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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Trip Planning Forum :: North Fowl Lake entry
 
Author Message Text
burrow1
05/30/2025 11:31PM
 
Thank you
 
Willow76
06/13/2025 08:40AM
 
I was there early August last year and all sites were open.
 
burrow1
05/30/2025 09:15AM
 
I have permit for North Fowl Lake July 7 looking for info on the McFarland Lake Campground
I know it’s first come camping but can’t find how many sites or how busy it gets just looking for a site for the Sunday night before we go in country
Any information would be appreciated
Thanks
Dean
 
Michwall2
05/30/2025 09:41AM
 
It is a very small campground. Only 5 sites. We were there the last weekend in September 2024. It was full when we arrived late in the day. We ended up dispersed camping a mile or two back up the trail along what looked like a logging road. We got up the next morning and a couple sites were open. We used a campsite to grab some breakfast, double checked our gear, use a restroom, etc. Then parked in the lot and left. It looked full when we returned a week later at the end of our trip, too.


McFarland Lake Campground


As I was looking at the info for the campground, it looks like this may be a Minnesota State Forest and not a National Forest. Dispersed camping is legal on Minnesota State Forest Lands, but you need to know the rules.


Minnesota State Forest Dispersed Camping Info



 
lindylair
06/01/2025 11:24AM
 
There are two more state forest campgrounds comparable to McFarland pretty nearby. We stayed at both Esther Lake campground and Devilfish Lake campground last year. There are some nice sites at both and a few marginal ones but for one night it shouldn't matter much. I got the feeling they were less popular than McFarland.




Here's a link to that state forest page, same forest as McFarland.





Grand Portage State Forest