Spirit Mountain Campground
Great Basecamp
Mountain bikers and hikers will love this beautiful treed campground. Level sites that are spread out enough to offer some privacy. Bath house was old, but adequate.
3 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Gordon Dam and Spirit Mountain Campground house glamping accommodations within a short drive of South Range, Wisconsin. Nestled in wooded settings, these sites offer canvas tents and upscale structures furnished with comfortable beds, climate control systems, and electrical outlets. Each glamping unit provides a secluded experience while maintaining proximity to essential amenities including showers and sanitary facilities. "Beautiful area with a gorgeous view, lots of hiking," noted one visitor about Spirit Mountain. The campground maintains thoughtfully spaced sites surrounded by trees, creating natural privacy barriers between neighboring accommodations. Most units come equipped with picnic tables for outdoor dining and fire rings for evening relaxation while maintaining the comforts that distinguish glamping from traditional camping.
The glamping experience extends beyond accommodations with activities tailored for outdoor enthusiasts. Spirit Mountain's location delivers exceptional recreational opportunities including immediate access to downhill mountain biking trails directly from campsite areas. According to one camper, "I love this camp area... has everything I need for a weekend shredding at Spirit Mtn Bike Park." Visitors appreciate the unique adventure options like the alpine coaster, zip line, and chair lift rides offering panoramic views of Duluth Harbor. Glamping accommodations remain available from May through October, with Gordon Dam operating from May 17 through September 11 and Spirit Mountain open year-round. Both locations permit pets, allowing guests to bring their four-legged companions while enjoying the upscale outdoor experience. The proximity to Duluth provides convenient access to urban amenities and dining options during extended stays.
"I stayed at two sites, the second being 41E, which has electric."
"Another oddity is that some fire pits are on the opposite side of your doors, but no biggie. The bathrooms are wonderfully new and central to all the camping loops."
Available this weekend
from $23 - $90 / night
"The downhill mountain biking is awesome (the kids still want to go back) and the Adventure Park was a lot of fun too - and a short walk from camp. "
"Nice Campsites mostly secluded in the woods. Campsites are not to close to eachother giving you the privacy you want. Great views by the ski lift of Duluth!"
"Great place.Plenty to do.People that work there are freindly and helpful.Great mountain bike trails across the road,and hiking trails only right down the road about 6 blocks.Lots of Canoe and kayak rentals.Bath"
"kind campground hosts with quiet but well-used atvs
-easy lake access with docks and shoreline
-free wifi
-this is a good day-of campsite if you’re looking for an adventure or a fun story to tell!"
"If it was simply about the location, this would get five plus stars because it's so beautiful!"
"Cost for non-residents is $21 for the campsite and another $11 daily state park entrance fee. So, $32 for the same type of campground as a USFS at about $15."
Available this weekend
from $19 / night
"We are KOA members (who stay at a lot of KOAs) - our 1st visit at this Cloquet KOA was Sept 2020: The staff were friendly."
"Nice campground...a little rural but close to town. Helpful staff, decent size sites and hookups. Pool area was nice but busy on our stay. Great family camping."
"Does not have water sewer hookups but had a station to dump and fill has electricity at most sites close to water has boat access and camp ground is outside of an awesome lil town"
"If there was laundry available, it would be five stars."
"You can save $5 a night if you only need 30-Amp electric and water."
"It’s very secluded and quiet. The owners are the best! There are tent sites, RV, camper cabin (no electric/sewage), and full cabins. It’s on a beautiful lake with a swimming area."
from $22 - $40 / night
Mountain bikers and hikers will love this beautiful treed campground. Level sites that are spread out enough to offer some privacy. Bath house was old, but adequate.
A weekend in October...peak color but the campground is crowded and pretty noisy up until 8 pm ish when it does quiet down a bit. Would stay again, just when it's less crowded.
If I could give this company negative stars I would. I would never recommend this company to even my worst enemy. This was our second experience with them. The first time took a long time but we knew it wasn’t their fault because the river was low and that’s out of their control. Our tubes were also good. The owner’s dad(Jerry?) picked us up and was so nice and sweet. We laughed at all our hiccups along the way.
