Camp Observer1 of 8 photos
Trails End Campground
Notice
CLOSURE: Superior National Forest is temporarily closing public access to this campground through July 29, 2026, after a surge of wildfires across the forest and unusually hot, dry, and windy weather is causing fires to spread fast and unpredictably. For the latest alerts, check facebook.com/SuperiorNF/ and fs.usda.gov/superior and inciweb.
Jul 23, 2026 – Aug 1, 2026
Overview
Trail's End Campground is located next to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in a remote area of Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. It is a wonderful place to sit and enjoy life, or get out on the water to canoe and fish. Berry picking and wildlife viewing are also great fun.Recreation
Trail's End includes four entry points (54, 55, J and K) into the BWCAW, offering plenty of boating, canoeing and fishing opportunities. Overnight, day use and boat motor permits are required for entry, and horsepower limits are in effect. Day use and overnight permits are available at the campground.Wildlife viewing is exceptional for bald eagles, osprey, loons and moose, and fishing is good for walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass and lake trout.
View recreation guides and maps of hiking trails and canoe routes in the national forest.
Facilities
Many campsites are walk-to sites designated for tent camping only. Some have a view of or access to water, while other have steep drop-offs. Other campsites can accommodate equipment ranging in size from tents to 45-foot RVs. The campground is routinely patrolled by the County Sheriff and campground host.Commercial services include canoe rentals, outfitting, showers, groceries and gear. Long and short term parking for the BWCAW is also available.
Natural Features
Trail's End sits along the Seagull River and provides access to Seagull, Gull and Saganaga Lakes. Numerous species of wildlife live in and around the campground, and blueberries grow abundantly on the forest floor.White and red pine, aspen and birch trees grow in the forested parts of the facility, providing shade. The fire burned a mosaic pattern, reducing some areas to ash while leaving others untouched. Many trees survived and burned areas have begun to grow again.
This is a great opportunity to see a young forest rejuvenate after a fire. Post-fire soils and young trees are delicate, so caution should be taken while walking in the forest.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (218) 387-1750.Nearby Attractions
The nearby Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center is a great way to spend an afternoon with the family. Many nature trails crisscross the center's 50-acre grounds. The BWCAW is by far the most popular nearby attraction. Over 1 million acres in size, the Boundary Waters extend nearly 150 miles along the United States-Canada border and contain over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and over 2,000 designated campsites. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Additional sites of interest
Camp site features
Across 33 camp sites:
- Pets allowed: all 33 sites
- Longest rig: 40 ft
- Largest party: 8 people
- Equipment: Tent
Directions
From Grand Marais, Minnesota, take Gunflint Trail (County Road 12) 57 miles
north. Gunflint Trail ends at Trail's End Campground.
Stay Limit
Check in from 2 PM, check out by 11 AM.
Reviews
Ratings (192)
5 stars
138
4 stars
35
3 stars
12
2 stars
6
1 stars
1
Cami F
Loop:Tend
Site:018
Reviewed 6 days ago
Did not go because of the fires. The campground ended up being evacuated so, we paid but did not get to enjoy a trip.
Eric H
Loop:Tend
Site:027
Reviewed 7 days ago
The drive is worth the experience. Very peaceful area to relax.
Paul B
Loop:Trai
Site:010
Reviewed 8 days ago
Wonderful location with lots of hikes. Great camp ground host. Campers were not loud.
Tina H
Loop:Trai
Site:010
Reviewed 14 days ago
For it being 4th of July, many people canceled their sites and it was so beautifully quiet. Camp host was great also!
Jami H
Loop:Tend
Site:021
Reviewed 16 days ago
Very nice site with pretty views. Some stairs to campsite but near bathrooms and water. Hear the sound of nearby waterfalls. Relaxing and enjoyable campground.
Michael Z
Loop:Tend
Site:022
Reviewed a month ago
Great views from this site, although tent pads are limited
James K
Loop:Tend
Site:019
Reviewed a month ago
Great time, beautiful campsite, stunning views everywhere!
