11 Best Campgrounds Near Grand Rapids, MN for Summer Fun From a Local! (2023)
If you’re planning a visit to Northern Minnesota and are looking for the best campgrounds near Grand Rapids, MN, I’ve got you covered!
There are so many great reasons to visit Grand Rapids, and spending time on a lake at a campground is one of the best!
From sitting back and relaxing in a lawn chair to getting out on the lake for some fishing, you can do it all here!
Grand Rapids is my hometown, and I’ve spent lots of time camping and exploring the small city throughout my life!
In this post, I’ll tell you all about the best places to camp nearby and how to enjoy a beautiful summer day in Minnesota.
Campgrounds Near Grand Rapids, MN
Below you’ll find the best campgrounds to stop at when you’re visiting Grand Rapids!
1. Pokegama Dam Campground
Location
Open Season: Summer
Located right along the Mississippi River, this campground can be found just as you leave Grand Rapids off of Highway 2.
It provides a nice spot to pitch a tent or hook up your RV and serves as a perfect basecamp for exploring or relaxing.
There are 19 different sites available that offer electricity and are able to be backed into.
If you’re visiting with a tent, there are two non-electric primitive sites available with a tent pad for your stay.
Surrounding you are the sounds of the Mississippi River, a forest of trees, and access to the town’s many activities.
Each campsite comes complete with its own picnic table and fire ring to roast a marshmallow or cook dinner over.
2. Sugar Bay Campground & Resort
Location
Open Season: Summer
This Minnesota campground is unique in that it’s only open to people ages 60+, so it’s perfect for seniors who are looking for some peace and quiet during their stay.
There are ten campsites available, each with full hookups including water, sewer, and electricity.
You’ll find the campground located along the beautiful shores of Sugar Bay on Pokegama Lake, so each morning you can enjoy the tranquil views of the still water.
Amenities at the campground include a sandy swimming beach, a marina for docking your boat, a cement boat launch, and bathrooms.
3. Itasca County Fairgrounds Campground
Location
Open Season: Summer
Whether you’re visiting during the fair season or another time of year, this great campground near Grand Rapids, MN is a nice place to stay.
It’s a very large campground, with the capacity to hold over 200 campers, which is perfect for when there are events in town.
Around 80 of those sites have electricity hookups, and there’s a sanitary dump station just outside the campground.
You can take advantage of the full shower services available, and you can request a picnic table or fire ring.
Just a short walk away is Crystal Lake, where you’ll find a fishing dock and a nice place to launch kayaks or your boat.
The downside of this campground is that there isn’t a lot of privacy and it’s located right in town. So if you’re okay with that, this is a great place for you!
You will be located within a short distance of all of the great places to eat in Grand Rapids though, so that’s a plus!
4. Trout Lake RV Park & Campground
Location
Open Season: Summer
Located just outside of Grand Rapids in Bovey, is the Trout Lake RV Park and Campground on the shores of beautiful Trout Lake.
This campground was once known as the Kom-On-In Beach Campground and was very popular amongst travelers to the area.
But now with new owners, it’s changed names and the owners are ready to help you create amazing memories.
You can choose between either a seasonal campsite or a short-term site and stay for the weekend.
Whether you have an RV or a tent, there are locations for you to set up camp!
Enjoy the water and electric hookups, a private boat launch onto Trout Lake, the nearby golf course, and more during your stay.
5. Prairie Lake Campground
Location
Open Season: Summer
This Grand Rapids, MN campground is found on the shores of, you guessed it, Prairie Lake, and makes for a great camping experience.
You’ll find 55 sites in the campground with most of them having plenty of shade and private space.
Whether you want to stay seasonally or just for the weekend, there’s a site that will work for you!
Kids can enjoy the swimming beach and head out to the swimming raft, or they can play on the playground or get a game of basketball or volleyball going.
And everyone can sit back and relax as you enjoy the sounds of nature on the beach, or head out on the water via the boat launch and docks.
About half of the sites have full hookups with sewer, water, and electric, while the others have just electric. A dump station is also available.
6. Moose Lake Campground
Location
Open Season: Summer
At Moose Lake Campground, you’ll be tucked away in the forest between Moose Lake and Deer Lake, two fantastic places for fishing.
Eleven campsites are available, and they’re only going to work for you if you’re okay with living life on the basic side.
These campsites are primitive, meaning they’re designed to only provide the basic necessities of a camper.
You’ll find a cleared area to set up your tent or RV, as well as a picnic table, a fire ring, garbage cans, vault toilets, and drinking water.
There’s a boat launch nearby for getting your boat in the water, where you’ll find plenty of walleye and muskie.
Just enjoy sitting back and relaxing at this campsite, which really gives you a taste of Minnesota’s nature.
7. Swan Lake Campground & Resort
Location
Open Season: Summer
This family-owned campground is perfect for those traveling with kids or who are looking for a nice relaxing weekend on the lake.