This time around, it was just my friend and I and we were having a wonderful time for the first 2.5-3 hours. Then we realized we weren’t moving and the wind was blowing us upstream. We kept trying to go, waiting to see the landing. By the 5 hour mark we kept trying to call Pardun’s to mention that we were trying to come back and to let them know that we’d probably be later than expected and to see if they had any tips. Since the cell service is almost non existent, the calls would not go through. By that time, we didn’t know what to else to do but call 911. By the time we were able to get a hold of someone to ask for help, we were nearing 6 hours on the river. They called Pardun’s to let them know and the owner(Guy?) and his son were waiting to pick us up. As soon as they saw us, the snarky disrespectful remarks started and they began making fun of us. The owner was relentless. It was one rude remark after another. This was at about 9pm. When I started crying and asking him to stop talking to me, the a-hole dug in even more and had to get the last word in. It kept on until I screamed at him to shut the F up. I couldn’t take it anymore. He then stopped and started trying to kick us off the bus. I was sitting in the seat, sobbing while my friend was nicely asking him to just please go and please stop with the comments. He wouldn’t. Once we got back to Danbury, he stopped the bus and walked away. His son helped us get our stuff out and his wife eventually came out to make sure that we had our keys and let us know she had called the other people involved to let them know we were back. The son was initially being kind of a jerk when we got on the bus but he apologized to us soon after. His waste of a human father didn’t.
Please do not give this man your business. I have never been so humiliated and made to feel as awful as he made me feel. The blatant disrespect and language from the minute he saw was unbelievable. This man is the most awful human I have ever encountered. I sure hope he treats his wife and his mother with a little more compassion and empathy.
Private sites, W/E, Close to downtown Duluth. Our site was just big enough for our 38' 5th wheel with slides on both sides. They delivered wood which was $9 for 5 pieces. RR and showers close to this site. Toilets fairly new, but showers paint peeling and could use remodeling.
Had a great time. Dan & Lisa friendly and accommodating. Clean and roomy sites for just opening they’re doing well. Can’t wait until next time
If you’re hopping between state parks in the north shore area and need something near Duluth, this campground is a solid option if there’s nothing else available. Time has not been overly friendly and the park and campground are somewhat run down, but there are still upsides. It’s close to local stores and the sites are shaded and actually quite lovely, but beware that MANY of the sites on the far west loop (45-70) will not be level. Most also do not have a dedicated space for a tent, but there is usually ample space on the gravel drives (bring extra padding). This loop is also not ideal for larger RVs. Verizon cell service was manageable and if you scout the site images online, you can find spots with northern-facing openings in the trees for Starlink if needed. Water spigots in this loop are also well placed and the water was quite chilly. Now for the ugly…the bathrooms in this loop are serviceable, but if you touch the wall or floor while showering, you might want to star over. If you forgot your shower shoes, you won’t be showering. Older bath houses are acceptable, but this one was plain filthy beyond simple age.
I stayed at two sites, the second being 41E, which has electric. This loop is perhaps the most central to the bath house, but all are conveniently located nearby and the dump station isn’t too far (but far enough to stay out of sight, out of mind). The bath house is fully handicap friendly and the shower heads can all the raised and lowered, and there are wheelchair ramps up to the facility. The dirt roads are miraculously pothole free and the drinking water spigots are blissfully cold if you’re here during a heatwave. Site 41E, like quite a few actually, has the fire pit behind/on the wrong side of your rv door, but no biggie. The biggest downside is that the site is rather unlevel, but if you are able to scoot all the way to the right (closest to the electrical tower), it’s not so bad. The bridge/park office/store is a quick 7 min walk, and the bath house is less than a 2 min walk.
When I was staying, we were hit with hazardous levels of wildfire smoke, and I was so impressed that the park staff opened visitor’s center early so that campers would have a place to escape the smoke. I’ve never stayed at any park where the staff goes so far above and beyond.
Every site is nestled into the woods, which is cozy and adds the added benefit of privacy. That said, the extra big rigs wouldn’t be a good fit—one loop only allows for rigs under 25’ in length due to a tight corner. Another oddity is that some fire pits are on the opposite side of your doors, but no biggie.
The bathrooms are wonderfully new and central to all the camping loops. There are men’s and women’s sides for toilets/sinks and independent shower rooms—all handicap friendly. The park really outdid themselves here, even the building is beautifully designed.
Firewood is for sale at the camp office along with your typical camping goods and souvenirs, and the park staff is wonderful to interact with. There are black bears, but no bear boxes, so be smart with your food. I had 1-2 bars of LTE on Verizon, and if you need Starlink access, try to find a site that runs north/south more than east/west because there are obviously trees everywhere.
Site 5 is near a small dumpster, which turned out to be rather convenient—there is a line of trees/brush for privacy, so don’t let that stop you. There is also an ice cold water spigot behind the site, which was even better—again, trees/brush for privacy. Mostly level, with just the smallest tilt toward the fire pit. 2 minute walk to the bathrooms, conveniently located near a walking path to the park office/bridge.
