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Dispersed camping in Minnesota

24K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  mannafromheaven 
#1 ·
I am trying to find some new places to dispersed camp in Minnesota. I know it is no fun to give away your favorite spots, but could anybody give me some general areas they go. We've camped on old logging roads in state forests, and it was a lot of fun (Savanah state forest). But are there other great tips anyone around MN or WI has?
 
#3 ·
Trestle Inn is West of Tofte and North of Finland. I enjoy camping at the USFS Whitefish Lake campground a little farther North. No water or electric, just a nice modern outhouse. Keep on going up the road and it gets real remote!! I've never been farther than Bone Lake. Farther than that you will need a high clearance all wheel drive vehicle that you don't mind scratches on the sides from branches. Eventually it comes back out to a main road I have heard.
 
#6 ·
Crap. You could camp for free at my place down by lake. Next to dnr public hunting land (a few hundred acres). Great canoeing if u have one or u can take my peddle boat. We have camped there with tent many years ago. I think our fire pit is still usable. As my family has grown up, we simply don't go down to lake anymore. My house sits in open field. Sorry no outhouse. But it truly is back in the woods,per se. Watching eagles snag a carp beats anything. Talk about quiet at nite, then noisy from birds in morn! Reply back if interested. 40 miles from mpls.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Anywhere up north works great for your purposes. I spent a month up in the boundary waters after I graduated in '84, that was awesome.

Or do a trip out on one of the Apostle Islands, another awesome experience. I used to do 2 weeks a year on one of the Islands during Duck season. It's a little easier for me since my family runs boats out of that area. I still have 2 weeks on Isle Royale on my bucket list.

Or anywhere in the Chequamegon National Forest. There are quite a few campgrounds that could be considered dispersed since they are so remote. Or just any place out there.

I love the north, not just since I was born and raised there, but other than mosquitoes and biting flies (which will literally eat you alive), there are very few rattlers up that way. I love camping up by Cornucopia, WI one week a year, where I can not worry about my dogs being bit by a rattler.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Some are some aren't. But there's plenty of places to camp for free. Don't get upset if people are being too general, your question is too general. The Chequamegon/Nicolet National Forest combined with the Apostle Islands take up a big portion of Northern Wisconsin, then when you add the public accessible timberland's, you have a huge area of land.

A really good trip, if you are looking for backpacking is the North Country trail. It crosses Northern Wisconsin around the Great Divide area (not to be confused with the Continental Divide). It might have a fee nowadays, but well worth it.

The problem is that when I grew up a lot of places were free. Nowadays, you need an access pass in some areas which seems ridiculous. But I have seen the huge influx of people from the Twin Cities which has had a big impact on otherwise wild areas, not too mention the price of real estate shooting through the roof. Not sure if I disagree with an access pass or not, if it wasn't for the fact that my family relies on tourist's for their income, I'd prefer they all stayed in MSP/St. Paul.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I intend to make a go of camping in Chengwatana MN state forest land soon. I can certainly post info and pics n such when the time comes. Its the closest state forest that I could find to the north of the twin cities. I have been told that you can stay at certain Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) if you contact the appropriate local manager and get a permit. (the person I know that has stayed got his permit for both camping and hunting at different times of the year) I'd try some of the parks closer to the cities but affordability becomes a problem after awhile.
 
#18 ·
Does anyone know if you can camp on the shoreline of Lake Superior in Minnesota? I can't seem to find an answer to this on Google, just pay sites. Probably not setting up a tent but just sleeping in the truck.

I'm planning on heading up at the end of the month to do some Milky Way photography and prefer to be in an isolated area, where there are no issues with having my camera gear set up.
 
#21 ·
For dispersed camping, I would actually go buy DeLorne's Minnesota camping book and look for free camping sites way up North along Hwy 61 and then venturing down a county road to where the camping sites are.

Touhey Lake Rustic campsite (Tofte, MN - cty 2, left on The Grade road) is brilliant for stars watching. It also isn't to terrible of a drive to go to Baker Lake (Lutsen, cty 2/sawbill trail and right on The Grade/165, another dispersed campsite to fill out a form and day trip into the BWCA. I'd check with rules to see if day trips into the BWCA can still happen by filling out a form at that location. Both places have a boat launch site and 5 camping spots. Only 1 camping spot at Touhey gives you water views of sorts. They like to build up the nature so that you don't get to see the water from your campsite.

Cost = free! There are many other free camping sites too up North, you just have to look. If you look you might get a rustic camp site closer to Cascase State park, but you'll be hiking there and coming into the park from the back end, near the bridge if memory serves me correctly. However, the campsite I'm thinking of, only has 1 spot and is usually taken.
 
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