Best RV Parks & Resorts near Ranier, MN

In our years of RV travels The Pines of Kabetogama is among the best RV resorts we have ever stayed at. Long story short, the resort itself provides direct access to Voyageurs National Park, is immaculately maintained, has top-shelf amenities, and the staff is amazing. You truly get what you pay for.

After hours of driving, we just wanted to get to our site and settle in. Upon arrival, Jeanne greeted us at the front office and was very kind, friendly, and helpful. She treated us like family. Tom guided us to site number 20 on the upper level with a poured concrete pad with pristine full-hookups. We were pleasantly surprised at just how spread-out the sites were. There isn't a bad site in the entire resort. It comes down to what your preference is. Do you prefer the community experience? The sites on the lower level fill that preference. Spread out with more privacy? Reserve a site on the upper level.

The restrooms were an unexpected surprise. Absolutely spotless with granite countertops and glass bowl sinks!?! We didn't expect to walk into a luxury bathroom experience at an RV resort.

The view of the sky at night was amazing. We didn't know this until we arrived and walked over to the Lake Kabetogama Voyageurs National Park Visitors Center that the park is Dark Sky Certified.

Having direct shoreline access to Voyageurs National Park was the highlight for my family. As soon as you are on the water, you are in a National Park. If you have a boat be sure and bring it along, otherwise, you can rent one from the resort and tour the lake. Tom informed us that if you have a motorhome RV, as we do, and you tow your boat the staff will launch your boat for you. The resort has a very large dock system with 16 slips by our count.

In terms of wildlife, we were fortunate enough to see more deer than we could count, as well as several bald eagles, and loons during our stay.

There are on-site coin-operated washers and dryers which we did not use, but are nice to know are available. If we were there for a longer stay we would use them for sure.

Even though we were not staying in the luxury cabins, the staff was kind enough to allow us to peek inside and they are immaculate. The decor is iconic, and the finishing touches are high quality. They aren't like the other ramshackle bunkhouses with spring bed frames we've stayed at in the past.

As I began my review, because the resort itself provides direct access to Voyageurs National Park, is immaculately maintained, has top-shelf amenities, and the staff is amazing you truly get what you pay for.

A really nice place with lots of fun stuff do to right in the campground including a beach and boat ramp on Pelican Lake. There is a nice playground area for kids. The place caters mostly to seasonal folks more than overnight roadies. I stumbled on it by accident when I was heading to Voyageurs NP but just wanted to get off the road for the night.

 Some of the seasonal sites have extensive decking and screened porches. The sites for the temp folks had full hookups but were gravel that was not well maintained and not level. The bathrooms were ok, maybe a C+. There was no soap at the men’s bathroom sink. There are only six daily/weekly RV/tent sites.  The rest are seasonal rentals.  It got 4 stars instead of 3 because it is so pretty and peaceful.

Our Family stayed at Headquarters RV Park in Buyck (just outside of Orr, MN) for 4 days over the Memorial Day weekend, and we were so impressed!! This is a new, family owned and operated park situated on 30 acres of beautiful pines. The hosts Brad and Koreen are so welcoming, and have put their hearts into making this Park a refuge from the hustle and busle of our hetic work week.

The one thing we appreciated the most is how close they are to Crane Lake, Namakan Lake, Voyageurs National Park, and the Superior National Forest. We spent our time fishing and checking out visitor destinations like the I. W. Stevens Resort (a historical jem!!) After a long day of fun it was so nice to sit out in the screen tent listening to the ruffled grouse drum and the peace and quiet of nature. There are only 13 spacious sites in this park with plenty of room to fit your RV, boat or 4 wheelers and trailer, screen tent with plenty of room to spare, and beautiful pines between you and your neighbor for privacy.

When you arrive you will find your site ready with a picnic table and fire pit. The full service hook ups are easy to access, and make set up a breeze!! They offer 20, 30, and 50 amp service, and make note that they also offer a potable water station too. Firewood is available for purchase, but don’t be surprised if the Sokoloski’s invite you to their host site for a campfire:) The walking paths are beautiful too!! We brought our dog Max, and he loved it too!! We’ll be back for sure!!

We were in Site # 1 which there are only 3 sites must be self contained. They are close together yet was a place to stay in Voyagers National park with Full hook up. Wooden Frog State Forest  Campground is next door to it you can use their boat ramp & swim beach. The Lodge has rooms and a bar & restaurant you can sit in the log Lodge or out on the deck. Mike makes a good Margarita but a little pricey. The food is ok. The owners are so nice working hard to maintain the place.  There is a small playground and a community fire pit. 

Great place to watch sunset is at Wooden Frog day use area. 

They have a dock you can keep a boat at or rent a boat if you don't have one. They rent Kayaks & canoes too. We had out own Kayak you really need to get out on the water to enjoy Voyageurs National Park it's all water based. We launched the Kayak mostly at Wooden Frog and once at Arrowhead lodge depending on the wind. 

