In our quest to visit all MN state parks, Bear Head Lake was next on our list. We stuck with the…read moreHiking Club trail or Norberg Trail. It was a three mile loop that took you past a couple of lakes. It involved walking on some uneven ground (roots and stones) but it was relatively flat and very woodsy. We visited in mid July and it was quite buggy so make sure you are covered or sprayed to minimize the bites. Minnesota parks are so beautiful. I get so worries about where I'm stepping, I sometimes forget to look up and all around to enjoy the beauty.

Bear Head Lake is a sleeper of a state park in Minnesota, which is too bad because this park is…read morebeautiful. We stayed on the no-electricity loop, which consisted mostly of tent campers. The facilities were well maintained and the campsites have everything you need to have some quiet, sit around the fire, and eat your camp meals. The park itself offers great trails, will set you up with fishing gear, as well as rent you a canoe or kayak or rowboat for 4 hours or a full day. The new trail center is a beautiful building, and the beach is a wonderful place to have lunch or snooze in the sun. We did the hiking loop that takes you back by the backcountry sites. It was about a 3-4 hour hike and we saw a lot of wildlife and had the trail all to ourselves. Next time we go, we'll be staying at the paddle-in site on that loop. It was the perfect spot. We will be back here again.

While the underground tours are not yet open due to refurbishment, don't miss the above ground…read moretour. The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the mines and the people who worked there. The grounds are in amazing condition. The views into the valley are beautiful. We got to see the pulley system working as some inspectors were descending into the mine. We also walked the Hikers Club trail which went about 3 miles around the park. Very woodsy and buggy so make sure you wear some bug repellent.

I understand the mine tours were cancelled in 2024 because of flooding. We did this in 2022 and…read morefound it extremely fun and educational. You take an old style elevator down...down.. down to 2341 feet below the surface 689 below sea level. Then you take a mining train-like with seats. And walk and see and learn what miners dealt with, and you can learn a bit of geology, hydrology, and the thought that went into mining. There is also self guided tour of equipment/buildings, you can see some of the open mine, learn about the safety and community that was unique to this mine.

went Official camping for my first time this year and we drove 4hrs north to Ely and stayed at the…read moreFall Lake Campground. I'm giving this place a full 5 stars even though I have little basis for comparison. The bathrooms and showers were amazingly clean and new. the sites do not have electricity but our site was huge, we put 3 large tents up and could have fit a 4th. We also had private lake access. The lake access was rocky and very slippery! So it wasn't much for swimming but it meant we had a great canoe launch right at our site. We also rented a canoe @ $20 a day it was a nice deal. The campground has a full playground, center store and office where you can get forgotten necessities and a sandy boat launch. There is a swimming beach on the grounds but it may be a short walk. The site was $17 a night and they have nice elevated fire pits with a built in grill grate. The site is also on the edge of the boundary waters which means no motorized boats (to an extent) lots of quiet and plenty of wild life! We got close to lots of turtles, ground animals and lots of bald eagles!. The scenery was amazing, the sky is incredibly clear for star gazing at it's best. And for being so far north the lake was quite temperate and excellent for swimming and boating. I highly recommend this camp site for newbies like me and the other, more experienced campers, were also impressed.

We stayed here before we hit the BWCA the next day. Our group was nice and large!…read more While it was a little confusing on where to find our campground, once we found the office everything made sense. The gates were closed for us (not locked) for the Campground area we were reserved for. The campsite was very clean and plenty of space for the tents. The paths are paved to go from place to place...i.e. the bathrooms. The bathrooms themselves were very clean. One has a code to enter on it to get in because of it's close vicinity to the boat landing, which is understandable. The only thing I had a rough time finding was the dumpster. it is kind of hidden. All in all, I would definitely stay here again.

