I have a Wood Lake permit for September 10, and I'm hoping to stay the night before my entry date at one of the SNF backcountry campsites at Tofte or Ojibway Lakes, or Glacier Pond 2, if any are open.

This might be a bit of a longshot, but does anyone here have any knowledge of any of those sites? Any info would be helpful.

Hi friend,

I am a solo paddler and stayed at the closest campsite to the landing last year on a Thursday. It was a nice site and I caught some decent rainbows. However, as Friday progressed it became much more busy and had more folks cruising by and bringing weed wackers, etc to camp at different sites. When I left, a boat was very excited to get that site.

Long story short- yes, some nice campsites on Tofte but be prepared they may be occupied.

With four sites on a Sunday in September, I think you will be fine. Two sites are great, two sites are fair. You always have Fall Lake non-reservable as a back-up.

Thanks, guys.

One thing I'm a little unclear on, and after perusing the USFS website for a while I haven't found a satisfactory answer. Do you have to stay at established campsites when you're NOT in the BWCA? It says that dispersed camping is legal most places in the Superior National Forest, except near campgrounds, and a few other exceptions. But does that include a lake with backcountry sites? Could one stay anywhere else on the lake (provided it's National Forest land) in the event of the sites all being occupied?

For that matter, what's to stop one from just parking at the Wood Lake trailhead and then going a couple hundred yards into the woods to camp for the night? Since it's National Forest land, not in the BWCA, I don't see a legal issue with it. Thoughts?

You can basically camp anywhere in the Superior National Forest- but you must abide by the Leave No Trace edict. I'm not familiar with the terrain of Tofte Lake, but if you can find an area away from the other campsites, then you'd be ok to set up camp.

egknuti: "...I'm not familiar with the terrain of Tofte Lake, but if you can find an area away from the other campsites, then you'd be ok to set up camp. "

The logical spots/terrain are the campsites on Tofte. Other spots would be really bushwacky or unusable.