Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Cass Lake, MN

I camped at this location with my siblings and cousins in early August a few years ago. We had 2 tents for sleeping and a canopy shelter near the picnic table. The campsite was plenty big enough for a party of 7 & 2 dogs. The area and campsites are wooded, mostly shaded with large evergreens. Bathrooms and showers were nearby, just a walk across the road from our campsite. We were on a back road, which was enjoyable yet an easy walking distance to the beach. The lakeside campsites also looked nice. We had friends that were camping in a RV nearby who's campsite was also inviting. The ground space is level and gravel/dirt with occasional pine needles from overhead evergreen trees. The bike path goes along the lakeshore/woods that provides access of miles of bike paths in the Cass Lake & Walker area. The beach was sandy & provided gorgeous views of Cass Lake. I highly recommend this campground to those that want to experience Cass Lake.

This is one of several distinct campgrounds located within the Chippewa National Forest, and is located on the east side of Cass Lake. Entrance is through the main entrance at the Norway Beach Forest Service Recreation Area access. This campground is geared towards tent campers and is in a more secluded part if the Recreation area. Many of the sites are right on the water, which means you can put in a boat at the main boat landing and then travel by water to your campsite. The water sites also have nice sandy beaches...however, zebra mussels have been recently found in Cass Lake, and I did indeed find a few on the beach here, which is disappointing. This campground is the farthest from the main visitor center, picnic grounds, boat landing and official beach, which could be either a plus or a minus for you, depending on how secluded and off the beaten path you would like to be. These camp amenities arent too far to drive or even bike, though. Potable water is available here, but you are a good 15 minute drive to town for groceries and supplies, and there is no campground store on site, so be prepared. This campground will be if interest to folks who want to fish on Cass Lake or just relax along shore under the big pines, but if I had a choice I would prefer the Forest Service campground at Pike Bay on the south side if Cass Lake, as that campground is smaller and quieter and has bigger campsites

The Knutson Dam is a recreation access point and campground within the Chippewa National Forest. It is a smaller, quieter, out of the way campground on the northeast side of Cass Lake, about a 20 mile drive from the main National Forest campgrounds and visitors center at the Norway Beach location on the south side of Cass Lake.

This is not a campground I would specifically choose for a quality camping experience if there was space available at Norway Beach or further south on Pike Bay. It might be considered more of an "overflow" campground for campers if the sites at the main campgrounds are filled. As the official Forest Service description says, this campground is known for its "nicely manicured sites" meaning that the whole campground is open and lawn-like, with some trees around the periphery. You dont exactly get a secluded woodsy experience for camping at this location.

However, there are several specific reasons why you might choose to camp here if you are mainly there to pursue other kinds recreational activities.

First, this is a terrific site from which to launch a boat or canoe if you want to out onto Cass Lake for fishing, and as you can see by the flock of pelicans hanging around at the rapids near the campground boat launch, fish congregate here because of the rocky natural-ladder outlet of Cass Lake as its waters flow east into the Mississippi River. So, this would be a quiet and convenient spot to just sack out at night if you plan to spend the whole day on the lake fishing. It is also the closest most and most convenient boat launch if you want to access the spectacular Star Island for a day trip of hiking and swimming.

As a useful campground for stopovers, this is also recommended for anyone paddling the Turtle River water trail from the north, or the Mississippi River watertrail east from Itasca or Bemidji en route to Lake Winnie. This campground has a great pull-out for your canoe, and is a good place of respite after the long paddle across Cass Lake as it is right at the eastern confluence of Cass Lake and the Mississippi River. For Bikers on the Mississippi River Bike Route, or car trippers travelling the Scenic Ladyslipper Highway or the Great River Road, this is also the most convenient campground to stop at on your journey, without going too far off the official route.

Another plus regardless of your preferred recreation or mode of travel, the best site of the whole campground is the handicapped accessible site, complete with its own fishing pier, paved picnic area, view over the river, and reasonable distance to toilets.

There is a campground host who maintains the grounds and sells wood, and there is a source of good water here, but the campground is a good 1/2 hour from a grocery store or other amenities of the town of Cass Lake, so be prepared.

Also note, if you are going to do any kind of water based recreation: you must clean your watercraft carefully, as invasive exotic zebra mussels have been found in Cass Lake. Also, though there isnt a great swimming spot here, be advised that there is swimmers itch in the lake later in summer, so be sure to rinse off

Chippewa Loop is one of three (Norway Beach, Wanaki) campground loops within the Norway Beach Recreational Area, Chippewa National Forest. Sites are close to each other with many providing trees and foliage for some privacy. Trails lead to the bike path and Cass Lake. Chippewa Loop is divided into three separate loops. The largest loop has 30 sites within electrical hookups. This loop had one bath house with facilities for both men and women and three water stations. Facilities included a bathroom with two toilets and sink and one ADA bathroom with one toilet, sink, and shower for both genders. B add throoms could use some improvements but work.