Outpost building up and coming with games, beer, Wine and other favorites.clean sites with ample room. Seasonal sites and transient.
Glamping near South Range, Wisconsin provides upscale outdoor accommodations within a short drive of several state forests and recreational areas. The region sits at the western edge of Lake Superior, creating a microclimate with cooler summer temperatures than inland areas. Winter camping options remain limited to heated structures with temperatures often dropping below freezing from November through March.
Water recreation: Lake Superior: Just 20 miles north of South Range, the largest freshwater lake by surface area offers fishing and boating opportunities. "I spent a day trip with friends at Jay Cook. The water levels were low, so we clambered around on the sculpted granite rocks that line the river and falls, dipping on and out of pools and up slick rock faces," notes a visitor to Jay Cooke State Park Campground.
Hiking trails: Boise Brule River: The Boise Brule Campground offers access to riverside trails. "We did a little hiking. Trails are good and well marked. Looked like folks were enjoying the fishing too," shares one camper. The river attracts anglers targeting trout throughout the warmer months.
Winter recreation: seasonal options: While most glamping sites close during winter months, some locations maintain year-round access. "If we would stay again we would book site 50 or 52," recommends a visitor to Spirit Mountain, noting the importance of site selection for comfort in varying weather conditions.
River access: fishing spots: Fond du Lac City campground offers direct river access. "Great place. Plenty to do. People that work there are friendly and helpful. Great mountain bike trails across the road, and hiking trails only right down the road about 6 blocks. Lots of Canoe and kayak rentals," notes a camper. The St. Louis River provides fishing opportunities within walking distance.
Privacy: wooded sites: Campers appreciate sites with natural screening between neighboring accommodations. "Every campsite seems to be well-treed and relatively private, providing a perfect atmosphere to just enjoy nature from your campsite," reports a visitor to Jay Cooke State Park Campground.
Bathroom facilities: campground standards vary: At Cloquet-Duluth KOA, "Bathrooms were cleaned every couple of hours, but highly trafficked thus quickly undoing the cleaning," notes one camper, while another states: "Staff is friendly and bathrooms, store, activity room, pool are all seemed to be well maintained."
Seasonal closures: operating dates: Most glamping options near South Range operate seasonally. Gordon Dam runs from May 17 through September 11. "Does not have water sewer hookups but had a station to dump and fill has electricity at most sites close to water has boat access," reports one visitor.
Insect activity: tick protection: Ticks remain active throughout the camping season. "Solid hiking trail and good campsites. The campsites have adequate space and decent amenities. The biggest issue however was ticks. Been an outdoor person my whole life and more ticks than I've ever seen before. Pulling 10 or more off an hour," warns a camper at Boise Brule Campground.
Weather considerations: rain preparation: The region receives significant rainfall even during summer months. "We stayed here for two nights over the 4th of July. A little crowded on the river front but our site was tucked into a more secluded area not far from the river," notes a Fond du Lac City visitor. Pack rain gear even for summer visits.
Playground access: kid-friendly sites: Penmarallter Campsite provides open spaces for children. "This is a very open campground that would be premier for RV camping. I probably would not pitch a tent unless I was in a bind," notes one camper. The open layout allows parents to maintain visual contact with children.
Swimming options: designated areas: Water recreation requires supervision for children. "It's on a beautiful lake with a swimming area. You can rent a pontoon or take out a canoe or rowboat for free," shares a visitor to Wilderness Way campground.
Hiking difficulty: trail selection: When planning family hikes, consider trail difficulty. "Nice hiking trails. Not too difficult. Family friendly," reports a Jay Cooke State Park visitor, indicating trails suitable for younger hikers.
Site spacing: privacy considerations: RV sites vary significantly in spacing. "Sites are cramped, leaving no illusion of privacy," notes a Cloquet-Duluth KOA visitor, while another mentions: "Sites are mostly level and are some are a bit tight and close to your neighbors."
Hookup availability: water and electric: Not all sites provide full hookups. "You can save $5 a night if you only need 30-Amp electric and water," advises a Penmarallter Campsite camper about cost-saving options for those not requiring full hookups.
Road access: larger vehicles: Some campgrounds accommodate larger RVs better than others. "The campground was small but luckily we were there in the middle of the week so it wasn't too busy," reports a Boise Brule visitor, suggesting weekday arrivals for easier maneuvering of larger vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near South Range, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near South Range, WI is Jay Cooke State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 73 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near South Range, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 glamping camping locations near South Range, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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