Larry H
Loop:Tend
Site:027
Reviewed 2 months ago
Beautiful campsite and lake. Quite. Will go there again sometime
Rachael O
Loop:Trai
Site:003
Reviewed 2 months ago
Beautiful location, great tent site, clean bathrooms.
Lisa L
Loop:Trai
Site:011
Reviewed 2 months ago
Beautiful views. Great drinking water. Clean vault toilets. We stayed at site #11. It was huge. The fire pit was fantastic for cooking.
Montgomery P
Loop:Tend
Site:018
Reviewed 7 months ago
Our campsite overlooked a river and was absolutely perfect place to relax and get away.
Russell P
Loop:Tend
Site:028
Reviewed 7 months ago
The outhouse stunk bad and the drinking water made us sick. We drank it before the warning was placed on the faucet
Chuck G
Loop:Trai
Site:011
Reviewed 8 months ago
Only issue is there is nobody to talk to about like where to buy firewood or anything else that you might need
Tory H
Loop:Tend
Site:021
Reviewed 9 months ago
Beautiful and maintained site. The sound rushing water was very peaceful to fall asleep/wake up to.
Kisa B
Loop:Tend
Site:024
Reviewed 9 months ago
Great if you’re wanting to be secluded! My site had a little trail down to the lake. Beautiful place to stay for a few nights.
Robyn R
Loop:Trai
Site:013
Reviewed 10 months ago
Didn’t appreciate the A Class RV across from us in space 12, running their generator for multiple hours in the early evening. In a small campground like this one, generators should not be run during the supper hours.
Will S
Loop:Trai
Site:006
Reviewed 10 months ago
Trail's End Campground is a stunning location for anyone wanting to easily explore the BWCA. Most of the sites had amazing water access and views, and the small rapids running along the sites make it a very special campground. I'll definitely be back.
Isaias D
Loop:Tend
Site:017
Reviewed 10 months ago
Beautiful campsite. We love going to trails end because it feels about as remote as you can get without actually traveling into the actual wilderness.
Angela S
Loop:Trai
Site:002
Reviewed a year ago
We ABSOLUTELY love this location, it's literally one of our favorite campgrounds. With that said, the pit toilets there are just minimally cleaned. They are the least pleasant of all of the USFS campgrounds we've been to in MN. No hand sanitizer, no waste basket, an abundance of flys and cobwebs. For this reason, and this reason only, I've given Trails End Campground a 4 instead of 5 stars. We'll still camp here but it would really be nice if more attention was given to the latrines.
James H
Loop:Trai
Site:006
Reviewed a year ago
Space #2 was rented for a week,but they did not show up. A shame that that beautiful campsite from8-23 to 8-31:was not used by anyone. A C Johnson rented it but did not show up. We used space #7,very nice.
Ella H
Loop:Tend
Site:019
Reviewed a year ago
Trails End Campground set my standards for any campground I encounter in the future. This was a wonderful first experience with camping. The rapids were extremely peaceful, and the area felt secluded even with a site next to us. We will be back!!
Maggie M
Loop:Tend
Site:016
Reviewed a year ago
Great remote campground. Facilities were clean. VCO does a good job managing the site.
Daniel V
Loop:Tend
Site:023
Reviewed a year ago
The campground and camp site are always great. We came a bit early and the mosquitoes were real bad. Other than this it was perfect.
Marley T
Loop:Trai
Site:010
Reviewed a year ago
Was at campsite 10 in late July. The drive in was amazing. Do be aware of the bugs though. We were ill prepared and not even the off or citronella candles were doing the trick. It was black flies during the day and mosquitos at sundown. Campsite 10 has a spigot for water which is great to have. There is a little trail down to the water from campsite 10 that we used to our advantage as a canoe launch.
Robyn R
Loop:Trai
Site:002
Reviewed a year ago
The outhouse at site 1 & 2 is highly used (stinky!,). by non campers heading into the BWCAW and boating heading to remote cabins in Gull Lake. The outhouse at sites 7-8 was so foul that it could be smelled from the campsite. They need a deep cleaning and then they need to be maintained. Toilet paper needed to be relished more frequently. Other outhouses at the campground were fine.
