Cabin camping near Silver Bay is a great way to escape into nature, yet still have all the comforts of home. The Dyrt can help you find the best cabin camping destinations for your next trip. Search nearby cabins or find top-rated spots from other campers.
**Camping within Apostle Island National Lakeshore is strictly tent camping. There is no car or RV camping within the park. All campsites within the national lakeshore must be reached by boat or sea kayak, except for the Mainland 1, 2, and 3 campsites, which can be accessed by kayak or by hiking in only.** Mainland camping for car & RV camping: There are a variety of state parks and private campgrounds with facilities for car and RV camping in the Bayfield area on the mainland and on Madeline Island. Visit the park's Camping in the Apostles web page and scroll to the "Local Area Camping" section. Madeline Island is not part of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The Madeline Island Ferry is a car & passenger ferry service to transport visitors to the island. Camping within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: The Apostle Islands offer a unique camping experience. There are many campsites within the park, and each have their own unique characteristics to them. There are 57 individual campsites, 9 group campsites, and 17 primitive camping zones. NOTE: Visitors who choose to visit the islands and sleep in their personal self-contained vessel do not need a camping reservation. Public docks are available first-come, first-serve on 12 of the islands. You'll pay the overnight docking fee upon arrival. Be sure to download the Recreation.gov mobile app on your mobile device before you visit so that you can complete payment for overnight docking using scan & pay upon arrival. Advance reservations for camping permits are requiredfor camping in Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Each camping permit may cover up to 14 consecutive nights.__Permit holders can not have concurrent night stays. Permit holders can only have one reservation for the same nights of camping. Permit holders are responsible for any damages. Camping permits are non-transferable. Individual campsites: These campsites are designated for groups of 1-7 people. Most sites are equipped with a fire ring, bear locker, and a picnic table. These sites are recommended for first-time primitive campers. It will give a sense of backcountry camping with the pleasantries of the amenities. They are a good way to work up to the primitive zone camping. These sites are $15 per night. Reservations can be made starting 30 days from the start of a trip. Group campsites: These campsites are designated for groups of 8-21 people. Each site is equipped with a fire ring, bear locker, and a picnic table. These sites are great for large families or get-togethers with friends. These sites are $30 per night. These sites can be reserved in March every year during the Group Camping Lottery and remaining sites will open after the lottery is completed. Primitive zone camping: These campsites are designated for groups of 1-5 people. These sites are for the truly hardcore backpackers. Primitive zone camping is not a specific site but provides the option of choosing a backcountry area to camp. This type of camping experience has NO amenities. There are specific guidelines on where to camp for this type of experience. Consult the Primitive Zone camping maps for potential landing sites and available areas. The following areas are closed to primitive zone camping: Areas excluded from primitive camping zones and closed to camping to protect sensitive natural and cultural resources. Area posted as closed to protect bird nesting areas and threatened or endangered species. Areas in view of any designated trail. Areas within 1/4 mile of any building, historic structure, individual or group campsite, or another camping party. Areas within 100 feet of a flowing stream. Private land or lease holdings. For more information or questions about your itinerary, call park staff at (715) 779-3398 extension 2, between the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily from Memorial Day through September or Monday to Friday from October through Memorial Day.
For facility specific information, please call (715) 779-3398.
Cancellations made prior to the reservation start date will be given a 50% refund of the use fees. Changes to the reservation will be charged a $15.00 change fee.There is a $10 reservation fee for each permit made. The $10 reservation fee is non-refundable.
$30 / night
We offer a chance to discover the North Country. Explore the area on an ATV, a snowmobile, snowshoes or on foot and return to the warmth of a cozy fire in our lodge. Wildhurst is a private lodge and campground tucked into 40 acres of wilderness located in the Sawtooth Mountains. Bears, moose and grouse are common sightings along the many trails and creeks that surround Wildhurst. With direct access to the ATV/snowmobile trails, the adventure is endless.
