Sites & Rates
Average nightly rates21 total sites
RV Sites
18 sites
Tent Sites
1 site
Cabins
2 sites
About Birch Lake Campground
Number of accommodations: 21
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
Pets and Policies
- Pet friendly
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Rates, Sites & Availability
21 Sites Available
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Site Details
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21 Sites Available
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Reviews (93)
What Guests Are Saying
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.
What Guests Are Saying
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.
Review Summary
Maria S
VerifiedAugust 21, 2021 • Stayed at: 017, Loop: South
Very nice campground! Campsites are well spread out with lots of trees. Birch Lake is beautiful and fun to explore by canoe. The campground hosts were very helpful. We'll definitely be back again!
Megan E
VerifiedAugust 21, 2021 • Stayed at: Popple Cabin, Loop: South
The most attentive, helpful campground hosts I have ever experienced.
ajla k
VerifiedAugust 29, 2021 • Stayed at: 015, Loop: North
Great spot for camping! Thor and Cindi were great and so helpful!!
Rick S
VerifiedSeptember 5, 2021 • Stayed at: 026, Loop: South
Even though fishing was not good the week we were at the lake, we had a terrific time. The campsites are private, well spaced and maintained well. The bathrooms are immaculate - thanks to the camp hosts. Cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen. Thanks.
Janet M
VerifiedSeptember 6, 2021 • Stayed at: 014, Loop: North
This NFS campground at Birch Lake near the BWCA was excellent! The hosts, Cindy and Thor, were welcoming, offering any help we may need. Their diligence in maintaining the campground, the sites, and the facilities really shows: everything was immaculate and well kept. We stayed at site #14, which is the last one on one of the loops and in my opinion it is the best one. Lots of trees, no sight lines to neighbors, no walk-throughs, and plenty of choices for setting up our tent. We had just one tent, but the site could easily accommodate more. There is a view of the lake from the lower tent pad and the canoe landing was easy with no impediments. We were closed out of the BWCA, and this campground was certainly the next best thing.
Estefania F
VerifiedSeptember 13, 2021 • Stayed at: 032, Loop: South
We had an amazing time! Thank you to Thor and Cyndi for being so nice and helpful.
I appreciated that they campground had canoes for rental, that made it easy for my group to not have to drive anywhere to rent them. We just walked to where they were and went from there. All the bathrooms that we went to were really clean, very much appreciate it. The campground sites were taken care of too. Would 100% recommend. Making the reservation was super easy too.
Joshua A
VerifiedSeptember 13, 2021 • Stayed at: 026, Loop: South
We absolutely love this campground, and the lake! We usually come up several times in the summer and a few times in the winter to fish the lake. This year was terrible ( the worst by far) the campground is still great and the lake to, but the camp hosts that were there this year we’re absolutely terrible, very rude, very short with people, and thought they owned the joint! Between me and my husbands family we have been camping this campground since it opened way back in the day, and have never been treated so terrible by the hosts! RUDE! We really hope that they DO NOT return next season!
Patrick L
VerifiedSeptember 14, 2021 • Stayed at: Tamarak Cabin, Loop: South
Wonderful stay at a great campground. Thor and Cindi are awesome guest hosts. The bathrooms are very clean and well stocked. We will be back next year.
Ray L
VerifiedSeptember 19, 2021 • Stayed at: 026, Loop: South
Birch Lake Campground is great! Very quiet and peaceful, and great views of the lake. The campground is very well kept. We rented a canoe and paddle around the area for 2 hours. The hosts, Thor and Cyndi, were very welcoming and helpful.
Terry M
VerifiedSeptember 19, 2021 • Stayed at: 013, Loop: North
We opted for a campground stay instead of a second BWCA trip, and really enjoyed this campground. Very quiet, except for wildlife. Sites are well spaced for privacy. Everyone respected quiet hours. Toilets were kept very clean and well stocked. Camp hosts Thor and Cyndi (and their dog, Tony) were excellent. They immediately made us aware of a better site that had become available and facilitated the change for us. Over the course of our stay we had many great chats and they never failed to wave or say hi, and were always busy keeping things clean and maintained and making improvements. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and several times commented that we've had BWCA trips with more traffic and noise than we experienced at this campground.
There is definitely bear activity, so heed the warnings about keeping your food secure all the time.
Location Birch Lake Campground
Address:
Kawishiwi Ranger District, 1393 Highway 169
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.
Elevation: 443 feet
13 mi drive to downtown Ely (about 23 min)
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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Last updated: September 8, 2026