Pokegama Dam Campground

Info

My hiking buddy and I stayed at the Pokegama (Po-Keg-uh-muh) Dam Campground for this trip. It is an Army Corp of Engineers campground located right on the Mississippi River in Cohasset, MN. The grounds were beautiful and there was plenty to see on the grounds alone. It offers boating, fishing (with fishing pole rentals AND an impressive-looking fish-cleaning shed), hiking, picnicking (a nice and accessible pavilion), and a playground.

Accessibility of Facility

Parking

The main parking lot by the visitor center is completely paved and has handicapped spaces. There was plenty of room to move around and ramps to access the buildings. Parking at the campsites was on gravel (pea rock), which was okay for me but keep that in mind if walking on small rocks is an issue for you.   

Bathrooms and Showers

From our site, we could easily access both bathrooms. The modern toilets and showers were at the visitor center, which is easily accessed by the paved driving path. There was one female, one male, and one gender-neutral bathroom/shower facility.

The female-only facility had two stalled toilets with grab bars and a shower. The stalls could be a bit of a tight squeeze, but they were manageable. The shower was in its own room with a curtain door. It had a bench for easy sitting and the shower head was movable.

The gender-neutral facility held a toilet and shower, which were similar to the female bathroom. There was no toilet stall, so it would be easier to navigate if more room was needed. The shower also had a bench and movable showerhead, with no threshold. I didn’t use the male-only facilities, but I would assume they were similar to the other two.

All of the doors had locks on them for security and privacy, however, the doors did not have buttons to open them. If I remember correctly, the doors pulled out, so something else to keep in mind. They were very clean and well-kept, which was soooo nice.

The vaulted toilets were a short walk down the paved driving path. There was a male and female side, and they were like typical vaulted toilets. The female side did have two stalls, which was convenient, but they too were a tight squeeze if needing to maneuver with mobility aids. It could be done, just a little tricky to get into the stall. Again, I didn’t go into the male side, but I’d assume it’s similar.

Just down the hill from our campsite was a dock for fishing and an area to launch boats like kayaks and canoes. Plenty of people utilized it and had some luck catching rock bass and northern. Well, the northern stole one of the rock bass, so it doesn’t count as a catch I guess…anyway, there is stuff to catch and places to cook and clean so if fishing is your thing, it’s here for you. We had planned on paddling the river, but after a long day of activities, that you will hear about next week, the energy and motivation weren’t there.   

Activities

Across the dam, there were a couple of hiking trails. One followed the river and the other was a loop up the hill a bit. Both of the trails looked to be more like remote trails, with uneven areas, rocks, and roots, but in good shape with a defined path. We chose the loop up the small hill and had to walk over the railroad tracks to get there, which was easy enough for me. The part we tried (before tapping out for bugs) was a well-maintained dirt trail with lots of trees that covered the trail like tunnels (one of my favorite tree things).

My experience

Our campsite was a drive-in, electric site and was the perfect size for a tent the size of mine. There was a picnic table, a fire ring with a grate, and a place to set up a clothesline.

Some things to take into consideration with this campground:

• It is well-lit at all times, which I appreciate for safety and security. However, for vampires like me, it did affect my sleep (especially the first night).
• It is right off of the main highway, so street noise is a thing at all hours.
• There is a set of train tracks that run alongside the highway. We only experienced one train and it was outside of bedtime hours. Loud at the time, but not bad overall.
• The trees sap, so bring something that can help get the sticky off your fingers. Probably don’t grab a fistful of pinecone like I did either…but it does get on the picnic table, chairs, etc. Be aware and prepare.

Overall, it was a positive experience, and I would go back. Check out the photos and the website linked at the beginning and see if it’s right for you.

We are going to continue playing a game of I Spy with my new hiking buddy, Currently Unnamed CardyBear. See if you can spot him and put it in the comments. (He deserves a name….should I make a poll?)

Be safe out there! REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3