Minnesota / Grand Portage Reservation / Cook County / Grand Portage National Monument

Fort Charlotte Backcountry Campgrounds

Open — Open year-round for backcountry camping with free permits required at least two weeks in advance. The Grand Portage Trail may have challenging conditions including flooded creek crossings due to beaver activity.

About

Fort Charlotte Backcountry Campgrounds offers a true wilderness camping experience at Grand Portage National Monument, with two primitive campsites positioned at the historic Fort Charlotte site on the Pigeon River, marking the United States-Canada border. These remote sites are only accessible to determined hikers willing to trek the 8.5-mile Grand Portage Trail from Lake Superior or to canoeists navigating down the Pigeon River from South Fowl Lake. Each of the two campsites is limited to 9 people and requires Leave No Trace camping practices. The sites are situated at the northern terminus of the historic Grand Portage, an 8.5-mile footpath that fur traders once used to bypass waterfalls and rapids on the Pigeon River. Hikers can access the trail from the historic depot area on Grand Portage Bay or from an alternative trailhead where Old Highway 61 intersects the portage along County Road 17. This is the only location within Grand Portage National Monument where camping is permitted. Free backcountry camping permits are required and available through the National Park Service, with at least two weeks advance notice recommended for permit processing. Campers should be prepared for primitive conditions with no facilities or services at the remote sites.

Directions

Accessible by hiking the 8.5-mile Grand Portage Trail from the historic depot area on Grand Portage Bay of Lake Superior, or from an alternative trailhead where Old Highway 61 intersects the portage along County Road 17. Also accessible by canoe down the Pigeon River from South Fowl Lake.

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