By:
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Wanaki Loop is part of the Norway Beach Recreation Area, at 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 located within the campground.
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. 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 campground offers single-family sites. Flush and vault toilets, showers and drinking water are provided. Firewood is available for purchase from the host.
The campground is situated on the banks of Cass Lake, in a forest of mature red and white pine trees. Some sites have lake views and are near the loop's sandy beach.
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 located 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 Wanaki Campground.
