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Chippewa Loop is part of the Norway Beach Recreation Area, on the southern shores of beautiful Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. The campground is a perfect location for family camping, with 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 enrollees. Educational programs and displays depict Dakota and Ojibwe heritage and the area's flora and fauna.
A variety of special events are held at the center throughout the year. A kid's fishing day is held in June, Bald Eagle Day is sometime in July, and Smokey Bear's birthday party is held in August. Interpretive programs are offered every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
The Chippewa Loop offers 46 campsites, some of which are available on first-come, first-served basis. Thirty of the sites are equipped with electric hookups. Flush toilets, showers and drinking water are provided.
The campground is situated on the banks of Cass Lake, in a forest of mature red and white pine trees. Some sites overlook the scenic lake.
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 is four miles west of the campground, offering restaurants, a bank, grocery and hardware stores, a movie theater and museum.
From Cass Lake, Minn., take U.S. Highway 2 east for 4 miles, to the Norway Beach Recreation Area. Turn left and follow the campground road until the signs indicate the Chippewa Loop.
The campsite itself was great! Lots of trees, which we like.
A few things we didn't care for:
1. There were no rangers or park staff anywhere. We went on a weekend that the office was closed...but we ended up buying wood in Bemidji because there were no signs directing us where to buy wood in the campground. We ended up seeing it the next day on a bike ride when we rode by the campground host's spot.
2. We didn't see any signs on where to fill our camper up with water. Thankfully we filled at our house before we left, or that could have been a bid headache.
3. The bathrooms were nasty. My husband isn't picky, but they even grossed him out. We even opted to rinse off in the lake rather than use the showers.
4. Our neighbors were recreational marijauna smokers and they didn't follow quiet time rules...neither of which we appreciated...glad we didn't have kids with us, but it would still would have been nice to have park rangers or something to enforce rules so everyone can have an enjoyable weekend.
Overall, I would probably go back to Chippewa Loop if there were no other campground openings elsewhere and I really wanted to camp. But the state parks I've been to, and even the Leech Lake Recreation Area were much more maintained.
Chippewa Loop in the Chippewa National Forest is absolutely beautiful! The restrooms and showers are only a short walk away and are maintained. They have a spitick for fresh water right on our camp loop and are located throughout the campgrounds.
Beware. NO DUMP STATION for RV's. The host told me that it's been out of service for 8 years. Chippewa loop is nice for those wanting electric, 30 amp only. Nice paved bike or hike path. All sites in this loop are roomy double with small shrub or tree separation between.
