Birch Lake Campground

Kawishiwi Ranger District, 1393 Highway 169, Ely, Minnesota, United States
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Picture of table with lake in the background.
Picture of picnic table and fire ring.
Picture of camping spur.
Picture of Birch Lake from boatlanding.
Picture of open grassy area.

Featured amenities

Pet Friendly Pet Friendly
View all amenities

About Birch Lake Campground

Birch Lake Campground is located in Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, about 13 mi from Ely, Minnesota. It is an ideal place to relax while enjoying fishing, boating and other recreational activities.

Available sites

21 total sites
RV Sites 18 sites Check Availability Tent Sites 1 site Check Availability Cabins 2 sites Check Availability

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Pet friendly Pet friendly
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Pets and Policies

Pets and Policies

  • Pet friendly
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

21 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 001, Loop: North RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 013, Loop: North RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 014, Loop: North RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 015, Loop: North Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
🚐 017, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 018, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 019, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 020, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 021, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 023, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 024, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 025, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 026, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 027, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 028, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 029, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 030, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 031, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 032, Loop: South RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🏠 Popple Cabin, Loop: South Cabin
6 guests
🏠 Tamarak Cabin, Loop: South Cabin
6 guests

Reviews

100 reviews

Summary

AI generated

Birch Lake Campground offers a spacious and well-maintained environment with clean bathrooms, good drinking water, and a peaceful atmosphere, making it ideal for family gatherings and outdoor activities. Many campers appreciate the privacy between sites and the beautiful surroundings, although access to the water for activities like swimming and fishing can be limited. Some guests expressed concerns about road conditions leading to the campground and occasional issues with site reservations, but overall, the campground is highly recommended for its cleanliness and natural beauty.

Based on guest feedback

4.4

Overall rating

Based on 100 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 65.0% (65)
4 stars 22.0% (22)
3 stars 3.0% (3)
2 stars 5.0% (5)
1 star 5.0% (5)

Showing 100 reviews

Verified Only
Sort by: Newest First
Newest First Oldest First

anna M

Verified

August 7, 2020 Stayed at: 014, Loop: North

The campground host was amazing. The bathrooms were spotless. The pit toilets were cleaner than many flush ones we have seen in parks!

Helpful

Jimmy S

Verified

August 7, 2020 Stayed at: 013, Loop: North

The campsite was great! Very friendly hosts, and very clean bathrooms! Our campsite was nestled in the woods and gave a great sense of privacy, plus we had a beautiful view of the lake! I'm definitely going to be booking for next summer.

Helpful

Gary C

Verified

January 19, 2020 Stayed at: 014, Loop: North

Reserved a site over 2 months in advance only to find someone in the site and not around, unfortunately I chose that site because it is the only one that fits my camper. I wish I had some recourse but enforcement was not around and from what I’m told from some of the forest service employees this is getting to be a common occurrence. Thanks for nothing !!

Helpful

Luke S

Verified

January 16, 2020 Stayed at: 025, Loop: South

Beautiful place to camp and see the fall colors.

Helpful

Don F

Verified

January 15, 2020 Stayed at: 014, Loop: North

Very nice campground host and clean bathrooms.

Helpful

Gretchen F

Verified

January 15, 2020 Stayed at: 017, Loop: South

My friends and I had a great time at this campsite! The site was clean when we arrived, and the shared facilities like the bathrooms and water pump were also well maintained. I would highly recommend going canoeing or kayaking on the lake, and if you need to rent equipment, Spirit of the Wilderness in Ely is a great place to go.

Helpful

Mary Jane P

Verified

January 15, 2020 Stayed at: 024, Loop: South

Very Beautiful and so relaxing. I will be coming up thrte again this summer.
Very clean.
I highly recommend this camp ground.
Thank You and See You This Summer😊

Helpful

Holly S

Verified

January 15, 2020 Stayed at: 023, Loop: South

Great place for a family vacation and to get away.

Helpful

Eva M

Verified

January 13, 2020 Stayed at: 028, Loop: South

If you want a basic, rustic campsite off the beaten track near Ely, MN, this is a good choice. The campground was quiet, the toilets were new, well-stocked, and clean (not smelly at all.) The swim area is tiny and the same space as the boat launch. No amenities, but that's now what we were looking for. A great place for bird watching and enjoying the forest.

Helpful

John S

Verified

January 12, 2020 Stayed at: 018, Loop: South

Really enjoyed my motorcycle camping at Birch Lake in 2019. Campsite was great. I did wake up early because the boat launch was active around 5:30 a.m. My fault for picking a site close to it.

Helpful

Location & Directions for Birch Lake Campground

Kawishiwi Ranger District, 1393 Highway 169, Ely, MN 55731 United States

Elevation: 443 ft

Getting There

From Ely, Minnesota, travel about 8 mi south on State Highway 1 toward Lake Superior, until Forest Road 429 (Little Lake Road). Turn right on Forest Road 429 and continue 4 mi to the campground entrance road. Turn left onto the campground road and...

Nearest town

Ely, MN - 13 mi

About 23 min to downtown

Policies & Rules

Arrival & departure

Check out time

12PM

General

  • Off-road and all-terrain vehicles are not allowed during camping season.
  • During the walk-in season, please contact the local USFS for information.
  • Please Note: One RV with tow vehicle per single site or two vehicles per tent site. Most sites can accommodate 1 extra vehicle that is not included with the reservation fee. Extra vehicle will be charged a per night fee and collected at the campground. 
  • Reserved Sites will be held until the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
  • Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).
  • Click here to learn more about Superior National Forest Superior National Forest 
  • Don't move firewood: To limit the spread of invasive tree-killing pests, firewood from outside the area is not permitted. Some states have quarantines and may confiscate your firewood. Please help protect our forests from invasive species by obtaining your firewood at or near your camping destination and burning it on-site. Visit dontmovefirewood.org for more information.

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Nearby destinations

Explore destination

Ely

11 mi away

City
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Embarrass

20 mi away

Day trip
Explore destination

Isabella

22 mi away

Day trip

Last updated: October 22, 2026

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Explore Ely, MN

Population: 3,240

Nearby city: Duluth, MN

Approx. 69 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 1,470 ft

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