Each campsite is located in a private, rustic setting with fire rings and picnic tables. Four RV sites with 40 amp and water, dry lodge rooms and soon to be added Yurts! Our log cabins are rustic with electric, propane heat, mini fridge, microwave and screened porches with a log swing overlooking Wildhurst Creek. All sites and rooms come with 24/7 access to the shower rooms.
Nestled in a beautiful and scenic valley of northeast Minnesota’s Sawtooth Mountains is Lax Lake. Once a logging community and Northern Rail stop, it was home to some of the state’s mightiest of loggers. Although the sawmill is gone, the beauty that once drew the first settler remains. It is here where each day nature’s ensemble invites your senses to experiences that no other place has. We welcome those who appreciate the peacefulness of God’s country and offer an enjoyable vacation doing what we we can to make your stay pleasurable and memorable... For those who are camping enthusiests, we offer 15 sites to fit your camping personality. Whether you have a tent, pop-up, topper, or hammock, we have reserved a few sites for each. Two sites can accomodate a pull-thru camper or motorhome... up to 32'. Electric hookups are available for most sites. Modern bathrooms, quarter operated showers and laundry facilities are avaible in the central lodge.
$38 - $125 / night
Eighteen Lake Rustic Campground provides three campsites and a picnic area under red pines on the shore of Eighteen Lake. A trail around the lake and a carry down boat access make this a wonderful spot to spend a weekend in the woods.
Sawbill Lake Campground has immediate access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a beautiful, peaceful and wild natural feature of Minnesota's Superior National Forest. The campground acts as a convenient base camp for exploring the nearby wilderness. Superior National Forest, located in northeastern Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, is comprised of 3 million acres. The forest spans 150 miles along the United States-Canada border. Visitors can find recreation opportunities year-round, including travel in the famed Boundary Waters.
This facility draws canoe enthusiasts who seek a quiet and convenient area from which to access the surrounding wilderness. Day and overnight use of the Boundary Waters requires a permit. The campground concessionaire, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, provides a one-stop shop for canoeists of all levels within walking distance of the campground. Canoe rentals, permits and guided canoe trips are available. Campers who wish to spend time relaxing at the campground can fish for northern pike and bass; hike, bike, picnic and attend educational programs. View recreation guides and maps of hiking trails and canoe routes in the national forest.
Sawbill Lake is nestled in a thick pine forest that gives campsites excellent privacy. Birds and wildlife are abundant, from moose and bear to bald eagles and loons. Wildflowers add bright colors to the landscape in warmer months. The campground sits on a hill above Sawbill Lake. The 765-acre lake is within the Boundary Waters.
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters maintains a store with showers, laundry, fishing licenses, bait and tackle, ice, grocery and convenience items, canoe and camping gear, rentals and a pay telephone. Over 1 million acres in size, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness contains over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and over 2,000 designated campsites. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Additional sites of interest
$10 - $20 / night
Birch Lake Campground is located in Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, about 13 miles from Ely, Minnesota. It is an ideal place to relax while enjoying fishing, boating and other recreational activities.
Fishing, boating and canoeing are popular on Birch Lake. Anglers can use the boat ramp or try their luck from shore to catch northern pike, perch, crappie and walleye. There are no horsepower limitations for boats on the lake. The shoreline is inviting for campers interested in canoeing. Families also enjoy berry picking during the summer and early fall months. View recreation guides and maps of hiking trails and canoe routes in the national forest.
Birch Lake covers 7,628 acres and is one of a series of lakes in the area. The campground lies in aspen and birch forest. Birds and wildlife are abundant. Superior National Forest, located in northeastern Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, is comprised of 3-million acres. The forest spans 150 miles along the United States-Canada border.
Numerous outdoor recreation opportunities lie within Superior National Forest's 77 lake accesses, 13 fishing piers, 10 swimming beaches and 22 picnic areas. The forest is also home to three scenic byways. Campers can also explore the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Over 1-million acres in size, the Boundary Waters extends nearly 150 miles along the United States-Canada border and contains over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and over 2,000 designated campsites.
