Little Isabella River Campground
- Right now
- Closed for the seasonOut of the season the agency publishes
- A night
- $18From, per site
- Sites
- 11All of them booked ahead
- Season
- May 9 – September 30Open May 9 through September 30
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 9 notices
In the agency’s own words
Little Isabella River Campground is a small, secluded campground in a grove of red and white pines in the central part of Superior National Forest, just 4.5 miles west of Isabella, Minnesota. This is a great campground for campers seeking a quiet spot in the woods and anglers interested in fishing the Little Isabella River. The Superior National Forest, located in northeastern Minnesota's arrowhead region, is comprised of three million acres. The Forest spans 150 miles along the United States-Canada border. Visitors can find recreation opportunities year-round, including travel in the famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Keep reading
Recreation
The Little Isabella River, a small stream with occasional riffles, is a popular fishing spot for brook trout. The surrounding national forest offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking in secluded woodlands, canoeing and hunting.
Facilities
This is a small facility with six first come first served campsites, and five reservable campsites. All sites are private and close to the water. Trash collection and restrooms are provided.
Natural Features
The campground lies among towering red pine trees at an elevation of 1,900 ft. The area is scenic and secluded. The Superior National Forest is known for its boreal forest ecosystem, numerous clean lakes, diversity of plants and animals, and colorful cultural history.
Nearby Attractions
Numerous outdoor recreation opportunities lie within the Superior National Forest's 77 lake access areas, 13 fishing piers, 10 swimming beaches, and 22 picnic areas. The forest is also home to three scenic byways. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (218) 663-8060.
Charges & Cancellations
Changes and cancellations are allowed up to 48 hours prior to date of arrival.
What the agency tells you
No campground host on site.
Maximum of nine people per site. There is space for one vehicle and one towed vehicle (such as a boat trailer). Additional vehicles on the site require additional half fee and must park on the spur. No vehicles may park on the grass or where they impede traffic.
Sites # 1-4 are available for long term seasonal camping from May 1 to October 30. Site rate is $504 per season or any period greater than two weeks. Contact the Tofte Ranger District Office at 218-663-8060 to reserve long term sites.
Everything else this campground posts · 6
Please use facilities provided such as fire rings, tent pads, and latrines.
Dispose of waste in containers provided.
Water faucets are for drinking water only, do not use as wash areas. Hose hookups are not permitted.
Noise limits enforced, respect your fellow campers.
Store your food so wildlife can't get to it. Bears and other animals will eat food that isn't stored securely.
RV Camping - Sites are pull-in and not specifically designed for RVs. Most can accommodate a moderately sized vehicle, some may not be suitable for an RV.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 11
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
Facilities
- Toilets
- Yes, the record doesn't say what kind
- “Trash collection and restrooms are provided.”
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, River, Creek, Beach
- Berry Picking
- Biking
- Fishing
- Mushroom Picking
- Off Highway Vehicle Trails
- Off Road Vehicle Trails
- Picnicking
- Scenic drives
- Stargazing
- Wildlife viewing
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
Every site here is reservable, and the record lists none held back for anyone who drives up.
No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 17
What you actually pay
“Additional vehicles or trailers on the site require an additional $9.00 fee to be paid.” · the U.S. Forest Service’s own fee record
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $18 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
“Changes and cancellations are allowed up to 48 hours prior to date of arrival.” · this campground’s own terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 7
rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
11 sites
All 11 sites
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 11 of the 11 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Little Isabella CG - East Loop | 1 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - East Loop | 2 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - East Loop | 3 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - East Loop | 4 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - West Loop | 10 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - West Loop | 11 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - West Loop | 5 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - West Loop | 6 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - West Loop | 7 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - West Loop | 8 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
| Little Isabella CG - West Loop | 9 | standard nonelectric | $18 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
McDougal Lake CampgroundSuperior National Forest · 5.0 mi
Divide Lake Campground & Backcountry SitesSuperior National Forest · 8.4 miSection 29 Lake Rustic Campground11 miSand Lake Rustic CampgroundSuperior National Forest · 12 miHogback Lake Rustic Campground & Backcountry SitesSuperior National Forest · 14 miLittle Isabella River Campground is located 4.5 miles west of Isabella, Minnesota. From MN-61, turn on MN-1 at Illgen City. Continue for 4.5 miles west of Isabella the campground entrance.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Finland, MN
Typical weather
Typical May night 40°F, day 60°F.
Coldest night of the open season: typical May night 40°F. Bring the bag rated for it.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or moreOutside the published season
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Little Isabella River Campground is in Minnesota’s 8th congressional district. Its representative, Pete Stauber (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →