Tettegouche Camp Permit - Tettegouche, SP

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Updated August 10, 2026

How to Get a Tettegouche Camp Permit

Four cabins on Mic Mac Lake with no road to them — 1.7 miles in at the shortest.

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About Tettegouche Camp

Four cabins at the historic Tettegouche Camp on Mic Mac Lake. No road reaches them — everything you bring, you carry.

Tettegouche Camp is a rare thing in a state park system: lodging you have to walk to. DNR keeps all four cabins open year-round with a woodstove and firewood in each, so it works as a winter trip in a way almost nothing else in this catalogue does.

The Experience

A shared lodge with two fireplaces and a screened porch facing the lake, four cabins clustered around it, and a canoe with paddles for whoever wants the water. No plumbing, no engine noise, and 9,000 acres of North Shore park between you and the road.

What to Expect

Minnesota DNR: "Tettegouche Camp is located in the interior of the 9,000 acre park. No vehicle access is available. It is a 3.5-mile trek from the main park trailhead, or a shorter-but-steeper 1.7-mile hike from the Lax Lake Road access. Mountain bikes are allowed only on the Lax Lake Road access. You must carry in your gear; carts are not provided."

Four cabins, and the reservation system's unit names match DNR's own list: Cabin A, B and C sleep up to six, Cabin D sleeps two.

DNR's published nightly rates, plus tax: Cabin A $155, Cabin B $175, Cabin C $155, Cabin D $130.

"Four rustic cabins are clustered together, and share a shower/bathroom building and a one-room day-use lodge with several picnic tables and benches, two fireplaces, and a large screened porch facing Mic Mac Lake."

Each cabin has "a woodstove and firewood; a small kitchenette with two-burner cooktop, mini refrigerator, pots, pans, plates, and utensils; a picnic table and fire ring with grill; a screened porch; and use of a canoe with paddles and life vests."

"Cabins do not have bathrooms or running water. Jugs are provided and guests may use the shower building or the hand pump to collect water."

"All four cabins are available year-round."

Cabin D's interior is accessible, though DNR notes there is still no drive-up access to it.

DNR's own hike-in figure for the camp, from the rentals section of the camping page: "Canoes are available for rent spring through fall at the remote Tettegouche Camp. Access to these canoes requires a 1.7 mile hike (each way) to Mic Mac Lake."

Water at camp, in DNR's own trail description: "Refill your water bottles from the hand pump at Tettegouche Camp before you return." Park-wide, "Water is ON for the season. Potable water for water bottles is available at the Visitor Center."

Toilets and showers: "A year-round modern restroom with showers is available to visitors renting cabins in Tettegouche Camp."

Group size is published park-specifically here: "A campsite may be occupied by a group of six or fewer people using one camping shelter. Groups of six or fewer traveling in one vehicle may have one additional tent with prior approval from park staff."

The reservation system caps a cabin stay at 7 nights. That is a booking restriction in the state's reservation system, not a DNR rule — DNR publishes no length-of-stay limit in its state park rules at all.

For contrast, Tettegouche's five Superior Hiking Trail backpack sites are not reservable and carry the one published max-stay figure in this whole dataset: "These sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis only and are limited to a one-night stay." Those sites are not this facility and are not bookable through us.

Sourcing note: the park-page sentences on this page were read on 2026-08-10 from Minnesota DNR's own live park-content endpoint. maps.dnr.state.mn.us refuses our requests outright, so that fetch went through a Wayback Save-Page-Now capture of the live DNR endpoint, with the Internet Archive acting only as transport. www.dnr.state.mn.us and files.dnr.state.mn.us were read directly.

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Permit Requirements

"No pets, no smoking." DNR states this for Tettegouche Camp specifically, on top of the system-wide rule that only service animals may enter lodging.

"Bring your own bedding and linens - sleeping bags work best."

"Guests are responsible for cleaning after their stay, supplies are provided."

Mountain bikes are allowed on the Lax Lake Road access only.

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.

Lodging check-in is after 3 p.m. and checkout is by 11 a.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 not allowed inside cabins, yurts or any other lodging building. Outdoors they must be on a leash six feet or shorter and 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/tettegouche/camping.html — read it in the week you travel, not the week you book.

Tettegouche publishes its own, stricter restriction and it names this camp. Read 2026-08-10, its Camping & Lodging page (DNR-dated "Updated July 29, 2026") said: "Currently campfires are only allowed in designated areas of Tettegouche State Park due to extreme fire danger. Areas where campfires are allowed include: Baptism River Campground, Cart-In Campground, and Group Campsites. Fire bans remain in place at Tettegouche Camp, Superior Hiking Trail campsites, and Finland and Eckbeck State Forest Campgrounds. Camp stoves are permitted for cooking."

DNR stocks each cabin with a woodstove and firewood, and its ban notice speaks about campfires and designated areas. Whether the ban reaches an indoor woodstove is not stated either way — ask the park rather than assuming.

Bear country. DNR: "Do not store food, trash, clothes worn when cooking, or toiletries in your tent or camping hammock. Store in approved bear-resistant containers, or out of sight in a locked vehicle." It also says to keep a clean camp and "cook downwind and as far from your tent as possible."

Gear & Preparation

Required Gear

•Bedding — DNR supplies bunks and beds, not linens
•A pack for 1.7 to 3.5 miles of walking; DNR states carts are not provided
•A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car at whichever trailhead you use
•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

•Water jugs are provided at camp, but a bottle for the walk in is on you
•Winter traction if you are booking the cold half of the year — all four cabins stay open

Hazards & Safety

No running water and no bathroom in the cabins; water comes from the shower building or the hand pump.

The camp is in the interior of a 9,000-acre park with no vehicle access — a forgotten item is a 3.4 to 7-mile round trip.

DNR's visitor tips: "Wear good hiking shoes (not flip flops)." "Hiking trails cross rugged and difficult terrain, use caution." "There are cliffs. Keep small children close and be aware of surroundings." "Swimming at the park can be dangerous. River and lake conditions are unpredictable."

DNR trail alerts: "The bottom of the steps have washed out at the base of the High Falls and Two Step Falls viewing steps. Please use caution in these areas." "The Cascade Trail was damaged after 2024 flooding caused several landslides. The trail is impassable and closed beyond the first half mile."

Black bears are in the park. DNR lists "moose, black bear, red fox and river otter" among the less commonly observed wildlife, and puts bear-proof storage lockers at its walk-in and cart-in campgrounds.

Best Time to Visit

DNR states all four cabins are available year-round and stocks each with a woodstove and firewood, so winter is a real booking rather than a gamble. For wildlife it says: "In fall, hawk migration along the shore of Lake Superior numbers in the tens of thousands. Winter is an excellent time to see northern owls, woodpeckers, finches and unusual water birds," and to "watch for peregrine falcons in the summer." DNR recommends reserving May through the middle of October, and notes "campsites fill quickly from May-October, reserve early."

Written by

PermitSnag Team

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a Tettegouche Camp permit?

Tettegouche Camp permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.

When is the best time to visit Tettegouche Camp?

What gear do I need for Tettegouche Camp?

Essential gear includes: Bedding — DNR supplies bunks and beds, not linens, A pack for 1.7 to 3.5 miles of walking; DNR states carts are not provided, A Minnesota state park vehicle permit for the car at whichever trailhead you use, 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.".