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
Pet friendly
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
No available sites
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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
John S
VerifiedJanuary 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.
Eva M
VerifiedJanuary 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.
Holly S
VerifiedJanuary 15, 2020 • Stayed at: 023, Loop: South
Great place for a family vacation and to get away.
Mary Jane P
VerifiedJanuary 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😊
Gretchen F
VerifiedJanuary 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.
Don F
VerifiedJanuary 15, 2020 • Stayed at: 014, Loop: North
Very nice campground host and clean bathrooms.
Luke S
VerifiedJanuary 16, 2020 • Stayed at: 025, Loop: South
Beautiful place to camp and see the fall colors.
Gary C
VerifiedJanuary 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 !!
Jimmy S
VerifiedAugust 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.
anna M
VerifiedAugust 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!
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
