No matter when during the camping season you come, our area has its beauty—and also some reasons why you may want to choose a different time!
It depends on what you’re looking for and how you want to spend your time.
We’ll take each month from May to October to let you know what to expect here at Okontoe. Then you can decide your ideal time to camp with us.
Or, like many do, come more than once to enjoy our area throughout the summer and fall months to take advantage of it all.
We usually open camp up to visitors in mid-May…
Early Camping Season: May and June
In most years we open the cabins the second or third weekend of May. If it’s an exceptionally snowy and/or cold year, it’ll be on the later side. The nightly lows determine how soon we turn the water back on throughout the campground.
Tent and RV camping starts Memorial Day weekend. Then we still consider June early season.
Here are pros and cons of staying with us during the early camping season:
- Very early in the season (late May and maybe into early June) the bugs may not be out yet. (It depends how warm our spring has been.)
- There are fewer visitors in our area, so chances of seeing moose are better. You may even see new calves with their mamas.
- Getting into June, our favorite wildflowers are blooming: lupine, bunchberry and wild rose. Or you may be fortunate enough to see a lady slipper. Columbine, bluebead lily and blue flag iris also bloom early in the season.
- Fishing can be great in the early season.
- The nights can still be very cold, especially in May and early June. We’ve had snow over Memorial weekend, in fact. Daytime highs will vary, depending on the year.
- The lakes are still very cold, so swimming may not be an option yet until the nights stay consistently warmer.
- June is usually our buggiest month. The mosquitos start to come out. And the black flies arrive, staying for about three weeks. We highly recommend head nets, screen rooms and bug zappers! Bug repellent with DEET works very well too.
- We tend to have more rain in the early season. Between rain and late season snow melt, hiking trails can be muddy.
- It starts to get light here really early in late June and early July—like 4:00 am! And some of the birds are already singing before 5:00. Tent dwellers may want ear plugs and eye masks so you can sleep a little later 🙂
Mid Camping Season: July and August
July and August are our busiest months, and indeed, the busiest months on the North Shore and along the Gunflint Trail.
Tourist season is in full force in Grand Marais, restaurants and shops are open and the Boundary Waters is seeing a lot of trippers.
Pros and cons of mid season are:
- We experience warm-to-hot summer days that are great for swimming and paddling.
- The days are long, with plenty of daylight to fit in all the activities your family wants to do.
- Wild berries ripen from about mid-July to mid-August including blueberries, raspberries and thimbleberries. Saskatoon berries (also called Juneberries and serviceberries) ripen throughout July.
- Sometimes the nights stay too warm for comfort, especially in July.
- Early July can still be buggy, especially if the black flies hatched late. Usually they’re very manageable by mid-July and on, depending on our rainfall. While the black flies have gone, other bigger flies hatch and can be a nuisance. Screen rooms, bug zappers and repellant are still very handy.
- By mid-August the nights can start to get pretty chilly again. That may be an issue or not, depending whether you’re in a tent or a cabin.
- If we host larger groups at camp, it will typically be during the height of summer—between the fourth of July and school starting up again. That’s great if you like action around you, or not great if you prefer a quieter time here.
Late Camping Season: September and October
Late season has gotten more popular along the North Shore, including Cook County. There are two very good reasons to stay at Okontoe late season:
- Few-to-no bugs—especially the later in the season it is.
- Fall color in the leaves—especially from about the third week of September through the first week of October.
Other pros and cons of late season camping:
- We can still have very warm days with opportunities for swimming during September. The water will be colder than during the summer though, as the nights have cooled down again.
- While this season is becoming more active overall, it’s still less busy than mid-season if you prefer a quieter camp.
- Fishing, hiking and paddling are all still options.
- Late in the season the air seems to clear up and the stars are SO bright, especially during the new moon cycle.
- If you come in October you’ll get to see the tamaracks turn into their brilliant gold. And you might get to see a bull moose with a full set of antlers.
- The days are getting shorter and shorter so you can’t fit in as many activities during the daylight hours. (That said, the sun rises at a decent time so you get to enjoy the beauty easier!)
- If you love cold nights, you’re in for a treat during these months. But it can get very cold already. It’s not super unusual for us to see snow this early!
- We turn the water off in the campground as soon as the nighttime temps dip below freezing regularly. Usually that’s around the third week of September. No more showers or campsite spigots.
Best Scenario: Come Throughout the Camping Season!
As you can see, every month from May through October presents their advantages and disadvantages. Only you can decide which is best for you.
If you’re able to, we do recommend coming to stay with us more than once during the season. That way you can experience more of what makes this area so wonderful.