If you haven't secured your BWCA permit in advance, it may be picked up at the resort. Public campgrounds on or near Lake Vermilion's south shore are located at Tower-Soudan State Park, McKinley Park, and Tower Park. Any of these will provide you with a convenient place to spend the night prior to the canoe trip. All are less than twenty miles from the public access on Vermilion. Camping fees are charged at all of them.
Vermilion is a very popular lake, dotted with private cabins and resorts.
It is particularly attractive to aquatic motorists, many of whom travel into Trout Lake, where there is a 25-horsepower limit on motor size. Of all entry points into the BWCA, Trout Lake boasts the highest percentage of motor boats and the lowest percentage of paddlers. Since motorboats are restricted to Trout Lake, and since Trout is the 11th busiest entry point in the BWCA, this all means that you may find some congestion, mostly in the form of motorboats, on Trout Lake. Nevertheless, it also means that very few permits are issued to groups that can penetrate the lakes and rivers beyond Trout Lake. If you can tolerate the first and last days, you will surely find a wilderness trip from this entry point to be outstanding.