Nestled along the rolling hills of the Shingobee River Valley, the Shingobee Recreation Area provides a variety of summer and winter activities. The area offers 6 miles of trails for hiking, hunting, birdwatching, primitive camping, and cross-country skiing in the heart of Minnesota's Northwoods. A sliding hill and a weekend warming chalet are also available for winter fun.

Shingobee Recreation Area

This little campsite is lovely because it's not too far from things, but far enough away that you feel like you are in the woods. The North Country Trail passes by this site and most sites on the NCT are free! (except for some that are in State Parks, etc). This free site is a very short walk from a parking area/trailhead. Because it's on the NCT, the trail that passes the camp is extremely well maintained and groomed, not to mention super wide! If you have little ones that you are trying to "wean" into camping, this would be a great place to take them to get a feel for the woods.

There is a picnic table, a fire grate (lots of cement blocks around the grate that while are not terribly attractive, actually make great flat surfaces for camp stoves). The tent pad is pretty level and all the pine needles soften the ground below the tent a bit. A plethora of trees give hammock-ers lots of options! The latrine, while not glamorous (are they ever?), is just down a short path past the fire pit. The campsite and the latrine are very well marked and easy to find.

Across the trail (directly across from the camp) is a small little meadow type area that would be a perfect spot for "overflow" tents, if you have more in your group than the site can take. I wouldn't recommend a party...lol...but if you have a family unit with a few tents, this would work really well.

Also...as an observation...my husband said it would be a great winter camping site, as it's more sheltered in the trees than some sites are. Plus...in the winter, this trail is groomed for Cross Country Skiing, so it would be super accessible as a camp if you were skiing.