Federal Campgrounds in Minnesota
Federal coverage only. This directory lists campgrounds on federal land (Forest Service, Park Service, BLM, Corps of Engineers and other agencies) from the Recreation.gov RIDB export. State-park, county and private/KOA campgrounds are out of scope.
Minnesota has 50 federal campgrounds with 1,656 overnight sites. The U.S. Forest Service operates the largest share with 38 campgrounds, primarily in the Superior National Forest and Chippewa National Forest. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages 8 campgrounds at lakes and reservoirs across the state, and the National Park Service operates 4 sites. Of these 50 federal campgrounds, 42 offer online reservations through Recreation.gov, which is the official source for current site availability, amenities, and booking.
This overview covers federal campgrounds only. State park campgrounds operated by Minnesota are outside the scope of this directory, as are privately owned facilities such as KOA campgrounds. Visitors should check Recreation.gov directly for up-to-date information on which specific sites are open and available, as conditions and operations vary seasonally.
How to read the Minnesota directory
Use this page as a starting map of federal camping in Minnesota: the agency split tells you whether you're mostly looking at national-forest sites, park-service grounds or Corps-of-Engineers lakeside camps, and the busiest rec areas below point to where the campgrounds cluster. Every name links to its live Recreation.gov page for current site counts, photos and booking.
| Rec area / forest | Campgrounds |
|---|---|
| DEER RIVER | 6 |
| ELY | 4 |
| Tofte | 4 |
| Cass Lake | 3 |
| AURORA | 3 |
| Chippewa National Forest | 3 |
| Grand Marais | 3 |
| CROSSLAKE | 2 |
Common questions
How many federal campgrounds are in Minnesota?
50 in this directory, with about 1,656 overnight sites, across national forests, parks, Corps of Engineers and other federal land. State and private campgrounds are not included.
Are these campgrounds reservable?
42 of the 50 take reservations through Recreation.gov; the remainder are generally first-come, first-served. Confirm on the facility's Recreation.gov page before you travel.
Largest federal campgrounds in Minnesota
- Voyageurs National Park Camping Permits · National Park Service · 161 sites · International Falls
- Cross Lake Recreation Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 122 sites · Crosslake
- Norway Beach Loop · U.S. Forest Service · 80 sites · Cass Lake
- Leech Lake Rec Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 77 sites · Federal Dam
- Whiteface Reservoir · U.S. Forest Service · 71 sites · Aurora
- Fall Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 66 sites · Ely
- Chippewa Loop · U.S. Forest Service · 64 sites · Chippewa National Forest
- Stony Point · U.S. Forest Service · 63 sites · Walker
- Sandy Lake · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 60 sites · Mcgregor
- Sawbill Lake Campground - Superior National Forest · U.S. Forest Service · 53 sites · Tofte
- Deer Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 50 sites · Deer River
- Clubhouse Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 48 sites · Deer River
- Onegume · U.S. Forest Service · 48 sites · Deer River
- Gull Lake Recreation Area · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 42 sites · Brainerd
- Wanaki Loop · U.S. Forest Service · 42 sites · Cass Lake
- North Star · U.S. Forest Service · 39 sites · Grand Rapids
- Flour Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 37 sites · Grand Marais
- Crescent Lake (Mn) · U.S. Forest Service · 34 sites · Tofte
- Cut Foot Horse Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 34 sites · Deer River
- Winnie Campground - Usfs · U.S. Forest Service · 34 sites · Blackduck
- Trails End Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 33 sites · Grand Marais
- Birch Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 32 sites · Ely
- East Bearskin Lake Campground · U.S. Forest Service · 32 sites · Grand Marais
- South Kawishiwi River · U.S. Forest Service · 32 sites · Ely
- Cadotte Lake · U.S. Forest Service · 29 sites · Aurora
Ranked by overnight-site count from RIDB; “n/a” means the site count isn’t published (often a first-come or dispersed area). Each name opens the Recreation.gov facility page.
Compare every managing agency → · Reservable vs first-come in Minnesota → · Choosing a Minnesota campground →
Compiled from the federal RIDB export, verified June 2026. How we compile this. Confirm current details on Recreation.gov.