Pokegama Dam, Grand Rapids Minnesota

[rjrelander]

We managed to snag a last minute reservation at Pokegama Dam Campground just west of Grand Rapids, Minnesota right on the Mississippi River for this weekend. Most of the reviews sound good other than a few complaints about the train track that runs parallel to the park. (That's actually a plus for me since I am a rail fan.) Supposedly good fishing but I haven't bothered to buy a license in years. Has anyone been there?

We had to move our reservation from Sandy Lake Recreation Area about 40 miles to the south after we stopped in to look at our site last week. We were in the (apparently dreaded) "South Loop" with a narrow, crooked 200 foot back-in only approach between several other sites into a very cramped spot. It looked a lot bigger on the map.

[jeff57]

We camped there 3 years ago and thought it was a nice campground. The sites are pretty shaded and a nice distance apart, not private campground-like where everyone is right on top of each other. There are some hiking trails across the river (cross using the dam) from the campground. Lots of people fishing there, so it must have been good. They sell firewood at the ranger station and you are maybe a mile or so from Grand Rapids, which means going into town to eat, shop or look around are close-by options. We brought our bikes with and rode on a paved bike trail in the city of Grand Rapids (not the Mesabi trail). The Forest History Center, not too far from the campground, was interesting. One day we made a big loop drive checking out Hill Annex Mine, McCarthy Beach and Scenic State Parks. It gets pretty remote by Scenic, just east of Bigfork. You are aware of the train tracks, there will be whistles (horns?) and ground shaking anytime of the day or night since there is a railroad crossing to get into the park.
Hope this helps-enjoy!

[rjrelander]

Thanks, Jeff. I am originally from that area but we have rarely been there as tourists so your feedback really helps. I have a family reunion in Ball Bluff (Jacobson) on Sunday so we decided to make a weekend out of it. We'll have to tighten up the stabilizers on the trailer for when the trains go by.

[EagleandFox]

We stayed there quite a few years ago - very nice campground. There was hardly anyone there when we went probably 12 years ago? Our sons were braving it and sleeping in a tent while we were there. The train whistle scared me at about 2 a.m. but they never heard a thing! We didn't fish from there, we trailered our boats to Pokegema Lake and had good luck. Were your prior reservations at the COE campground at "Big Sandy"? We stayed there, as well, in the North Loop. We talk about that trip all the time because the mosquitoes were so bad - never seen anything like that before or since!

[rjrelander]

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, we were originally booked at the COE campground on the north end of Big Sandy Lake. I heard about the mosquitoes on the North Loop. There is a stagnant marsh/swamp just to the east so that might have something to do with it. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, except Minnesota mosquitoes. Minnesota mosquitoes just make you weak from loss of blood.

I think the North Loop was full and there was a spot available on the the spit southeast of the dam. Didn't realize how narrow it was until we stopped in to check it out. The access "road" was a narrow s-curve dead end that looked more like a bike path. Some parking god had somehow managed to twist his 5vr into one of the first spots. Our spot was further in and dropped off to the lake so once we got in there I'm not even sure there would have been enough room to drop the rear jacks on our mini.

[EagleandFox]

YIKES! I remember walking around the campground, but don't remember details of the Southern loop except that the sites were closer together than on the loop we were on. Yes, we soon figured out the source of the mosquitoes. Our first clue that it was going to be buggy was when pulling in, EVERYONE had screen houses. Never seen that before.