Woodland Park Campground

We stayed in site 11 which had a great view of Lake Superior. Watching the sunset was a highlight. There are stairs to walk down to the lake where there are cool looking driftwood structures and beautiful rocks. The sites are pretty close together and there are no sewer hookups. It's an easy walk into the small town of Grand Marais. I work remotely and need good internet to work. Here are the results of my speed tests: AT&T 24.8 dl/9.4 ul, T-Mobile 10.0 dl/0.58 ul, Verizon 19.5 dl/1.09 ul.

This is a large fairly crowded campground with first-come first-served sites just east of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with water, electricity, and cable but no sewer hookups. The bathhouse is ok. But this campground is really about the location and views. Site 45 is a “basic lakeside” site so it costs a few dollars more a night but across the road are views of Lake Superior from up on the dune. Site was deep enough that a tent behind our 30’ fifth wheel and our truck fit, but it wasn’t much wider than the camper with the slide out and the awning open. Larger “premium lakeside” sites are a few dollars more a night if you can get one. Stairs lead down to the beach from 3 points in the campground and a short walk to town has a more sheltered bay beach for swimming when it’s unsafe on Lake Superior. Sunsets are beautiful from the beach.

We have been coming to Grand Marais each summer for about the last 12 years but have always rented a cabin for the week until getting our camper this year. We enjoy the quiet (when there isn’t some festival taking place) little town and frequent trips to various places in Pictured Rocks during the day. There are a few places to eat, and some gift shops as well as a small grocery store and gas station in town but be warned that supplies at both can run out. The “West Bay Diner” is also a must experience place in my opinion despite frequent long waits for food when busy.

We visited Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in late August of 2016 and ended up staying in Woodland Park Campground for just one night after we tried and struck out twice to book a campsite within the boundaries of the National Lakeshore.

We arrived after dark so no one was on duty in the office. As other reviewers have noted, their first-come-first-serve check-in system isn't really all that efficient, and with the park almost at capacity, it was a bit tricky navigating the crowded sites in the dark with our bus. Though a primitive site would have been preferable, all were already taken. We managed to snag an electric site for the evening and were too tired to really care about how noisy the campground was at the time.

The park does have a nice location, earning it a 3rd star. There's a path from the campground that takes you right to the lakeshore, giving you easy access to a clean and scenic beach. Took the dog for an early morning walk around Grand Marais and found it to be a cute, picturesque small town.

We wouldn't choose to stay here again, though it is convenient if you're visiting the area.