Free camping near Bemidji, MN
Within 25 straight-line miles of Bemidji, MN there are 23 camps: 16 free, 7 fee. The closest is Blue Sky Lake C20, 13 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Blue Sky Lake C20, 13 miles out.
Who manages them: 22 on the Forest Service; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Sky Lake C20 | 13 | Free | Blue Sky Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Andrusia | — |
| Potato Island South C19 | 14 | Free | Mississippi River (river) | 3.5 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| North Twin Lake B9 | 15 | Free | North Twin Lake (water) | 5.4 mi to Tenstrike | — |
| Gilfillan (On North Twin Lake) B8 | 15 | Free | North Twin Lake (water) | 5.3 mi to Tenstrike | — |
| Star Island Recreation Area - C17 | 15 | Free | Lake Windigo (water) | 2.3 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Yellow Head Canoe Stop C18 | 16 | Free | Lake Windigo (water) | 4.1 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Turtle River B3 | 16 | Free | Turtle River (river) | 3.8 mi to Pennington | — |
| South Pike Bay Recreation Area | 18 | Fee | — | 3.5 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Cass Lake | 18 | Fee | — | 3.3 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Camp Cassaway C26 | 19 | Free | Schram Lake (water) | 3.9 mi to Bald Eagle Center | — |
| Norway Beach Loop | 19 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Bimijiwan Recreation Area | 19 | Fee | — | 7.3 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Wanaki Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Chippewa Loop | 19 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Schram Lake C25 | 19 | Free | — | 5.9 mi to Cass Lake | — |
| Webster Lake | 19 | Fee | — | 9.1 mi to Tenstrike | — |
| Baumgartner Lake B2 | 21 | Free | Baumgartner Lake (water) | 8.3 mi to Pennington | — |
| Mark Lake C27 | 21 | Free | Mark Lake (water) | 1.0 mi to Bald Eagle Center | — |
| Mississippi River 3 C31 | 22 | Free | Minny Lake (water) | 3.1 mi to Bald Eagle Center | — |
| Dispersed Camping Site C33 | 24 | Free | — | 10 mi to Bena | — |
| Marie Lake B 23 | 24 | Free | Marie Lake (water) | 5.8 mi to Rosy | — |
| Mississippi River Site A | 25 | Free | Mississippi River (river) | 3.3 mi to Bald Eagle Center | — |
| Mississippi River Site B C35B | 25 | Free | Mississippi River (river) | 3.4 mi to Bald Eagle Center | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Bemidji, 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.