Types of Campsites and Amenities Available

Voyageurs National Park has more than 270 campsites, houseboat sites, day use sites, and visitor destination sites within its boundaries. All of these sites offer outstanding amenities for your national park experience. See below for amenities at each site type.

Day use and visitor destination sites do not require reservations or permits; all other site types require a reservation & permit through www.recreation.gov.

Head over to our campsite photo gallery to view images of specific sites, or click on any campsite name when making your reservation on www.recreation.gov to view more details.

 

Types of Sites in Voyageurs National Park

Small Campsite - accommodates up to 9 campers with 2 tent pads

Large Campsite - accommodates up to 18 campers with 4 tent pads

Group Campsite - accommodates a minimum of 14 to a maximum of 30 campers with 7 to 8 tent pads

Accessible Campsite - designed with accessible trails, tent pad, privy, and chairlift on dock

Backcountry Campsite - accommodates up to 6 campers; requires boating to a trailhead and hiking to site

Primitive Campsite - located remotely on the mainland along the Kab-Ash hiking trail; accessible from any trailhead parking lot

Houseboat Site - allows a maximum of 2 houseboats
Day Use & Visitor Destination Sites - for day use only, enjoy these areas for picnicing, swimming, and other daytime activities.

 

R100 Channel View small campsite on Rainy Lake

NPS photo

Small Campsite

• Designed for a maximum of 9 people
• Overnight use with tents only (no houseboats)
• Two 14' x 14' tent pads
• Two bear-proof food lockers that measure 52" wide x 36" deep and 21" high each, or are equal to two 48-quart coolers
• One picnic table
• One metal fire ring with cooking grate
• One outdoor vault privy

 

N5 Day Marker 23 large campsite on Namakan Lake

NPS Photo

Large Campsite

• Designed for a maximum of 18 people
• Overnight use with tents only (no houseboats)
• Four 14' x 14' tent pads
• Four bear-proof food lockers that measure 52" wide x 36" deep and 21" high; equal to two 48-quart coolers
• Two picnic tables
• One metal fire ring with cooking grate
• One outdoor vault toilet

 

R74 Rainy Lake Group campsite core area

NPS Photo

Group Campsite

• Designed for 14 people to a maximum of 30 campers
• Overnight use with tents and houseboats allowed
• Eight tent pads at Rainy Lake Group Campsite and seven tent pads at Kabetogama Lake Group Campsite
• Eight bear-proof food lockers at Rainy Lake Group Campsite and seven at Kabetogama Lake Group Campsite that measure 52" wide x 36" deep and 21" high each (or equal to two 48-quart coolers)
• Four picnic tables and scenic vistas with benches
• Two metal fire rings with cooking grates
• Comfort station privy with enclosed vault toilet
• Dock space for 8-10 boats and an accessible dock lift
• One tent pad, picnic table, food locker, and toilet are accessible

 

R26 Sunrise Point accessible campsite on Rainy Lake

NPS Photo

Accessible Campsite

• Designed for a maximum of 9 people
• Overnight use with tents only (no houseboats)
• Two 14' x 14' tent pads
• Two bear-proof food lockers measuring 52" wide x 36" deep and 21" high each; equal to two 48-quart coolers
• One picnic table
• One metal fire ring with cooking grate
• Vault toilet
• One tent pad, picnic table, food locker, and toilet are accessible
• Accessible dock lift

 

A canoe on the shore of B9 Locator Lake backcountry campsite

NPS Photo

Backcountry Campsite

• Overnight use with tents only
• Must use tent pad if available
• Bring bear-proof food containers or lengths of rope to hang food 10 feet up and 4 feet out from trees; bear poles are available at some campsites
• Outdoor vault toilet
• Campfires must be within fire ring
• No pets allowed
• Artificial bait only
• No private watercrafts allowed on interior lakes; if you reach the trailhead with your own watercraft, it must be left a the trailhead and not portaged in

 

H2 Blueberry Ridge primitive campsite on the Kab-Ash hiking trail

NPS Photo

Primitive Campsite

• Located on the mainland (do not require a boat to access)
• Two hike-in campsites along the Kab-Ash hiking trail
• Accessible from any Kab-Ash trailhead parking lot; nearest trailheads to campsites:
  • Red Pine: 3.2-mile hike from Trailhead on Ash River Trail Rd
  • Blueberry Ridge: 1.7-mile hike from trailhead on Meadwood Rd
  • There is a distance of 8 miles between the two primitive campsites
• Have cleared areas for pitching tents and metal fire rings with grates. Do not leave fires unattended; make sure fires are out cold before departing site
• Require the use of Leave No Trace principles for waste (pack out trash and dispose of human waste in catholes.

 

K2 Blue Heron Point houseboat site on Kabetogama Lake

NPS Photo

Houseboat Site

• Overnight use for houseboat, cabin cruiser, or sailboat (no tent camping allowed)
• Limit of two houseboats per designated (or undesignated) site
• One metal fire ring with cooking grate
• Campfires in established fire rings only
• Houseboats may stay at undesignated sites (undeveloped shoreline) as long as it is at least 200 yards from a designated site or structure.
• No building of rock rings for fires

 

N64 Sheen Island Day Use site on Namakan Lake

NPS Photo

Day Use & Visitor Destination Sites

• No overnight camping
• Picnics and daytime activities only
• Sites have dock and/or beach boat access
• Picnic areas with tables and fire rings
• Day Use sites have outdoor privies while Visitor Destination sites have an enclosed comfort station privy
• Visitor Destination sites are day use areas located at culturally significant locations that provide interpretive media to learn about these historic landmarks