Arnold's Campground & RV Park has everything you could possibly ask for in terms of accommodations…read morestaying outdoors with a tent or trailer. I camped here for two evenings back over the summertime of 2021 and really enjoyed my experience. There were so many great aspects to Arnold's. First thing...although they don't accept reservations online, I called them the day of needing a campsite and they had immediate availability. Granted, this area of International Falls, Minnesota is very remote in terms of locations for tourists to visit, but overall, Arnold's was extremely accessible for any adventurer traveling spontaneously. I just had my tent with me and could have used a simple primitive site for $20...but for $5 more I got Amp Power as well for charging my electronics. I was set up for success in my explorations around Voyageurs National Park. Arnold's is located pretty much right in town of International Falls, MN...convenient for everything a good ole small town can offer. There are fast food restaurants, supply stores, grocery stores...all the necessities that you can think of. So...having the amenities of International Falls while spending time at the Rainy Lake section of Voyageurs (only 12 miles away) as well as the Lake Kabetogama area too (only 28 miles away), it was great to stay here at Arnold's. I met the Arnold, the camp host right when I pulled into the campground, and he directed me to my site which was located in the center of the grounds surrounded by the RV sites. What was terrific about being in the middle of it all was that I got to set up my tent along fluffy grass while being situated close to the bathrooms and showers. I paid $25 per night for 2 nights. Right when I was greeted by Arnold, he gave me a quick overview and tour of the campgrounds. And that was it. I was good to go on my own. I set up my tent and plugged in my electronics with the Amp Power service (I believe I had 20 Amp). Since it was late in the afternoon on my first day...I headed off to the shower house. They have 2 showers for men, basically both very clean and well maintained. The bathrooms located inside the shower house were fine. Also good was the cell phone reception service being strong. I had no issues downloading a couple of movies to watch at night. Some other details and extras... - They have a dump station. - They sell firewood and have fire pits. - Each site had a picnic table. - Quiet hours start at 10pm. - They offer rates for weekly and monthly stays. Weekly is $150. Monthly is $550. During my time here, there actually weren't any other visitors staying next to me with tents. I was the only person using a tent. But...all the RV sites were fully occupied. Lastly, using Arnold's as my home base in exploring a majority of Voyageurs National Park was simply ideal and perfect. I'm so happy I found it on Campendium, the app on my phone. I highly recommend to visitors and tourists interested in coming to this remote area of Northern Minnesota near the border with Canada to consider staying at Arnold's Campground & RV Park.

Nice, friendly folks run the place. Cash or check only. Reasonably priced and close to town but…read morequiet. We had a nice, shady spot with electric only for $28 total. The bathroom was clean but small with no shower.

State park with the best beach in the Midwest! Sand and pines, family and pet friendly!read more

Best state Park in Minnesota, with best swimming beach anywhere. The sand soft and u can walk out…read morelike 2 and a half blocks. The water is like bath water on a warm day. They have new shower building and new beach dressing house.

I had a great time here. The sites were private, good views of the water, had standard amenities…read moresuch as vault toilets and drinking water, fireplace rings, grill inserts, and a large picnic table per site. I liked that the host didn't come bother us once. We stayed up till midnight or later each night listening to music by the fire, no one complained. No luck fishing birch lake but that doesn't mean they're not in there. Don't forget bug spray and tiki torches if you decide to camp here.

The name says veterans but anyone can stay here. Lovely campground, great access to fishing, beach…read moreand other recreation. Wooded sites, friendly hosts. We were headed north and needed a stop so we took a chance and were very pleasantly surprised. Room for seasonal camping too. $30/night

This is a very popular rv campground. The locals have it monopolized b/c of the boating and lakes…read more It's beautiful and very convenient to Voyageur National Park. All but two sites are back in. The guests are friendly. There is no store on site except for clothing. Ice and firewood can be purchased. Sites are large. Bring your mosquito repellent. Friendly staff.

Exceptional and timely replies to our questions! We have booked a week during summer and will add…read moreadditional comments after our trip. Thank you Rainy Lake RV for your professional communication!

Five stars isn't enough for this crew. We fish with Craig at Lake Vermilion Fishing Guides just…read moreabout every year, and our Boundary Waters trips into Basswood are the ones we talk about all winter. From the first phone call he asks the right questions about what you want out of the day, then builds the whole trip around it. Getting into the BWCA on your own takes real planning, but Craig handles all of it, and once you're out there you've got world-class fishing with almost nobody around. He reads the water, adjusts constantly, and genuinely cares that everyone on board catches fish. He handles the big fish with real care too, quick photos and healthy releases. This is what a professional guide service should be. We're already planning next year's trip.

Doesn't get any better then, local and family owned…read more My cousin from Ely had previously bought a outfit for her grand baby and realized it was too small. We went in to exchange it and they could have not been more accommodating. She did not have the receipt and had removed the tags. They knew it was their product and were happy to make the swap for a larger size. As she made the swap, I browsed through the store with my other cousin. Oh my, the variety of merchandise was mind blowing. They had everything you'd need for a camping trip. They even sell camping packages for the boundary waters and when you check-in on Yelp they offer a 15% off coupon. If you're a fisher, they also offer live bait to help you catch that big fish. That way your "big fish" story will be truth instead of a made up one. My other cousin who was traveling with us, caught so much fish during our trip, that when we left Ely, we had to stop at Spirit to buy dry ice. When in Ely, I highly recommend that you shop, Spirit.