Jay Cooke State Park

A genuinely rare paddling wilderness with almost no motorized access at all.

Jay Cooke State Park offers a swinging bridge above rushing river rapids.

A genuinely dramatic stop most visitors never expect just outside Duluth.

And the small town of Ely, gateway to the Boundary Waters, is home to a wolf research center, offering a genuinely rare close look at these animals in a controlled setting.

Northern Minnesota's forest roads near the Boundary Waters are quieter and slower, so plan extra time if you're heading up that way with a larger vehicle.

For paid camping, Itasca State Park offers a well-maintained campground close to the Mississippi headwaters and miles of forest trails.

Jay Cooke State Park provides a scenic, wooded campground near the Swinging Bridge and River Rapids just outside Duluth.

For free or low-cost camping, the Superior National Forest allows dispersed camping across large sections of public land outside the more restricted Boundary Waters area itself.