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The site details and map below come from the public Recreation.gov record and are accurate. For current dates and to book, go to Recreation.gov.
Only 27 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
Sawbill Lake Campground has immediate access to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a beautiful, peaceful and wild natural feature of Minnesota's Superior National Forest. The campground acts as a convenient base camp for exploring the nearby wilderness.
Superior National Forest, located in northeastern Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, is comprised of 3 million acres. The forest spans 150 miles along the United States-Canada border. Visitors can find recreation opportunities year-round, including travel in the famed Boundary Waters.
This facility draws canoe enthusiasts who seek a quiet and convenient area from which to access the surrounding wilderness. Day and overnight use of the Boundary Waters requires a permit.
The campground concessionaire, Sawbill Canoe Outfitters, provides a one-stop shop for canoeists of all levels within walking distance of the campground. Canoe rentals, permits and guided canoe trips are available.
Campers who wish to spend time relaxing at the campground can fish for northern pike and bass; hike, bike, picnic and attend educational programs.
View recreation guides and maps of hiking trails and canoe routes in the national forest.
Sawbill Lake is comprised of two loops with a total of 51 campsites, 27 of which can be reserved (others are first-come, first-served). Campsites can easily accommodate large motorhomes and RVs. Some of the sites offer a partial lake view through the forest.
The campground is equipped with picnic tables and campfire rings with grills, as well as vault toilets, a dump station, drinking water and trash and recycling bins.
Sawbill Lake is nestled in a thick pine forest that gives campsites excellent privacy. Birds and wildlife are abundant, from moose and bear to bald eagles and loons. Wildflowers add bright colors to the landscape in warmer months.
The campground sits on a hill above Sawbill Lake. The 765-acre lake is within the Boundary Waters.
Sawbill Canoe Outfitters maintains a store with showers, laundry, fishing licenses, bait and tackle, ice, grocery and convenience items, canoe and camping gear, rentals and a pay telephone.
Over 1 million acres in size, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness contains over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, 12 hiking trails and over 2,000 designated campsites.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Additional sites of interest
The campground is located north of Tofte, Minnesota. Travel to Tofte via Highway 61 along Lake Superior's north shore. In Tofte, turn north (away from Lake Superior) on Sawbill Trail (CCHS 2). Follow Sawbill Trail 24 miles until it ends at the entrance to the campground.
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗












Online reservations for this facility, where offered, are made through Recreation.gov. Campsite Sniper has also detected 27 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
Campsite Sniper does not currently hold availability data for Sawbill Lake Campground - Superior National Forest, so there is nothing to date here. That is a gap in coverage — it does not mean the facility is full or closed. Check Recreation.gov for current dates.
Campsite Sniper detected 27 site-date openings here over the last 90 days, none in the last 7. A free alert watches around the clock and pings you the moment one appears.
24 of the 24 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 45 ft.
Lakefront, hookups, your RV length, weekends only - set it as picky as you want.
We run paced availability checks for Sawbill Lake Campground - Superior National Forest. One watch covers every matching online-reservable site.
When a match opens, you get a push with a Recreation.gov link so you can review and book it yourself.
Alerts monitor online-reservable inventory only; first-come, first-served sites are not included.