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A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

South Pike Bay

Forest Service campground in Chippewa National Forest, Cass County, Minnesota. 1,308 feet. 3.6 miles from Cass Lake.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Chippewa National Forest
Elevation
1,308 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
22 22 standard non-electric
Longest rig
35 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Cass County

Overview

South Pike Bay Campground is located on the south shore of beautiful Pike Bay, on Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. Visitors enjoy the area for its excellent boating, canoeing and fishing opportunities.

Recreation

South Pike Bay offers 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.

A trailhead for the Migizi Bike Trail is on-site. The paved trail stretches 14 miles along the lakeshore and is open to biking, walking and rollerblading.

The campground is a portage point for the 128-mile Chippewa Headwaters Loop Canoe Route. With six portages, the historic waterway is considered the most difficult in the forest, but is a beautiful trip through history.

Facilities

The campground offers 23 non-electric campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets, drinking water and trash collection are provided.

Natural Features

The campground is a long spur stretching along the shore of Pike Bay in a pleasant stand of mixed hardwoods and old growth pine. Some of the campsites are situated on the beautiful sand beach.

Nearby Attractions

The town of Cass Lake, Minn., is six miles northwest of the campground, offering restaurants, a bank, grocery and hardware stores, a movie theater and museum.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • historic & cultural site
  • swimming site
  • water sports

The land around South Pike Bay

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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