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nohillgrish · 05-10-2010, 07:11 PM

One of our planned trips this summer is a week in the Duluth, Mn. area. Looking for suggestions as to possible campgrounds. As I will be with three other couples this time that are not into "primitive" camping, I probably need to stay with at least water, electric & sewer facilities. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

BradS · 05-10-2010, 07:45 PM

Check out the Lakehead Boat Basin You can park your RV on the waterfront Its on Park point. We have never stayed there but have gone and looked at it. It looks great , lakeheadboatbasin.com

nohillgrish · 05-10-2010, 07:52 PM

Thanks Brad,
I really like the sounds of water front. Will definitely check it out.

CanoeStream · 05-10-2010, 08:20 PM

Lakehead Boat Basin is a very central, other-worldly, nautical place to stay. Pictures here. You can easily walk to the visitor-oriented Canal Park area or drive to many local areas. Don't mistake -- it still is very much in the middle of urban civilization. I've stayed there and I like it a lot. It's much more attractive than the municipal campground near the zoo and Spirit Mountain ski hill. But be wary of weekends if there is a festival or big weekend attraction in Duluth -- Lakehead Boat Basin reserves out a year in advance for those.

Visit the Congdon mansion in north Duluth. Tour upshore -- at the north end of the city just past the Lester River, take the lakeside road to Two Harbors and Gooseberry State Park. Make the brief stop at the French River to see if you can spy steelhead or salmon heading up to the hatchery. Enjoy smoked whitefish or laketrout from Russ Kendall's in Knife River. Best place to eat near there is Scenic Cafe a handful of miles south of Knife River.

Without even considering the Lake Superior Circle Tour, there is much to be said for waterfalls at state parks along Minnesota's northshore. Tettegouche State Park may not have plug-ins but is the start of a great adventure; hike the all-day loop back to Mic Mac Lake and the Conservancy Pines. Temperance River State Park (with some plug-ins) and Cascade River (no plug-ins) are each beautiful. It's a poke - but make your way up to Grand Marais' municipal campground for rustic sights, local arts, the unique Angry Trout restaurant, more nautical adventures, great hikes, the North House Folk School, and on and on. Susie challenges me to take her up there any time and leave when she gets tired of it.

Know better than to bite on that one....

CanoeStream · 05-10-2010, 08:25 PM

One caution -- Interstate 35 is under construction each of the next 2 summers. It will be one lane north and south in varying sections as you go through the city. Times to avoid ... or bear with infinite patience ... are northbound through the city on Friday afternoon or southbound on Sunday.

Jammer · 05-10-2010, 09:32 PM

I will be at the Olde Worlde Renaissance Faire at Twig this year (June 12 and 13). A google search turns up two commercial campgrounds nearby, Ogston's and Saginaw. Any info on these places? We may end up boondocking in the parking area on the faire grounds.

nohillgrish · 05-11-2010, 06:01 AM

BobStream,
Sounds like you concur with Brad's recommendation. As we have no agenda other than to be in Duluth the first week of August (arriving 7/31), I really appreciate the suggested list of things to see & do. We chose this area first for it's beauty and cooler weather in August, but knew there also had to be a lot of other things to do. For the group I will be with, this is exactly the type of information needed. Do you know of anything going on in our time frame that might make reservations difficult? I know August seems a ways off, but by the time we work in a few local rally's, Alumapalosa & whatever, it will be here. Thanks also for the road advise. Will figure out another route.

kingfisher24 · 05-11-2010, 06:34 AM

we plan to be in that area somewhere around that time....

cooperhawk · 05-11-2010, 07:24 AM

We always stay at Indian Point Campground which is located in the southern part of the city, It has full hookups and is away from the hub bub of the city itself. Course, you need to have a vehicle to get uptown.

TinLoaf · 05-11-2010, 07:29 AM

Stray,

I'll be staying just 30 miles up the road in Two Harbors, MN with Doug& Maggie from July 30th through August 1st. Then we're moving up to Temperance River State Park for a few nights, then on to Gunflint Pines Campground off the Gunflint Trail near the Boundary Waters.