Many people assume that Pike Bay is so named because of the plentiful fishing here for northern pike and their cousins the muskies. The fishing reputation is well earned, but the bay also has historical significance because it is the furthest north and west that explorer Zebulon Pike managed to travel on his fateful February expedition in search of the Mississippi Headwaters in 1805. After visiting what was later named Pike Bay in his honor, Zebulon Pike decided that Leech Lake was instead the source of the Mighty River; neither option was quite right!

The National Forest Service campground at this location is really terrific. Like its larger neighbor to the north at Norway Beach, it is resplendent with old growth pine forest, and you can camp on large expansive shaded campsites right on the water and have your own hard sand beach to swim at plus a place to pull up your boat or canoe after launching from the nearby public access. There are bathroom facilities and a water supply here, and the Migizi Bike Trail runs right through the campground for those who want to bike up to Norway Beach for park naturalist programs, or to loop around all of Pike Bay, or join up with the northern spur of the Heartland Trail which will carry you south to the quaint town of Walker where you can spend a great day out, or continue on bike paths towards Bemidji, Park Rapids or Brainerd.

This campground has all the advantages of the the Norway Beach campgrounds, but is smaller, quieter, and more off the beaten path. If given a choice between Norway Beach, Knutson Dam, or Pike Bay, hands down I would choose this one!

Remember: Pike Bay does connect on its north end into Cass lake, where invasive exotic zebra mussels have been found, so be sure to check and clean your watercraft if out on the water!

CAMPGROUND REVIEW

Itasca State Park is a primo destination in northern Minnesota for folks interested in exploring the headwaters of the Mississippi River. There are several campgrounds, group camps, cabins and lodge accomodations in the park that suit most visitors. But for folks who want a wilderness experience while at the headwaters, there are miles of wilderness trails in the backcountry area on the southern end of the park—and there are campsites and Adirondack shelters scattered throughout the myriad glacial lakes of this backcountry, enough so that you could backpack by foot or on snowshoes or cross country skis for a week through the territory, staying at a different lakes every night. April in Minnesota means we are still winter camping—but despite the snow, the sun is bright and warm, and it is great to get out into it. The park is at its peak of solitude in the winter, but if you can find a way to get to a campsite, they are open and reservable. This review is for Remote Campsite 11, located on an isthmus between Coffee Break Lake and Deer Park Lake. It is a several mile hike in from the nearest parking areas, either via Mary Kake and the Ozawindib Trail, or via the Deer Park Trail from Douglas Lodge. The trail is rolling and maintained for cross country skiers, snowshoers and snowhikers in the winter. This campsite is located just past the Ozawindib Adirondack Shelter, which is a good backup if its too windy or cold at the campsite. The campsite itself is down a hill by the lakeshore, between two lakes actually, on a rise that overlooks both. There is an additional campsite nearby on the south end of Deer Park Lake, campsite 10. There is a tent pad sheltered under the tall pines (and currently under the snow!) as well as a fire ring and an outhouse. There is no water provided, but a large bucket is available, so you can get lake water and filter it, or melt snow or bring your own. This is a great location for folks who like winter camping as the trek in is only a few miles, I was able to do it easily carrying a backpack of gear on my back, and a front pack with my dog when she got tired if trudging through the snow. And of course it is an easy hike in during the milder snow-free seasons. The site is scenic, pristine, and largely sheltered from the wind. The vista north over Coffee Break Lake would be awesome for viewing northern lights, this is a dark sky part of the park. It can get a little muddy in the transition season, including around the campfire area, so we hung out at the Adirondack shelter nearby and did our cooking there.

To see a map and reserve a back country campsite at Itasca, check this link:

https://reservemn.usedirect.com/MinnesotaWeb/Facilities/AdvanceSearch.aspx

For more info on Remote Camping in Minnesota State Parks, see this link: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/remote_camping.html

For general info on Itasca State Park, go to the homepage: www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00181#homepage

PRODUCT REVIEW

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I ocasionally get camping products to test out. Today I am testing Mountain House Southwest Breakfast Hash https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/product/spicy-southwest-breakfast-hash.html

Mountain House makes lightwieght, freeze-dried trail meals that are "cooked" in their own pouches using only boiling water. The sealed pouches are durable and lightwieght to carry, and the no-fuss no-muss prep of adding boiling water and letting it stand for 4 minutes in the re-sealable pouch is really easy. Since I was carrying my gear on my back, and carrying my tired little dog in a front pack carrier, I certainly didnt want to have extra weight! But these meal pouches are so light you hardly know you are carrying them. This pouch of SW breakfast hash had more than enough for two people plus some leftover for the dog, we served it up on tortillas that we had also packed, but you could eat it straight up. The hash featured beans, corn, potatoes, veggies and shredded beef for a well rounded complete meal as is, but you could extend the servings by scrambling it with eggs to dish up for a larger group. The taste and texture were surprisingly good, tasty without being too spicy, and I would defintiely buy this again. See our video review at https://youtu.be/nB9lBmjUsqU