Eckbeck: The Perfect Basecamp for Exploring Minnesota’s North Shore on a Budget

Planning a trip to Minnesota’s North Shore but don’t want to spend $40–$60 per night at a crowded campground? If you’re okay with primitive camping, we found an affordable basecamp that let us spend a full week exploring waterfalls, hiking trails, and Lake Superior without breaking the budget. The Finland State Forest offers inexpensive, primitive campgrounds that make excellent bases for exploring the central North Shore.

General Campground Info

Campground: Eckbeck Campground
Alternative Campground: Finland Campground (about 5-10 minutes further)
Location: Finland State Forest, about 5 minutes from Lake Superior
Camping Style: Primitive / First-Come, First-Served
Sizes allowed: Mostly tent sites, but some sites can fit larger rigs about 20-35 feet
Fees: Self-pay, $17 per night
Amenities: Vault toilets, water, dumpsters, fire rings, and picnic tables
Best For: Hiking, waterfalls, exploring the central North Shore
Would We Stay Again? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Why We Chose Eckbeck Campground

When we came to Minnesota’s North Shore, we wanted an affordable basecamp- something close enough to multiple attractions, while not feeling like an RV parking lot. We didn’t need hookups, and since we planned to stay for a full week, keeping camping costs low was a priority.

Eckbeck Campground ended up being the perfect place! Eckbeck Campground is in the Finland State Forest, slightly closer and a little smaller than the Finland Campground, only about 5 minutes from the shoreline and Tettegouche State Park. It is a primitive / first-come, first-served campground that has pit toilets, fresh spring water, and dumpsters. Each site also has it’s own picnic table and fire ring. It had everything we needed for a comfortable week of camping.

Most of the sites are meant for tents with a place to park your vehicle and then a nice flat area for your tent. Still, there are some larger sites that can fit RVs. We lucked out and grabbed Site #10, one of the largest sites in the campground. It fit our 37-foot travel trailer and truck comfortably. We had plenty of shade, were surrounded by wild flowers and grass, had an upper area in the back for the table and fire, and were just a short walk from the Baptism River.

Our Experience

Even though there were trees all around, we were able to get perfect service with our starlink with no obstructions. The campground was very quiet, even when more people came for the weekend. The campground is far enough from any main roads that the only noise you hear from camp is the wind through the trees and the rush of the river.

The Baptism River being right there was the best part for our boys. Every day they asked us to go rock hopping and exploring down by the river. We had a whole day of rain while we were there which made the river rise and rush more forcefully which was fun to see, but it made rock hopping a little tougher with less rocks rising above the surface.

If we had to complain about one thing, it would be the bugs. We were there in the middle of June, which is probably the best time of year for the weather, but the worst time of year for the bugs. We battled mosquitos and annoying flies buzzing around our heads the entire stay, even so, it wasn’t enough to keep us from staying here again. Just pack plenty of bug spray.

Our Favorite Nearby Adventures

One of the best things about Eckbeck Campground, was that it felt very natural and secluded, but was only 5 minutes away from the shoreline of Lake Superior, and not much of a drive (an hour or less) to many state parks and other attractions. It is pretty much centered between Grand Marais and Duluth, each being about an hour away, not too far for a day trip either direction.

Some of the nearby adventures we checked out included Tettegouche State Park, Gooseberry Falls State Park, George Crosby Manitou State Park, Beaver Bay, Black Beach, Iona’s Beach, and Palisade Head.

If you’re looking for affordable attractions or you’re on a budget, these places are all free, aside from a $7 parking permit at the state parks. Tettegouche and Gooseberry Falls actually have free parking lots and only require permits if you want to drive further into the park. We opted to park in the free lots and hike from there. We attempted to go to Split Rock Light House, but didn’t end up staying there when we learned it was a per-person admission to tour the light house.

Attraction	Drive Time	Cost
Tettegouche State Park	5 min	Free, or $7 for certain parking areas
Palisade Head	10 min	Free
Beaver Bay	10 min	Free
Black Beach	10 min	Free
Gooseberry Falls	20 min	Free, or $7 for certain parking areas
Iona’s Beach	25 min	Free
George Crosby Manitou	30 min	$7 parking fee
Split Rock Lighthouse	15 min	$7 parking + $15/adults for lighthouse tour
Grand Marais	55–60 min	Free
Duluth	60–65 min	Free

Things to Know Before You Go

We also drove through nearby Finland Campground while we were there. It’s just a few minutes farther from the lake and offers a similar primitive camping experience. If Eckbeck is full, Finland Campground would be our next choice.

Eckbeck is closer, but smaller than Finland Campground
Self-registration is done online only- no cash or check options
Plan to arrive on a weekday if you have a larger rig
No hookups and no showers
Bring bug spray

Would We Stay Here Again?

We would absolutely stay here again. Between the quiet campsites, evenings around the campfire, afternoons spent exploring the Baptism River, and easy access to so many of the North Shore’s best hikes and waterfalls, Eckbeck Campground ended up being one of our favorite campgrounds of the trip. If you’re looking for a peaceful, affordable basecamp and don’t mind giving up hookups, we think it’s hard to beat.