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Black Beach Campground near Silver Bay permits pets at all camping sites with clean facilities within walking distance of Lake Superior's shoreline. The campground features both tent and RV accommodations with electric hookups, fire rings, and picnic tables at each site. Pets must remain leashed throughout the campground area. Tettegouche State Park also welcomes pets at its Bean and Bear Lakes hike-in sites, offering primitive camping for more adventurous dog owners. The walk-in campgrounds are spacious and private, located on a bluff edge with access to a virtually private beach. George H. Crosby Manitou State Park Campground provides additional pet-friendly options with hiking trails accessible year-round.
Nearby hiking trails connect many of these pet-friendly campgrounds, allowing campers to explore with their dogs while enjoying Lake Superior views. The Superior Hiking Trail offers multiple access points near Silver Bay with connecting paths to Bean and Bear Lakes, where dogs can cool off in clear water after hiking. Black Beach itself provides a unique shoreline experience for pets and owners, though the campground itself lacks mature trees for shade. Finland State Forest Campground, about 15 minutes from Silver Bay, offers a more wooded setting for pets that prefer shade during summer months. ATVs frequent some campground areas, so owners should be mindful of pets that may be sensitive to noise, especially at Black Beach where traffic from Highway 61 can create additional sound.
"The shower house is a lengthy walk; not a problem but consider driving up to it if you have little with. Clean vault toilets throughout the campground are convenient."
"First, the cart in sites are just far enough away from the parking lot that there is very little noise, but close enough you can get to your car easily (1/4 mile maybe)."
from $25 / night
Check Availability"You fill with water near the restroom in the campground next to the bath house across from the dumpsters. From our site you can here the river flowing it’s so peaceful."
"This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds in northern Minnesota along the glorious shores of Lake Superior. The campsites are surrounded by plenty of wilderness to allow some privacy. "
from $25 - $35 / night
Check Availability"Well-spaced, secluded sites with convenient access to restrooms, water access, and hiking trails Steps away from the magnificent lake."
"Stopped at Gooseberry on our way up the coast of Lake Superior on a long weekend."
from $25 - $75 / night
Check Availability"Baptism river runs along the campground and has limited camping sites near it. First come first serve. There was a group playing music late and a few drunk campers who visited my site unannounced."
"The sites on the outside are more secluded but the ones in the middle are also nice. There is also a picnic area on the river and trails behind schedule some of the sites that lead to the river."
from $17 / night
Check Availability"Tettegouche is beautiful right next to Lake Superior. 23 miles of hiking trails, 34 modern campsites (With Flush toilets and showers) and 13 cart-in campsites."
"Aside from the popular hikes to Shovel Point, High Falls or Bean and Bear Lake - there are miles and miles of other beautiful hiking trails in this state park!"
from $25 / night
Check Availability"This site sits directly on Bear Lake near Silver Bay, MN. There are 2 relatively close sites here and this review is for the further back one."
"One- the location can’t be beat, anywhere along the North Shore is guaranteed to be beautiful but this campsite is set right on the shore of a pristine lake surrounded by forest covered hills."
"One of those changes involved wandering down to Black Beach (right next to the campground) for the first time and it was awesome; cannot believe in all my trip up the shore I had never been. "
"Tents and rvs also allowed in a section next to the highway with electric only."
from $30 - $45 / night
Check Availability"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."
"We stayed a site 22 on the small lake in early June and loved it! There were other campers nearby for only 1 night, and we never much from them."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"Nice little campground just off of highway 61 heading up the north shore. We were able to find a walk in campsite on a Friday night which was nice. Bathrooms were in decent condition. "
"This is a state forest campground high on a ridge overlooking Lake Superior, just south of the Wolf Ridge ELC."
"The sites are generously sized, well spaced, wooded and private. short walk to get to Lake Superior shoreline."
"Campground Review Temperance River State Park is just off of scenic Highway 61 north of Duluth, Minnesota about 60 miles."
from $24 - $34 / night
Check Availability
GuideWe came here after a day of diving in Lake Superior. The trees are just starting to turn. Beautiful drive from Silver Bay. Small campground with a narrow road in. It’s fine for our tiny camper but bigger rigs would have trouble getting in and out.
