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

Emma C

Verified

August 25, 2024 Stayed at: 029, Loop: South

Great campground

Helpful

Stephanie K

Verified

August 22, 2024 Stayed at: 025, Loop: South

Nice campground about 15 minutes from Ely. Be prepared for 4.5 mi of gravel road to get there. Some sites with nice lake views.

Helpful

Mary Pat G

Verified

July 28, 2024 Stayed at: Tamarak Cabin, Loop: South

Nancy and her husband are great camp hosts. The campground is maintained to the highest of excellence

Helpful

Mark L

Verified

July 15, 2024 Stayed at: 027, Loop: South

Fishing fair. Mosquitos terrible.

Helpful

Amy S

Verified

October 2, 2023 Stayed at: 015, Loop: North

We’ll-kept facilities, secluded sites, beautiful area!

Helpful

William C

Verified

October 1, 2023 Stayed at: 027, Loop: South

Individual camping spots are close to the lake. They're also secluded by trees and brush, so you get a lot of privacy. Nice spot is a very scenic area.

Helpful

David A

Verified

July 18, 2023 Stayed at: Tamarak Cabin, Loop: South

We rented Tamarac cabin in July 2023. The campground was in very good condition. It has a small dock and boat ramp for small motor or un-motored craft and a couple of canoe's one can rent. The cabin was clean and tidy with sleeping for 4 in bunks and a futon sofa if one has small children. The cabin was clean and well kept. There was a nice picnic table and fire pit with plenty of space for camp chairs outside with parking for 2 vehicles is needed. The vault toilets were clean and well vented. The road into the campground is about 4 mi of washboard gravel which could use a regrade and resurface. We enjoyed the local, biked on the Masabi trail, hiked the area and visited Ely a close vacation community. We will return.

Helpful

Megan B

Verified

July 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.

Helpful

Ranish S

Verified

July 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 328.1 ft , its very nice and clean.

Helpful

Dale C

Verified

July 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!

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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