Looking for the perfect glamping experience near Chippewa National Forest? Glamping is not only a fun alternative to traditional tent camping, but also allows you to pack more or less gear as you see fit. The Dyrt's camping photos, reviews, and tips are an easy way to find the right Minnesota glamping spot for you.
Cass Lake Loop is part of the Norway Beach Recreation Area on beautiful Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. Visitors enjoy the area for its excellent boating and fishing opportunities.
Cass Lake offers many recreational activities, including boating, canoeing, water skiing and swimming. Anglers fish for walleye, Northern pike, perch and trophy muskie. A boat ramp is nearby. Star Island, in the middle of Cass Lake, is a unique feature of the Chippewa National Forest. Six miles of trails wind around the island, which is home to 199-acre Lake Windigo. Hiking and biking trails are available in the area, including the Migizi Bike Trail and the Norway Beach Trail. The Norway Beach Visitor Center is nearby. This building, with its magnificent fireplace, is a monument to the talents and craftsmanship of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees. Programs and displays depict Dakota and Ojibway heritage and the area's flora and fauna. Special annual events are held at the center including a Kids Fishing Day in June, Bald Eagle Day in July and Smokey Bear's Birthday Party in August. Interpretive programs are offered Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The campground is located on the banks of Cass Lake, among a scenic forest of mature red and white pine. Cass Lake is the largest of eight lakes that make up the Cass Lake Chain of Lakes. The lake covers nearly 16,000 acres and has 27 miles of forested shoreline and sandy beaches.
The town of Cass Lake, Minnesota is 4 miles west of the campground, offering restaurants, a bank, grocery and hardware stores, a movie theater and museum.
$14 / night
Williams Narrows Campground is located on Cut Foot Sioux Lake in the heart of the Chippewa National Forest. Visitors come to the area for boating, trophy muskie fishing and beautiful scenery.
Boating, swimming and fishing are popular activities on Cut Foot Sioux Lake. A boat ramp and swimming beach are located between the campground's two loops. Miles of trails in the area provide great hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and birding opportunities. The Simpson Creek Trail and Cut Foot Sioux National Recreation Area Trail can be accessed by boating across the narrows. Cut Foot Sioux Lake is located next to Lake Winnibigoshish. Lake Winnie offers excellent fishing opportunities for walleye, perch and muskie. It is one of Minnesota's premier fisheries. Boating and water skiing are popular activities there.
The campground is situated on the eastern shore of Cut Foot Sioux Lake. A scenic forest of birch, oak and pine trees shades the campground. A few campsites have lake views. The lake is home to a variety of waterfowl and birds of prey, including loons, osprey and bald eagles.
$16 / night
Located 10 miles south of Blackduck, Minnesota on County Road 31. Follow Forest Road 2207 east for one mile, then drive two miles south on Forest Road 2236, the campground provides access to Webster Lake, a picnic area and a large trail system. There are 15 sites available as well as a boat launch.
$14 / night
Dixon Lake Resort is set deep in the Chippewa National Forest. On a pristine 700 acer lake bosting walleye, crappie, sunnies, and the ever hungry northern. Miles of ATV trails right at the end of the driveway. Cute clean lakeside cabins with cable TV, AC and Wi-Fi. The lodge is a great gathering place with pool table, restaurant and bar. Great Family vacation. Open year around for ice fishing and spearing. Cabins from a one room cabin set up for 2. To a 4-bedroom 2 bath set up for 10 or more. Check us out at www.dixonlakeresort.com
$100 - $320 / night
Legend
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
Legend
Itasca State Park is a jewel in the state park system of Minnesota, and the park’s Pine Ridge campground is where hordes and crowds of visitors stay when visiting it in summer. The park is very quiet and lightly used in winter, but wow, its the best time of year! The paths to famous spots like the headwaters of the Mississippi River and the visitor centers are plowed and maintained, and there are myriad groomed trails from cross country skiing and snow shoeing. A lot of people go ice fishing too. There is not a big demand for camping so mist if the campsites are closed, but Pine Ridge does maintain a selection of campsites with hookups for those who do want to venture forth. The campground bath houses are closed for the winter and water is shut off, but you can car camp and rv with hookups if you want, or tent camp if you know how to do so comfortably in winter and dint mind using outhouses in the campground. There is running water and regular bathrooms at the main visitor’s center so that is an option, but several miles drive from the winter campsites. So, bottom line, come prepared with all your own supplies, and make sure you know how to stay warm if car or tent camping. A winter visit to the park is well worth it!