GuideAn amazing Campsite if you’re lucky enough to beat the crowds there! This site sits directly on Bear Lake near Silver Bay, MN. There are 2 relatively close sites here and this review is for the further back one. The ground isn’t exactly flat so your tent might be a little slanted - but it’s worth it for the views!
The site has a 1 night stay maximum because of its popularity and is located about 3 miles from the Superior Hiking Trail parking lot in Silver Bay. You can hike up above the lake for an amazing view of both Bear and Bean Lakes.
GuideGreat location between Duluth and the far North Shore. Close to 2 state parks and land mark Black Beach. Silver Bay has small grocery store and services. The park is a tree dessert with only young saplings...no shade. Facilities are clean but limited in number for number of camp sites. Maintained by the city or county so it is kept pretty clean. We were here 4 days...waiting for next reservation. Easy access from 61. No camp store that we saw. Level gravel sites with various hookup options. Very few are full hook up.
GuideThis is a small lot for RV parking on the way to the scenic overlook. There’s a dump station and hose for fresh water down the hill. We stayed the night and ended up meeting another van couple and ate dinner together. If you stay, definitely recommend doing the City/Lake view trail at the top of the hill to learn a little bit about Silver Bay! The video I added is of the trail at the top.
RangerThis campground was just what we needed for out Nor' Shore adventure. We ended up staying in a basic site without sewer hook up but for 2 nights that was not supposed to be a big deal. The basic sites are right off Hwy 66, the full hook-up sites are further back, and seemed bigger in general. Having lived in Duluth for a few years we had our regular things to do planned but getting snow (in early Oct!) caused us to change it up a bit. One of those changes involved wandering down to Black Beach (right next to the campground) for the first time and it was awesome; cannot believe in all my trip up the shore I had never been. That night the snow moved in and we had an great evening around the fire while the snow fell. We also ended up doing the Alpine Slide at Lutsen and hanging out in Grand Marais the next day. Before heading to Duluth for a day, we had to use the city RV sewer dump area that is just a couple miles into Silver Bay since we did not get a spot with full hook-ups. The problem was when we got up there it was not working. And by "not working" I mean it was flooded with nasty-nasty "brown" water. We didn't want to drive +200 miles with the tanks full so we went back to the campground and dumped in a full hook-up site that was empty.
PROS: Great location for hitting all the North Shore hot spots.
Reasonable rates
Very clean
Full Hook-up sites are available, and are further off the highway and bigger
Right next to the very unique and cool Black Beach
Right in Silver Bay so option for groceries and restaurants
CONS: City RV sewer dump is not a bad alternative to no onsite dump, but only if it works!
The basic sites are right off Hwy 66 (which was not too bad all things considered), smaller and close together
LegendThe drive up the coast towards Tettegouche is beautiful with great views of the coast and all the beautiful wildflowers everywhere in June. When you pull into the park there is a visitor center there but it was closed to to Covid-19. To the right of that is the road to the campground.
We stayed in site # 20 which was big and private. We had Electric and filled with water when we entered. You fill with water near the restroom in the campground next to the bath house across from the dumpsters. From our site you can here the river flowing it’s so peaceful. The sites are not level so come prepared. The only downfall is no dump station yet there is a dump station up the road in Silver Bay for a donation. When you leave the park you go left on 61 to the first light & go right at that light. Past the sheriff station on the left is the dump station.
The smell of Pine is so nice sitting in the campsite or walking a trail. Smells like Christmas. Nice trees
I think the best sites are #1, 22 and 20. There is a path behind 20 & 22 leading to 2 different falls. It's a easy hike about 1 1/2 miles round trip to High Falls you cross a suspension bridge to the other side there are lookouts both sides. Now 2 step falls has a 200 stairs so beware. There are many different trails in the park one which goes down to the beach on Lake Superior.
Close by:
Great fishing from our Kayak on Lax Lake. It's about 5 to 6 miles inland, has a boat ramp very easy access and a dock you can fish on. We caught 3 to 3 1/2 lb Bass, Perch, Northern Pikes and Pan fish.
Firewood can be bought along the side of the road I believe on 1 going towards Lax Lake. There were 2 vendors with cut wood one on each side of the road. The wood wasn't for sale in the park due to COVID.
in Silver Bay is Zups grocery, Ace hardware, Gas station, the dump station, and a few places to eat.
