Split Rock Lighthouse on its snow-dusted cliff above Lake Superior under a pink winter sky

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park camping

Facts checked against official sources on November 11, 2026

Photo: MichaelDPhotos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Cart-in sites
20; 2,000 feet (DNR page) or 1-4 blocks (DNR map) from parking
Drive-in sites
46, all electric, in Shipwreck Creek Campground
Backpack sites
4, 0.5 to 2 miles from the campground parking lot
Reservations
All sites reservable, 120 days ahead; no first-come sites
Lighthouse
Run by the Minnesota Historical Society, separate fee
Park phone
218-595-7625
In this guide
  1. The three ways to camp, side by side
  2. Cart-in sites, explained
  3. Shipwreck Creek Campground (electric)
  4. Camping here vs. visiting the lighthouse
  5. How to book and what it costs
  6. What's near your site
  7. Before you go

Short answer: Split Rock Lighthouse State Park has three kinds of campsite. There are 20 cart-in sites near Lake Superior, which the DNR park page places 2,000 feet from their parking lot and the DNR campground map describes as 1-4 blocks away, with wheeled carts provided outside winter. There are 46 drive-in sites, all with electricity, in Shipwreck Creek Campground on the inland side of Highway 61, and 4 backpack sites. Every site must be reserved, through ReserveMN up to 120 days ahead. Camping in the park does not include a lighthouse tour, which the Minnesota Historical Society runs and charges for separately.

This guide is for campers deciding between the cart-in campground and the electric campground, and for anyone confused about how the state park and the lighthouse fit together. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR park page, its maps and fee pages, and the Minnesota Historical Society. Sources are listed at the end.

The three ways to camp, side by side

OptionSitesGetting thereBest forKnow before you book
Cart-in campground20, two of them accessibleHaul gear from the parking lot: 2,000 feet per the DNR park page, 1-4 blocks per the DNR mapTent campers who want to be near the lakeCarts are not available in winter; bring a sled or backpack
Shipwreck Creek Campground46, all electricDrive to your siteRVs, trailers, familiesInland side of Highway 61, "little or no lake view"
Backpack sites4On foot, 0.5 to 2 miles from the campground parking lotHikers who want solitudeTwo can also be reached by kayak from Lake Superior

The park has no first-come sites. The DNR says plainly: "All campsites are reservable. No first-come, first-serve sites."

Cart-in sites, explained

The DNR lists rustic cart-in and backpack campsites among the park's highlights. The DNR park page describes "20 secluded cart-in sites" and gives a distance of 2,000 feet from the parking lot (the sentence is missing a word, so it does not say whether that is the farthest site or every site), and adds that "wheeled carts are available to haul gear and supplies to your campsite." The DNR's campground map describes the same sites as "1-4 blocks from parking lot," with a shower building and drinking water next to the lot.

What the map shows about the layout:

  • Sites 1 to 11 are the closest group, around the parking lot and shower building.
  • Sites 12 to 20 run south along an access path toward the shore, so they are the longer haul.
  • Sites 2 and 3 are the two accessible cart-in sites.
  • The Day Hill Trail and the Little Two Harbors Trail both pass the campground.

How to pack for a cart-in site: the cart takes the work out of the distance, but you still make the trip at least twice, in and out. Keep loads to what one cart can carry, and leave the car organized so a second run is quick.

Rules that matter here: the cart-in fee is the DNR's "cart-in and walk-in" rate, $20 to $25 a night plus tax, for sites "less than a half mile from parking." Vault toilets at the cart-in campground are open year-round, and the shower building is seasonal.

Winter cart-in camping

The DNR's winter park map invites campers to "winter camp in a backpack or cart-in campsite." The catch is the carts: "Carts are not available in the winter. A backpack or sled is recommended to haul gear during the winter months." Shower buildings are closed in winter. Call the ranger station at 218-595-7625 with questions before a winter trip.

Split Rock Lighthouse on its rock cliff above blue Lake Superior, framed by fall foliage
Photo: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Shipwreck Creek Campground (electric)

Shipwreck Creek is the park's drive-in campground, and the campground map notes that "all campsites have electricity in this campground." Key details from the DNR:

  • 46 electric sites. The DNR park page gives two different answers on when they are open. Its campground listing says the sites are "open seasonally, May - October." Its seasonal update says "46 electric campsites in Shipwreck Creek Campground are open," but the same update lists the Shipwreck Creek campground, shower building and dump and fill station as closed for the season, with water anticipated back on May 14, 2027. Confirm winter availability in ReserveMN or with the park.
  • Parking pads: "Most site parking pads are at least 70 feet long," but spurs vary, so check the site listing.
  • Accessible sites: three, all electric. Sites 110 and 203 have elevated tent pads with a ramp; site 314 is packed, crushed gravel.
  • Dump and water fill station: in the campground, mid-May through October.
  • View: the campground is "on the inland side of Hwy 61, little or no lake view from the campsites."

