USDA Forest Service · Minnesota
Kawishiwi Lake Rustic Campground
USDA Forest Service · Minnesota, United States
- Cost
- No fees are required for this site
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,654 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
- KAWISHIWI LAKE CAMPGROUND LOOP (NFSR 354B) · improved native material · high clearance vehicles
- Nearest town
- Tofte, MN
About
US Forest Service campground. Kawishiwi Lake is a lovely 5 site campground in a birch stand on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It provides an excellent campsite for people entering or exiting the BWCAW via the Kawishiwi Lake Entry Point. The BWCAW boundary is the shore of the lake, so motors are not allowed on the lake and if you plan on putting a canoe in the water at all, you will need a day use permit available at a kiosk at the access point. There are no electrical hook-ups or potable water available on-site and users must pack in and pack out their garbage as there are no garbage services on-site. 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 | 17° | 1° | -29° | 39° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 19° | 2° | -25° | 44° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 34° | 17° | -9° | 55° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 42° | 28° | 5° | 63° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 58° | 40° | 29° | 79° | 2 of 11 |
| June | 68° | 52° | 43° | 82° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 76° | 60° | 51° | 97° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 73° | 59° | 53° | 86° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 67° | 53° | 42° | 80° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 50° | 40° | 25° | 68° | 3 of 10 |
| November | 34° | 26° | 3° | 56° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 24° | 12° | -13° | 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
- Silver Island Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi
- Whitefish Lake Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi
- Section 29 Lake Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi
- Sawbill Lake Campground - Superior National Forest · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 53 sites
- Toohey Lake Rustic Campground · USDA Forest Service · 11 mi
All public campgrounds in Minnesota · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2025-12-22. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.