U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Camping

We spent the next four days at two different Army Corps of Engineers facilities in Minnesota. With our National Parks Pass we get 50% off the fees, so it is a great deal. Our first campsite at Sandy Lake in McGregor, Minnesota is only $13 per night.

The Sandy Lake Dam and Recreation Area is situated at the outlet of Big Sandy Lake in northern Minnesota, 13 miles north of McGregor, MN. The dam is part of the Mississippi Headwaters Project, one of the first reservoir systems in the country, and the Sandy Lake Dam structure dates back to 1895. Today the grounds have been developed into a park and campground that is noted for its clean, family-friendly environment and access to fishing and boating on both the lake and nearby Mississippi River. It offers the only public campground and beach on Big Sandy Lake. The area is also a part of the historic canoe route that connected the Mississippi River to Lake Superior and major fur trading companies. Artifacts from the area's long history are kept in a small museum located near the dam.

This beautiful, well maintained park has mature trees, large grassy sites with picnic table, fire pit, and paved level landing pads. Our site#2 has 50 amp electric, no sewer or water and backs up to the river next to the dam. There is a potable water fill station and a dump station along with friendly, helpful camp hosts. Fishing access, boat launch and docks, volleyball net and horseshoe pits are available. No WiFi but we have a good AT&T signal for our hotspot connectivity.

This is our home for the weekend before continuing west towards our next camp project in North Dakota.

A Bald Eagle nest was spotted on the upper loop of the campground; a vigilant parent keeping watch over the young one.

This campground also has a complimentary washer and dryer available so Karen took advantage of the free laundry facilities while we're here. Saturday's dinner tonight was grilled pork tenderloin on our portable barbecue.

On Monday, June 2 we arrived at Gull Lake Recreation Area which offers something for everyone with boating, hiking, fishing and swimming at Minnesota's famous Gull Lake, the largest of the 10 lakes on the Gull Chain of Lakes. Visitors have the opportunity to see and hear an abundance of watchable wildlife like bald eagles, white-tailed deer, river otters, a variety of songbirds, and the legendary call of the loon.

The campground sits on the Gull River at the outlet of Gull Lake. The area was formed by a receding glacier that moved southward from Canada and carved the landscape. Gull Lake is one of the six Mississippi Headwaters Projects of the Mississippi River Watershed operated by The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Our campsite #23 is tucked in the back of the campground. With our National Park pass we paid only $16 per night..

The campground is known for its well-spaced wooded sites, each with 50 or 30 amp electric hookup service, picnic tables, campfire rings, and a centrally located shower-house. A water fill and dump station is located near the entrance to the campground. This side of the park holds two canoe launches, a paved shoreline fishing platform, fish cleaning station, self-guided information booth, playground, a flush toilet restroom, and a handful of picnic tables and grills. Across the dam is the Ranger Office, boat ramp, vault toilet, and swimming beach on the lake. Volleyball nets, basketball hoop, horseshoe pits, and two more playgrounds are also perks of this side of the park.

This campground is near Brainerd, Minnesota. Brainerd is a city and the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota.. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with the Crow Wing River, having been founded as a site for a railroad crossing above the confluence. Due to the many lakes in the area, Brainerd is a popular summertime destination for those owning cabins in the area, better known as the Brainerd Lakes.