About Birch Lake Campground
Number of accommodations: 21
Campground Amenities
-
Pet Friendly -
Potable Water
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Sites & Availability
21 Sites Available
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Site Details
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21 Sites Available
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Reviews (84)
What Guests Are Saying
Birch Lake Campground offers a beautiful and secluded location near Ely, Minnesota, with well-maintained sites that provide privacy and great access to the lake. Visitors appreciate the clean facilities, friendly camp hosts, and opportunities for local activities like hiking and fishing. However, some negative aspects include poor road conditions leading to the campground and occasional issues with mosquitoes and site reservations.
What Guests Are Saying
Birch Lake Campground offers a beautiful and secluded location near Ely, Minnesota, with well-maintained sites that provide privacy and great access to the lake. Visitors appreciate the clean facilities, friendly camp hosts, and opportunities for local activities like hiking and fishing. However, some negative aspects include poor road conditions leading to the campground and occasional issues with mosquitoes and site reservations.
Review Summary
Megan B
VerifiedJuly 12, 2023 • Stayed at: 024, Loop: South
Well spaced wooded sites. Clean vault toilets. We were able to take a short path to birch lake from our site for swimming and fishing. Beautiful and relaxing.
Ranish S
VerifiedJuly 10, 2023 • Stayed at: Tamarak Cabin, Loop: South
Excellent Cabin in the National Forest. It could be better to have SOLAR LIght or Outlet to have 100% Satisfaction.
Please note, There is No Attached Rest room. you need to walk 100 meters , its very nice and clean.
Dale C
VerifiedJuly 3, 2023 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: South
Sites have very nice privacy and are very well kept by the hosts! Can't wait to get back!
Janae J
VerifiedJune 6, 2023 • Stayed at: 029, Loop: South
This was a lovely and well kept campground. Our site was in the South Loop (#29) with lake access about 15 feet away - perfect for canoeing and day trips on the water. There was generous space between campsites with lots of tree coverage for privacy. Just like every other campground in northern MN in mid/late Spring, it was extremely buggy with mosquitos and gnats. Bug head nets, bug spray, and screen shelters recommended! The site host was attentive and had firewood for sale for $8/bundle. We enjoyed a day trip to downtown Ely, which was about a 30 min drive. If headed into town, I definitely recommend checking out the Bass Lake Trailhead waterfall, Dorothy Molter Museum (with a cold root beer), and the International Wolf Center.
Aaron I
VerifiedMay 29, 2023 • Stayed at: 029, Loop: South
Very clean
Steven T
VerifiedMay 28, 2023 • Stayed at: 015, Loop: North
This site is ideal for multi-vehicle trips. Level sites , and a nice open area for activities, and is on its own gravel loop in the campground, so no one walking/driving through. Vault toilet was clean, and there was running water from solar pump well, but it had a taste to it so bring your own drinking water. Birch Lake water is stained, so filtering is probably not an option for most either. No good spot on adjacent shoreline to park a boat due to huge boulder field, but can overnight a boat by the boat launch, which is on far end of campgrounds. A bit of a hike but we just drove down and back, there was plenty of parking by the launch, even on a Saturday. Will definitely be back.
John H
VerifiedOctober 2, 2022 • Stayed at: 020, Loop: South
Camp was clean, nice boat landing,restrooms very clean
Michael C
VerifiedSeptember 21, 2022 • Stayed at: 032, Loop: South
Camped at Birch Lake several times over the years. Never a bad stay.
David V
VerifiedSeptember 20, 2022 • Stayed at: 025, Loop: South
Beautiful site - waterfront on a clean lake.
Tegan C
VerifiedSeptember 18, 2022 • Stayed at: Popple Cabin, Loop: South
Nice little cabin and campground.
Location Birch Lake Campground
Address:
Kawishiwi Ranger District
Ely, MN, 55731
United States
From Ely, Minnesota, travel about 8 miles south on State Highway 1 toward Lake Superior, until Forest Road 429 (Little Lake Road). Turn right on Forest Road 429 and continue 4 miles to the campground entrance road. Turn left onto the campground road and continue 1 mile to the campground.
Latitude & Longitude: 47.7569 / -91.7836
Elevation: 443 feet
Policies & Rules
| Category | About |
|---|---|
| General |
Off-road and all-terrain vehicles are not allowed during camping season. |
| General |
During the walk-in season, please contact the local USFS for information. |
| General |
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. |
| General |
Reserved Sites will be held until check out time (NOON) 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. |
| General |
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). |
| General |
Click here to learn more about Superior National Forest Superior National Forest |
| General |
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. |
