EXPLORE · FREE CAMPING
Free Camping in Minnesota
Minnesota's Superior National Forest along the Lake Superior shore and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness dominate the state's dispersed camping options. The BWCAW requires a permit and is paddling-access only — it's canoe camping rather than dispersed driving. The Superior National Forest outside the BWCAW has limited road-accessible dispersed camping on the Gunflint Trail corridor and the Tofte Ranger District. The Chippewa National Forest in north-central Minnesota has some dispersed camping on Forest Service roads around Leech Lake and Cass Lake.
No reservations needed for dispersed camping. Check fire restrictions at fs.usda.gov before your trip — restrictions change frequently in summer. Stay limit is typically 14 days at any one location. Find free camping on the Trek4Free map →
Before You Go
Gear up for dispersed camping — no hookups, no camp store, no running water
Free Camping Sites in Minnesota
Overview Knutson Dam Campground is located on the northeastern shores of Cass Lake and the Mississippi River. Recreation Cass Lake offers many recreational acti…
TAMARACK POINT (Campground)
Overview Located 10 miles south of Blackduck, Minnesota on County Road 31. Follow Forest Road 2207 east for one mile, then drive two miles south on Forest Road …
JACK THE HORSE M130 (Camping Area)
LOW LAKE SITE 3 (Camping Area)
SULLIVAN LAKE CAMPGROUND (Campground)
SUOMI SOUTH SIDE DISPERSED SITES M6,M7,M11, M15, M18, M82 (Camping Area)
TROUT LAKE M31 (Camping Area)
TROUT LAKE M32 (Camping Area)
WHITEWATER LAKE COMPLEX (Campground)
ADELE LAKE (M1) (Camping Area)
Small campground on Birch Island, near the mouth of McCargoe Cove, on the north side of Isle Royale National Park. One individual tent site and one shelter on s…
Overview Birch Lake Campground is located in Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, about 13 miles from Ely, Minnesota. It is …
Overview Cass Lake Loop is part of the Norway Beach Recreation Area on beautiful Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. Visitors enjoy the area for its excellent…
Overview Chippewa Loop is part of the Norway Beach Recreation Area, on the southern shores of beautiful Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. The campground is …
Overview Crescent Lake is an undeveloped lake surrounded entirely by the remote Superior National Forest. This quiet campground has waterfront campsites with ea…
Overview East Bearskin Lake Campground is located on its namesake lake, at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. It is a …
Overview East Seelye Bay Campground is located 20 Miles north of Deer River off Highway 46 and 4 miles west on Eagle Nest Road (FR 2198). East Seelye Bay has 13…
Overview Echo Lake is located on the west end of the Echo Trail, a remote country road that traverses through the heart of the Western Superior National Forest.…
Overview Fall Lake Campground is located on the shores of Fall Lake and provides direct access into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). The campg…
Overview Fenske Lake Campground offers visitors an escape to a small, remote campground with large, majestic pine trees and easy access to water. It is a popula…
Overview Flour Lake Campground provides a convenient home base for exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Its scenery, amenities and acces…
Two backcountry campsites, accessible to hikers and canoeists, are located at the Pigeon River (Canada/U.S. border) end of Grand Portage National Monument. Each…
Camping near International Falls, MN (Minnesota) near Voyageurs National Park
Pat Bayle State Forest in Minnesota at Eagle Mountain Trailhead, not sure if legal, near Grand Marais, MN.
City of Silver Bay MN offers a municipal dump station and RV parking area adjacent to a public scenic overlook. There is a donation box but no charge to use the…
City of Burnsville MN allows overnight RV parking across from it's City Hall located at 100 Civic Center Drive. Park in the large lot adjacent to the ICE CENTER…
Mall Of America. In the North Parking Lot they allow free overnight stays. Bathrooms inside during normal business hours.
Overview Iron Lake Campground is located in a dense forest along the banks of Iron Lake in far northern Minnesota. The campground is unique due to its remotenes…
Island Mine Campground is located .5 miles south from the junction of the Greenstone and Island Mine Trails, on the Island Mine Trail. This inland campground of…
Overview Jeanette Lake Campground is a small, single-loop campground on a peninsula reaching out onto the glacier-carved Lake Jeanette in Superior National Fore…
Overview Jorgen's Hollow Campground is located within the Sheyenne National Grassland as part of the 70,000 acres of designated public lands managed by the U.S.…
19, primitive, Leave No Trace campsites are located on this reach from below Highway 8 down to the Boom Site Landing near Stillwater, Minnesota. An annual campi…
Overview This location is available via reservation and first-come, first-serve basis, depending on the campsite. Visitors are required to physically arrive at …
57, primitive, Leave No Trace campsites are located on the St. Croix River from Riverside Landing to Highway 8 at St. Croix Falls - Taylors Falls. All sites are…
67, primitive, Leave No Trace camp sites are located on the Namekagon River from Namekagon Dam to the confluence of the St Croix River and on the St. Croix Rive…
Overview North Star Campground is located 4 miles south of Marcell and 25 miles north of Grand Rapids on MN State Highway 38. There are 38 campsites located wit…
Overview Norway Beach Loop is part of the Norway Beach Recreation Area on the southern shores of beautiful Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. Visitors enjoy …
Overview Pfeiffer Lake Campground, located adjacent to it's namesake lake, is a small, peaceful and scenic facility in the Superior National Forest of Minnesota…
Overview Sawbill Lake Campground has immediate access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a beautiful, peaceful and wild natural feature of Minnesota'…
Overview South Kawishiwi River Campground is located in Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, about 10 miles from Ely, Minnes…
Overview South Pike Bay Campground is located on the south shore of beautiful Pike Bay, on Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. Visitors enjoy the area for its…
Overview Reservations to all Chippewa National Forest Campgrounds can be made six months in advance. Stony Point is located on beautiful Leech Lake, in the hear…
Overview Trail's End Campground is located next to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in a remote area of Superior National Forest in northern Mi…
Two Island Lake Campground is near Grand Marais, but off the beaten path. It offers the services of a fee campground with water, toilets, and trash containers, …
Overview Winnie Campground is remotely located on the west side of Lake Winnibigoshish in the heart of the Chippewa National Forest. Visitors come to the area t…