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Best Tent Camping near Schroeder, MN

682 Reviews

Tent camping options near Schroeder, Minnesota feature several primitive backcountry sites along the Superior Hiking Trail and established tent campgrounds in nearby state parks. George H. Crosby Manitou State Park offers backpacking-focused tent sites with riverside locations and forest settings, while Tettegouche State Park provides cart-in tent camping at Lake Superior Cart-in Campground. Most sites require hikes ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 miles to reach the campsites, creating separation from vehicle access and maintaining a wilderness experience.

Tent pads throughout the area vary considerably in quality and levelness. Many backcountry sites feature minimal improvements beyond a fire ring and nearby latrine. The Superior Hiking Trail sites such as Dyers Creek, Crystal Creek Camp, and East Rollins Creek offer primitive tent setups with basic amenities including fire rings and pit toilets, but no drinking water. Campers need to filter water from nearby creeks and rivers or carry it in. Most backcountry tent sites require proper food storage techniques as bear boxes are rare, and hanging food bags is often necessary. A camper noted that Crystal Creek Camp features "a latrine that's well maintained, and it has one of the best views I've ever seen while sitting on a throne."

Backcountry tent camping in the Schroeder area provides excellent solitude with natural soundscapes. River sites in George H. Crosby Manitou State Park allow campers to fall asleep to the sound of rushing water, though some reviewers mention the noise can be quite loud rather than calming. Sites typically accommodate 1-2 small tents, with limited level ground being a common challenge. Trails to tent sites involve "constant rocks, roots, mud and steep hills," making this area better suited for experienced tent campers rather than beginners. According to a visitor at Crosby Manitou, "The reward for the hard work is solitude and quiet," with many campers reporting they encountered few or no other hikers during multi-day stays.

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Best Tent Sites Near Schroeder, Minnesota (75)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Schroeder, MN

85 Photos of 75 Schroeder Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Schroeder, MN

682 Reviews of 75 Schroeder Campgrounds

  • Ari A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 22, 2021

    Judge C. R. Magney State Park Campground

    Pleasant rustic getaway

    This is a rustic state park with no electric sites, dump station or water source for RV tanks, as well as nearly non-existent cell service, but it's a pleasant getaway spot. It felt like a rustic forest campground but had amenities like a bathroom/shower house. Regarding water, there is drinking water available to fill containers, just no hookup to fill RV tanks. They also have trash and recycling dumpsters available.

    The sites are decent size; privacy depends on the site but most aren't crammed on top of each other. All sites are dirt/gravel and the roads are dirt so be prepared for some dust in dry conditions.

    We saw mostly tents and smaller rigs but that's probably due to no electricity and no water source for RVs to fill from. Still, some sites were large enough for the Class As that were there.

    Bathrooms were decent but be ready for push-button showers for water conservation. They run long enough to essentially do Navy showers, which works fine. Water never really hot but plenty warm enough to not be considered cold.

    Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, plus firewood is available at the front office or at the camp host site (via self-service). Front office rarely staffed but there is a work garage and the DNR staff came through the campground regularly. Little to no cell service on T-Mobile and Verizon, but there is a WiFi spot available near the DNR work garage.

    It's nice that you can hike from the campground to Devil's Kettle and another waterfall (same trail), both of which were great.

    Access is from Highway 61 down a relatively short dirt road We would stay here again.

  • Jennifer H.
    Oct. 11, 2020

    Trail's End Campground

    Bears! Site 17

    Drive in site with a designated parking spot. Same parking area and walk in trail as site 15 and 16. Last site of three on the small path. Very unique and very large. You can hear your neighbors but there is more coverage between them than the rest. There are a few steep built in steps to get up to this site, but the main area is very flat. Cliff front might not be small kid friendly, but there is a path down to the water. Stunning view. There is good tree coverage to put a tarp up, but also to see the stars. It can get windy, so bring the good tent stakes. The site has plenty of rocks to pound them in place. There is more than one space to put a tent.

    We had a bear visit us about 8:30 after we had put the fire out in a very windy night. He has walked up from the water using the area between site 17 and 16. These three sites are near a dumpster, you can hear the lid close occasionally and I assume this was the bears motivation. Keep you food, trash, and grey water taken care of. You will have visitors.

    . Drinking water is next to the bathrooms, which is about 300 feet away. This site has a waterfront view of one of the Saganaga Lake coves. You can walk your way down to the water. Might not be little kid friendly, but the water and view are beautiful. This site has a ground inset fire pit with grate and picnic table, but no bear box. You will need a bear bag or put your food in your vehicle. There are bears.

