Superior National Forest offers every kind of camping experience, from truly roughing it on your own to drive-up sites with creature comforts.
You'll need permits to camp within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), and you must follow wilderness-camping regulations to maintain the integrity of this wild place. As its name implies, accessing the park involves canoeing your way in to sites with latrines and fire grates. Plan to bring everything you need with you on your way in as well as out. This kind of roughing it is also available outside the BWCAW area and doesn't require permits.
Backcountry camping at developed sites away from campgrounds are available throughout the forest system, and they don't require a fee or permit. These sites also have latrines and fire grates.
Rustic campgrounds and fee campgrounds with road access are both available, with different amenities. Rustic sites have outhouses, fire grates and picnic tables. They also don't require fees or permits, and there are fewer sites in each grouping. Fee campgrounds require fees, but they have water and garbage cans in addition to the rustic sites' fire grates, outhouses and picnic tables. Some of the fee sites can be reserved.
Superior National Forest
Forest Headquarters
8901 Grand Ave. Place
Duluth, MN 55808
(218) 626-4300
www.fs.fed.us/r9/superior
With 23 miles of multi-use trails in its home of George Washington State Forest, Stony Brook Horse Camp has 17 horse campsites and one group campsite that furnish the basic needs of campers: a cleared area, fire ring and a table. The campground allows for portable corrals, but picket lines, corrals, vault toilets, shaded campsites, picnic tables and a hand-pumped well are included in the horse sites.
Stony Brook Horse Camp
11207 North Snake Trail State Forest Road
Cook, MN 55723
(218) 254-7979
www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests
Spirit Mountain Campground sites astride the western high point of Duluth--St. Louis County's largest city--and overlooks Lake Superior and St. Louis Bay. Visitors can enjoy walk-in camping throughout the campground, as well as 73 sites with fire pits, picnic tables and electricity. Two shower buildings are open 24 hours, and all sites have easy access to hiking, biking, water and more--all 10 minutes from downtown Duluth. Check in after noon, check out by 11 a.m. Quiet time runs from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Spirit Mountain Campground
9500 Spirit Mountain Place
Duluth, MN 55810
(218) 628-2891 or (218) 624-8544
Toll Free (800) 642-6377
www.spiritmt.com
Ten minutes from downtown Duluth, Buffalo Valley offers 50 wooded campsites year-round along the Munger State Trail. Shower rooms, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts and softball fields enhance the hours of hiking and biking available at nearby Jay Cooke State Park. The on-site full bar and restaurant have Wi-Fi and banquet facilities.
Buffalo Valley Camping
2590 Guss Road
Duluth, MN 55810
(218) 628-7019
BuffaloHouseDuluth.com
