NP.

GETTING UP TO THE CLIFF: reviews talk about how nice it is that they greet you and show you to your site in a golf cart. This is because there’s one giant hill to go in or out and they’re mitigating problems.

LOCATION: if your intent is spend all day on the lake boating, fishing and swimming - then return to your camper to eat and spend time with your family, then this place is great. If you desire any other activities that are not lake related (local attractions, breweries, dog parks, hikes) then this place feels a little isolated.

VALUE: If you don’t get the preferred lake view spots, staying on the Cliffside is not worth it. While you can see the lake (through other spots) there are very few trees and some of the fire pits are right on the road. It’s a cliff top parking lot. Maybe if we stayed in the Standard Lake Level RV Site with the docks and grassy area it would’ve been better.

BATHROOMS: A lot of people rave about the bathrooms. Maybe this is for the cabins? The cliffside bathrooms are a trailer restroom, so they’re just like the ones in your camper. Small and easily clogged. The restrooms on lake level have regular toilets but the showers are just as small. Don’t try to bend over.

STAFF: the staff are super nice and help with everything.

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

**NOTE:  To the best of what I can find, this appears to be a free site.  I can't, at this time, find any indication that's it's paid or reserve-able**

This is a great little free campsite right on Crane Lake before you go into the Boundary Waters Canoe area.

The site has a fire ring with grate, picnic table, plenty of trees for hammocks, and a small tent pad that would be good for a three or four person tent. There's also a primitive toilet so you don't have to dig a cat hole!

This is a motorized lake so there is boat noise, but the water lapping on the rocks at the island makes it very tolerable. Fairly easy access to grab drinking water for filtering, and some decent pine branches for hanging a bear bag. (even on an island - it's advisable to hang a bear bag. Also helps with other critters like squirrels and mice)

The campsite faces the West so if the weather is good, you're in for a great sunset!

61 sites. Multiple loops. All Boondocking- No electric or septic or water hookups. No showers. Very quiet. Two are marked as accessory. Far from the highway- the final turn can sneak up on you. Sights are spacious and most are a far distance apart (50 feet). Lots and lots of trees between sights. Sites are a mix of deep and shallow. Some are one car wide, others are two cars wide. Most 30 foot trailers would do okay. We saw a dozen travel trailers, one fifth wheel, a couple shorter motor homes, and lots of tents. A fire ring and picnic table are located at each site and water fountains/down spouts and vault toilets are located throughout. (Not all spigots have hose attachments.) Bathrooms were clean with a good amount of TP. There is a fair amount of sticks and firewood among the downed trees. A couple of public docks are located along the edge of the campground for guests to dock their boats. The boat launch, beach, and picnic area is very nice and nearby. No weeds when swimming. Dogs are not allowed at the primary beach, but there is a hidden rock beach at the end of the campground by one of the docks were they could swim. There are hiking trails that weave behind sites and between roads. Some sites are closer to the road (shallow) and some are surprisingly deep. A few sites are closer together, but would work well if you had multiple families camping together. $15.00 per night. Dogs are allowed. Unfortunately there are no reservations. We came on a Saturday morning in the end of August and one third of the sights were open, by midday half of the sights were open. We enjoyed our time.