USDA Forest Service · Minnesota
Whitefish Lake Rustic Campground
USDA Forest Service · Minnesota, United States
- Cost
- No fees are required for this site
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,696 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- WHITEFISH LAKE BOAT LANDING (NFSR 348G) · crushed aggregate or gravel · suitable for passenger cars
- Nearest town
- Tofte, MN
About
US Forest Service campground. Whitefish Lake Rustic Campground includes a 3 site rustic campground and also provides the starting point for the and the Timber-Frear Canoe Route which includes 11 backcountry campsites scattered on 5 lakes. These lakes, along with four others, are interconnected with portages to form an excellent canoe route and camping experience outside of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. There is no boat launch for trailered boats at Whitefish Lake, carry down access only. This campground is also located on the Timber-Frear Grant-In-Aid OHV route and provides ride-in and ride-out opportunities for OHV riders. There is no garbage pick up at Whitefish Rustic Campground or Timber-Frear backcountry sites. Plan to pack out all your garbage, including fish remains from cleaning fish. Not reservable through Recreation.gov, so plan on first-come, first-served; check with the ranger district for current conditions and fees.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18° | 3° | -27° | 39° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 19° | 4° | -23° | 43° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 32° | 19° | -7° | 55° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 39° | 29° | 4° | 63° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 56° | 40° | 29° | 76° | 2 of 11 |
| June | 66° | 50° | 41° | 80° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 75° | 58° | 50° | 95° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 71° | 59° | 54° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 66° | 53° | 43° | 78° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 50° | 40° | 26° | 66° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 35° | 28° | 5° | 56° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 24° | 15° | -11° | 46° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Fourmile Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Wilson Lake Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Toohey Lake Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 4 mi
- Silver Island Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi
- Harriet Lake Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 5 mi
All public campgrounds in Minnesota · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-24. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.