You’ll find the campground on the shores of Swan Lake in Pengilly, so you’ll be able to pull up your RV or pitch your tent lakeside.
Seasonal and short-term campsite are available, as well as options for renting out your site for the week.
You can take advantage of the bathroom house, which has showers, and if you have an RV, choose to have a site with or without hookups.
Relax on the sandy beach, or let the kids have fun on the swimming beach. There are also kayaks available for guests to use.
If you want to head out onto the water, you can rent a pontoon, or bring your own boat and dock it at the campground.
It’s truly a beautiful campground and will surely give you a relaxing weekend in the Northwoods.
8. Leech Lake Recreation Area
Location
Open Season: Summer
Another of the best campgrounds near Grand Rapids, MN is the Leech Lake Recreation Area, which is just 45 minutes out of town.
While a bit further away than some of the others on this list, Leech Lake Recreation Area puts you on the shores of one of the state’s best fishing lakes.
So if you’re looking for somewhere to go fishing while you camp, this is definitely the place to be.
The campground is found in the Chippewa National Forest, and you’ll be surrounded by a dense forest filled with towering trees.
You’ll find 73 sites available with electric hookups, and a few of them having full hookups with sewer and water as well.
Along with the RV sites, there are a few primitive tent sites if you’re okay with camping with basic amenities.
All guests can take advantage of the flush toilets and showers, as well as drinking water, dump station, boat ramp, playground, and more.
9. Winnie Campground
Location
Open Season: Summer
Another campground that’s a short drive away, Winnie Campground puts you just over an hour outside of Grand Rapids.
But once again, you’re going to be basking in the glory of one of the best places to catch walleye in the entire state!
Also nestled away in the Chippewa National Forest, Winnie Campground is found on the western side of Lake Winnibigoshish (Lake Winnie).
You’re bound to find plenty of fishermen and women out on the water, as well as lots of people just sitting back and enjoying their time in nature.
There are 33 sites available, all of which are basic with no hookups. They each do feature a campfire ring and picnic table, as well as nearby drinking water.
Hiking and hiking trails are found along the shoreline, as well as a boat launch to get in the water and catch your prized walleye!
10. Savanna Portage State Park
Location
Open Season: Summer
Located about an hour outside of town, this is one of the only state parks near Grand Rapids, MN!
Savanna Portage State Park offers 61 drive-in sites with 18 of them being set up for electricity hookups.
There are also a few backpack sites that you can reach by walking, if you’d like to really get away from the world for a few nights!
Within the park, you’ll find beautiful hiking trails, which can be hard to find in Central Minnesota, as well as Big Sandy Lake, where you can fish or boat.
If you’re interested in staying in a camper cabin, there’s one available that you can rent to avoid sleeping on the ground or hauling your RV.
11. Rising Eagle Resort
Location
Open Season: Summer
Just 45 minutes outside of town, this Grand Rapids, MN campground and fabulous resort that has a campground available for those with RVs.
There are 8 sites available, each of which has full hookups, a private firepit, and picnic table.
You can choose to rent it seasonally, or you can just snag a spot on beautiful Jessie Lake for a weekend.
Whatever you’re searching for, whether it be a fun weekend of fishing and adventure on the water, or just sitting back and relaxing, you can find it here at Rising Eagle Resort.
Along with the basic amenities of camping, you can also find a boat launch, bathroom and laundry facilities, paddleboats and kayaks for guest use, and a gorgeous sandy beach area.
Can You Camp for Free in Grand Rapids, MN?
If you want to camp for free in Grand Rapids, MN, then you’ll need to head to a Minnesota State Forest.
There really isn’t anywhere that you can camp for free within Grand Rapids, and it’s best to support the local campgrounds.
But if you really want to save the money and camp in the forest, you can head to Golden Anniversary State Forest, which is about 15-20 minutes outside of town.
Savanna State Forest is also nearby, and you can find Savanna Portage State Park inside it, one of the few state parks near Grand Rapids, MN.
In either of these forests, you can disperse camp, as long as you’re on ground that is already cleared, you’re 1 mile outside of campgrounds, and you Leave No Trace.
Here are a few additional guidelines for dispersed camping in Minnesota:
- Camp at least 1 mile outside of designated campgrounds
- Camp in a natural clearing and do not cut down any vegetation
- Leave the spot as you found it
- Bury all human waste and remove all garbage (including fruit peels, nut shells, etc.)
- Disperse camping is limited to 14 days in the summer
Wrap-Up: Grand Rapids, MN Campgrounds
Planning a camping trip in Northern Minnesota means lots of time spent outdoors, listening to the sounds of nature, and relaxing around a crackling campfire.
If you’re looking for campgrounds near Grand Rapids, MN, you’ll get to experience all of these amazing things and have a great summer.
I’m from Grand Rapids, so I know all about the beautiful area and that these campgrounds will help your family make lifelong memories camping.
