Superior/Birch Lake

Dayna Guinn

Hidden campground & lake in Oklahoma! I wouldn't have found this place unless my husband and I went for a drive or if you were a local. Hidden gem, a nice lake, and clean. Not super big which is kinda nice. Wasn't super busy when we went for 4 days recently. 83/84 spots Pros- water & electricity, spots are within reason of being spaced apart and level (although the one my parents parked in was not the greatest) we made do! The swimming section was close and easily accessible. Has plenty of picnic tables. The man who cleans does a very good job with the bathrooms. Cons- not enough bathrooms or ventilation inside especially during the summer, expect all bugs, especially scorpions. Not all spaces have water when it clearly states it does online. Overall fun camping week with my family. Good memories were made. The dogs loved it! Awesome sunsets!!

Bradley Boots

Far off of the pavement, a wonderful secluded little camp area. No power or running water but there is a well with a hand pump and the water from it was good. Really recharged my inner self while here. Worth the 12 hour drive to get here. Fishing wasnt good but met a guy who pulled a 3 1/2 lb pike. Nights are super quiet. Facilities are kept clean and neat.

Jack K

August, 2023: We stayed for a few days at Kawishiwi River Campground, yet we were still looking for a nice campsite for the upcoming week, including the Labour Day long weekend. We were told to drive to the Birch Lake Campground and check out the 3 existing first-come-first-serve campsite. We did and took a quick peek at all 3 available campsites and unanimously decided to grab a site. After registering and talking to Tony, the excellent host, we headed back to start packing. The campsite was one of the better sites we had stayed on. It was very spacious, private and meters from Birch Lake, on which shores we often sat, enjoying the relaxing view and sunsets. Because the campsite was very large and had two picnic tables, we set up a big tarp over one of them as a rain shelter. Our tent was located over 10 meters from the center of the campsite, close to the lake. Several times we spoke to the campground host, Tony, who used to serve in the US Army and who was also very helpful in us getting the campsite. While we did not see any bigger animals (black bears or raccoons), there were plenty of Blue Jays, chipmunks, squirrels and a resident garter snake. Amazingly, mosquitoes hardly bothered us—I never used mosquito spray! We had one rainy and cloudy day, as well as a quick storm rolled over the area once, yet it was hot and humid. There were some edible mushrooms (Chanterelle), which I picked, dried and either ate raw or added to soups—the latter was not a good idea, however. Although we did not see any bears—even though there were warnings posted about bear sightings not long before our arrival—on several occasions we spotted a big garter snake on our campsite—of course, my friend did not appreciate its company too much. Once she saw it on the path leading to our tent—amazingly, it just started to consume a frog—which it let go of once she interrupted his eating ritual! Another time we observed the snake on our campsite—and there was a smallish bird almost following it! The bird was certainly too small to hunt & eat the snake (if anything, it could be vice-versa) and I wonder if anyone can provide more info on this phenomenon.

Janae Alyse

This was a lovely and well kept campground. Our site was in the South Loop (#29) with lake access about 15 feet away - perfect for canoeing and day trips on the water. There was generous space between campsites with lots of tree coverage for privacy. Just like every other campground in northern MN in mid/late Spring, it was extremely buggy with mosquitos and gnats. Bug head nets, bug spray, and screen shelters recommended! The site host was attentive and had firewood for sale for $8/bundle. We enjoyed a day trip to downtown Ely, which was about a 30 min drive. If headed into town, I definitely recommend checking out the Bass Lake Trailhead waterfall, Dorothy Molter Museum (with a cold root beer), and the International Wolf Center.

fernando caralt

Awesome experience!! Cindy and Thor were super helpful, and even suggested we move to a better spot that was open. We used the canoes and it really made the experience much better. All around great weekend getaway.