Finding a great spot to stay along Minnesota’s North Shore can be a challenge, but camping in Judge C.R. Magney State Park is a great option! Not only is the campground great, there are also some great trails to hike right in the park. Additionally, the park offers great access to other nearby coastal attractions, such as Isle Royale National Park, Grand Portage National Monument and Grand Portage State Park.
While there is only one campground to choose from at Judge C.R. Magney State Park, it is well worth considering to see if it’s right for you. We’ll cover all you need to know about camping in the park, including where to get supplies, amenities and details about reservations at the campground and much more!
JUDGE C.R. MAGNEY STATE PARK CAMPGROUND: OVERVIEW
Judge C.R. Magney State Park gets only a small portion of the 9+ million visitors that come to Minnesota State Parks every year. Its remoteness keeps the crowds down to a reasonable level, but at the same time that’s what draws many campers here year after year. The park is very quiet at night and the campground is isolated from the other parts of the park, making it an ideal place to come and get some solitude.
The campground doesn’t have much in the way of services, but if you come prepared, you’ll have a lovely time!
Reservations are accepted well in advance. While you don’t need to get online the minute that reservations open, spots do fill up pretty quickly so we do recommend reserving a site as soon as you may think you will come here to be sure you get a spot!
JUDGE C.R. MAGNEY STATE PARK CAMPING SUPPLIES
As mentioned earlier, this area is quite remote, so supplies are limited. Aside from purchasing firewood in the park, there aren’t any other supplies available in the park. As usual, the best option is to be prepared ahead of your visit with everything you need.
The closest place to get groceries is about 20 minutes to the south in Grand Marais, MN. Here you’ll find several grocery store options as well as a quite a selection of food choices. Of course if you are down there you also have to check out World’s Best Donuts, which is a small shop near the waterfront in Grand Marais Harbor that offers amazing donuts. Don’t let the line scare you-it moves fast and it’s totally worth it!
Aside from sweet treats, Grand Marais also offers a number of small places to get camping gear if you need anything last minute or need to repair your RV. But the largest discount stores are about 2.5 hours to the south in Duluth, MN.
JUDGE C.R. MAGNEY STATE PARK CAMPGROUND: DETAILS AND CAMPGROUND MAPS
Judge C.R. Magney State Park Campground
Map of the Judge C.R. Magney Campground in Judge C.R. Magney State Park, Reprinted with Permission, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Location: From Grand Marais, head northeast on MN-61 N for about 14 miles. The entrance to Judge C.R. Magney State Park will be on your left. After you enter the park, the campground will be on your left.
- Accessible via: Car and RV.
- Reservations: Reservations are available the Minnesota State Parks website.
- Capacity: 27 sites with one main loop.
- Electricity / Water Hookups / Dump Station: No / No / Yes.
- Toilets / Showers / Dishwashing station: Flush toilets with showers are offered, but there is no dishwashing station.
- Pets: Allowed but must be kept on a leash 6 feet or less.
- Operating Season: The campground is from mid-May through mid-October.
- Quiet Hours: 10 pm to 8 am.
- Additional details: Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. The sites are decent size and good for tents and medium size trailers or RV’s. The facilities are a bit dated but kept very clean. The showers may close a bit early in the season due to freezing temperatures, so check with the park staff ahead of your visit. Also, be advised that the bugs here in northern Minnesota can be pretty rough early in the summer in particular.
- Nearby: The park has some incredible hiking, most notably the Devil’s Kettle Trail. You can read about all there is to do in the park and in the area in our article on Things to Do in Judge C.R. Magney State Park.
JUDGE C.R. MAGNEY STATE PARK GROUP CAMPING
Group camping is not offered at Judge C.R. Magney State Park or any of the nearby state parks. However, you can get group camping in the Grand Portage State Forest as well as the Pat Bayle State Forest. Learn more about group camping in Minnesota State Forests here.
BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING IN JUDGE C.R. MAGNEY STATE PARK
Unfortunately, there isn’t any backcountry camping allowed in Judge C.R. Magney State Park. However, a popular trail to take is the Superior Hiking Trail, which traverses 310 miles along Lake Superior! You can hike and camp along the trail in designated spots. Learn more about hiking and camping along this trail at the Superior Hiking Trail website.
FURTHER INFORMATION ON JUDGE C.R. MAGNEY STATE PARK AND THE SURROUNDING AREA FROM JUST GO TRAVEL STUDIOS
- Be sure to check out our article on Things to Do in Judge C.R. Magney State Park.
- We also cover in detail all about Grand Portage National Monument, a great spot about 15 minutes to the north.
- When you get back from your travels in Minnesota, send us a photo or two and we’ll create a custom, vintage travel poster. We love to do this and it makes a great gift for your travel partners!
