McCarthy Beach Campground

There will be plenty to keep you busy and happy right at McCarthy Beach State Park, where you’ll be staying with your Side Lake camper rental. The park covers nearly 2,500 acres and features a half-mile of sandy beach on Sturgeon Lake. The park also offers miles of multi-use trails, a picnic area with tables and fire rings, a fishing pier, an interpretive exhibit, and a nature store with apparel, books, and gifts and souvenirs. Boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards are available for rent. Other outdoor recreation here includes hiking, biking, a playground, bird watching and nature viewing, photography, and winter activities such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

You can also explore the George Washington State Forest with your rental motorhome near the McCarthy Beach Campground. The forest covers over 320,000 acres and features red and white pine, balsam fir, white spruce, and other hardwood trees as well as marshes and bogs. Recreation areas in the forest include Bear Lake Day Use Area, Owen Lake Day Use Area, and Thistledew Lake Day Use Area, all with swimming beaches and picnic areas. There are also miles of trails and loops. Popular recreational activities include boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, hunting and fishing, and winter sports such as snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

The Kabetogama State Forest is another example of stunning, unspoiled natural beauty that you can access with your campervan rental. The forest spans over 620,000 acres of fir, spruce, aspen, pine, maple, and birch trees with miles of multi-use nature trails. Kabetogama Lake contains approximately 25,000 acres of water and 200 islands. During your visit, you can go canoeing and kayaking, fishing, hiking, and picnicking, and winter activities include ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

You can also visit the magnificent Voyageurs National Park when you rent a camper near the McCarthy Beach Campground. This park is named after the fur traders who lived and worked here centuries ago. To learn more about the park’s history and its current-day offerings, make sure to check out the staffed visitor centers throughout. The Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center contains an information desk, interactive exhibits, a theater, a children’s activity center, and a book and gift store. A boat launch and picnic areas are outside, and ranger-led programs and boat tours are offered. The Ash River Visitor Center in the historic Meadowbrook Lodge features a theater, exhibits and displays, children’s activities, an information desk, and a gift and book store. The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open year-round and offers lake views, an information desk, displays and exhibits, a theater, and a children’s activity area. A public boat launch and picnic area are available here, too, and boat tours are offered.

If you’re looking for a taste of big-city attractions and amenities when you camp in an RV near Side Lake, you can head over to Duluth. Some of the things that you won’t want to miss here include the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, the Great Lakes Aquarium, the Spirit Mountain Recreation Area, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, and the North Shore Scenic Railroad. There are also numerous parks, green spaces, and other places to play. A lively food scene, music and performance venues, and bars and brewpubs cater to locals and visitors alike. Special events that take place here every year include the Duluth Boat, Sports, Travel & RV Show + Northland Outdoors Deer Classic, the Homegrown Music Festival, Taste of Duluth, the Bayfront Reggae and World Music Festival, and the Tribute Fest. Make sure to check out Visit Duluth, the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, and Explore Minnesota for the latest on local news, events, happenings, and tourist information.

When you’re ready to head out of your campsite at McCarthy Beach State Park for a hot meal, you can find pizza and wings, traditional American fare, burgers and sandwiches, and more nearby. If you need to refuel your rig, there are plenty of service stations, truck stops, and convenience stores with both gasoline and diesel fuel.