Looking for an adventure where you can explore Ranier and then fall asleep in your tent? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Ranier, including sites, reviews, and tips. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
BACKCOUNTRY CAMPSITES are located on the park's interior lakes and offer a more remote and secluded camping experience. They have fewer amenities, consisting of fire rings, an outdoor privy, and some have a bear pole for safe food storage. These sites first require travel by private watercraft or local water taxi service to a trailhead and then hiking up to several miles to the backcountry lakes. Some campsites can be hiked to directly while others require the use of a canoe after hiking which is provided by the park and remains stationed at these remote lakes.
$25 - $35 / night
** Voyageurs is a water-based national park **
All campsite types (except primitive) require a watercraft
All camping types require a reservation/permit
Lakes can remain ice-covered until mid-May, but ice-out dates vary greatly
Lakes typically begin to freeze up in November
Before winter camping, always check the most recent trails report when venturing onto the ice
The Basics of a Frontcountry Camping Trip in Voyageurs
Do some research: Frontcountry campsites can be as far as 27 miles away from the nearest boat launch, so be sure to select sites that are within a safe distance to travel for your level of navigation experience and type/size of watercraft.
Make a reservation: Once you're ready to make a reservation, go to the Voyageurs National Park Camping Permits page on recreation.gov. Here you can view campsite info and photos, search for campsite availability, and build an itinerary. Use these step-by-step instructions to make your reservation. You can also call Recreation.gov's national call center at 1-877-444-6777.
Print your permit within 5 days of your trip start date by logging into your recreation.gov account and selecting Reservations from the menu. Click on the Print Permit button next to the correct trip. This button is disabled until 5 days before your trip. It can also be helpful to have a digital copy/screenshot on your phone to keep with you.
Parking: Camping permit holders can park their vehicles overnight at any park visitor center boat launch parking lot for up to 14 days during the dates of their trip, free of charge. Know which visitor center boat launch is closest to your campsite.
Travel by watercraft to your campsite. Visitors must either use their own boat, rent a vessel, or use a water taxi. The waters of Voyaguers are expansive; be prepared with GPS or navigation charts.
Post your permit inside the display box that you'll find attached to a bear-proof food locker at your campsite.
Enjoy your camping trip in Voyageurs National Park!
** All frontcountry and backcountry campsites require travel by private watercraft or water taxi to access. Click on any campsite name when searching sites to view boating distances. ** Voyageurs National Park has 147 frontcountry, 14 backcountry, and 2 primitive campsites for visitors wanting an authentic northwoods camping experience. PRIMITIVE CAMPSITES (Red Pine & Blueberry Ridge) are the only campsites that are located on the mainland and DO NOT require a boat to access. They are hike-in sites along the Kab-Ash Trail and are equipped only with fire rings and cleared areas for tents. Leave No Trace Principles apply in these areas. FRONTCOUNTRY CAMPSITES are located on the large lakes (Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, Sandpoint). You can boat directly to them from any park visitor center boat ramp. They offer fire rings, tent pads, picnic tables, bear lockers for safe food storage, and outdoor privies. Use the Build Itinerary button to plan a frontcountry camping trip. BACKCOUNTRY CAMPSITES are located on the park's interior lakes and offer a more remote and secluded camping experience consisting of fire rings, tenting areas, an outdoor privy, a bear pole for safe food storage, and a canoe. These sites first require travel by private watercraft or local water taxi service to a remote trailhead and then hiking up to several miles to the backcountry lakes. All backcountry campsite reservations include the use of one canoe and an access code will be provided in your confirmation email. Some campsites can be hiked to directly while others require paddling after hiking. Canoes on backcountry lakes are provided by the park and remain stationed at these lakes. Personal watercrafts of any kind can not be portaged into backcountry. Use the Build Itinerary button to plan a backcountry camping trip. Chain of Lakes (Locator, War