Traveler
This place is so beautiful and very well kept! There are beachside paths right to the lake from your campsite. Surrounded by trees so shaded and privacy. Im a single female traveling and feel totally safe! Will be visiting again
LegendI didn’t plan on staying here. The name caught our attention just when we needed a rest. A friendly visitor center and quite the trail along the beach and we found a site.
Sites with beach access were taken so we chose one away from the crowd. We had half the campground to ourselves. Site 127 was right across from the restroom and still was large and private. We had plenty of space after setting up the teardrop and screen room. Walk down the road and access to the boat launch and bike trail we’re easily accessible. The loud family group on the other side didn’t bother us. It did look like many sites were reserved but many had no marker.
We hiked 5 miles of the bike trail along with some foot-only ones. We passed cyclists and jet skiing family groups. It’s down the road from town - also bike-able.
We’re glad we found this campground. It would be a perfect family beach getaway.
GuideSites are all wooded. We stayed in Chippewa Loop. No water hookup at the sites, you have to fill up at the various spigots around the park. Showers are hot, but the shower rooms and bathrooms are old and worn out. Relatively clean, just..well…OLD.
LegendThere's a lot of sites there's somewhat separate and private. Those on the Cass Lakeside have access to really nice beach areas. Really nice bike trails bathrooms were old in the showers are cold but otherwise it was a delightful place to stay for a couple of nights. Interesting you can rent these on the national forest site but also there are some that are not on the site including the one that we stayed at that was available during Memorial Day weekend when everything else was full because you couldn't rent it online.
Scout
Such a fun, family, lakes, fishing, water sports, party place to be!!!
TravelerLittle hard to find. It is on Stony Point Camp Road NW. It is 13 miles NE of Walker, MN on Leech Lake. Very nice campground. Electricity, dump station, nice showers, water, boat landing and fish cleaning shed. Be careful with water as a lot of the faucets are not potable. Just a few potable and they are marked so pay attention. We parked across from a potable but didn’t want people driving on hose so put a little in fresh water tank and rolled hose up. A large Pusher will have trouble but I seen people doing it. People are friendly and quiet. Camp sites are large with lots of large trees, a little on the rustic side which is what I look for. I would stop again. Campground dismissed maintaining August 2019 due to virus and lack of help. Showers closed. I would check ahead of time. Sadly this is happening nation wide due to the virus.
GuideWe stayed last year at their campground (tent area) and had a wonderful time and returned again this year this time renting a cabin. The tent area is limited they do have electricity and close to bathrooms (with showers) They have many RV spots, cabins and tent grounds. There is a restaurant, beach/playground, indoor pool, game room and boat launch/marina where you can rent boats/pontoons and peddle boats. Our family has had a great time each time and is where we will always return to in the future.
Scout
Nice campground nestled under the tall norway pine trees. Some campsites are next to the lake which gives you views of beautiful sunsets.
GuideLots of space and we had a neighbor who you can hardly see..some sites are closer than others. Been there now 3 times and stayed in 3 different loops. The shower rooms have probably 15 sites per showering area.
GuideLarge sites will fit RVs and tents, picnic tables and fire pits with cooking grates, clean restrooms with running water, flush toilets and showers! Lake right there for recreating, bike trail. Campground Host on site. Firewood and ice for sale nearby.
Scout
Unreal resort!
Legend
This is a small rustic campground on Webster Lake. I arrived here on a Friday afternoon end of July, which should have been peak camping season, and the campground was half empty. Its a bit off the beaten path, the lake is not huge, and the campsites are simple so maybe the campground is not on many peoples radar. However, the lake is pretty and the fishing isnt bad, the lakeside campsites are fairly nice, and there are some interesting trails into the bogs around the lake. Supposedly it is most busy during fall hunting season, so for a quiet camping experience and wildlife wAtching it is probably best to come in mid to late summer. Early summer is also probably not the best time as the surrounding bogs are probably great mosquito breeding grounds!
