Rustic Campgrounds: Car Camping Without
the Crowd
You may want a campsite
you can drive to with picnic tables, firegrates, and sheltered outhouses
- but you'd also like a little solitude. Our rustic campgrounds
don't have drinking water or garbage cans, but they also have only
1-8 sites. If you're camping in an RV or tent trailer, some sites
might not be accessible. All sites are suitable for tents. These
campgrounds were often developed with fishing in mind, so be sure
to pack your poles. For more information about lakes near the campgrounds,
use the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Lake
Finder.
Regulations you need
to know:
 |
 |
Please use only the facilities that are provided for
fires, tents, and waste. Do not make additional fire rings,
tent pads, or catholes. |
|
You will need to pack out your garbage. |
|
Noise limits are enforced at developed campsites. Be
aware of how the sounds from radios, TVs, generators,
and musical instruments may be disturbing other campers. |
|
Suggestions you may want to follow:
The Forest Service, along with the National Park Service and Bureau
of Land Management, advocate following Leave
No Trace Outdoor Ethics while camping. The object is to minimize
our impacts on the ecosystem and leave the forest as you found it
for the next person or animal to use. There are seven guiding principles
and when you are camping off the trail, you should be following them
all.
Leave No Trace Principles
|
1. Plan ahead and prepare.
Since these are non-reservable campsites, have a back-up plan.
Bring what you need rather than trying to create tables, benches,
or other items at the campsite. |
 |
|
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
Stay in the established impact area and on trails rather than
impacting new areas. Don't modify your site by cutting
branches, digging rocks or trenches, or pounding nails in trees. |
|
3. Dispose of waste properly.
Food waste should be packed out, and gray water from washing
should be dispersed over a large area. Don't wash dishes
or use soap in lakes. |
|
4. Minimize use and impact of fires.
While everybody loves a fire, consider using a campstove instead.
If you must use a fire, bring your firewood with you. If you
must collect wood locally, use only dead and down wood, but
remember dead and down wood has its place in nature, too.
Make sure your fire is in the established firegrate. |
|
5. Respect wildlife.
Keep a clean camp. Store food and food waste in a closed
vehicle or hang it when you are not in camp. Do not feed
squirrels or deer than have already been conditioned to human
food. |
|
6. Leave what you find.
Take pictures and memories home, but nothing else. Part of leaving
no trace is taking no trace as well. |
|
7. Be considerate of other visitors.
Noises travel far and loud over water. Respect others
by not having a noisy camp. |
Rustic Campgrounds
Lake Name |
Number of Sites* |
Fish** |
Location |
| Baker Lake |
5 (2) |
WNP |
25 mi. NE of Tofte |
| Cascade River |
4 (1) |
Bt |
10 mi. NW of Grand Marais |
| Clara Lake |
3 (1) |
WNP |
22 mi. NE of
Tofte |
| Eighteen Lake
|
3 (3) |
WPSm |
4 mi. NE of Isabella
|
| Fourmile Lake
|
4 (2) |
WNCP |
16 mi. NW of
Tofte |
| Harriet Lake
|
4 (2) |
WNC |
17 mi. NW of
Tofte |
Hogback Lake  |
3 (3) |
Rt |
12 mi. E of Isabella |
| Kawishiwi Lake |
5 (5) |
WNP |
30 mi. NW of Tofte |
| Poplar River |
4 (2) |
Trout str. |
17 mi. NE of Tofte |
| Sand Lake |
1 (0) |
WN |
17 mi. W of Isabella |
| Section 29 Lake |
3 (0) |
WN |
15 mi. NE of Isabella |
| Silver Island Lake |
8 (8) |
WN |
18 mi. NE of Isabella |
| Toohey Lake |
5 (3) |
WN |
18 mi. NW of Tofte |
| White Pine Lake |
3 (2) |
WNP |
19 mi. NE of Tofte |
| Whitefish Lake |
3 (2) |
WN |
18 mi. NW of Isabella
|
| Wilson Lake |
4 (3) |
WNP |
16 mi. NW of Tofte |
| Windy Lake |
1 (0) |
WNRt |
18 mi. NE of Isabella |
| * Total number of sites, (number
of sites with a parking spur of more than 21 ft. suitable for
RV or trailer) |
| **Fish codes: Walleye, Northern
Pike, Perch, Muskie, Rainbow trout, Smallmouth Bass, Crappies
|
Dispersed Camping
| "Backcountry" Campsites | Rustic Campgrounds
| Fee Campgrounds
Main Camping Page
|