Club, Quill, and Loiten Lakes): Reservations at these sites automatically include one canoe because a canoe is required to reach them. In this area only, up to 2 additional canoes can be added on a first come, first served basis. Shoepack & Little Shoepack Lakes: The campsites on these two lakes come reserved together (for the cost of one) because the one canoe on Little Shoepack is required to reach the campsite on Little Shoepack and/or the portage to Shoepack Lake. Shoepack Lake has its own separate canoe - please leave the canoes on their respective lakes. Ek, Agnes, Jorgens, Quarter Line, Cruiser, Brown, Peary, Oslo and Ryan Lakes: These backcountry campsites can be hiked to directly after boating to a trailhead and have one canoe located at each site. DAY USE BACKCOUNTRY CANOE RENTALS: The Chain of Lakes is the only backcountry area with an additional inventory of canoes that are available for single day use. Use of these canoes first requires travel by private watercraft or local water taxi service to the Locator trailhead, and then hiking two miles to where the rental canoes are stationed. To reserve a day use canoe in the Chain of Lakes area, click on the Reserve Day Use Rentals button or scroll further down on this page to view canoe options and availability. To use the canoe at any other backcountry site for day use, that campsite must be reserved for one overnight. DAY USE & VISITOR DESTINATION SITES: With 27 Day Use sites and 7 Visitor Destination sites, Voyageurs National Park has plenty of areas to enjoy for visitors who are out for a day trip on the lakes. Each Day Use site has picnic tables, fire rings and vault privies, while the Visitor Destination sites offer short trails with wayside exhibits, picnic areas and comfort stations. No reservations are required for Day Use or Destination sites. You can view a map of day use sites here . Keep Voyageurs National Park Wild for Future Generations: The Voyageurs Conservancy is the park's official nonprofit partner representing a community of people who care about the ongoing stewardship of Voyageurs National Park. VNPA works to fund projects and programs that will help sustain the park's waters, wild character, and visitor experience for generations to come. Become a member today , follow them on Facebook and Instagram , or sign up for their e-newsletter .
From spring through fall, explore Voyageurs National Park on land by stopping in at a visitor center or hiking any of our 52 miles (84 km) of scenic hiking trails. To explore the vastness of the same lakes the Voyageurs and Ojibwe Indians once traversed, leave your car behind and explore park waters by kayak, canoe, sailboat, motorboat, houseboat or tour boat. Public boat launch ramps are available at park visitor centers, the Crane Lake ranger station and the two state forest campgrounds - Woodenfrog and Ash River. With scheduled programs and boat tours, you can paddle a canoe on the Voyageurs Highway, watch wildlife by day and stars by night, and explore historic Kettle Falls Hotel, Hoist Bay and Ellsworth Rock Gardens. Check the Things to Do page on the park website for a current list of these activities and many more, or speak with a park ranger at one of the Voyageurs National Park visitor centers. Many of our programs offer reservations. Visit the Voyageurs National Park Tours or the Voyageurs National Park Special Interpretive Programs pages (reservations are highly recommended for boat tours).
Voyageurs National Park is a land and water environment of great beauty, exceptional natural and cultural resources, and abundant recreational opportunities. Located in the lake-country of northern Minnesota, the park protects 218,054 acres (88,243 ha) that include roughly 134,000 acres (54,227 ha) of forest, 84,000 acres (33,993 ha) of water, 655-miles (1,054 km) of undeveloped shoreline, and hundreds of islands. The park's 55-mile (89 km) northern boundary is the international border between the United States and Canada and includes an important segment of the "transcontinental highway" traversed by French-Canadian voyageurs during the late 1700s and early 1800s. There are four distinct seasons in Voyageur country. The air is mild during June, July, and August when periods of fine, warm weather prevail. The frost-free season averages 120 days from June to mid-September. The average ice-out date is May 3 but varies year to year. Annual precipitation (rain and snow) averages 25-28 inches (63-71 cm) in the park and average snowfall ranges from 55-70 inches (140-180 cm), but is highly variable. The first measurable snowfall occurs in late October and the last in late April or early May.
