Benchmark Individual Backpacking Sites

About

Benchmark Campground sits on a scenic sandy bluff high above Lake Superior, offering expansive views of the lake from its six individual backcountry sites. The campground is one of fourteen backcountry areas spaced along the Lakeshore Trail within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Social trails lead steeply down to the lakeshore, though the climb back is demanding. The sites are sandy and open, each equipped with a food storage locker. Two shared community fire rings serve all campers, with fires permitted using only dead and downed wood. A seasonal vault toilet provides sanitation. There is no potable water; campers must filter or treat water from Lake Superior. When hiking from the west, backpackers walk through Twelvemile Beach Campground to reach the trailhead and reconnect with the North Country Trail. Kayakers can access the campground directly from Lake Superior.

Directions

From the west, hike through Twelvemile Beach Campground to the trailhead and day-use area to reconnect with the North Country Trail leading to Benchmark Campground.