Frontenac Backpack Permit - Frontenac, SP

Very High DemandReservation5 min read

Updated September 25, 2026

Frontenac Backpack Permit: Route

Frontenac Backpack permits are booked by advance reservation in Frontenac State Park (MN). The route covers 1.3 miles.

Two backpack sites above Lake Pepin, walked in from the park trail system.

This guide covers the Frontenac Backpack Campsites permit.

Frontenac Backpack Campsites permit alerts All Frontenac State Park (MN) permits

1 night

Duration

1.25 miles

Distance

About Frontenac Backpack

Two backpack sites reached on foot from the park trail system.

Two sites is the entire backcountry inventory of a park on one of the busiest migration corridors in North America. The cart-in campground next door has six; this is the quieter, further-out half of the same park.

The Frontenac Backpack route

Distance: 1.25 miles
Route type: out-and-back
Trip length: 1 night

Starts at Ranger station parking lot

Mississippi River Bluffs. Nearest town: Frontenac

Points along the route

Pleasant Valley Lakelet / Prairie Loop Trail
Lake Pepin
Bluffside Trail
In Yan Teopa rock

Frontenac Backpack permit detailsandAll Frontenac State Park (MN) permits

The Experience

Bluff-top hardwoods above the widest part of the Mississippi, a mile and a quarter out on the Pleasant Valley Lakelet trail, with two screened-off sites, primitive toilets and, in DNR's own words, "campers will hear noises from the highway and trains."

What to Expect

Minnesota DNR's definition of the category: "Backcountry campsites in Minnesota state parks are not accessible by motor vehicle and are a half mile or more from a parking area. They do not have electricity, and are a popular option for backpackers, paddlers, and bicyclists."

"Backcountry sites typically have primitive toilet facilities and water, a tent pad, and a fire ring. Some have a picnic table and a grill on the fire ring, and a few have shelters."

The Minnesota reservation system lists this facility as "Backpack Campsites" with two units, Backpack #BP1 and #BP2.

Minnesota DNR's published backpack rate at Frontenac is $22 per site, per night, plus tax.

"Seasonal availability varies by park." The booking calendar shows which nights are open.

DNR puts the whole facility in one paragraph: "Two backpack sites located one and one-quarter miles from the designated parking lot at the ranger station. Located on Pleasant Valley Lakelet/Prairie Loop Trail. Each site has primitive toilets. Staff try to make sure there is toilet paper and firewood available at the sites but visitors should call to confirm before staying. Neither site is good for hammock camping. Drinking water is available at the ranger station. These sites are secluded from other campsites, but campers will hear noises from the highway and trains."

Read the "staff try to make sure" clause literally: DNR is telling you to ring the park before counting on toilet paper or firewood being there.

Season: "The park and campground are open year-round."

Neither site takes a hammock, in DNR's own words. Bring a tent.

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Set Up Alerts

Permit Requirements

All campsites require a reservation. Minnesota DNR: "All campsites require a reservation. Please make a reservation online or call 866-857-2757."

Reservations open 120 days before arrival, and same-day bookings are allowed. On the day a date first becomes available, online reservations cannot be made before 8 a.m.

The reservation fee is $8.00 online and $10.00 by phone, non-refundable. There is no fee for a same-day booking.

Camping check-in is after 4 p.m. and checkout is by 4 p.m. If you have not checked in by 11 a.m. on the second day of the reservation, DNR may cancel it.

"A campsite's occupancy is limited to one camping group of six people or less, one camping shelter, and one vehicle." More than that needs the park manager's prior approval.

Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and generators may not run in those hours.

Park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 365 days a year, and "only campers with a reserved campsite are allowed in the park after 10 p.m."

Every vehicle entering a Minnesota state park must display a valid year-round or one-day state park vehicle permit.

Firewood transport is regulated. DNR allows wood bought at this park for use in this park, Minnesota Department of Agriculture certified firewood anywhere on DNR land, and an uncertified bundle only if it is not ash and was harvested in the county where you will burn it: "be sure to keep your receipt and the bundle label to show proof of purchase."

Firewood from home, pallet wood, and painted, stained or metal-bearing lumber are all prohibited, and "collection of firewood in state parks is not allowed."

Pets are welcome on a leash six feet or shorter, or in a portable enclosure, and must be personally attended at all times.

It is illegal to consume or display intoxicating liquors in Minnesota state parks.

Fireworks and metal detectors are not permitted.

Hammocks need trees at least 12 inches in diameter and straps at least an inch wide, one hammock per tree, hung over mowed and cleared ground.

You may pick edible fruits and mushrooms for personal consumption; picking wildflowers or other plants is not allowed.

Campfires here run on a live burning restriction that moves with fire danger, so a fire ring at the site is not permission to use it. The authority is this park's own Camping & Lodging page, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/frontenac/camping.html. Read it in the week you travel, not the week you book.

Read 2026-08-10, that page carried: "Attention visitors - fire danger is very high!" and "Campfires are not allowed in backcountry (hike-in/backpack and boat-in) campsites, even if there is a fire ring." DNR sells this facility as a backpack site, which is the half of that sentence the ban names.

Gear & Preparation

Required Gear

•A pack; no cart is provided for the backpack sites
•A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car you leave at the trailhead
•Water, or a way to treat it: DNR says these sites "typically" have water, which is not the same as always
•A camp stove, and a meal plan that works on it. Minnesota DNR closes fire rings at short notice, and its Tettegouche notice of 2026-08-10 read "Camp stoves are permitted for cooking."

Recommended Gear

•Binoculars for the flyway
•Water containers: DNR's "typically" is doing real work in its amenity list

Hazards & Safety

DNR: "Trails range from easy to difficult. Use extra caution on the Bluffside Trail."

DNR says outright that "neither site is good for hammock camping."

Supplies are best-effort: "Staff try to make sure there is toilet paper and firewood available at the sites but visitors should call to confirm before staying."

It is secluded, not silent: "These sites are secluded from other campsites, but campers will hear noises from the highway and trains."

Best Time to Visit

Same park, same answer: DNR says "visit the park in spring or fall and you'll be in one of the best spots in the country to view bird migrations," with warblers concentrated in the first part of May and eagles common fall through spring. The park and campground are open year-round. Two units means the 120-day window and the 8 a.m. release decide a summer weekend.

Written by

PermitSnag Team

100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience

This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a Frontenac Backpack permit?

Frontenac Backpack permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.

When is the best time to visit Frontenac Backpack?

How long is the Frontenac Backpack route?

The route is 1.25 miles, as an out-and-back. Plan on 1 night.

Where does the Frontenac Backpack route start?

Ranger station parking lot.

What gear do I need for the Frontenac Backpack route?

Essential gear includes: A pack; no cart is provided for the backpack sites, A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car you leave at the trailhead, Water, or a way to treat it: DNR says these sites "typically" have water, which is not the same as always, A camp stove, and a meal plan that works on it. Minnesota DNR closes fire rings at short notice, and its Tettegouche notice of 2026-08-10 read "Camp stoves are permitted for cooking.".