RangerI saw the sign for a campground on the road and I thought I check it out. It's a campground by a lake with a hiking trail, pit toilettes, and boat launch.
People come here off-roading, fishing, boating, and hunting.
I was visiting in September, Labor day weekend, and half of the sites were empty. I got a really nice, large spot on the lake. It's a primitive campground, with no any sort of electricity or even garbage service. First come first serve, there is an envelope stand at the entrance.
Depending on what way you are coming from, you have to drive a few miles on gravel forest roads. It's not bad though.
I did try the trail that goes around the lake, it's about 3.5 miles long. It goes through the forest mainly, not a very exciting trail, very easy. There is a place where you can walk on the bog and sit down on a bench for a nice view. That was the pretty part.
So many mosquitos though, you better spray yourself before going on the hike. I forgot and bugs were chasing me. I couldn't stop at all, I was rushing through the trail.
Overall, a nice National Forest Campground, quiet it's perfect for an outdoorsy weekend.
I had a strong AT&T signal, enough to run Netflix and do online surfing.
Legend
Small campground with Great Lake access! We stumbled up on this one and really ike it. It has two different sections, and both offer great water access sites. Campround host as everything...and I mean everything to help you out if you forgot something. Super friendly and kind of like a fun little community. Very welcoming. Some really great views of the lake as well and some sit above the water so you get a good perspective and something different. I would highly recommend this campground!
LegendThis is a small, quiet Forest Service campground on the east side of Lake Winnie. Nicely laid out, spacious wooded campsites, beach and boat landing. A good spot if you want to be in the woods and by this majestic lake in rustic conditions. Good for tenting, some of the campsites would have room fro RV's but note there are no hookups, and generators are limited to daytime hours so that it is quiet at night! Not much in the way of hiking etc right at the campground, but plenty in the area, and lots of space to relax in the quiet, or go nature viewing or boating or fishing. I was there in early June and it was really buggy—though I noticed bat houses installed, so that probably made it better than it might have been!
TravelerWill definitely come back! Great hosts, they actually came over to introduce themselves as well as meet our dogs. We loved our site as it was very level, large and well taken care of. It was really quiet around us compared to the other side of the camp grounds as it was really just us, the boat landing and the hosts! Was very pleased surprised how fresh the bathrooms were given the humidity (zero smell). We will be back!
Scout
Campground is a short walk from beautiful beach on lake. Lots of trails for cycling, walking and hiking!
ScoutWe liked this campground but it was a bit expensive due to the entry fee for the state park we had to pay for. It would have been a daily fee if we had stayed multiple days.
TravelerThis was an overnight stopover our way west. The site was spacious compared to some state parks. There were plenty of trees and a bit of terrain changes that made them more appealing. The lake was large and inviting (except for current swimmer's itch breakout). The bathrooms and showers were clean and the park staff was pleasant.
TravelerI stay at Cabin, it's is nice. Got heater, electric , ac, fans, light, water pump nearby, outback toilet near too, ranger is friendly and helpful, have picnic table, fire pit , bugs not too badly. I'll come back to that cabin
GuideIf easy camping is what you're looking for, this is it. Our 15X15 tent fit in their listed 12X12 spot. Built in grill on fire rings with park bench and table. Potable water available to everyone. Perfect cell reception as it's eyesight to the city of Bemidji. Self serve wood and ice when office is closed. Even a vending machine. Amazing showers for a camp ground, bathrooms ok and clean. If you want to get away while still being in easy driving range of city. Hiking trails are quite a walk but easy and cleared. Beach, dock, sand volleyball court. Some outdoor showers also available but they were buggy when we went mid July.
GuideWe were here spring of 2018. It was still winter season in MN. This place was great because we found this cute little campers cabin. It was so cozy it warm inside. Just perfect
ScoutQuiet night on the most secluded spot.
GuideWell maintained, clean modern bathrooms. Several good hiking trails. Nice swimming beach. Sites are a little close together.
GuideWe stayed at Camp Ground for 3 days. Short way to a beautifull Beach on the lake Bemidji. Very nice Bike trails. We made a Bike Tour around the lake and visit the beautifull downtown. The privacy between the Campsites is not so good. Thats why 4 Stars
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Chippewa National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Chippewa National Forest is Lake Bemidji State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 28 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 19 glamping camping locations near Chippewa National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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