Beautiful views from places along the coast, Palisade Head, (we saw people rock climbing) nice view of cliffs & lake Superior. Split Rock Lighthouse was closed but you could park near the picnic area & walk along the shore on a trail to it. Nice path to get there. Gooseberry Falls is another great little hike within Gooseberry state Park. You can take a dip near the falls or just relax & soak it all in. There were lots of people at the falls when we were there in June.
Had lunch at Betty;'s Pies it was ok. The place is packed all the time. The we went to the Rustic Inn Cafe they have the best Peanut butter Pie ever along with other great Pies.
Grand Marais is a cute town it's a drive up the coast but worth seeing it. We had lunch at the Gunflint trail Tavern. It was good especially the steamed dumplings. The French onion soup was good too. You can drive through many state parks along the coast they are all different. Many people go the Grand Marias to see the Northern Lights.
The crows did shred my flannel backed table cloth it was a mess, yet we cut it up and used it to cover the firewood from moisture & rain. A win, win!
This was my favorite State park along the coast of MN.
ScoutShipwreck Creek Campground is a great new(er) addition to the Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. All of the sites are large and spacious with interesting rock features and vegetation that adds to the privacy. Facilities are clean and well maintained. All sites are nice, but the loop with the “300’s” sites are the most spacious and interesting.
The shower house is a lengthy walk; not a problem but consider driving up to it if you have little with. Clean vault toilets throughout the campground are convenient.
Only bummer is the lack of dump/fill station onsite; park website directs you to fill prior to arrival at the Silver Bay city/municipal shop.
GuideA rare find - clean, level, large RV sites with full hook ups on the North Shore not filled with residents in all the good sites. Strict rules such as no early check in and no late check out. Tents and rvs also allowed in a section next to the highway with electric only. NOTE: no onsite dump station - if you do not stay in a full hookups site you must drive into the town of Silver Bay to use the city dump facility, which may be too awful to use, depending on how many used it first. ATV trails connect to this campground, so it is very popular with them. No one starts before the 8am quiet time end, so we enjoyed watching the different types pass by. A new security code locked bathhouse is clean and nice. We stayed during the Memorial Day weekend, and were pleasantly surprised at the well behaved and polite people here. I recommend this campground as a nice place to explore the North Shore from.
LegendIt isn't very often that a new campground pops up on the North Shore! So I was definitely excited to check it out- it opens on 6/25/2020. It is within short walking distance to the black sand beaches of Silver Bay- which features my favorite picnic/wading spot on the north shore.
It is very much a municipal campground where all the spots are identical and do not offer much privacy. The sites are long and flat with immature landscaping, so it will be a while before there is enough tree cover to provide shade and privacy. The finishing touches like picnic tables are still to be placed. The sites are for either RVs or tent camping, but the general aesthetic makes me think that there will be more RVs and tent campers here. There are basically two loops- once closer to Hwy 61 and one closer to the lake. Each offers a small bathroom facility.
Camping near Silver Bay, Minnesota centers on the North Shore of Lake Superior, situated at an elevation of about 700 feet above sea level with rocky shorelines and dense northern forests. The area experiences cool summers with average highs of 70°F and cold winters that drop below 10°F, making camping conditions variable throughout the year. Numerous sites accommodate pets while offering diverse terrain from lakeside to wooded settings.
Hiking at Tettegouche State Park: The Bean and Bear Lakes trail provides a challenging but rewarding experience. "This is one of my all time favorite hikes and camp spots 'up north'. The hike into the Bean and Bear Lakes is fun and has some great views in itself. Though the best and most gratifying part of the hike is getting to the top of the overlook and seeing both lakes," notes Paige J. about Bean and Bear Lakes Hike-In.
Explore waterfalls: The parks near Silver Bay feature multiple waterfall trails. At Baptism River Campground, "There are tons of stairs on one trail, but they are worth it to see the top of the waterfall and walk the swing bridge," shares Samantha B. who stayed at Baptism River Campground.
Winter camping options: Unlike many Minnesota locations, some areas near Silver Bay 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," explains Hayley G. about George H. Crosby Manitou State Park.
Fishing opportunities: Local lakes provide good fishing within short distances of campsites. "Great fishing from our Kayak on Lax Lake. It's about 5 to 6 miles inland, has a boat ramp very easy access and a dock you can fish on. We caught 3 to 3 1/2 lb Bass, Perch, Northern Pikes and Pan fish," reports B M. who camped at Baptism River.