Unique attractions near Voyaguers National Park: The City of International Falls sits on the U.S.-Canada borde r, across from Fort Frances, Ontario. You can have a picnic lunch in Smokey Bear Park, and then tour the Bronko Nagurski Museam and Koochiching County Historical Museum, which both sit on site. Don't forget to take a photo with the 26-foot statue of Smokey the Bear himself - a well-known and beloved national symbol of fire prevention and forest conservation. There are many unique businesses and shops along main street, as well as some great coffee shops and restaurants. Heading eastward out of town, you will pass the village of Ranier and numerous resorts where you can find delicious lake-side dining, fishing guides, hotel and cabin accomodations, houseboat rental companies and much more. The Historic Port Village of Ranier is a quaint little community situa ted right where Rainy Lake empties into the Rainy River underneath a cantilever-style train bridge that spans from the U.S. into Canada. Here you will find lodging, an RV park, a park and playground, a public beach, public docks, delicous food, an ice cream parlor and a lakeside brewpub, all packed into one small charming town of about 150 residents. Be sure to take a photo with Big Vic, the 25-foot (8 m) tall statue of a French-Canadian voyageur, who stands at the entrance to this unique little town. The communites of Kabetogama , and Ash River , and Crane Lake are located 30 to 60 miles south of International Falls, and serve as gateways to the southern district Voyageurs National Park. Be sure to stop and take a photo of yourself "riding" the walleye statue at the entrance to Kabetogama on Highway 53.
For facility specific information, please call (218) 283-6650.
CANCELLATION POLICY: Cancellations and/or modifications to an existing reservation can easily be made online via your recreation.gov account. Log in to your account, click on your name in the upper right, and select My Reservations. Click on the "Modify or Cancel" button next to the reservation needing to be changed. The national recreation.gov call center at (877) 444-6777 can also assist. You cannot call a park office to cancel a reservation. THE FOLLOWING FEES APPLY: Reservation system fee of $10 charged at time of reservation is non-refundable Any change (i.e. trip dates, campsite) to your reservation more than 3 days prior to your trip: No charge Any change (i.e. trip dates, campsite) to your reservation less than 3 days prior to your trip: $10 service fee per Cancel reservation more than 3 days prior to arrival date: additional $10 cancellation fee; receive refund of remaining amenity fees Cancel reservation less than 3 days prior to arrival date: additional $10 cancellation fee + forfeit first nights fee; receive refund of remaining amenity fees Once permit has been printed: No refund; printing your permit confirms your reservation and must be done within 5 days of your trip start date from the My Reservations section of your recreation.gov account Once trip dates have started: No refund; if you are unable to make your trip, cancel your reservation in the My Reservations section of your recreation.gov account before your trip start date to be eligible for a refund
$10 / night
** Voyageurs is a water-based national park **
All campsite types (except primitive) require a watercraft
All camping types require a reservation/permit
Lakes can remain ice-covered until mid-May, but ice-out dates vary greatly
Lakes typically begin to freeze up in November
Before winter camping, always check the most recent trails report when venturing onto the ice
The Basics of a Frontcountry Camping Trip in Voyageurs
Do some research: Frontcountry campsites can be as far as 27 miles away from the nearest boat launch, so be sure to select sites that are within a safe distance to travel for your level of navigation experience and type/size of watercraft.
Make a reservation: Once you're ready to make a reservation, go to the Voyageurs National Park Camping Permits page on recreation.gov. Here you can view campsite info and photos, search for campsite availability, and build an itinerary. Use these step-by-step instructions to make your reservation. You can also call Recreation.gov's national call center at 1-877-444-6777.
Print your permit within 5 days of your trip start date by logging into your recreation.gov account and selecting Reservations from the menu. Click on the Print Permit button next to the correct trip. This button is disabled until 5 days before your trip. It can also be helpful to have a digital copy/screenshot on your phone to keep with you.
Parking: Camping permit holders can park their vehicles overnight at any park visitor center boat launch parking lot for up to 14 days during the dates of their trip, free of charge. Know which visitor center boat launch is closest to your campsite.
Travel by watercraft to your campsite. Visitors must either use their own boat, rent a vessel, or use a water taxi. The waters of Voyaguers are expansive; be prepared with GPS or navigation charts.
Post your permit inside the display box that you'll find attached to a bear-proof food locker at your campsite.
Enjoy your camping trip in Voyageurs National Park!
