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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

Wanaki Loop

Forest Service campground in Chippewa National Forest, Cass County, Minnesota. 1,305 feet. 3.7 miles from Cass Lake.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Chippewa National Forest
Elevation
1,305 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
25 25 standard non-electric
Longest rig
60 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Cass County

Overview

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.

Recreation

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.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family sites. Flush and vault toilets, showers and drinking water are provided.

Natural Features

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.

Nearby Attractions

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.

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
  • hiking
  • historic & cultural site
  • interpretive programs
  • swimming
  • swimming site
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Wanaki Loop

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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