$19 - $89 / night
In season camping runs from April to September, with reservations available. Off season camping is first-come-first-served at a discounted rate
Guide
We stayed here last June with our large family. My bf and I stayed 2 nights in a cabin and tent camped 2 nights on a camp site. This area has great access to many lakes including the BWCA along with being close to Ely for anything you may have forgotten. Silver Rapids Lodge itself has a bar/restaurant right by campground along with many other amenities. Many cabins to choose from from 4-6 ppl all the way up to a 24 person cabin!! Good fishing and lots of areas to do so without a boat, if you don’t have a boat and would like to rent one SRL offers boat rentals. Small swimming area and play place for kids. Pet friendly, clean, and nice hosts.
Traveler
We stayed at Wildhurst about 20 years ago and had a great time, even got to see an mini-air show overhead with USAF F-16s out of Duluth doing maneuvers overhead. So, when the State Forest campgrounds were closed last spring for storm cleanup, we decided to take a cabin there. Not going back. The new owners are trying; I'll give them that. They're friendly, the little restaurant isn't bad, but the latrines (outhouses) really need to be rebuilt. I mean REALLY. Lime on the toilet seat. Early in the season and the biffys by our cabin were horrible smelling, (And I DO understand that they are open toilets. I was the ranger in a state forest campground for 26 years and had to clean weekly and pump out every year 12 of them.) and if the wind was wrong, we could smell it in our cabin. Cabins were smallish, but comparable to a state park camper cabin, they need updates, paint, roofing, and leveling the floors.
Wildhurst has potential. I wish it was as good as it used to be,
Scout
You won’t regret staying here!! The cabin is absolutely beautiful. Perfect place to be secluded from everything to relax and enjoy the views!
Legend
This is a private campground that fills up quick. It is 1 mile from Bayfield town center. It is close to the ferry dock, restaurants, parks and beaches. All sites are electric and water and some are full hook up. There are cabins and tent sites as well. The office/store is very clean and stocked with things you may need. 8 flavor ice creams on site! There is a dump station and picnic tables and fire rings at each site. There is free wi-fi and a shower house, bathrooms and laundry.
GuideGreat campground! Drove out far for Labor Day weekend hoping we could find a last minute campground. Luckily a few people cancelled their reservations so we found one out here. Had awesome sites, ATV/UTV trails, a bar, a playground, and rentable cabins. Sites are secluded and pretty private. Campground also has clean bathrooms. Toilets are by the sites but are vaults but then by the bar there are two bathrooms with showers and flushing toilets that are open 24/7. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Felt very welcome here even tho I’m from Green Bay haha
TravelerWe liked the easy drive through sites with full hookup. The campsites were tiered into the hill. This helped sound proof the campsites. There was a large group a few sites down from us that we didn't hear until we walked past their site. Some sites also had a view overlooking the pond and Lake Superior. We could see the full moon reflecting off of Lake Superior. Our site did not have this view but we saw it on a walk in the campground. The unique looking cabins were on the pond and looked to be very convenient for families with children who want to be in the water most of the time. We loved all the amenities of Water, Sewer, Electric and WiFi. We loved the close access to Bayfield and the water excursions we took from Bayfield. One of the highlights for our group was the excellent golf course close to the campground. I gave my review a 4 star because the day we were leaving the campsites lost water pressure and had no water to get ready to leave. I believe the owners will be addressing this problem. They were working on it while we were there.
ScoutThis is the best base camp for exploring the Apostle islands. It’s about a mile from Bayfield. There is bike rental at Howl bike shop which is walking distance. Howl also has a brewery with outside seating. The camp ground itself is quiet and clean. We didn’t go in the bathrooms or use the washers due to Covid. Owners are very accommodating.
