Gooseberry Falls camping

This guide is for anyone choosing a site at Gooseberry, which the DNR calls the gateway to the North Shore, about 13 miles northeast of Two Harbors on Highway 61. It covers how the campground is laid out, what is open in which season, how the booking window works and what a weekend actually costs. Park facts come from the Minnesota DNR park page, campground map and fee pages, all listed at the end.

The campground at a glance

If you need hookups, Gooseberry is the wrong park. The DNR is direct about it: "There are no electric sites available in this park." For electric sites farther up the shore, compare the Split Rock Lighthouse camping guide (46 electric sites) or the Tettegouche State Park camping guide.

Which part of the campground to pick

The DNR's campground map shows one main campground between the Gooseberry River and Lake Superior. Per the DNR campground map, sites are numbered 1 to 70 with no site 61, which matches the DNR's count of 69 sites. Also per the map:

• Sites 45 to 70 (the southeast loops) are drawn closest to Lake Superior. Sites 58 to 70 run along the edge nearest the shore and the Gitchi-Gami State Trail. This is the side to request if you want to walk to the lake.
• Sites 1 to 27 (the west loop) are on the river side of the campground.
• Sites 28 to 44 (the middle loop) include accessible sites 42 and 43. Sites 42 to 44 are the only ones the DNR park page lists as plowed in winter.
• Accessible sites marked on the map are 19, 21, 42 and 43.

Showers this season

The campground has two shower buildings, which the DNR calls the Upper and Lower sanitation buildings. The park's current notice says "the lower shower building, including flush toilets, showers and picnic shelter, is closed for repairs during rehab work," while the upper building and the vault toilets stay open. The DNR does not say when the repairs will finish, so call the park at 218-595-7100 to confirm before you book.

Seasonally, the shower buildings open in the first week of May. In fall, the DNR keeps the upper shower building open "through the 3rd weekend in October," while other water facilities close early in October. Vault toilets are open year-round.

RVs and the dump station

Check that your rig fits the specific site in ReserveMN; the DNR asks campers to confirm "your equipment will fit the site specifications." The dump station usually runs from the first week of May to mid-October and is only for people camping at Gooseberry. Day visitors are sent to dump stations in Two Harbors (the DNR names the Little Dog Car Wash) or Silver Bay.

Group camps and the kayak site

Per the DNR campground map, the three group camps sit southwest of the main campground along the Gitchi-Gami State Trail, with a shared "group camp parking" lot where the map notes "carts available." All are tents only. The DNR describes them this way:

• Birch Ridge: two level camping areas.
• Pebble Creek: closest to Lake Superior.
• Nestor Grade: accessible, a large open grassy area.

The single kayak site is first come, first served and reserved for people arriving by water on the Lake Superior State Water Trail.

Winter camping at Gooseberry

Gooseberry is one of the North Shore parks where you can camp all winter, with limits. From the DNR park page:

• "After snowfall, all but 3 campsites (42-44) are walk or ski-in only (campground roads are not plowed)."
• Unplowed sites are blocked in the reservation system. To camp at one, "stop at the Visitor Center to make arrangements."
• Group camps are only available "during snow-free months."
• Firewood is sold at the visitor center when the campground office is closed.

The Joseph N. Alexander Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with year-round flush toilets and drinking water, and it serves as the winter warming house. The park grooms 12 miles of classic ski trail and maintains a half-mile winter hiking trail to the Upper Falls. A Great Minnesota Ski Pass is required on groomed trails for skiers 16 and older. See the North Shore in winter for what else stays open.

How to book, and when

All Minnesota state park sites are reserved through ReserveMN. The rules, from the DNR reservation FAQ:

• Window: "up to 120 days before your arrival date."
• Opening time: on the first day a date opens, reservations "cannot be made before 8 a.m. Central Standard Time."
• Same day: same-day reservations are allowed and carry no reservation fee.
• Maximum stay: 14 nights.
• Cancellations: free 14 or more days out; a $6 online fee inside 14 days; inside 48 hours you also lose one night.