** Voyageurs is a water-based national park **
All campsite types (except primitive) require a watercraft
All camping types require a reservation/permit
Lakes can remain ice-covered until mid-May, but ice-out dates vary greatly
Lakes typically begin to freeze up in November
Before winter camping, always check the most recent trails report when venturing onto the ice
The Basics of a Frontcountry Camping Trip in Voyageurs
Do some research: Frontcountry campsites can be as far as 27 miles away from the nearest boat launch, so be sure to select sites that are within a safe distance to travel for your level of navigation experience and type/size of watercraft.
Make a reservation: Once you're ready to make a reservation, go to the Voyageurs National Park Camping Permits page on recreation.gov. Here you can view campsite info and photos, search for campsite availability, and build an itinerary. Use these step-by-step instructions to make your reservation. You can also call Recreation.gov's national call center at 1-877-444-6777.
Print your permit within 5 days of your trip start date by logging into your recreation.gov account and selecting Reservations from the menu. Click on the Print Permit button next to the correct trip. This button is disabled until 5 days before your trip. It can also be helpful to have a digital copy/screenshot on your phone to keep with you.
Parking: Camping permit holders can park their vehicles overnight at any park visitor center boat launch parking lot for up to 14 days during the dates of their trip, free of charge. Know which visitor center boat launch is closest to your campsite.
Travel by watercraft to your campsite. Visitors must either use their own boat, rent a vessel, or use a water taxi. The waters of Voyaguers are expansive; be prepared with GPS or navigation charts.
Post your permit inside the display box that you'll find attached to a bear-proof food locker at your campsite.
Enjoy your camping trip in Voyageurs National Park!
** Voyageurs is a water-based national park **
All campsite types (except primitive) require a watercraft
All camping types require a reservation/permit
Lakes can remain ice-covered until mid-May, but ice-out dates vary greatly
Lakes typically begin to freeze up in November
Before winter camping, always check the most recent trails report when venturing onto the ice
The Basics of a Frontcountry Camping Trip in Voyageurs
Do some research: Frontcountry campsites can be as far as 27 miles away from the nearest boat launch, so be sure to select sites that are within a safe distance to travel for your level of navigation experience and type/size of watercraft.
Make a reservation: Once you're ready to make a reservation, go to the Voyageurs National Park Camping Permits page on recreation.gov. Here you can view campsite info and photos, search for campsite availability, and build an itinerary. Use these step-by-step instructions to make your reservation. You can also call Recreation.gov's national call center at 1-877-444-6777.
Print your permit within 5 days of your trip start date by logging into your recreation.gov account and selecting Reservations from the menu. Click on the Print Permit button next to the correct trip. This button is disabled until 5 days before your trip. It can also be helpful to have a digital copy/screenshot on your phone to keep with you.
Parking: Camping permit holders can park their vehicles overnight at any park visitor center boat launch parking lot for up to 14 days during the dates of their trip, free of charge. Know which visitor center boat launch is closest to your campsite.
Travel by watercraft to your campsite. Visitors must either use their own boat, rent a vessel, or use a water taxi. The waters of Voyaguers are expansive; be prepared with GPS or navigation charts.
Post your permit inside the display box that you'll find attached to a bear-proof food locker at your campsite.
Enjoy your camping trip in Voyageurs National Park!
Crane Lake is a large body of water and is a popular area for fishing and boating. There are 3 backcountry campsites located on the lake. Crane Lake also connects to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness through Little Vermilion Lake and Voyageurs National Park through Sand Point Lake.
Traveler
Despite advertising sites as “tent site” this campground, it is definitely not suitable for tents. We booked a tent site that was in a block of other tent sites. When we arrived, we saw a HUGE RV in the site next to ours that took up our space. We decided to not stay. Maybe great for vans and RVs, but not for tent camping.
Guide
A very unique park. All sites are boat in. Many houseboat sites for private and rented houseboats and many many family sites for tent camping. Sites are a mix of dock, beach, and rock access and are labeled on the Voyageur National Park Camping map. Sites are located on all lakes in the park: and a few back country too. Houseboat sites have tie off rings and are quiet large- they offer a fire ring and many have a picnic table. Tent sites have one or two tent pads and a fire ring and picnic table and a vault toilet usually. No electric. No water. Remember you can in fact camp anywhere you wish as long as you are 200 meters (I think) from another established site.