Guide
Sawbill is one of our favorite campgrounds! We've stayed here numerous times and never had a bad visit. This was our first time at site #49. It is a very nice site with plenty of room. We usually do a day canoe rental when we visit and the staff at the outfitters are wonderful. Very nice and helpful - again never a bad experience!
ScoutNo joke, this was our family’s first camping trip. We have five kids 10 and under. The sites were clean and large. Some are larger than others. Ours was about 15 feet from the next site but that was through trees.
Plenty of drinking water and bathrooms. Each site has a picnic table and a fire pit with a grate.
The outfitters on site are amazing. Kind and helpful. They have pay showers and all the rentals you need.
We did a day trip and had a blast.
GuidePerfect little campground (and outfitters) right in the lake. Great for those who still want a few amenities.
It’s a dry campground. Water at the outfitters. Vault toilets (clean and nice!) throughout. Water spigots in the campground. Dump station next to the outfitters. Outfitters have basic necessities and gear. Canoe rentals too. Campground is right in sawbill lake. Lord of portages nearby. Amazing place!
Sites are spaced out. Shaded. Most can accommodate trailers. Some are better for tents only. Our 34’ and 37’ fit perfect with plenty of room. Fire pits and tables in each one.
Highly recommend. It’s a wonderful place to camp!
BWCA entry point.
LegendWe visited some people staying here in the campground we were at fall lake. The Lodge is across the street with lots of amenities. The lodge has a shower house, bar/ Lounge, restaurant, boat and canoe rentals, game room, free Wifi, a playground, bait & tackle, a private swim beach and laundry facility. The laundry facility is near the other campground and suites I like the campground across the street better. Good homemade Pizzas! This area is beautiful. I gave it a 3 star rating because we like privacy, a little more wooded surroundings and you can hear traffic but it's not a very busy road.
Across the street from the lodge is the campground, boat ramp & small toilet rooms a little primitive. Better to be self contained in this part of the campground. Most sites back up to the water and some have docks behind them and there is water & electric. Some have a little shade. There isn't much privacy and there isn't a lot of room between them but a great view. You can fish from you campsite they had caught some Walleye. There are several lakes here you choose from if you boat, canoe or kayak. I would say my camper is bigger than it is to make sure you get a little larger spot. The ones across from the toilet rooms can be tight backing in having enough room to get in take that into consideration when booking.
I believe they use the dump station in Ely at the visitor center they have a dump you can use for #5.00. Ely is a small town it has a lot of canoe outfitters, 2 grocery stores, a few places to eat, gas stations, hardware stores, some gift shops, so come prepared there isn't a Walmart or anything near there.
By far the best ice cream we ever ate. It's called Northern Expressions I had the caramel collision, the malts were good too. The line can be all the way down the side of the building but the wait is worth it.
Lots of lakes in the area, Fall lake is close by which is nice for Kayaking, canoeing or boating. It's part of the BWCA. Nice campground there too.
Ranger
Nice clean bathroom and great showers that have an extra DRY SPACE and a chair to change into fresh dry clothes.
Campground is well maintained, sites in the woods are spaced apart. Sites closer to Lake Superior are tight, some are VERY SHORT and tent sites only.
Good electric power and water at the site we were at.
Two nice beaches and a river at the campground. Very beautiful sunrise’s over the lake!
Fall camping will be cool beside the lake so bring warm clothes.
Close to MANY Minnesota State Parks and super good hiking trails.
Site 8 with no electricity or water and is great site with super views of the lake.
Traveler
A group of 4 of us planned a fall colors camping trip, hoping to snag a state forest campsite. Unsurprisingly, on a friday afternoon most of those campgrounds are packed during peak fall color. We called around to a few campground, and luckily the owner at Lax Lake said they had a spare tent pad available, not normally reservable. We didn't care, just needed a spot to set up (in the dark now). Were pleasantly surprised to find a fire ring and table, and were offered access to their bathrooms normally for the reserved RV grounds. Great views of the lake and very close to hwy 61 to access all the parks. Paid $22 or so night. Super grateful of the staff to accommodate on short notice!
