Free camping near Aurora, MN
Within 25 straight-line miles of Aurora, MN there are 34 camps: 30 free, 3 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Whitewater Lake Complex, 3.8 miles south-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Whitewater Lake Complex, 3.8 miles out.
Who manages them: 33 on the Forest Service; 1 on the BLM.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitewater Lake Complex | 3.8 | Free | Partridge River (river) | 1.5 mi to Hoyt Lakes | — |
| Whiteface Reservoir Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 14 mi to Aurora | — |
| Big Rice Lake Campsites (3) | 17 | Free | Big Rice Lake (water) | 3.8 mi to Forsman | — |
| Big Lake | 18 | Free | — | 9.2 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Cadotte Lake Recreation Area | 18 | Unpriced | Cadotte Lake (water) | 1.0 mi to Fairbanks | — |
| Cadotte Lake Campground | 18 | Fee | — | 16 mi to Hoyt Lakes | — |
| Pfeiffer Site 2 | 19 | Free | Pfeiffer Lake (water) | 5.4 mi to Forsman | — |
| Pfeiffer Lake Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Tower | — |
| Otto Lake Site 2 | 19 | Free | Otto Lake (water) | 3.7 mi to Hornby | — |
| Otto Lake Site 1 | 19 | Free | Otto Lake (water) | 3.8 mi to Hornby | — |
| Bear Island Lake Site 3 | 20 | Free | — | 8.7 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Bear Island Lake Site 4 | 20 | Free | Bear Island River (river) | 0.5 mi to Rothman | — |
| Round Lake 1 | 20 | Free | Round Lake (water) | 5.7 mi to Toimi | — |
| Bear Island Lake Site 1 | 20 | Free | Bear Island River (river) | 1.1 mi to Rothman | — |
| Round Lake 2 | 20 | Free | Round Lake (water) | 6.1 mi to Toimi | — |
| Bear Island Lake Site 2 | 21 | Free | — | 9.1 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Birch Lake Site 15 | 21 | Free | Minnow Lake (water) | 2.3 mi to Babbitt | — |
| 7 Beaver Lake | 21 | Free | — | 12 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Birch Lake Site 14 | 21 | Free | Minnow Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Birch Lake Site 13 | 21 | Free | — | 2.8 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Whisper Lake Site 1 | 21 | Free | — | 2.3 mi to Rothman | — |
| Pine Lake 3 | 22 | Free | Pine Lake (water) | 3.8 mi to Toimi | — |
| Pine Lake 4 | 22 | Free | — | 14 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Pine Lake 2 | 22 | Free | Pine Lake (water) | 4.8 mi to Toimi | — |
| Birch Lake Site 11 | 23 | Free | — | 7.7 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Birch Lake Site 12 | 23 | Free | South Kawishiwi River (river) | 4.3 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Birch Lake Site 10 | 23 | Free | Kangas Creek (stream) | 5.0 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Birch Lake Site 16 | 24 | Free | Kangas Creek (stream) | 5.1 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Birch Lake Site 9 | 24 | Free | Kangas Creek (stream) | 5.3 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Lake Vermilion Public Islands | 24 | Free | — | 5.0 mi to Tower | — |
| Birch Lake Site 8 | 24 | Free | Kangas Creek (stream) | 5.9 mi to Babbitt | — |
| Lake Vermilion Site 15 | 25 | Free | Bear Creek (stream) | 5.1 mi to Soudan | — |
| Johnson Lake Site 1 | 25 | Free | Johnson Creek (river) | 4.0 mi to Rothman | — |
| Birch Lake Site 7 | 25 | Free | — | 6.8 mi to Babbitt | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Aurora, MN, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.