River sounds for sleeping: Campers consistently mention the peaceful sound of flowing water. At George H. Crosby Manitou State Park Campground, "The sound and sights of the river was mesmerizing," according to Sara A., while Mike O. adds, "Being able to fall asleep to the sound of the river was lovely."
Secluded sites: Many campgrounds offer privacy between sites. "Sites were fully hidden from each other, spacious, and comfortable. We were able to hike to the high falls and shovel point directly from our campsite," notes Sarah D. about Lake Superior Cart-in Campground at Tettegouche State Park.
ATV trail access: For those bringing off-road vehicles, some campgrounds provide direct trail connections. At Black Beach Campground, "ATV trails connect to this campground, so it is very popular with them. No one starts before the 8am quiet time end, so we enjoyed watching the different types pass by," explains Jennifer B.
Low light pollution: Star-gazing opportunities exist throughout the area. At George H. Crosby Manitou State Park, one camper noted, "There is a rocky outcrop in the middle of the site that is a perfect platform to lay down on and stargaze," while others mention the visibility of stars through tree canopies at several locations.
Campground reservations: Pet-friendly camping near Silver Bay, Minnesota requires advance planning during peak season. "Reserve your site early, Tettegouche State Park fills fast! This is one of the most popular Minnesota State Parks and fills up fast. Plan ahead so you can stay in this beautiful place," advises Matt S. about Lake Superior Cart-in Campground.
Road noise considerations: Some campgrounds experience highway sound. Karl R. notes about Black Beach Campground: "Very noisy with the roar of traffic on hwy 61 all night. ATVs coming and going at all hours."
Water access limitations: Despite Lake Superior proximity, not all sites have easy water access. DJ cautions about Baptism River Campground: "This campground is super pretty, great location close to many things to explore, and I love that you can hear the waves of the lake at night. Unfortunately, the sites are very close to each other, and not much privacy between them or from the road."
First-come campground options: When reserved sites are full, alternatives exist. "This campsite is first come, first serve which is great for people who are last minute like me. It was very clean, very wooded and the campsites were nice and big," shares Adriana E. about Finland State Forest Campground.
Level sites for setup: Look for campgrounds with flat terrain for easier family camping. At Split Rock Lighthouse State Park Campground, Zack H. notes, "We stayed in site C4. It was a great spot to have with kids. One of the nearest sites to the restrooms which was nice. It was a good balance of rustic with a side of comfort."
Distance to restrooms: When camping with children, bathroom proximity matters. "Site #20 which was big and private. We had Electric and filled with water when we entered. You fill with water near the restroom in the campground next to the bath house across from the dumpsters," explains B M. about their stay at Baptism River.
Wildlife education opportunities: The area provides chances to observe local animals. One camper at Finland State Forest mentioned, "There was some wolf poop in our site," while others report seeing deer, rabbits, and chipmunks throughout the region.
Beach access for kids: Black sand beaches provide unique swimming spots. According to Nick K., "This is a great no frills campground. Walking distance to Black Beach. The park is as new so it was very clean."
Hookup availability: Electric connections vary between campgrounds near Silver Bay. At Shipwreck Creek Campground, Dave M. reports: "There are water hydrants in the campground, but you cannot do dishes or fill your camper from them. There is no dump station. Newer campground with nice roads and good spots. Nice shower houses. 50 amp hook ups."
Site dimensions: Large rigs require careful site selection. Joe C. explains about Shipwreck Creek: "Spacious RV spots with additional tent sites on each one. We are 47 feet without the truck and fit in a 50 foot spot. 55 foot with our rear deck extended."
Dump station locations: Plan for waste disposal before arriving. Jamie M. notes about Baptism River Campground: "Site #20e was perfect for our 5th wheel camper, and had easy access to both the high falls and two step falls. Quick drive to the main park building and lake superior."
Leveling challenges: Be prepared for uneven terrain at some sites. Jeremy B. cautions about George H. Crosby Manitou: "This site is also not level. It has a pitch of about 5 degrees which doesn't sound like much until you attempt to balance your cookpot on your backpacking stove."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Silver Bay, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Silver Bay, MN is Cart-In Campground — Split Rock Lighthouse State Park with a 4.8-star rating from 70 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Silver Bay, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 112 dog-friendly camping locations near Silver Bay, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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