For campers or day-trippers wanting to get a taste of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA), Fall Lake Campground in the Superior National Forrest offers easy access and all the comforts of a modern campground.
This U.S. Forest Service campground sits on the edge of Fall Lake, which lies partially within the BWCA. A permit is required for overnight trips into the BWCA, but not for a day trip for campers or others using the campground’s canoe landing. You can bring your own canoe and kayak, or rent one at the launch; you can even keep it at your campsite as there are several that sit on the lake.
Mile Island lies immediately north of the campground’s canoe launch and a circle trip around it and back makes for an enjoyable short or more meandering day trip into the BWCA. There are several campsites/landings on the island and the lake where you can stop for lunch, or camp overnight if you have a permit. Fall Lake connects to Newton and other lakes to the north, and another option for a longer day trip is to portage around Newton Falls to head deeper into the BWCA; any overnight trip requires a permit.
Fall Lake has 64 campsites nestled among pine, aspen and fir trees, most with good spacing and privacy screening. Most of the sites have electrical hookups, spaces for RVs and larger trailers/campers are fewer with most sites being back-ins.
The campground, located about 6 miles northeast of Ely, Minnesota, also has flush toilets, showers, a swimming beach, hiking trails, a playground, picnic area, and a store with firewood and other items.
Photos taken were in July of 2020 with perfect weather and very well-behaved bugs.