George H. Crosby Manitou State Park Backpack Campsites

Open — Open year-round for backpack camping. Winter access requires hiking or snowshoeing from County Road 7, as the main parking area is not plowed.

About

George H. Crosby Manitou State Park is a true wilderness experience on Minnesota's North Shore, featuring 21 primitive backpack-in campsites along the cascading Manitou River and near Benson Lake. This remote park preserves a rugged volcanic canyon landscape covered with old-growth yellow birch, fir, cedar, spruce, and northern hardwoods. The campsites are distributed along 24 miles of challenging hiking trails, with distances ranging from 0.5 to 4.5 miles from the trailhead. This is low-impact camping at its finest. Each campsite includes tent pads, a bear pole for hanging food, and access to field latrines. Water must be filtered from the Manitou River or Benson Lake. Camp stoves are encouraged over campfires to minimize environmental impact. The park has no visitor center, showers, or flush toilets, making it ideal for experienced backpackers seeking solitude. Vault toilets are available at the trailhead. The steep trails and remote campsites reward visitors with waterfalls, river gorges, and glimpses of Lake Superior through the forest canopy.

Directions

From Silver Bay, take Highway 61 northeast. Turn left onto Highway 1 and continue to Finland. In Finland, turn right onto Cramer Road/County Road 7. After approximately 7.5 miles, turn right onto Benson Lake Road to reach the park entrance.

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