I don't know the name of the campground in Two Harbors, but Maggie will chime in shortly. I've never been there, but Doug and Maggie love it.

CanoeStream · 05-11-2010, 08:46 AM

Give Lakehead Boat Basin a call if you are interested. I'd guess most weekends would be booked. Please realize that the site is a marina and this is not camping in the normal sense. It's still an atmospheric location. The camping is on the paved areas where they store boats after hauling in the fall. Each spot has water & electric -- the moho sites with sewer are away from the water and defeat the purpose of going there. There is a very nice bathroom shower area. There's a dump station at the exit gate. I'd think of spending time camping several places if you have a week.

Here's a link for the Grand Marais Municipal Campground - Grand Marais RV Park, Campground and Marina. Sites 156-162 are our favorites -- a couple are pretty short so ask for their advice. Anything 97 and up is good -- because this side of the campground has the new bathroom/shower house. 74-90 sites are only big enough for popups.

Lily&Me · 05-11-2010, 09:16 AM

City of Two Harbors Burlington Bay CG is in Two Harbors, right on the shore, quite nice and reasonable, water & electric.

Don't know if you consider Two Harbors the Duluth area, but anyplace up the north shore of Lake Superior is worth the drive.

Maggie

TinLoaf · 05-11-2010, 09:24 AM

Here's the link to Burlington Bay Campground and a Google Earth image showing its location in relation to Lake Superior.

http://www.ci.two-harbors.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={D6964D96-3DD2-41BA-97F4-6707A6E46348}

nohillgrish · 05-11-2010, 03:38 PM

Thanks again to all for the suggestions. I am forwarding them on to others in the group, so hopefully they can all agree on one of these excellent ideas.

dufferin · 05-23-2010, 11:55 AM

check those out :
Indian Point Campground | RV CAMP REVIEW
Lakehead Boat Basin | RV CAMP REVIEW

tomp1937 · 05-23-2010, 12:49 PM

Having lived and traveled this area for many years I suggest Lakehead Basin first, City of Cloquet downtown CG second (right on the St. Louis River with beautiful facilities and a short drive from Duluth), Two Harbors third and if these are booked, consider Ashland, WI fifty miles east right on the Lake. In Ashland, right on the water next to the marina and old ore dock is a city CG with water and elect. (dump station nearby) for a MODEST fee. Last year it was $20 and you are close to many things to do besides being an hour from Duluth. Just NW of ashland, still on the Lake is Washburn, WI city CG with elect. and community water. Dump station in CG.

Things to do and events happening? Log on to Welcome to Lake Superior Magazine - Online, a regional magazine website celebrating the Lake Superior lifestyle. You will get more help here than you need, but they have been doing this for thirty years.

nohillgrish · 05-23-2010, 08:15 PM

Thanks dufferin & tomp for additional suggestions. We hope to get reservations nailed down by end of this week.

dufferin · 05-24-2010, 12:23 PM

You are more than welcome,

I wish you a great trip, it's all about it!

nohillgrish · 05-25-2010, 08:30 PM

So far, Indian Point is full and Burlington Bay's voice mail says they're open, but may be 4-5 days before they can return my call. Still working on some of the other suggestions. One problem is that I found out we are coming in on the tail-end of the Tall Ship Fesitival, which appears to be a very big deal. I hope they're still there when we arrive.

Gene · 05-25-2010, 10:52 PM

I think we stayed at Indian Point last year. I know we were at the city CG and south of town. It was not too easy to find, but a nice old place to stay. The host gets to stay in a Silverstreak. Very retro place; lots of big old trees. Maybe a spot will open up.

The city CG in Grand Marais is another find. We were camped next to another old aluminum trailer, though I can't remember the brand. We never saw anyonre staying in it though.

If you get to Grand Marais, try to take a drive along the Gunflint Trail. There's a nice FS CG at the end of the road. We didn't stay there, but we did stay at a CG on Gunflint Lake. I can't remember the name of it either but it had "Gunflint" in the name. Good views of the lake and run by nice people.

Wish I could remember, but check the usual CG books for more info.

Gene