  • Alli T.
    Aug. 25, 2023

    Cascade River State Park Campground

    BP#2 lovely and secluded

    Loved the two nights spent at backpacking site #2. It was very secluded, couldn’t hear/see anyone at any point during our time at the campsite. It has a covered wooden structure, good sized bear box, picnic table, and fire ring. There is also a pit toilet ~50 feet from the campsite, though was in pretty rough shape so did not use that but didn’t really mind since most backpacking sites don’t have this luxury anyway and was not expecting to have a toilet in the first place. The campsite sits atop Moose “Mountain,” which is about a mile hike in from the group site parking lot. Don’t underestimate this hike in!! We are two people in our 20s and in pretty good shape, but with ~35lbs of gear on your back with a very steady incline up, definitely had to take a couple breaks. It was pretty rainy so there were some muddy spots that were relatively easy to avoid. With that being said, it was definitely worth it given the seclusion and privacy of this campsite. If able and willing to put in the extra effort, I would recommend the backpacking sites over the drive-in sites as I have heard they can be pretty cramped. Overall, very happy with BP#2 will definitely be back!

  • Jennifer H.
    Oct. 11, 2020

    Trail's End Campground

    Site 15

    Drive in site with a designated parking spot. Same parking area and walk in trail as site 16 and 17. First site of three on the small path. Good size, but very little privacy. The neighboring site 14, has a few trees between, but you can see through and hear everything.

    Drinking water is next to the bathrooms, which is about 300 feet away. This site has a waterfront view of one of the Saganaga Lake coves. You can walk your way down to the water. Might not be little kid friendly, but the water and view are beautiful. This site has a ground inset fire pit with grate and picnic table, but no bear box. You will need a bear bag or put your food in your vehicle. There are bears.

  • Jennifer H.
    Oct. 11, 2020

    Trail's End Campground

    Site 16

    Drive in site with a designated parking spot. Same parking area and walk in trail as site 15 and 17. Second of three on the small path. Very small and no privacy. You can see straight to the main path and hear everyone. There is Medium coverage between site 17 and 15.

    Drinking water is next to the bathrooms, which is about 300 feet away. This site has a waterfront view of one of the Saganaga Lake coves. You can walk your way down to the water. Might not be little kid friendly, but the water and view are beautiful. This site has a ground inset fire pit with grate and picnic table, but no bear box. You will need a bear bag or put your food in your vehicle. There are bears.

  • Steph H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2017

    Clearwater Lake West Campsite

    Open, clean and soft

    There are a couple things I look for when finding a place to set up my tent after a long day of hiking. Clear ground, soft ground and a breathable space. The Clearwater west site on the Border Route Trail in Northern Minnesota had all three. A large open site great for groups with 5 tent sites and plenty of hammock camping trees. Right on Clearwater Lake so you have access to clear filterable drinking water. This was day 2 camp after heading eastbound from the start of the BRT. Day 1 had been 18 miles and day 2 was closer to 12 I think. The trail had been ravaged by winter storms so even while hauling on the trail we didn't get there till around 7pm in the rain. Plenty of great views along the way and overall well worth it but it was a loooong day. So I was happy to find such a hospitable site. Surprisingly there was a group there which ended up being a trail maintnance group so with the 4 of them and the 5 of us we still had plenty of room to spread out.

  • Jessica H.
    May. 10, 2018

    East Bearskin Lake Campground

    East Bearskin Lake Campground Camper Cabins

    The camper cabins at East Bearskin Lake Campground in Superior National Forest are the ideal way to take advantage of northern Minnesota's wilderness. The camper cabins include a picnic style table inside along with bunk bed sleeping areas. Foam sleeping pads are provided, but you're responsible for bringing your own linens. There is no heat or electricity in the cabins, but the structures are sturdy and provide shelter from wind, rain and snow. Each campsite has an outdoor picnic table and fire ring. There are four camper cabins and they can be reserved through the recreation.gov website. They are just under $70/night. There is plenty of space between cabins as well as other campsites to give you the feel of truly being in the middle of nowhere. We were surrounded by pine trees and had a trail located in our campsite that led to East Bearskin Lake. Keep in mind, it's Minnesota and there was still some snow on the ground and ice on the lakes at the end of May. Pit toilets were just a short walk down the road as was access to potable water.

    We saw a moose and had a fox visit our campsite while we were there. We fell asleep to the sound of loons every night. This is also black bear country, so it's important to be bear aware; make sure you store food and water properly and bring bear spray while out hiking. We tried our hand at trout fishing with little luck, but it was still fairly cold, and so not much was biting.

    We hiked the Caribou Rock Trail and hikers are required to fill out a hiking log slip before heading out. The 2 mile trail was moderate with a decent incline. Once at the top of the overlook, you can see East Bearskin Lake. There are several lodges throughout Superior National Forest where you can obtain fishing licenses and rent boats.

    Grand Marais, MN is only about 45 minutes away from East Bearskin Lake. It's a cool, quaint little town located right along Lake Superior. There's a handful of good restaurants, specifically The Angry Trout, which serves up fresh lake trout out of Superior. The Java Moose has great coffee and Lake Superior Trading Post carries lots of outdoor gear and souvenirs.

