REGIONAL—With the weather forecast looking prime for the Memorial Day weekend, you may be thinking about a last-minute reservation at a public campground in the area. It’s probably too late to get a reservation at most state parks, but there may well be opportunities for camping at state forest campgrounds, which are often overlooked by campers because they aren’t as well-known.
These campgrounds may not offer all the amenities of state park facilities, but they are often quieter and less crowded than state park campgrounds. They typically provide a open, level area for tents, a fire ring, picnic table, drinking water, garbage cans and a vault toilet.
Many are near lakes and may offer nearby hiking and ATV trails or public access to lakes or rivers. These campgrounds don’t take reservations and sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more on state forest campgrounds, including a map showing locations of these facilities, go to www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/camping.html.
Camping on the Superior
The Superior National Forest offers a wide range of camping opportunities, without reservations. The opportunities range from free dispersed camping, where you can camp anywhere on federal land, to fee campgrounds which provide more amenities than other camping options on the forest. Reservations can be made at some federal campgrounds on the Superior through recreation.gov, although most are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more on camping opportunities on the Superior National Forest, go to www.fs.usda.gov/r09/superior/recreation/camping-cabins.