Elliot S
Loop:Tend
Site:016
Reviewed a year ago
Amazing campground and campsite. Super quiet and we were able to hear the water from site 16. Campsites feel super private even though not super far from one another and we were able to get to the other site (15) that the other half of our party stayed at super easily. Definitely rustic, but pit toilets were relatively clean and restocked with toilet paper regularly. Potable water was nice and cold. Amazing views from the campsite, which was nice when it was raining and we didn’t want to hike and so hung out at the campsite for an afternoon.
Paul A
Loop:Trai
Site:001
Reviewed a year ago
Beautiful, well run north woods campground right on the edge of the BWCA. Easy access for canoeing. Some sites in the first loop are right on the water but are a little too close to one another for my comfort. Occasional bears in the campground so you have to be very careful about food storage.
Michael H
Loop:Tend
Site:017
Reviewed a year ago
Site #17: Secluded. 300+ yards from parking so a small hike in to carry gear. Access to water is nearly vertical, so if you plan to keep your canoe close, be ready to climb up and down. Right at the mouth of the rapids, great place to catch fish. Excellent view. Clean site a safe distance from Cliff drop offs. Easy access to trails. Tree covered site. Great view of stars from the bluff. Saw fox, grouse, pheasant, turkey, coyote, bald eagle, blue jays, lions and a moose.
Andrew K
Loop:Tend
Site:022
Reviewed a year ago
Very nice campsite. Thoughtful planning and all around great.
Richard R
Loop:Trai
Site:004
Reviewed a year ago
We have been going to Trails End for 50 years. While we have been to Hawaii, Costa Rica, Switzerland, and many other beautiful locations we find this to be our favorite place on earth. The campground was well maintained although the current concessionaire was not as good as some previous in maintaining the outhouse near us. We stayed in site #4 this year but have used a number of others over the years.
Denise M
Loop:Trai
Site:008
Reviewed a year ago
Great campground but gravel roads are terrible if you have a trailer/truck lots of huge potholes and deep rivets from the rain made it difficult to back into campsite 8 and walking around you could easily break an ankle. In previous years has been much better maintained ( grass cut, overhanging large branched trimmed, roads graded etc).
James K
Loop:Tend
Site:019
Reviewed a year ago
Spectacular scenery everywhere you look, sounds and sightings of wildlife, sounds and rhythm of cascading waterfalls all enliven the senses creating a relaxing and healing stay. Grounds were in great shape and Voyagers did a great job hosting the campground. Totally enjoyed it!!!!
Alexis C
Loop:Trai
Site:006
Reviewed a year ago
Trip over memorial weekend was great (little to no bugs). Campsite #6 had plenty of room, great views, near a bathroom. There's a hidden hiking trail near one of the boat landings that wasn't marked. Make sure to bring toilet paper and get firewood in town.
Scott L
Loop:Tend
Site:022
Reviewed 2 years ago
Beautiful weather, very quiet campground, incredible scenery. Hiked the magnetic rock trail and had lunch at Gunflint Lodge on the way up. Great stay!
holly w
Loop:Tend
Site:028
Reviewed 2 years ago
Phenomenal in the shoulder season. Had site 19 and would not have traded it for the world. I love that the park is primarily self operating. September camping here was a great experience.
Faye B
Loop:Tend
Site:016
Reviewed 2 years ago
absolutely incredible campground and incredible site, very private. slight walk from the car down a trail to the campsite, so be prepared if this will be challenging. would not recommend for children, as there is a steep cliff into the lake.
Cathy W
Loop:Trai
Site:003
Reviewed 2 years ago
this campground is beautiful. Every site that I could see had either a gorgeous view of the lake or a trail down to the water. We rented a pontoon one day from the gunflint Lodge. We went horseback riding there, and then we rented a canoe from an outfitter for a day trip into BWCA. It was magnificent. We saw Eagles, deer and two baby bears playing by the side of the road. By far, one of my favorite camping sites
Popularity
Busy · 69%
Busiest in August, when about 69% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
Location
Grand Marais, MN 55604
Phone: (218)388-2212
