Lake Superior Circle Tour - advise on Boondocking RV

doxiemom11 wrote:
You will be in bear country, so no matter where you stay, please stay safe. Store food and dispose of garbage appropriately.

The food and garbage we can manage, three yappy dogs who can irk even a hibernating bear is what concerns me most. Any dog owners with experience taking dogs on trails? I can't imagine keeping them locked up in the RV all the time.

You will be in bear country, so no matter where you stay, please stay safe. Store food and dispose of garbage appropriately.

Did the circle tour in TT but stayed in parks all the way.

Desert hawk pretty much nailed the Minnesota end of things. With Superior National Forest along the north shore, there are boondocking opportunities there.
I've only been as far as Thunder Bay in Canada, so perhaps some Canadians can speak to other opportunities there.
In Wisconsin, you will go through Superior (just across from Duluth and it is another port city). Then take US 2 to hwy 13, which takes you along the lake. Chequamegon NF is up that way, so you can boondock there. Apostle Island National Lakeshore is neat, as is a ferry trip to Madeline Island. Bayfield is a quaint little town on the Lake with some touristy attractions.
Red Lake and Bad River Indian Reservations are along the way in WIsconsin if you want some Indian culture or Casinos are your thing. In the UP of Michigan, the Keewenaw Peninsula is very beautiful. Ottawa National Forest (in Western UP) and Hiawatha NF (in central and eastern UP) have campgrounds and also boondocking opportunities. PicturedRocks National Park and Tahquamenon Falls state parks are good visits. Take the boat ride at Pictured Rocks..the only way to truly see the cliffs. Farther to the east, visit Mackinack Island and the Soo Locks. Again , the eastrn unit of Hiawatha NF is there, so boondocking opportunities in that area. Then you're back up to Canada, where I don't know much. Enjoy.

Never done the Circle Tour, but.........We went up to Thunder Bay from Duluth, MN along the shore of Lake Superior using MN 61.

We only spent one night in Canada, we stayed the night at a visitor center/welcome center outside of town. We were in a C-class MH. This was in 2001. The drive from Duluth to the border is really nice, neat vistas, a lighthouse and neat state parks along the way. Such as: Gooseberry Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Tettegouche, Grand Portage, Cascade River and Judge C.R. Magney. We spend one night at Gooseberry Falls State Park going up as well.

The City of Thunder Bay's official travel and visitor information center, located at the Terry Fox Scenic Lookout.
1000 Highway 11/17
Thunder Bay, ON P7A 0A1, Canada

It is on the Thunder Bay Expy, it had large parking areas & I remember it was at a Scenic Lookout.

We went to Fort William Historical Park a very neat place.

We had stopped at Grand Portage National Monument, which was equally good if not better; just before we left the US to go into Canada.

There were many provincial parks in the area as well.

We drove back to Duluth and spend a night at a Wal-mart. Then we took a tour via a boat of the harbor the next morning. There would be more to see and do in Duluth as well as Thunder Bay, but we had a time restraint at the time. We had also driven over into Wisconsin just to say we had been in the state as we were getting to the city from the St. Paul area. We drove into the port area in Duluth on the first day.

We crossed the Aerial Lift Bridge onto an island and went for a walk on a beach, my son did a little swimming in the way too cold lake water (in early June). There were sea plane rides one could take at the end of the island as well. Neat homes on the island drive. A neat Lake Walk by the port and bridge as well with sculptures.

Using the Allstays Ontario Walmart Locations Map, I see Thunder Bay Walmart (we had stopped there & planned on staying at it, then found the Visitor Center) allows overnighting still.
777 Memorial Ave., Thunder Bay, ON 807-346-9441

But the Map for MN does not show a Walmart in Duluth, but there is one near there at
Hermantown at 4740 Mall Drive, Hermantown. 218-727-1310 And it does allow overnighting. It might be the one we stayed at.

Use the " to see the Map at http://www.allstays.com/c/wal-mart-locations.htm, it it has a Red W, Not allowed, Yellow W allowed.

Might try these to find a place:
http://www.freecampgrounds.com/

http://freecampsites.net/ Touch the area of the map on this one to see what they have.

Both of the above are free or almost free campsites.

Maybe this one would be of help: http://www.allstays.com/c/camping-overnight-rv-parking.htm