HB Lost Bay East K40 Houseboat (Rock Landing) Campsite

- 86W9F556+W2, Orr, MN 55771

For Minnesota residents who see the water as their primary path to wilderness, the HB Lost Bay East Houseboat Campsite (designated K40) offers an exceptional opportunity to anchor their floating home in the heart of Voyageurs National Park. Unlike traditional tent or RV campgrounds, this site is a designated mooring location specifically reserved for self-contained houseboats, cabin cruisers, or sailboats on Kabetogama Lake.

Located in the beautiful and expansive Lost Bay area, the K40 site provides a unique blend of wilderness ambiance and mobile comfort. It is not a place for pitching a tent, but rather a dedicated, regulated area where houseboats can safely moor overnight. This allows visitors to explore the park's interconnected waterways by day and settle into a scenic, secure lakeside location by night.

Houseboating is arguably the signature visitor experience of Voyageurs National Park, and sites like HB Lost Bay East K40 are integral to that adventure. It allows groups to cover large distances, access various hiking trails, and fish remote spots, all while having a fully equipped 'cabin' on the water. The rock-landing designation provides a sturdy point of contact with the shore, facilitating access to the sparse but essential land-based amenities.

The HB Lost Bay East K40 Houseboat Campsite is geographically situated on the expansive Kabetogama Lake, one of the four major lakes that comprise the park’s primary water-based travel corridors. While the precise GPS coordinates point to a specific shoreline location, the nearest major gateway community provides the best orientation.

Address: 86W9F556+W2, Orr, MN 55771, USA

This unique site is exclusively accessible by watercraft. The location on Kabetogama Lake makes it readily reachable from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center or the Ash River Visitor Center, both of which offer public boat launch facilities. Local houseboat rental operators also service this area, providing vessels and instruction for navigating to designated sites like K40.

• Site Access: Strictly Boat-In. The site cannot be accessed by vehicle or by hiking from a mainland parking area.
• Landing Type: Rock Landing (Rock Shoreline Access). This indicates the primary shoreline is rock or stone, requiring careful mooring and landing, typically without a sand beach or developed dock.
• Vessel Requirement: Designed for houseboats, which are defined as self-contained vessels equipped with sleeping, cooking, and no-discharge toilet facilities. Cabin cruisers and sailboats meeting these criteria may also use the site.

Mooring at HB Lost Bay East K40 is a reserved experience. All overnight stays require a permit purchased in advance, underscoring the site’s status as a regulated National Park resource.

As a designated Houseboat Site within a National Park, the amenities at HB Lost Bay East K40 are intentionally minimal, designed to support self-contained vessels while protecting the natural shoreline environment. All primary services, including sleeping, cooking, and sanitation, must be provided by the houseboat itself.

• Capacity: The site permits a maximum of two (2) houseboats to moor overnight simultaneously. This regulation is strictly enforced to manage resource impact.
• Mooring Aids: Mooring posts or rings are provided on the shoreline rock to assist in safely securing vessels. Houseboaters must bring their own appropriate lines and fenders.
• Fire Ring: A metal fire ring with a cooking grate is available on shore. Campfires are permitted within this designated ring only, using dead and downed wood that is not cut from standing trees.
• Land-Based Activities: A small, cleared area may be available near the landing for gathering or shore-side cooking. However, the use of the site for activities like pitching a tent is strictly prohibited, as tent camping is only allowed at designated tent sites.
• Waste Management: Visitors must use the toilet facilities on their houseboat. All garbage, including food scraps and ashes, must be packed out and disposed of at receptacles located near the park's visitor centers.
• Bear Safety: While houseboats are naturally bear-proof, food and trash must be properly stored inside the vessel to prevent attracting wildlife to the shoreline area.

HB Lost Bay East K40’s primary features revolve around its location and the unique way it allows visitors to interact with Voyageurs National Park.

• Proximity to Lost Bay: The site is located in Lost Bay, a scenic and relatively sheltered area of Kabetogama Lake. This positioning can offer a calmer overnight experience compared to mooring directly on the main, open lake where winds can be higher.
• Access to Kabetogama Peninsula Trails: Being situated in the Lost Bay area places the site in close proximity to trailheads, such as the one leading to the Cruiser Lake Trail system. Houseboaters can use a small 'runner' boat to access these mainland hiking opportunities, allowing for a break from water-based travel.
• Flexibility and Comfort: The houseboat experience itself is the major highlight. Visitors enjoy the mobility to change their scenery daily and the comfort of having a full galley, beds, and a bathroom—making the park accessible to large families or multi-generational groups.
• Rock Landing Aesthetics: The rock landing itself contributes to the rugged, North Woods aesthetic. It is a classic Minnesota shoreline experience, offering solid ground for shore-side activities like fishing, relaxing, and enjoying the sunset over the water.
• Wildlife Viewing Potential: The relative quiet and wooded shoreline of Lost Bay make K40 an excellent location for observing local wildlife, including bald eagles, various water birds, and potentially deer or moose that come to the water's edge on the adjacent mainland.

As a federally managed site within Voyageurs National Park, all essential communications and reservations must be directed to the National Park Service or its authorized partners.

Ash River Visitor Center (Closest to Kabetogama Lake East): 9899 Mead Wood Rd., Orr, MN 55771

Voyageurs National Park Headquarters Phone: (218) 283-6600

Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center Phone: (218) 875-2111

Reservations: All overnight permits for houseboat sites must be reserved through the official National Park Service partner website, Recreation.gov.

Reservation Phone Number: (877) 444-6777

For Minnesotans, HB Lost Bay East K40 is more than just a campsite; it is the perfect platform for utilizing the state's most cherished resources—its lakes and its freedom to explore them. The houseboating experience in Voyageurs National Park is a deeply ingrained Northern Minnesota tradition. This site is ideal because it caters to the local love of boating and family gathering without requiring the primitive sacrifice of traditional backcountry camping.

It offers the freedom to navigate the massive, border-spanning waters and, crucially, a secure, designated place to stop and simply be in the wilderness. For those who own a cabin cruiser or rent a houseboat from a local outfitter, K40 provides the perfect balance: the comfort of home combined with the spectacular, federally protected beauty of a North Woods shoreline. It is an accessible, family-friendly way for Minnesotans to fully embrace their unique 'water-based' National Park.

HB Lost Bay East K40 Houseboat (Rock Landing) Campsite

86W9F556+W2, Orr, MN 55771, USA