ScoutOverall, such a great spot. The sites were clean and well taken care of. Same with the bathrooms and showers! The employees are very friendly and accommodating. They fit us into a spot the day we showed up, without reservations. My only complaints are that the sites do not have reservation markers and our spot was pretty close to our (noisy) neighbors, although I’ve seen worse.
TravelerWe stumbled upon this campground when every other campground near Tettegouche was full by noon on Friday. About a twenty minute drive from the park. Great spot. There is more open camping near the office, but if you follow the road back past the office/bar there are about 10 more private, individual spots. Staff was incredibly friendly. The only downside is that the grounds seem to be primarily used for ATV folks, as there is a trail connected at the back of the grounds. There was some noisy riding around, but we were gone hiking most of the day so we barely noticed. Within 20 minutes of some great hikes. All in all, decent price point and saved our trip when everything else was full.
GuideFriendly campground! Nice restaurant on site. Seems to cater to the side by side...ATV crowd. Lots to see and do in the area. Take a drive over to Ely..cute town. Visit the old Irin mine! We had a God stay...but sites are tight for larger rigs. Gravel road in is rough so go slow. Did not try bath house or public facilities.
Guide
We are the only people here in the campground, the locals make us feel welcome. Lots of hiking
ScoutA little expensive but worth it for the secluded site not far from the showers. Bar/office super friendly
GuideA great campsite just a few minutes from the main highway up the coast of lake superior. There's a bar with a kitchen where you check in to the campsite filled with friendly people, games, and great food. But enough about that, the campsite itself is very private with a spot to park you car, and you are surrounded by trees and bushes for each individual campsite. A fire pit and picnic table can be found at each site. There is potable water, showers, and an outhouse. Ice, firewood, and limited camping supplies are available for purchase at the bar.
ScoutWhat a great spot! Quiet and comfortable, and when I called to confirm our spot (we were running late) the site owner was super friendly. The site was well maintained and easy to find even when we arrived after dark. Definitely coming back!!
ScoutThere are showers and a bar. It was a great place to stay. There was a river behind us but because of the bushes you couldn't see it. Beautiful area, nice people and right along side a 4-wheeling trail.
ScoutWildhurst campgrpund has an awesome price point for the privacy of their campsites and the amenities they offer.
The owners are friendly enough and really won’t bother you unless you do something wrong. They can be difficult to get ahold of to make reservations, but if you’re persistent it’ll work out
The only downside that bothered me was that it is a bit of a drive from the campgrounds to a lot of the hikes and activities that my husband and I were interested in. We’ll be returning in August though and will be able to plan more accordingly to our location.
Scout
Very nice camp, roads can be a bit rough after rain.
ScoutMosquitos were bad run back to the twin cities !
ScoutGreat Area! Lake is clear and looks like very good fishing. Does not have a boat launch. There are three campsites that are decently big and you could fit two-three cars. Has a nice 2 1/2 mile hike around the lake
LegendCamped here on Oct 22, 2023. Free primitive national forest campground with 5 sites. Wooded. Campground is suitable for truck campers and smaller. There was a crappy looking RV parked next to the vault toilet; sketchy, looked like long term residents. I did not get a good vibe here but stayed anyway since it was getting late. No drinking water. Fire ring at site. Sites spaced apart okay. Beautiful lake. Nice hiking trail around lake. Fishing is good. Road coming to the campground can be rough in places, but doable with passenger car. The campground itself was nothing special, but camping in the woods along a beautiful lake was appealing.
TravelerHave stayed here many times, love it!
Great tent sites right on Lake Superior.
Hardly any bears :)
Experience the charm of cabin camping near Silver Bay, Minnesota, where you can immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the comforts of home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Silver Bay, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Silver Bay, MN is Apostle Islands Area RV park and Camping with a 4.4-star rating from 22 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 18 cabin camping locations near Silver Bay, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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