Leech Lake Recreation Area

The first thing seen upon turning into the Campground is COE’s Federal Dam. The grounds were in top shape and sites are spacious and cleaned prior to check-in. The boat launch is in great shape and plenty of room for boats to tie up on the shore. The bathrooms/showers were very clean as was the laundry room. Bring what you need; locally there is a basic gas station / bait store / limited sundries. The small towns of Bena and Longville are each less than 10 miles away and Walker is over 30.
We cannot say enough about this COE campground.

Our RV GPS and Google Maps took us right to the gate of this campground (CG) and it was easy to find. We arrived with no issues and went straight to back-in site 12 with FHUs. There is not a check-in office/gate shack. We stayed here two years ago and got online to reserve this great site as soon as the reservation window opened (6 months prior). As stated on the info board, a camp host came by as we were setting up, and checked us in. There is a handful (5) of reservable FHU sites (50/30/20 AMP) as camp hosts are in the others. There are also many great 50/30 AMP electric-only sites in this CG. We also noticed that there were not many water spigots in the CG and so suggest getting your potable water at the dump station at the back of the CG upon arrival. The shower houses/restrooms were open and very clean. There is a laundry room in the shower house building with 2 washers and 2 dryers but only 1 dryer was working. There was a sign limiting the days of use during our September 2-week stay due to only having 1 dryer, but we noticed someone was doing their laundry on a 'closed' day. We got 2 bars on both Verizon and T-Mobile. The number of mature trees in this CG would make satellite iffy. This CG is very popular with fishermen with their boats as there is a public boat launch adjacent to the CG. Our site bumped up to the fence that separates the CG from the boat launch and parking area so we did get some noise. In addition, the CG has its own boat launch and there is shore mooring for your boat. There’s a mile-and-a-half channel that runs from the boat launch to the main lake where the big-engined fishing boats transit back and forth. You cannot swim, fish, or hang out between channel buoys plus there’s a dam so this COE is not a good area for kayaking. This COE is one of the most modern and well-kept CGs we’ve stayed in. There’s a COE associated marina near the public boat ramp where you can rent boats plus purchase bait and firewood. There are short trails within the park plus plenty of areas to walk the dogs. The nearest amenities are in Longville about 20 minutes away. We enjoyed our 2-week stay.

This is a very well maintained campground with friendly, efficient volunteer staff. The campground has many long sites, suitable for large rigs and a few companion sites. There are a few full hookup sites in the campground which, strangely, were occupied by tent campers when we were there. Most sites are under the canopy of large trees but there is little to no foliage at ground level for site screening. Be prepared with mosquito repellent as the area is a favorable environment for them. Restrooms are clean, spacious and well lit. Nice playground area for children and a small camp store. Nightly rate reflects the NPS Senior Pass discount.

This is a great campground near Leech Lake! It is a Recreation Area run by the Army Corps of Engineers, so it’s a bit more rustic than other options in the area. There are only a few full hook up sites and the rest are mostly electric only. We stayed in site 27 and loved it. Most of the sites are large with dedicated gravel areas for tents, screen shelters and lawn chairs. Each has a fire pit and you’re surrounded by trees everywhere. The bathrooms and showers are clean, and the camp hosts, who have been working here for 19 years, are wonderful and keep the grounds in great condition. The campground is adjacent to a public launch, and it provides a sheltered canal where you can moor your boat at no charge during your stay. To get to the lake, it’s about a 5-minute boat ride through a winding channel. And Leech Lake provides for great fishing opportunities. Other reviews have complained of the mosquitoes and flies. We stayed over Labor Day and had no issues with flies. Mosquitoes? Yes, but not too bad (especially for Minnesota). Don’t forget the bug spray and maybe a screened-in shelter and you should be fine. Note that you are 30 minutes or so away from any major conveniences. We will be back here.

Signs to the CG were easy to follow and accurate. When we arrived we reviewed the checkin procedures, which were to head directly to your site, then a camp host would come by to register you. We proceeded on the narrow road to FHU site 8. We found the site opening to be narrow with trees on each side, making it challenging to back into. There was also a small ditch on the other side of the road that we had to avoid while backing in. If we were longer than our 39’ and/or new to backing, we would have had problems getting into the site with the ditch. The other FHU sites did not have a ditch in front of the sites and had wider openings. Once we got in, the site was roomy though we could not open our front awning all the way due to a tree. One of the first things we did after settling in was to get out the bug spray and citronella candles as mosquitoes and horse flies where awful. We had to ensure all exposed flesh was sprayed so ensure you bring plenty of Repel or Deep Woods Off this time of the year. We also found that the canned foggers worked well. If we were to stay here again and wanted FHUs, we would try to get 11 or 12. For the electric only sites, we would choose 50. We have included the CG site map, which we marked sites based on our preferences and ease of getting a 39’ fifth wheel into the site. Overall, there were many great electric only sites in this park. We also noticed that there were not many water spigots in the CG and you would need to get your potable water at the dump station. The shower houses/restrooms were open and very clean, but the laundry facility was closed due to CV-19. There were a lot of trees in this CG so using a satellite dish would be very iffy depending on the site. We received a variety of OTA stations. There was no public WiFi. We got 2 bars on Verizon and 3 bars on AT&T. There was a short trail near the entrance to the campground and plenty of areas around the CG to walk dogs or take a leisurely stroll. Convenient launching and mooring for your boat. If you are a Wizard of Oz or Judy Garland fan, its worth the 45 minute drive to Grand Rapids, MN to visit her birthplace museum. Grand Rapids, MN also has all the major conveniences such as Walmart, Target, etc.

This locations website does a good job of overselling this location. It is decent enough, but don’t expect to see the lake. Just a canal and fields of cattails. I would not recommend site 64. From the map layout it looked like a private, secluded site. It’s probably one of the worst in the park on that front. The park is clean and well maintained. I gave it three stars but it’s probably worth four if you visit with the expectation that you need a boat or won’t be seeing the lake.

Mosquitos and deerfly! I know it is a bad summer in Minnesota for mosquitos, but it doesn't seem like there has been any control whatsoever. Nicely wooded, but though it is off of Leech Lake, it is situated on a slough, so the water views are of acres of cattails. Good if you have a boat- mooring on the canal is included with the camp fee.