Guide
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.
Guide
Overall, we had a very good trip to this camp. Our experience was different than the other review, as the address took us to an area that only had tent sites. 9 spots available and we were the only ones there. It had one clean pit/ vault toilet. There was a water hydrant but we couldn’t figure it out. Pretty view of the lake from our site. We paid $17 for the night, which I found to be kind of pricey for a primitive spot, but I don’t mind supporting these campgrounds. Would go back if visiting Voyageurs again!
Legend
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.
RangerThis 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!
Scout
Campground was amazing, plenty of room, plenty shade, pet friendly, just too many of that other Minnesota state bird called the mosquito. $14 a day is great, first come first served. Only 4 stars due to the unbelievable amount of mosquitoes, was eaten alive!
Guide
This was our first time staying at Echo Lake Campground. We pulled in on a Friday night and a number of sites were already full or reserved. We ended up picking site #10. It was a good site. A slight incline down from the road but a nice tent pad and a very roomy site. The campground was very quiet even though there were a number of people staying there. A number of the sites would be good for either tents or campers. We would happily stay here again!
GuideNorthern Minnesota camping is known for being one of the few remaining places in the US where you can enjoy the wilderness with absolutely no sounds of man-made machines and cities. Camping at Voyageurs National Park is one of those experiences. It's great BECAUSE all the camping is via boat.
TravelerWe stayed at site K29, Round Bear, in Voyageurs National Park. It was incredible. The views were stunning and it was easy to get our boat in and out of a small cove behind our site. There are two tent pads but we found a couple of other spots on nearby trails where you could set up a tent if you had a bigger group. My favorite feature of our site was a rock ledge that looked out over the water. We set up our chairs there and just hung out for awhile. The other nice part about this site is that it is very close to the Ash River Visitor Center (5 minute boat ride tops). This made it super easy to go back to our car for anything we might have forgotten. Highly recommend this site, especially for a group of 4-6 people!
GuideWe stayed for 1 night on a site that had a short trail to the lake. The sites were private with lots of trees and wildlife. I could here our neighbors generator but as a tent camper we are used to it. They did respect the quiet hours.
I would camp here again. Kind people and cool sites.
Scout
There is a little fire ring at each campsite with a metal stove to put wood underneath. There is ample ground space for tents, as well as the whole lake network at your fingertips. Highly recommend
GuideOur campsite was beautiful! Boated out 17 mile out very own island with a dock provided. The camping pads made setting up the tents 10x easier and more organized. The lake water was refreshing and there were so many places to boat to for hiking, clift jumping, and especially fishing. Had an absolute blast!
GuideThis is my favorite campground in all of Minnesota. Located outside of Orr close to 20 miles, there are no people or towns to make noise or light. The stars are incredibly bright at night. Plenty of hiking trails and great for fishing walleye.
ScoutThis is one of the most beautiful and peaceful campgrounds in Northern Minnesota. This is my go to campground when I need to be nestled into nature. The campsites are well kept and there is a general store for all your needs about 5 minutes away. The northern night sky is breath taking especially when the northern lights are dancing. Woodenfrog is a pet friendly campground. Highly recommend camping here. Rates are about $14 a night
TravelerThis is a boat in site out of Ash River Visitor Center. North shore of the lake is Canada and the South shore of the lake is the US. Beautiful campsite with 4 huge tent pads, 4 bear lockers and a beautiful sandy beach. Plenty of room for 8-12 campers. Half of us were in hammocks which increased our livable space. Very secluded with ample views.
Guide
Wanted a place with hookups close to Voyageurs. This place was great. One of the most beautiful rivers and falls we’ve seen running right beside the campground. New bathhouse with individual showers. Well-maintained and level sites. Really quiet. Camp host was friendly and helpful. Stayed two nights. Bugs are crazy, but then again, where in Northern Minnesota are they not. Super affordable for the location. Just breathtaking.
