Best Cabin Camping near Wirt, MN

This is a full service fishing resort with a lodge and cabin rental, but RV and tent camping is also available. The campsites are very nice and wooded, the tenting sites include some very secluded spots back in the woods which is nice for solitude but precludes a view of the lake. There are daily rates as well as weekly rates for camping or cabin stays. This is a top notch place to stay for a fishing vacation, off the beaten path but with full amenities. It can be a destination vacation spot, or can be a great stop-over  for through-paddlers crossing Lake Winnie on the Mississippi River Headwaters Water Trail. Although near the National Forest campground on Tamarack Point, this has many more amenities which is nice when you are so far from the nearest town, especially if you are paddling through and have no vehicle for travel. Amenities include groceries, ice cream shop, full service boat launch and fishing supplies, and more. You might not be into winter camping in a tent, but there are ice houses to rent that you could camp in if you come in winter. More expensive than usual campgrounds, but with more amenities provided and with a stellar location. Pets welcome at no extra charge! Seasonal campsite rental can also be arranged.

We stayed at Balsam Beach Resort & RV Park at the height of summer vacation on Lake Plantagenet in Bemidji. The resort was at full capacity, so it was crowded with no privacy that we prefer to have. (one of the reasons for the lower star rating) We brought our RV and boat, and there was room to park our boat trailer by the boat landing. There are many seasonal sites, cabins for rent, and an open field area for camping in a tent, and 4 RV spots. We stayed in RV spot #1, and the spot came with a picnic table and a fire ring which we did not use because the size of the space put our RV to close to the ring. There is a big fire ring down by the lake that anyone can use (please note you can not bring in your own firewood, they have it available for purchase in the lodge for $5.00 for a small bundle) All RV sites are full hook up with 30 amp electric service, and water and dump. If you bring a boat, it will need to be inspected before you launch it into the lake. There is a big dumpster where you can put your trash in, and they also have bins for aluminum cans, and glass and plastic recycling.

Most of our time was spent fishing on the lake, but we were impressed with the other activities they offered to people staying there including a swimming pool, beach toys, paddle boats, canoes, inflatable rafts, a playground, a baseball field, horse shoes, volley ball sand pit, work out room, and laundry facilities (bring your quarters!! A regular wash and dry is $4.00) They also off cable TV hook up, and have a "general store" that sells sweatshirts, tshirts, ice cream, coffee, and has movie rentals for $4.00 per movie/per day. (Yes, we got the sense that everything is an additional fee) They do allow pets, but at a cost of $5.00 per day. The resort was clean and well maintained by the owners. We just did not feel a sense of welcome from the owners, and will not be making a return trip in the future. It was nice being only a few miles away from the city of Bemidji as we spent a day visiting Paul Bunyan and Babe, and Bemidji State Park to hike the Bog walk (recommended!!) We also spent a day fishing on Lake Bemidji, which is a 10 minute drive from the resort.

The quality of this campground is really a 4, however the location is a little  bit out of the way for doing day trips, exploring and access to the Chippewa National Forest. It is not on Lake Winnie, so you have to drive to a boat landing to launch your watercraft, and there is swimming at a nearby beach but it is not on the premises. However, the grounds are meticulously maintained and the camping prices cant be beat--$20 a night for tent camping, and $35 a night for full RV campsite with hookups. There is a playground. laundry facilities, and full bathrooms. There are also many walking trails on the premises. The general store on the premises provides staples and treats. If you prefer, there are also vintage cabins you can stay in here. Best of all, staying here supports a local family business including their painstaking efforts to maintain an hisotric general store and vintage vacation spot that was established almost a century ago and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

This is a quiet friendly neighborhood of Rv’s and small cabins located on Blackduck lake . There is a swimming pool and hot tub. The hot tub wasn’t working when I was there. There is an on site laundry unit. There is a fish cleaning house as well for the fisherman. You can take short drive or walk to the local golf course. A little down the road is a convenience store with all your fishing needs including licenses and bait. Limited availability of houses for sale and there is a waiting list for RVs. It is closed for the winter and everyone has to be out of the houses too.

At a rate of$40 a night for camping here with all the amenities of a resort, this is a pretty good deal! Campers have access to the heated pool, free use of canoes and kayaks, there is a camp store and bait shop, showers and bathrooms and indoor recreation facilities in the lodge, and a boat launch(though you do have to pay extra to reserve docking space). The campsites are pet friendly too. However, the campsites are a bit close together and would not be my favorite way to camp. For paddlers crossing Lake Winnie on the Mississippi Headwaters Water Trail, this is a convenient place to camp, with easy pull out to the southwest side of the Winnie dam, and more amenities than the Forest Service campground or COE campground on the other side of the dam. From here, paddlers just have a short portage on the paved road across the dam to the downstream boat launch below it.