In the first paragraph of a trip report I was reading, the report stated, "We instead drove to the EP, all the campsites were filled with what looked like darn-near permanent campers." This was on 2 June.

Is it common for that campground to have all sites filled? There are only a small number of sites.
I think it's a primitive campground that is "first come - first served" so no reservations. I'm using that entry in June '20 and had hopes of camping there the night before. Reckon I should just reserve a place at Sawbill?

I've seen all the sites full once or twice, and I've seen it almost empty a few times as well. All of the times I've stayed or been through there it was during fairly peak time, so it seems like a bit of a gamble to count on a site.

I really enjoy some of waterfront sites at Crescent Lake campground. I'd book one of those or go with Sawbill. I just like having piece of mind that I have a place booked the night before a trip.

I've been to the Sawbill campground several times and have never seen it even close to being full. You might not need a reservation there at all. I'd call Sawbill Outfitters to see if that the normal situation. One of the big advantages of Sawbill is that you can get a shower at the Outfitters.

I would take my chances and head to Kawishiwi. If it's full, it's only about 30 minutes back to Sawbill. Like WHendrix said, it's only a couple nights a year that Sawbill is full or even close to it. Sawbill is my first choice because of the access to a shower and the store unless you plan on leaving really early in the a.m. before they open. I also feel better about leaving my vehicle at Sawbill.

The Kawishiwi Lake Rustic Campground only has 5 no-fee sites, so it doesn't take much to fill up. I've gone in the Kawishiwi Lake entry 3 times in Sept. Sometimes it has been full, sometimes not. Some people use it as an overnight before entry since that entry is a somewhat long drive from Tofte or Grand Marais. It's about 15 miles from there to Sawbill if it's full. Sawbill is nice if you don't mind the fee. The 5-site Baker Lake Rustic Campground is a few miles farther east of Sawbill. You may also be able to find a spot off the road.

The couple times we checked out the Kawishiwi Campground (once in Fall once in Spring), there were 3 out of the 5 occupied. Although we have always opted to stay at Sawbill and drive the 45 minutes to the entry point in the morning.

If the Kawishiwi Lake CG is full, Silver Island Lake has two primitive campgrounds, you will surely find a spot at one of them. The main campground is at the boat launch, but there is another little known campground on the lake. It is 1.5 miles East of the main campground/boat launch. I have never seen this CG full in all my times (Including holidays) as a fire patrol ranger out of Isabella.

The little known campground is in Section 31 on the south side of Silver Island Lake. You will need a Superior National Forest map to find it, or some navigational aid, if you are not familiar with it.

I think WIndy Lake has a rustic campground also, it is only about 10 miles from Kawishiwi Lake.

Silver Island Lake rustic campground

Hi Karl,
Wouldn't recommend "counting" on a site at EP37 unless mid-week before early June or mid-week after first week of sept. Like others have said, it's hit or miss. Another spot, in addition to the other excellent ideas, is the little forest service temperance river campground (not the state park) on west side of trail as you head up toward the ep on sawbill trail. There's a solar water pump. I've never seen it full. In fact, I've rarely seen more than a few tents even during peak season. It's not as scenic as baker or crescent but it will do fine in a pinch if you want more than a quick pullover spot (table, fire ring, privy and tent pad). It also doesn't seem to attract the "gasoline engine + alcohol" crews like Toohey and Baker. Fwiw, the crescent lake carry-in sites are lovely and nice for that element as well - little tough to haul the keggers back there (and there's a campground host at crescent). But those may be more of a committment than what you're looking before the night before put-in. I don't know, when all is said and done, hard to beat the reliability and convenience of the outfitter right at sawbill if you need one last thing before you head into the area.
USFS Temperance River Campground

Free to cheap campgrounds in northern MN

I found this site a while back. Seems to show what used to be a lot of free campgrounds in northern MN I think many of them now charge a fee but are mostly still pretty cheap. if you can narrow it down to the Kawishiwi Lake area I think you will see quite a few camping options within a reasonable drive of the entry point.