Gooseberry's own page says "reservations are essential during late spring, summer and for fall weekends." To find your booking day, count back 120 days from the night you arrive.

Check-in for campsites is after 4 p.m. and check-out is by 4 p.m., per the DNR state park rules. For a full strategy across several parks, see how to get a North Shore state park campsite.

What a weekend costs

The DNR's statewide fee schedule lists drive-in campsites at $20 to $35 a night, plus tax, and group campsites at $50 to $300 a night. ReserveMN shows the exact price for a specific Gooseberry site when you choose dates. You also need a vehicle permit: $7 for a one-day permit or $35 for a year-round permit. The DNR says an overnight permit costs the same as a one-day permit and is "valid for the date of purchase through 4 p.m. the following day." For multi-night stays, ask the park which permit covers your whole stay; the year-round permit covers every visit for a year.

Worked example, two nights at a drive-in site, before tax:

Plus a vehicle permit ($7 overnight or $35 year-round).

The $35 year-round permit pays for itself by the fifth $7 day permit you would otherwise buy in a year. No electric add-on applies here, since Gooseberry has no electric sites.

Rules and park details worth knowing

• Park hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Only registered campers may be in the campground during quiet hours, 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
• Site limits: one group of six or fewer, one shelter and one vehicle per site, per the DNR rules.
• Firewood: buy it at the ranger station in summer, at the visitor center the rest of the year, or through Yodel. Gathering firewood in the park is against state park rules.
• Pets: on a leash; not allowed in buildings or on beaches, per the park map.
• No permit needed at the wayside: parking at the visitor center lot does not require a vehicle permit, but the rest of the park does.
• Current alert: as of November 2026, the DNR says a special deer hunt runs November 7 to 22, 2026, and trails on the north side of Highway 61, including the Superior Hiking Trail, are closed to day use. The falls area and lakeside trails stay open.

What's near your site

The park has 20 miles of hiking trail, including 1 mile of accessible trail from the visitor center to the main falls. From the DNR park map:

• Falls Loop Trail: a 1-mile loop in the falls area; a shorter accessible trail reaches the Upper and Middle Falls.
• River View Trail: 1.25 miles one way, past the falls and downstream to the river mouth and the Picnic Flow area on the lake.
• Fifth Falls Trail: a 2-mile loop upriver.
• Gitchi-Gami State Trail: paved, 8 miles one way to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park or 15 miles to Beaver Bay.

For the falls themselves, see the Gooseberry Falls guide. For food and supplies before you arrive, see things to do in Two Harbors.

Before you go

1. Decide whether you need electricity. If you do, book a different park.
2. Pick your loop from the DNR campground map: southeast for the lake, west for the river, middle for accessible or plowed winter sites.
3. Count back 120 days and be on ReserveMN at 8 a.m. Central that morning.
4. Check the lower shower building status with the park.
5. Buy your vehicle permit, and buy firewood at the park.
6. In winter, plan to ski, snowshoe or sled your gear in unless you have site 42, 43 or 44.

Related guides: All North Shore guides · Minnesota camping guides · North Shore state parks compared · Split Rock Lighthouse State Park camping

---

Sources

• Minnesota DNR, Gooseberry Falls State Park (camping, seasonal update, trails, alerts): https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/park.html?id=spk00172
• Minnesota DNR, Gooseberry Falls State Park campground map (PDF): https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00172_camp.pdf
• Minnesota DNR, Gooseberry Falls State Park summer map and guide (PDF, 2026): https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_parks/spk00172_summer.pdf
• Minnesota DNR, Reservation FAQ: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reserve-faq/index.html
• Minnesota DNR, State park fees: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fees.html
• Minnesota DNR, Vehicle permits: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/permit.html
• Minnesota DNR, State park rules: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/rules.html