bear head lake state park

bear head lake state park印象

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  BigMinnie

  The park ranger was rude from the moment we walked in the door. When we asked her if there was anything specific we should see at the park the younger blonde woman stated, "well it's a state park so there there are outdoor things to do." I tried to bite my tongue and be pleasant and asked again if there was anything specific and she stated, "well, you can visit our new Trail Center building" ...I was astonished by the bad behavior for a park that was awarded the top state park in the country. We will be visiting another park in the future that treats their clientele with more respect and interest.

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  tonib670

  Sites were smaller than at other campgrounds we have stayed at but it was very scenic and the showers were nice.

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  creason

  This park is wonderful, so much to do and see! We loved the area and will definitely return.GROUP SITE: This is probably THE BEST group site I've ever camped in MN. There is one group site and it is HUGE! I believe it accommodates up to 50 people. There is a main site that could hold a dozen tents (size dependent) and 3 micro sites that would hold 1, 2 and 3-4 tents with their own firepits. There is a dock with 2 picnic tables and an amazing private view - no other cabins or lights in site! It is great for fishing (caught several good size walleyes), boating or swimming. There is a cove to the right where I saw a couple otters playing and bathing early one morning. On our private road in, we also saw a red fox and a couple of courting grouse, with the male in full splendor.There is a slight haul of gear, about 25-50 yards down a slope. You cannot park at that landing as the bear lockers are there. But you can park about 8 cars max a short walk down the road. There are 2 vault toilets that are a bit of a hike in the middle of the night. The star gazing would is amazing if you didn't have a huge moon, which we did that was as bright as a streelamp! This would be a particularly good summer campsite as it only gets maybe a few hours total direct sunlight. My only complaint of the site is that because it's in a cove, when there's a breeze, it swirls around the main firepit, making avoiding smoke a bit annoying. Perhaps using one of the other firepits would have been a better option? The wind changed direction constantly and there was no good seat, you couldn't sit upwind or downwind. And because the park firewood is birch, it causes lots of ashes that can swirl onto you. Sadly, an ash landed on my leg and burnt about a 1" hole in my fleece :0( HIKING: We did a 5-mile loop hike from the group site to the beach/picnic shelter to the park office then around to Norberg Lake (which is nirvana AND stocked with trout). I didn't care for the couple short lengths that were on road, but the park wasn't busy so it wasn't a big deal. The trails are full of rocks, so they are tripping hazards and slippery after a rain.The beach/public use area is BEAUTIFUL! I think it would be a great place to have a wedding! There is a large, flat green area that's on the water with lots of picnic tables. There's a small, pristine beach that looks very clear and inviting. There's a nice outdoor shelter at the back of this area. And there's an absolutely beautiful, brand new center that appears to be used for winter use and classrooms. It is a gorgeous simple building with a huge patio, impressive firepit and recycled adirondack chairs.Loved it, beautiful area, awesome park!

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  luv2travelfrommn

  We camped in a tent & enjoyed having plenty of trees around to keep us secluded from the neighbors. We were close to the lake for a nice walk. Granted we were there in the fall, but the beach area looked very nice. We caught the fall colors coming to peak, so it was awesome.

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  Jessica022

  I stayed at Backpacking site B3. It was beautiful, quiet, well shaded with a lake view. But... the camp pad was slanted which made for very bad sleeping, the lake view was obstructed, and it was a 40 min hike to get there over uneven terrain. (Only 25 min to get out, I always hike faster on my way out.) I checked out campsite B2 on my way out and it was definitely a better site with a flat camp pad and a better lake view. At the park office I asked about the difficulty of the trail and the girl at the desk said 1) "I don't know I've never hiked that trail" which is a horrible answer, don't you think?! and then she said 2) "but I do know that someone had to be rescued from the trail today." As the drive-in campsites were full, I had no other option, so I went ahead and took B3. So, how hard was it? (This also applies for B1, B2 and B4.) The trail was definitely uneven with lots of rocks and exposed tree roots. This was true for the entire trail. Also, there was quite a bit of up and down, though no ascent or descent was steep or long. If you are light on your feet and you have a well weighted pack, it will be fine, otherwise you will need to be rescued. On a positive note, the trail was beautiful, with lots of varied trees, undergrowth, mushrooms, flowers, berries, animals, etc... Oh, and a pair of loons live on the lake to keep you company.

