campsite needed!!!

[mathshop]

Hey everyone,

I am currently the vice president of our organization in MNSU and have been wanting to take a group of students into the outdoors.

I am looking for a place to share the outdoor beauty of minnesota to some of the people who have never gone camping before, and give them the true outdoor experience and at the same time a nice place so that veteran campers/fishermans can also enjoy. I am a big outdoor enthusiast myself and have been camping and fishing for the past 10 years with my family. But i do not know any good location for a group camp.

my question is do you guys know any good camp location preferbaly one where the groups are on an island or is lakeside? so we are free to roam, camp next to the lake, canoe, and fish off shore?

Or ones with very nice trails, firetowers, boating experience, easy fishing accessibility?

The only parks i see viable are st croix(hinckly) st park, and white water state park. the only problem with those parks is that i want to give them the nobody around out on an island feel without having to be in the boundry waters and not have to drive 20 minutes for a decent fishing location. and st croix in the spring with the flood is pretty dangerous!

We're looking for somewhere not to far from the metro area, preferbly less than 3 hours drive.

Well thanks for listening and any advice tips or location recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

[upnorth]

Voyageurs National Park would fit the bill pretty good, but it is a bit out of the 3 hr from the metro area.

[IFallsRon]

Go to the DNR site and do a search for Birch Lake Campground and DUA and Two Inlets. Birch Lake is north of Melrose and Two Inlets is north of Park Rapids. They are rustic but nice with decent fishing nearby.

Lake Maria State park near Monticello might work for you, too. There's plenty of cart-in sites.

[JigginIsLife]

yup state or nationa parks will probably be your best bet for the "woodsy" feel. not all have lake side fishing, but most will have hiking trails to the lakes which isnt too big of a deal i wouldnt think.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Bear Head Lake SP has a couple nice group sites

[shooter_mcgavin]

Myre - Big Island State Park just outside of Albert Lea has a 7-acre island you can rent for your group. Actually, its more of a peninsula because there's a narrow drive to access it. From the parking area, you walk 350' to the campsite (according to their HSOforum), which accomodates up to 50 people. We rented it for a group of 20 or so a few years ago, and had a blast. I've heard the fishing can be good, but never tried it myself. Here's a link to the DNR page for the park. Have fun wherever you go!

[brmuskie]

Itasca State Park - has group sites that you can reserve, has a fire tower, bike trails, the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi, good fishing lakes, hiking trails, and everything that you could want.

[minneman]

If a primative site is what your after, aprox 15 mi west of Itaska park is a once state owned park called Little Elbow lk St park. great fishing, and there is even a fire tower to hike to.

[scaup]

Maplewood has a group area that can be reserved. It is not on the lake but near several lakes, last time I used it which was 15 years ago it was pretty isolated to. The group site at fall lake campgrund out of ely would be great but there is not alot for hiking and of course it is way more 3 hours for you. I have also heard good reports about the birch lake campground that was mentioned but I have not been there myslef.

[bkbullhead]

Chippewa Flowage in Northwestern Wisconsin has 11 DNR Island Campsites.

http://www.cfla.us/camp.html

[propster]

Check out Mantrap Lake by Park Rapids. Campsites are about 100 yards form the lake and access, but what a nice campground and beatiful lake. Not that many cabins on it as 3M owns a bunch of the shoreline. Neat spot.