First Site
If you get to NE Minnesota and want to camp in a semi wilderness area - contact me and I will direct you to Harriet Lake.
Harriet Lake campground is a large cleared area, set in forest, on the south shore of Harriet Lake. It is about 30 miles NW of Lake Superior's north shore. There is one outhouse and an improved boat landing - no other facilities. You will need a simple bacteria filter to filter your water - which comes from the lake. Threre are no diesignated campsites - put up your tent where you like. Harriet Lake has good walleye fishing. Surrounding lakes have a great variety of game fish.
There are about ten to twenty lakes within a couple of miles. There is a long hiking trail within a mile which runs along high ridges between about seven small trout lakes. Very beautiful hike. Trout in the lakes are rainbows and splake.
Wildlife in this area are white tail deer, moose, bear, wolves, etc. etc.
This is a Superior National Forest Campground. There are no fees. They only charge fees at campgrounds that have drilled wells. No reservations needed.
This is a "drive to" site, but there are plenty of woods and lakes to get lost in or on - if you're so inclined. They don't like to tell you this, but you can camp anywhere in the Superior National Forest. The only restrictions on camping are within designated camping areas or within the Boundry Waters Canoe Area.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/superior/
Second Site:
For those whose families like things a little more settled, but still want to get out in the woods.
On the north shore of Lake Superior, just past the town of Silver Bay, there is Tettagouche State Park. Tettagouche is mainly for hiking - having the closest thing we have to mountains in Minnesota (quite similar to those in England, but forested). Beautiful old growth forest. Beautiful scenic views of the area and of Lake Superior.
There are miles of hiking trails, and many small lakes for fishing. If you apply beforehand, you can stay in one of four log cabins on one of the small lakes in the interior of the park. Fees range from $65 to $90 a night (last time we were there). These cabins have cooking facilities, pots, pans, and dishes. They have beds for from two to ten people (depending on the cabin). My favorite is right on the lake (an inland lake, not Lake Superior). Very rustic and picuresque. Each cabin has its own canoe. There is a very nice communal shower building and flush toilets.
You can expect to see a lot of wildlife in the park and no hunting is allowed so some of the animals seem quite tame.
You will need to pack in bedding (sleeping bags or blankets), and food. It is about a five mile hike to the cabins - and some of the trail is up steep cliffs. Be careful you get a map as the trails can be confusing and you can spend a whole day taking the long way around to the cabins.
I just checked the site and it appears they have another cabin you can drive to. I don't know anything about it.
I should mention, they have a number of what you would call "caravan" camp sites down by Lake Superior, but I've never checked them out, having no interest in that style of camping
For more information:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/tettegouche/index.html
http://northshorevisitor.com/state-parks/tettegouche.html
The second site lists some of the state parks on the northshore. Most are overrun in summer, though Judge Magney Park has some nice hiking and I believe the camping sites are all primitive, though I haven't camped there since before it became a state park. Beautiful country.
PG