I put in at Kawishiwi in July several years ago and the campground was full - it seemed to me that they were all setup for a pretty lengthy stay too. Be a great spot if you could camp and enter there. Seems to be quite a few options nearby though. I have stayed at both Baker and Crescent a few times and they are both nice. If you are just staying overnight before a trip you might not have time to appreciate it but Crescent lake is absolutely gorgeous with good fishing and very BWCA like - totally undeveloped.

Thanks for the feed back.
I have stayed at Sawbill twice and that was fine. I may do it again.
It seems like Kawishiwi would be a real roll of the dice. Our entry will be on a Friday.

Going for those sites I would definitely have a back up plan

Kinda and sounds like my report! We had originally planned for trying for one of those 5 spots at the entry. In learning others had issues with finding an open spot, we reserved a site at Sawbill. That plan went south when we were arriving in heavy thunderstorms. We decided to drive to the EP and sleep in the truck. Crappy night but we had a heck of an early start and didn't see anyone until the portages to Polly.

Anyway...both the day we got to the entry and day we left a week later the sites were all full. Foldout campers, large tarps setup, kayaks on shore, etc.

There are an additional 2 renegade type sites that you can use if the 5 sites are all taken. They are up the road a little bit before you get to the campground and across the road from the parking lot. I've only seen it once where both of those were taken in addition to the 5 regular sites in the campground.

It's definitely a crap shoot as to whether or not it will be full. The earlier in the day you get there the better chance you have of getting a site and more time you have to backtrack if you find it full.

I've camped there around 8 times and only got turned away once and that time we drove to Sawbill as the backup plan and stayed there. I took my FIL there each year during his cancer battle because he loved the BWCA but couldn't do a canoe trip and Kawishiwi Lake Campground gave him the next best thing. We would get up there by 10 am though and sometimes it filled up by evening and sometimes there were still open sites. Most of our trips up there were in June.

One year I was fortunate enough to camp up there 2 consecutive weekends in June and had completely opposite experiences. The 2nd weekend in June we got up there with my wife and young kids on Friday morning and took the last of the 5 regular sites. By noon the 2 renegade sites were taken and throughout the day at least 10 more groups drove in hoping to camp. I had never seen anything like that there before. When we left on Monday all of the original groups were still there. The following weekend I got up there with my FIL and BIL on Saturday morning expecting it to be full again to find only 1 site occupied. Saturday night and Sunday night we ended up being the only ones camped there.

I'm hoping to try Silver Island and Crescent . I usually set up camp at Fall lake for 2 weeks in mid june.. ya think i'd be out of line if i kept the set up at Fall lake and drove down to Crescent or Silver isl.and fish for the day, set up a small overnight camp. Stay there and head back to Fall the next day. I would try this during the week to have less competition. I want to expand my territory.

LindenTree: "The little known campground is in Section 31 on the south side of Silver Island Lake. You will need a Superior National Forest map to find it, or some navigational aid, if you are not familiar with it. "

I've walked the "road" to those spots. I'm not sure what kind of vehicle can make it up and down that rocky hill just before you get to them. I've warned someone to park above and walk their stuff down.

inspector13: "

LindenTree: "The little known campground is in Section 31 on the south side of Silver Island Lake. You will need a Superior National Forest map to find it, or some navigational aid, if you are not familiar with it. "

I've walked the "road" to those spots. I'm not sure what kind of vehicle can make it up and down that rocky hill just before you get to them. I've warned someone to park above and walk their stuff down.


"

Good point, its been 15 years since I've been in that road and forgot about that.
I always drove it with a USFS 2 ton fire engine with duallys, so I never gave it much thought.

yogi59weedr,
A real gem is the rustic campground on Section 29 Lake. Not far from Silver Island Lake.
It only has 3 sites and the one nearest to the lake is a beauty, I've camped there a bunch of times.

LT. Thanks. I'm not really looking for rustic. I like my electricity. These trips would just be for checking the places out. That way I can come back and maybe divide a trip up between Fall, Crescent, and Silver island. Just don't want to drive back to Ely after fishing til dark. Get up fish early and break camp and go back to ely for a afternoon fish and have camp already set up.