Legend
**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!
LegendCamped here on Oct 17, 2023. Small wooded state park campground along the Rainy River and the Canadian border. Sites were back-in and had tent pads. I don't recommend anything larger than a truck camper. Some sites were small and not level. Campground host was friendly and helpful. Some hiking trails. Fished on the Rainy River and caught a northern pike. Hand water pump. Clean vault toilet with tp. Our site had a covered picnic table, lattern pole and metal fire ring. The site was wedged inside the gravel campground loop road. I really liked this campground.
ScoutCamp among huge pines next to beautiful rapids, and be lulled into relaxation by the sounds of the Bigfork River. Clean bathrooms and showers, handicap accessible areas, and the community is working hard to make even more areas accessible. Friendly community, with a charming main street, with stores stocking almost anything you might have forgotten, gas station, grocery store, hardware store and gift shop, liquor store, motel, log furniture and home builder, fabrication, automotive and heavy equipment repair shops, and more. The campground is one of the most beautiful places in Minnesota and a great overnight stop on your way to Canada! Dedicated horse camp, and easy access to horse and ATV trails, make this a great place to purse many avenues of fun!!
Traveler
Cannot say enough wonderful things about this campsite. Besides being excellently maintained, the site itself felt luxurious with stake-able tent pads, easy rock-based water access, and an incredibly easy and nice fire pit with a grate. The vault toilets were well lit, well maintained, and barely stinky. There is also a fresh water well so no iodine needed here. We saw bald eagles and otters, and found many blueberries along the nice hiking loop. Would come here again, it was unexpectedly quite friendly to someone new to canoe camping and i would recommend it to other new campers, or anyone starting/ending their voyageurs trip. Get here through the king williams narrows from crane lake, the sign for voyageurs was down when we came through.
Guide61 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.
Legend
WE stayed here a week it has 3 or 4 sites for Rv's or tents. Check or cash only no credit card. The cabins look nice and the deck on the water is nice, boat dock and swim beach on a calm cove on Lake Kabetogama. We were staying close by so we stopped to see where our site was & we were shown a spot that was big & open. When we pulled in 2 days later the spot had someone new in it & we were put up near the cabins. We had to back up a hill in a tight spot to get into. It was where they keep all the extra parts and supplies to maintain the place along with a bit of old junk. We had to use 2 sewer hoses & just got them to stretch to the limits. We hooked up to a hose that was from the fish cleaning house and we had 2 hoses to reach our camper. The electric box was on a different side than the sewer & the water it also was stretched to reach. We weren't happy & complained. She would have refunded my deposit yet you can't just find campgrounds at the last minute I did look for some.
There is one waterfront site with a view lucky if you can book that minus the poo.
The worst part is every cabin had at least one big dog and none were ever on a leash. They pooped in our site along with pooping next to our Kayak that was down near the water. One dog came over & got in our empty garbage (the garbage was tied to a fish cleaning table we have) it got tangled & pulled over my entire table & everything on it. We love dogs but they should be on a leash. After a week of them a new family came in renting all the cabins and the same thing, lots of dogs no leashes.
I'm sure this is a nice place if you stay in a cabin and don't mind dog poo. The owner Elaine has had the place for 48 years and works hard, very nice person but she should enforce the dog leash & pick up poop rule. The families that booked all the cabins have come back for 40 years so they love it. The 2nd group of families have been coming 30 some years.
We did catch a few nice fish that we couldn't keep they were in the throw back slot. We got a 36" northern Pike & a 20" Walleye. Voyager National Park is for people who like being on the water, boating, kayaking, canoeing and fishing. It is a pretty area not much to do other than boat.
This is next to Wooden Frog National Forest so you can launch a boat or kayak there too and watch sunset from there.
I'm sorry to write this bad review but it wasn't pleasant. We were up the street from here in Voyagers national park so we decided to stay another week since we couldn't find openings when they notified us Chippewa won't open. I try to research good places to camp this was a last minute booking since Chippewa Stony Point campground closed for Covid then needed updated & closed till sept. I would not stay here again.
LegendNote: the cost for the campsite is $20.00 per night, and there is also a $10.0 fee for reserving online, which you have to do before arriving. There are discounts if you have a national park senior or military pass, or free for veterans.
