Andrea S.

Minneapolis, MN

Joined May 2018

Jesse James Days

A friend and I stayed here over Jesse James Day (Northfield; 20 minute drive; $30 cab ride). The trails near and around the campground itself were great! We had gotten a ton of rain the week before, so the big woods trails were too swampy to hike unfortunately. The facilities were nice and the campground wasn’t overly crowded; larger sites, but not much privacy. The falls are pretty and that trail is really beautiful.

Great getaway from the city

Right on Lake Mille Lacs, one of Minnesota’s largest. Walking distance from the bakery and bar! Newer, updated facilities. Boat access. Lake side sites (if you book early enough). You can hit Mille Lacs State Park if you want to knock them both out on one trip! This park seems to attract a lot of long term campers, as I’m sure it’s pretty reasonable to stay at the lake all summer. We went mid-July I think and the trees were literally raining caterpillars… it was tough to want to hang out in our tree canopy-covered site. Sooo.. we ventured outside of the park more at this one.

There was a festival going on in a town west of here that had a couple rides and a really fun patio bar. If you do decide to venture out at night, ask the bartender for the limo driver’s number; he’s the city’s “uber”!

Sibley State Park

I went early in the spring for camping at this park and ended up staying in the cabin – it was sort of a, I wanna get out of the city, let’s go camping, oh the campground is still closed sort of last minute trip. I can’t comment on the facilities, as the water wasn’t even back on for the season yet (March 30). The park has two campgrounds from what I saw; one with cabins and tent sites near the wilderness center and one on Andrew Lake. The lake was BEAUTIFUL at sunset. I drove all the way around and took pictures. Lots and lots of wildlife around at this one too! Fun little café in New London (Middle Fork) – delicious French toast and friendly service; seemed like a place the locals went!

Most Visited

This park and campground are sooooo high trafficked. Don’t get me wrong, it’s beautiful; I understand the hype to an extent. It has waterfalls and lake side trails. The facilities are beautiful, seriously. I just feel like this park gets so much attention! Staying at this park is always nice for a first night trip up the shore since it’s just outside of Two Harbors and you can stop in the town if you need supplies or forgot things. And since it’s a pretty good half way point if you’re planning on travelling all the way up to Grand Marais or even Grand Portage. The history of the park and seeing the pictures of how it came about are also interesting. Every morning waking up here, I’ve walked to the facilities and seen deer snacking in the grass nearby. Great spot to catch the sunrise.

First to Review
Best Campground on the North Shore!

Wow! This park was so much fun! We got super lucky and were able to get a site last minute last summer – thank you to whoever cancelled! This resort books up extremely fast and it’s easy to see why! Campfires on the beach, s’mores, a playground, lake side sites, a game room, a mini store – so many amenities! The night we stayed here was one of my most memorable nights of the entire summer! Family friendly but wasn’t overly strict with the adults that wanted to stay up a little later and have a good time on the lake! Book as early as possible with this one!

Before the Shore

This park is right before Duluth and is a perfect getaway spot if you don’t want to travel all the way up the shore! The campground has tent, hook-up, and cabin sites. The facilities, while somewhat dated, have always been in good condition and clean on my visits. This seems more like a family campground and is quiet pretty early. The trails are just across the street and are beautiful in all seasons. The bridge history is pretty cool too; go see it! One thing I would note for this park is that it definitely blends with the nearby city, which isn’t a bad thing as long as you’re aware. The town has some great breakfast spots too!

My absolute MN favorite

THIS IS MY FAVORITE MN STATE PARK! And is a must see if you are traveling up the North Shore of Lake Superior. The campground facilities were all redone in 2017 and are great! The campground provides easy access to trails and when lush, provide enough needed privacy. The trails along the Cascade River itself are beautiful and lead you right down to the shore of Lake Superior. The Superior Hiking Trail travels through this park. Lookout Mountain is my favorite hike on the North Shore by far! Useable from May through first/second week of October if you're prepared for the weather! It's also perfectly central for activities in Grand Marais and Lutsen!