Tettegouche State Park camping

• 28 drive-in sites above the Baptism River, 21 or 22 of them electric (DNR pages differ)
• 6 walk-in and 13 cart-in sites
• 5 backpack sites on the Superior Hiking Trail
• first-come canoe-in sites on Lake Superior
• a group camp
• four hike-in cabins at Tettegouche Camp, plus the drive-up Illgen Falls cabin

Reservations go through ReserveMN, which opens dates 120 days ahead at 8 a.m. Central. You also need a state park vehicle permit, $7 for a day or $35 for a year.

This guide is for deciding which kind of site suits your trip before you open the reservation page. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR; sources are at the end.

The ways to stay, side by side

Drive-in campground (Baptism River)

The DNR describes these as "secluded, well-screened sites" on the Baptism River, a mile and a half from Lake Superior. Showers and flush toilets are accessible and open year-round. The RV length limit is 60 feet, measured from the front of the tow vehicle to the rear of whatever it tows.

There is no dump station in the park. The DNR points campers to a year-round station in the city of Silver Bay.

If you specifically want to fall asleep listening to Lake Superior, this campground is the wrong one. You're near the river, not the lake.

Cart-in and walk-in sites

The 13 cart-in sites sit near Lake Superior's shore. Per the DNR, "the farthest site is six-tenths of a mile from the parking area." The 6 walk-in sites are in the Baptism River campground, close to the showers. Both types have bear-proof storage lockers. Pack the cart-in trip the way you would a short portage.

Backpack and canoe-in sites

The 5 backpack sites are on the Superior Hiking Trail inside the park. The DNR says they are "available on a first-come, first-served basis only and are limited to a one-night stay." Watercraft sites along the Lake Superior shore are also first come, first served.

Tettegouche Camp (the hike-in cabins)

Four rustic cabins on an inland lake, rented year-round. You hike in 3.5 miles from the main trailhead, or 1.7 miles on a steeper route from the Lax Lake Road access. Nightly rates listed by the DNR, plus tax:

The cabins themselves have no bathrooms or running water. A year-round modern restroom with showers serves cabin renters. Pets and smoking are not allowed.

How to reserve

All Minnesota state park camping and lodging reservations go through ReserveMN. The DNR's rules, from its reservation FAQ:

• Booking 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."
• Reservation fee: $8 online, $10 by phone, not refundable. No fee for same-day reservations.
• Maximum stay: 14 nights camping, 7 nights lodging.
• Cancellations: no penalty 14 or more days out. Within 48 hours of arrival, you lose one night.

To find your booking date, count back 120 days from the night you arrive. Booking for that date opens at 8 a.m. Central that morning. For example, a Saturday, July 17, 2027 arrival opens on Friday, March 19, 2027.

What it costs

Vehicle permit (DNR permit page): $7 one-day permit (the DNR also sells an overnight permit at the same price, valid through 4 p.m. the next day), or $35 for a year-round permit, which covers "unlimited visits to every Minnesota state park and recreation area" for a year from the month you buy it. An additional household vehicle costs $26. For multi-night stays, ask the park which permit covers your whole stay; the year-round permit covers every visit for a year.

Nightly fees (DNR statewide fee schedule, plus tax):

• Drive-in: $20 to $35
• Electric: add $10
• Cart-in and walk-in: $20 to $25
• Backpack and watercraft: $20 to $23

These are statewide ranges. ReserveMN shows the exact price for a specific site when you pick dates.

A two-night electric drive-in trip, before tax:

• Low end: 2 × ($20 + $10) for the site and the $8 reservation fee = $68
• High end: 2 × ($35 + $10) for the site and the $8 reservation fee = $98
• Plus a vehicle permit ($7 overnight or $35 year-round).

The DNR has proposed replacing the windshield permit with a new kind of pass. The Star Tribune reports that it "could be in place in the latter half of 2027 if legislators approve."

Rules worth knowing

From the DNR's state park rules and the park page:

• Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
• Site limits: one group of six or fewer, one shelter, one vehicle. A group of six or fewer in one vehicle may add one tent with prior approval from park staff.
• Pets: on a leash six feet or shorter, never in buildings. Not allowed at Tettegouche Camp.
• Firewood: buy it at the park or bring wood certified by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Don't bring wood from home or gather it in the park. Some camping review sites suggest buying roadside firewood, which the DNR rules don't allow.

Winter camping

The DNR keeps eight electric drive-in sites open in winter. Winter camping is also allowed at the walk-in sites, cart-in campground and group camp, but the DNR says campers "MUST come prepared with their own shovels and sleds or backpacks to get into these sites." The Tettegouche Camp cabins rent year-round, and in winter the hike in is on snowshoes or skis. The park grooms 15.5 miles of classic cross-country ski trail.

See the North Shore in winter for what else is open.

What's near your site

Tettegouche covers more than 9,000 acres on Highway 61 about five miles northeast of Silver Bay. It has 23 miles of hiking trails, and about 12 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail pass through the park.

• High Falls of the Baptism River: about 60 feet tall, 1.5 miles one way (the DNR lists it as a 3-mile outing). A new pedestrian bridge opened November 24, 2025.
• Shovel Point: 0.6 miles one way from the visitor center along the lakeside cliffs (the DNR lists it as 1.2 miles).
• Palisade Head: about 1.5 miles southwest of the visitor center, off Highway 61. The DNR notes the drive to the top becomes a "short hike in winter." See our Palisade Head guide.

Planning checklist

1. Choose your site type from the table above. Choose a drive-in site for a camper, kids, a late arrival or winter.
2. Count back 120 days from your arrival date and be on ReserveMN at 8 a.m. Central that morning.
3. Buy a vehicle permit.
4. Buy firewood at the park.
5. For a cabin or cart-in site, pack so you can carry it.

Related guides: All North Shore state parks · Minnesota state park finder · North Shore state parks compared · How to get a North Shore state park campsite · Duluth to Grand Marais, stop by stop

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Sources

• Minnesota DNR, Tettegouche State Park (camping and lodging, trails, park information): https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/park.html?id=spk00269
• Minnesota DNR, Tettegouche Camp: https://dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/tettegouche/tettegouche_camp
• 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
• Minnesota DNR, Firewood: https://dnr.state.mn.us/firewood/index.html
• Minnesota DNR, North Shore waterfall itinerary: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state-parks/itineraries/north-shore-waterfall-itinerary.html
• Minnesota DNR news release, High Falls pedestrian bridge (Nov. 2025): https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/2025/11/24/new-high-falls-pedestrian-bridge-opens-public-tettegouche-state-park
• Star Tribune, proposed state park pass: https://www.startribune.com/goodbye-windshield-stickers-why-minnesota-is-looking-to-create-a-new-kind-of-state-park-pass/601371680