One DNR warning worth repeating: double-check you are reserving at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. "There is also a Split Rock Creek State Park in southern Minnesota. Don't get the two mixed up."

Camping here vs. visiting the lighthouse

The lighthouse and the park are run by two different agencies. The DNR park map explains that "the Minnesota Historical Society manages the Lighthouse Historic Site and the state park manages 2,200 acres around it."

State park (DNR)Lighthouse Historic Site (MNHS)
What it coversCampgrounds, trails, Pebble Beach, picnic areaLighthouse, keeper's home, visitor center
What you payVehicle permit plus campsite feesSeparate admission or tour fee
ParkingVehicle permit requiredFree for historic site visitors during site hours; state park permit required off hours
WinterPark open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. dailyLimited winter hours; lighthouse and historic buildings closed, per the DNR

The Minnesota Historical Society lists its current hours, October 20, 2026 to January 4, 2027, as 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. It lists an $8 Grounds Pass ("No Lighthouse or Keepers Home Access") and a $25 Keeper's Tour on set dates. The DNR park page gives different off-season visitor center hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays, so check mnhs.org before you go. MNHS prices and hours change by season.

For the lighthouse itself, see the Split Rock Lighthouse visiting guide.

How to book and what it costs

All sites go through ReserveMN, online or by phone at 866-857-2757. From the DNR reservation FAQ: the window is "up to 120 days before your arrival date," and on opening day booking starts at 8 a.m. Central. The online reservation fee is $8 ($10 by phone), and same-day reservations have no fee. The park page adds that campsites "are in high demand and book quickly during the summer season."

Nightly rates from the DNR fee schedule, plus tax:

  • Cart-in: $20 to $25
  • Backpack (backcountry): $20 to $23
  • Drive-in: $20 to $35, plus $10 for electric

You also need a vehicle permit: $7 for a day or $35 for a year. An overnight permit costs the same as a day permit and is valid through 4 p.m. the next day. For multi-night stays, ask the park which permit covers your whole stay; the year-round permit covers every visit for a year.

Two nights, camping fees before tax:

Site typeLow endHigh end
Cart-in2 × $20 + $8 fee = $482 × $25 + $8 fee = $58
Electric drive-in2 × $30 + $8 fee = $682 × $45 + $8 fee = $98

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

These are statewide ranges; ReserveMN shows the exact price of each site.

What's near your site

The park covers about 2,260 acres, roughly 20 miles northeast of Two Harbors on Highway 61. It has 12 miles of hiking trail, and 5.8 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail pass through it. From the DNR summer map:

  • Little Two Harbors Trail: 0.75 miles one way of flat, accessible gravel from the Trail Center to Pebble Beach, with views of Ellingsen Island and the lighthouse.
  • Day Hill Trail: a 2-mile loop from Pebble Beach to a hilltop view, finishing on "a long staircase to the campground."
  • Corundum Point Overlook Trail: 1.5 miles one way from Pebble Beach.
  • Gitchi-Gami State Trail: paved, 8 miles to Gooseberry Falls State Park or 7 miles to Beaver Bay.

In winter, 8.2 miles of groomed trail are shared by fat bikers, skiers, hikers and snowshoers, and the Trail Center serves as a warming house.

Current alert: as of November 2026, the DNR says a special firearm hunt runs November 7 to 22, 2026. Everything on the inland side of Highway 61 is closed except to hunt permit holders and Shipwreck Creek campers. The lakeside, including the cart-in campground, stays open.

Before you go

  1. Choose cart-in for the lake, Shipwreck Creek for hookups and a drive-up site.
  2. Confirm the park name in ReserveMN: Split Rock Lighthouse, not Split Rock Creek.
  3. Count back 120 days and book at 8 a.m. Central on opening day.
  4. For a winter cart-in trip, bring a sled or pack; carts are put away.
  5. Budget separately for the lighthouse, and check MNHS hours.
  6. Buy firewood at the ranger station or through Yodel; gathering it is not allowed.

Related guides: All North Shore guides · Minnesota camping guides · Gooseberry Falls State Park camping · Tettegouche State Park camping · North Shore state parks compared

Sources

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