We kayaked to Bittersweet Island and got out to stretch in a cove. Took a dip and relaxed. There are some leeches in the water so check you feet if your walking around in it. Got a nice juvenile Eagle picture here on was sitting in a tree. 

lake Kabetogama is big with many islands. It can be shallow in places with big rocks submerged out of the water so know where your going. Being in a Kayak you could really see the rocks. We found a nice Swim area off an Island near the submerged rocks with warnings there was primitive camp sites on the islands some were really nice.

Fishing is great we caught Walleye & big Northern Pike.  They clean your fish for you if you want them to.

There are loons (love the sound they make) and White Pelican's on the lake. Some of the white pelicans had big bumps on their beak which we found out they have that bump till they mate. Then the bump falls off so you feel sorry for the ones with a bump on their upper beak. The white throat Sparrow has a great tune they carry. 

We saw several Eagles on the islands out there too. 

We Like to explore so we check out other campgrounds, visitors centers if open and really enjoyed eating at the Rocky Ledge (great Pizza and Patty Melt). International falls is the biggest town it's about a half hour or so away. We ate at Barajas Mexican Grill it was good. Got some groceries and went to one Antique store there. 

Heading the other direction on the Highway was another Antique place called Rainy days Antique. Nice people & a lot of stuff in there. 

We mostly had good weather yet we did have some rain & some marble sized hail once. Some big trees came down in Wooden frog with this storm that had hail.

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

Nice, paeceful campground along Rainy River. Small Rvs can navigate also several nice walk in tent sites on river. 2 sites with electric. All sites first come.

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.

This park has a lot of sites many are very small so check the size limit. Some nice big sites are 60, 52, 49, 50, 47 and 44. They are private sites with lots of trees yet not waterfront. There are no hook ups and you can not make a reservation. First come first served there are plenty of sites. We did not stay here yet we stayed close by and went into wooden frog almost every days for a few weeks to launch the Kayak and watch great sunsets. 

There is drinking water yet we did not see a dump station. Not sure where the closest dump station is. 

There is an island you can access with a canoe, kayak or a boat that you can fish or just enjoy the view. There's a few little coves on the island to get out & stretch, take a dip and have lunch. We saw a juvenile Eagle in a tree we watched it for a while. We kayaked out to that island a lot & fished along the shoreline from the Kayak. 

The boat ramp is nice has a great spot to launch the kayak. There are White pelicans that hang out between the boat ramp & The Arrowhead Lodge (where we stayed they have 3 RV sites).  The swim beach is nice, has some picnic tables and a restroom. Was quiet during the week busier on weekends.  The Park is laid out nice there is another small dock in the campground area you can launch a canoe or Kayak there too.

The Rocky Ledge Restaurant is close by good food & drinks. Great pizza! You can walk to the Arrowhead Lodge too or drive there and have a drink or food and view the water. Sit outside & watch the boats come in, their catch of the day and the white pelicans flying in & swimming around.

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.

This is a great little gem on the Canadian border. Minnesota’s smallest state park- but it’s very gorgeous and feels kinda awesome looking out at Canada!

A very cool feature at most sites, is that they have a rustic log overhanging/shelter of sorts. Doesn’t have sides, but some campers strung a tarp on one side to get some actual shelter.

Clean vaulted toilets, running water, garbages throughout the camp and an electric post at the boat launch (doesn’t really seem like it’s an actual camp site, I saw multiple cars pulling up to it to utilize the power, and it’s right in the middle of the boat launch).

Tent pads dry, big, and soft ground. Sites spread out decently, plenty of buffer between most of them. Feels pretty rugged and backwoodsy.

Saw quite a few eagles, the clearest stars ever, and enjoyed a peaceful hike along the river and then through the woods. My site was #4, a walk in site, and for sure the best one in the park! Just about 50 meters from the parking spot, up a little trail to the top of a small hill with great view and bench overlooking the rapids.

Clearly a place for fisher people. The camp boasts Lake Sturgeon fishing and in the evening, I saw multiple boats at the rapids, so something must have been biting!

Ralph, the park caretaker was absolutely amazing, and helped me out with some car trouble. That was a godsend! Nice to know that even in the middle of nowhere, you still got some backup if needed.

Just a fun little kinda secret spot, very basic but still with the necessities and with a backwoods feel, which I definitely appreciate!

Camped here Oct 18-19, 2023 at site 43. Large primitive state forest campground. There were very few campers here during our stay. Our site, as well as others, was large and wooded. Spacing and privacy between sites were quite good. The site was level with a dirt/gravel surface. Site had metal fire ring and table. A nice patch of woods behind our site. Clean vault toilet a short walk away. Short trail to lake and boat dock nearby. Did not see a camp host. Hiking trail along lake was really nice. Really loved camping here.