Mukooda Lake is an ecologically unique inland lake within Voyageurs Natioanl Park. Access is best via the crane Lake entrance on the southeast part of the park. Getting to the campground involves a bit of an expedition! You need use a small motorboat or paddle a canoe or kayak from Crane Lake to SandPoint Lake, then turn west into a small bay and dock at the Mukooda Access (no houseboats allowed!). If you don't have a boat, you can hire a water taxi from Crane Lake, they can drive you to the Mukooda access and arrange to pick you up again some days hence. Then you need to hike west across the Sand Point Narrows into Mukooda Lake, where you will find a day use area with beach and picnic area, trailhead for several hiking trails, and 5 separate small campgrounds spread like a string of pearls along a trail north of the day use area. Each campsite has a tent pad, fire ring, picnic table, and bear box, and there is a central solar outhouse in the day use area. The campsites are beautiful, and secluded, the hiking is great, and the fishing is exceptional. There is a unique subspecies of lake trout found here that is found nowhere else in the world; also, the lake has a unique substrate and hydrology and is very pristine. For those reasons, to protect the ake ecosystem ad the fishery, no outside boats may be portaged into Mukooda, even if you paddled your own canoe or kayak into the access. If you want to get out onto Mukooda Lake itself, there are boats already located there which you can reserve and rent for day use. That is a great idea for fishing, or for exploring the lake and its several islands! Some of the vendors for that option include:
https://scottspeacefulvalley.com/mukooda-lake/
https://www.voyagaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019-Optional-Equipment-Rentals.pdf
Boat rentals to get up to SandPoint before you hike into Mukooda can be arranged at one of these outfitters: https://www.visitcranelake.com/outdoor-activities/boat-rentals/
Hiking trail at Mukooda: https://www.voyageurs.org/mukoodatrail
General info about Voyageurs National Park: https://www.nps.gov/voya/index.htm
Latest news about Mukooda lake: https://www.nps.gov/search/?affiliate=nps&query=mukooda&sitelimit=www.nps.gov%2Fvoya
Legend
Located about 7 miles from the Ash River Visitor Center put-in, this beautiful little “front country” boat in site is a gem within Namakan Lake. Note: Get a detailed chart before attempting to navigate the lake, as the twists and turns and hundreds of islands can be quite confusing without one.
Beautiful view of the sunset and surrounding islands, two camping pads tucked into the trees, firepit, picnic table, 2 bear boxes, and your own private toilet (bring your own TP!). Kayak/canoe landing area is protected from the main channel/wind, can accommodate multiple boats with ease, and is just a short “schlep” up the stairs to the campsite. We stayed here 2 nights in early May and saw 3 boats the entire time. We fell asleep to loons and owls calling in the night.
Legend
Before many of the boat tours and rentals are running for the summer season, having your own watercraft is clutch in Voyageurs. But if you do, the park is practically all yours.
We did not have reservations ahead of time, but we’d highly recommend it during the summer season, because we were told they usually fill up. We visited in early summer, before many park events and tours had begun, so we beat most of the crowds.
The site we had in the Rainy Lake area, site #R67, was amazing. It wasn’t too tough to get out there in our inflatable kayak from the mainland (maybe an hour or so?) and we were able to navigate the islands just fine.
Our site had incredible views of both the sunset and sunrise, and since we were on our own small island, it felt truly special.
The site came with a picnic table, a sandy area to dock our kayak, and an in-ground pit toilet. Don’t forget bug spray! And if it’s a nice night, we’d suggest keeping off your rain fly. :)
We only stayed here for one night before returning to the mainland to drive south to access Lake Kabetogama and kayak out to our next campsite in Locator Lake.
The whole park is beautiful, but we’d recommend not visiting in the off-season if you don’t have your own kayak or boat. The heart of the park is on the water!
You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Voyageurs)
TravelerService was great, Arnold helped me Book a spot for a family gathering nearby. The campsite was clean and hook ups worked great!
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ranier, MN is Voyageurs National Park Backcountry Camping — Voyageurs National Park with a 4.9-star rating from 18 reviews.
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