Openings · last 7 days
7
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 7 site openings here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233843
When South Kawishiwi River reopens
South Kawishiwi River's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
23
Openings · last 90 days
25
Only 25 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.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026 · of 32 monitored sites
Of the 288 tracked site-dates (Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026): 88 open for online reservation · 66 reserved · 134 on sites not offered for online reservation (first-come, first-served or administrative). Of the facility's 32 monitored sites, 22 can be reserved online and 10 are first-come, first-served.
Where the open windows are
69.4% of tracked site-dates are not currently open for online reservation. 88 of 288 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 26, 2026Not open online69.4%
Open site-dates88 / 288
Reserved (of online inventory)66 / 154
Weekday openings52
Weekend openings32
Of the open site-nights on mapped sites, 52 fall on weekdays and 32 on weekends (Fri–Sun). The split covers the 84 open site-nights on mapped sites; 88 site-dates are open across all monitored inventory.
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 88 of 288 site-dates are still open there.
Holiday windows
Sites open per night · of 31 sites| Window | Night | Sites open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked night.
Holiday windows — day use
Units open per date · of 1 day-use unit| Window | Date | Units open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked date.
Best-availability sites
Most open site-nights · tracked window| Site | Open site-nights |
|---|---|
| 001 | 5 |
| 003 | 5 |
| 004 | 5 |
| 005 | 5 |
| 007 | 5 |
The 5 sites with the most open site-nights in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Availability by day-use unit
Most open reservation dates · tracked window| Unit | Open reservation dates |
|---|---|
| 033 | 4 |
This day-use unit currently has 4 reservation dates available.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateTue · Sep 22
Next open weekendFri · Sep 25
The next bookable night is Sep 22; the first open weekend starts Sep 25. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Stays and site detail
84 open site-nights across 20 sites at South Kawishiwi River, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
31 overnight sites and 1 day-use unit are represented in the current inventory. Day-use inventory is excluded from every night-based figure on this page — site-nights, longest runs, multi-night stays, holiday stays and RV fit; its reservation dates are listed separately below.
Multi-night stays. 20 2-night, 16 3-night openings where a single site is free for every night, per Campsite Sniper's current snapshot — soonest Sep 22 at site 001.
RV length. Longest recorded site here is 107 ft. 31 sites take 25 ft, 31 sites take 35 ft, 31 sites take 40 ft.
All 20 sites with current availability
| Site | Max RV | Hookups | Open site-nights | Longest run | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | 63 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 003 | 78 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 004 | 64 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 005 | 62 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 007 | 63 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 008 | 65 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 009 | 54 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 010 | 56 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 011 | 60 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 012 | 70 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 014 | 58 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 022 | 66 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 028 | 71 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 030 | 87 ft | Yes | 5 | 5 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 029 | 49 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24 |
| 031 | 88 ft | Yes | 3 | 3 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24 |
| 002 | 57 ft | Yes | 2 | 2 nights | Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 006 | 56 ft | Yes | 2 | 2 nights | Sep 23, Sep 24 |
| 023 | 59 ft | Yes | 2 | 2 nights | Sep 25, Sep 26 |
| 027 | 40 ft | Yes | 2 | 2 nights | Sep 22, Sep 23 |
Day-use inventory
4 available reservation dates across 1 day-use unit. Day-use inventory is reserved by the date, so it carries no stay length.
All 1 day-use unit with current availability
| Unit | Open reservation dates | Consecutive dates | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 033 | 4 | 3 dates | Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 26 |
About South Kawishiwi River
Overview
South Kawishiwi River Campground is located in Superior National Forest near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, about 10 miles from Ely, Minnesota. It offers fishing, boating and other recreational activities in a relaxing outdoor setting. The campground has sites with and without electric hookups, as well as one group day use area great for family picnics, birthday parties and other gatherings of up to 35 people.
Recreation
Canoeing is a main attraction. The Kawishiwi River provides access to Birch Lake to the south and the Boundary Waters to the north. When traveling in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wildnerness, a permit is required.
Canoe rentals are available by contacting the host.
Closer to shore, visitors can enjoy an afternoon of swimming at the campground's grassy beach, hiking the 1-mile Kawishiwi River Forest Trail or trying their luck at fishing for northern pike, perch and walleye. A boat ramp is located on-site.
View recreation guides and maps of hiking trails and canoe routes in the national forest.
Facilities
The campground offers individual campsites and one group picnic area that can be reserved for day use. Sites are spacious, private, well-maintained and shaded. Visitors will find vault toilets, drinking water and trash bins within the facility. Firewood is available for purchase.
Natural Features
The scenic Kawishiwi River boasts clear, cold and calm waters lined with boreal forest and wetland ecosystems. Wildlife abounds in Superior National Forest, from moose and bear to bald eagles and loons. The campground lies in a mixed aspen, birch and conifer forest.
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.
Nearby Attractions
Numerous outdoor recreation opportunities lie within Superior National Forest's 77 lake accesses, 13 fishing piers, 10 swimming beaches and 22 picnic areas. The forest is also home to three scenic byways.
Campers can also explore the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Over 1-million acres in size, the Boundary Waters extends nearly 150 miles along the United States-Canada border and 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
32 monitored sites10 FCFS sitesRVs up to 107 ft24 with hookups31 shadedPets OKFire pitsMax party 9
Getting there
From Ely, Minnesota, travel about 10.3 miles south on State Highway 1 toward Lake Superior. Turn left onto the campground road.
Kawishiwi Ranger District, Ely, MN 55731KAWISHIWI RANGER DISTRICT: 218-365-7600, CONCESSIONAIRE (SUMMER): 218-365-2963
BikingBoatingCampingFishingHikingHuntingSwimming SiteWildlife Viewing
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233843 · facility + sites
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233843 · South Kawishiwi River · Ely MN12 frames · facility + sites
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at South Kawishiwi River?
Reservations for South Kawishiwi River are made through Recreation.gov. 88 of 288 tracked site-dates are currently open (30.6%). Campsite Sniper has also detected 25 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick a site or unit on the map to see its calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this facility for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 14:17 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at South Kawishiwi River?
Campsite Sniper detected 7 site-date openings at South Kawishiwi River in the last 7 days, 23 over 30 days and 25 over the last 90.
Can I get a multi-night stay at South Kawishiwi River?
16 three-night openings are showing, counting only runs where the SAME site is free for all three nights. The soonest starts Sep 22 at site 001. Confirm and book on Recreation.gov.
Which sites at South Kawishiwi River fit a 35-foot RV?
31 of the 31 sites that support RV analysis have a recorded maximum of 35 ft or more; the longest recorded is 107 ft.
Which month has the most availability at South Kawishiwi River?
September 2026, with 88 open site-dates in the current snapshot of 288.
When is the next open date at South Kawishiwi River?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Tue, Sep 22 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 25. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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Filter
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Watch
We run paced availability checks for South Kawishiwi River. One watch covers every matching online-reservable site.
Get the ping
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.