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  michaelnmarsha

  We camped at Bear Head State park for three days early September and couldn't have asked for more. These sites are private, level and well shaded. You are allowed to fish without a liscense if you are a Minnesota resident as it is totally on the state park grounds. There are plenty of hiking trails nearby as well as biking trails. Camping at its best!

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  sixlet

  This was my first time to the park and we had a great time. Some things I wish I had known ahead of time: There are two campgrounds, one with electric sites and one without. I typically choose the campground without electric because they usually have more privacy. However, at this park that is not the case. The electric sites have just as much privacy and actually seem larger than the non electric sites. We camped with friends who brought their horse trailer/camper. They had a very hard time even driving around the road to get to their site because the road is very narrow. The electric campground had much wider roads and is much better suited for campers. There are currently several non reservable sites but that will be changing next year so don't expect to be able to just drive there and pick a site. The sites in the non electric camp are quite narrow. Ours had so much brush that you couldn't really even sit all the way around the campfire ring. It's nice to have privacy but it would also be nice to be able to sit around the fire! There are trails galore in the park, fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, etc. Lots of things to do!

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  murf_and_turf

  Recently took a three day trip with my 8 yr old nephew to Bear Head Lake SP. We stayed at backpack/canoe-in site BP5. The site was very large with great views of the lake and west facing for amazing sunsets. I have been to the Boundary Waters many times and the quality of the scenery and fishing was very similar to that of the BWCA but without the hard work/portaging. Bear Head Lake itself is probably large enough to explore/fish for 3-5 days in a canoe. In our time there we didn't even cover 25% of the lake. One afternoon we canoed over to the public swimming beach which was a popular spot. In all it was a great canoe trip for a fraction of the time and effort exhausted on BWCA trips.

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  68JustinB

  This was the first time I made it to Bear Head Lake State Park and I was pleasently impressed with the park. The trail head center was new and right next to the beach which was amazing. Bear Head Lake is quite beautiful and serene. The beach seemed to be in the perfect spot to really capture the views. I hiked the Norberg lake loop and loved the scenery. Norberg lake is one of those really perfect spots. The lake is stocked with brook trout but the lake itself is a picture of pure woods majesty. There were beaver and a loon in the lake when I sat beside it. Really a highlight of the whole area. After the lake I was hiking the trail and startled a moose and watched it clomp off in a hurry. Really a piece of heaven and the true heart of the northwoods in nature here. Come see it!

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  ahanal

  We visited this beautiful state park on the weekend of June 7 and 8, 2014 with my hubby and mother in law. We had booked a tent drive in campsite which was about 100 ft away from Bear Head Lake. The Campgrounds are very well planned and laid out as each site is well separated from other with lots of woods in between. The weather was perfect for boating and kayaking-not too hot but pleasant n overcast. We saw lots of kids and families fishing and managing a good catch. The lake seemed to be full of trouts and snapping turtles.We walked along the beach trail which takes you around the Bear Head Lake. The trail has benches and fishing piers all along it till the picnic shelter and beach area. This trail is an easy and small one. Evening was a perfect set up with lake in view, a bonfire and great dinner under the stars. Next day morning, we decided to see the Norberg Lake which is to the north-east of the Bear Head Lake. Norberg lake is a much smaller lake but beautiful and serene , surrounded by vegetation all around. The water there was as clear as it could get..We walked on the trail around the lake and reach the East bay of Bear Head lake. This site had a group camping area which was very well laid out. The view of the east bay lake was way more better than the main Lake area. There were small islands in the middle with trees. We did 3 mile long Norberg Trail which actually takes you within the woods and gives you a view if the East bay to your left. It was one of the most naturally laid trails i have ever been to. It was safe as my mother in law who has had a knee surgery was able to complete with some rest breaks in between.Only word of caution for everyone who would want to camp here is to be prepared to deal with lost of mosquitoes and bugs. The number of mosquitoes is so high that one point we decided to return the same day. However, with the application of bug spray and wearing lighter color clothes, the nuisance reduced to some extent. Apart from this, everything else was memorable and scenic. I would definitely recommend the State Park for camping.