    We liked it so much, we went back 4 months later in September, and stayed again in the same camper cabin. For a true taste of the North Woods, East Bearskin is hard to beat.

  • Fred S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 15, 2021

    Judge C. R. Magney State Park Campground

    Can Hear Lake Superior Surf

    Nice, clean campground. Big trees throughout. Clean restroom/shower house. Also has vault toilets. Firewood available. Good water supply. Trash dumpsters. No hookups. At least half of the sites are level. Hiking trail. Helpful friendly staff. Can hear some traffic on nearby MN 61, but not bad. Can also hear the roar of surf on Lake Superior. Campsites are separated, but not much growth in between for privacy.

  • Amy G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 25, 2018

    South Kawishiwi River Recreation Area

    Quiet, lovely and had a beautiful swimming lake

    Quiet and full of trees, it's a great place to drop for the night. We didn't have a camper, but there was room for one. If you don't have a camper, you could actually fit several tents in the space where a camper would be parked. Ours, site #18, had a few steps that led to the picnic table and fire ring. Up there, we found another tent pad. That would have been the ideal spot for a tent (level and under trees), but we'd already set up at the bottom of the stairs.

    The fire ring was next to the table, almost too close, but not a problem. There were, however, lots and lots of mosquitoes (end of June). There was also a mamma bear and 2 cubs there, but they didn't bother us at all.

    The bathrooms were the nicest vault toilets that we've seen. Glad air freshener and everything!

    Although we didn't swim, they had a very lovely area in the lake that was sectioned off for swimming. It also appeared as though they had canoes for free use as well. They also had firewood for sale, but it was $7 for a bundle. That seemed very steep to me.

    Typical cost for a state forest campground in MN (cheaper, by far, than state park camps) and it was $15 for the night for a non electric site. Electric (30 amp) was $19 and electric (50 amp) was $21.There was also a $7 charge for extra vehicles at the site.

Guide to Schroeder

Primitive tent camping near Schroeder, Minnesota offers a genuine wilderness experience in the rugged terrain of Minnesota's North Shore. Located in Lake County approximately 80 miles northeast of Duluth, the area features dense coniferous forests interspersed with rocky outcrops at elevations ranging from 600-1800 feet. Winter temperatures regularly drop below 0°F, while summer highs typically range from 65-80°F with frequent rainfall creating muddy trail conditions.

What to do

Explore lake islands: At South Sonju Lake Camping, visitors can access a small island perfect for day use. "You can not camp on this sweet little oasis but you can definitely spend an afternoon lounging there. Our only regret was not bringing our hammocks," notes a camper who found the site just a short two-minute walk from the main camping area.

Fish for trout: The streams and lakes around Schroeder offer excellent fishing opportunities. A visitor to Divide Lake Campground reported, "We canoed over to it which makes it feel more remote than it actually is. Had a lot of luck fishing for trout as well!" The lake maintains a healthy trout population with best fishing typically occurring in early morning hours.

Winter camping: Unlike many Minnesota campgrounds that close seasonally, some sites remain open year-round. "This is one of the few state parks in Minnesota where you can winter camp! The trails are absolutely beautiful in the fall, the scenery changes often," writes a camper about George H. Crosby Manitou State Park, noting the diverse forest types encountered on trails to different campsites.

What campers like

Secluded locations: Many campers appreciate the privacy found at Bean and Bear Lakes Hike-In. One camper describes it as "my favorite MN campground and I always hesitate to tell people about this hidden gem because it is non-reservable and you already have to get out there early enough to claim your spot!" The campsite sits directly on the shore of a pristine lake surrounded by forest-covered hills.

Varied terrain: The changing landscape creates distinct camping environments. A visitor to Poplar River Rustic Campground notes it's "a beautiful spot tucked off the honeymoon trail" with "multiple spots off the popular river which consists of brook trout." The area is particularly scenic during fall color changes.

Riverside sleeping: Many campers specifically request riverside sites for the natural soundscape. At George H. Crosby Manitou State Park, a camper noted, "Site BP4 is beautiful set right on the river, and had access to a few big rocks in the river to sit on and enjoy the views... Being able to fall asleep to the sound of the river was lovely."

What you should know

Challenging terrain: The best tent camping near Schroeder typically requires physical effort. A camper at Lake Superior Cart-in Campground observed, "We stayed in the cart-in area and it was a blast! It was our first time doing the cart-in and was slightly hard, but you have to commit to this if you reserve. The trek into the campground was manageable and the area was very scenic."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Schroeder, MN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Schroeder, MN is George H. Crosby Manitou State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 23 reviews.

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TheDyrt.com has all 75 tent camping locations near Schroeder, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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