By:
Submission
As far as campsites on the Superior Hiking Trail this one is a bit small. There's room enough for maybe two tents on the flattest spot. The campsite is on the Poplar River and access to water is muddy. There's a wooden platform at the campsite that you can put in and remove to gain water without going through the mud.
Like with many SHT campsites over the last year, the fire ring was filled with trash. Many hikers don't understand that you pack out your trash and not burn it, and you definitely don't leave it for the next hiker to pack out or try to burn. New hikers need to learn the 7 principles of Leave No Trace. That would improve the state of many of the SHT campsites.
When I camped there, I woke up with 20 degrees F temps in the morning. The river was steaming and as light was cast across the shore to the opposite bank, it was golden and was a nice way to wake up.
This campsite is close to the start of the old Ojibwe Canoe Route portage. That portage doesn't exist anymore, but paddlers can take out at this campsite and then portage 0.4 miles down to the West Poplar River Camp to avoid 0.4 miles of whitewater. The original portage was over a mile long. It's easy to put back in at the West Poplar River Camp and then line the remaining mile of whitewater.
The locale on a beautiful portion of the Poplar river is incredibly scenic. Sunset is amazing and sunrise is better watching the water mirror each tree along the shoreline as mist floats over the gentle current. Idyllic doesn't even begin to describe it!
There are (as of 8/2018) very nice built in wood benches around the fire and even a wider portion for use as a table.
4 star overall rating due to no grate over the fire. Of course I carry a camp stove, but enjoy having wood fire as a backup/secondary burner. That's just a lot harder without a fire grate. Only other mild complaint is that the campsite is quite close to the trail and in full view of any passers by.
