Chippewa National Forest

Traveling to the Chippewa National Forest means traveling "up north". The Forest, located in the heart of northern Minnesota, is a celebration of seasons, culture, and environment. This northern hardwood forest mixes between the western prairies and the northern boreal forest to the north and east. It is a Forest with shared boundaries--red oak to white pine, wild ginger to wild rice and Canada lynx to sandhill crane. The border is also shared between governments as well, with the Chippewa National Forest working across shared borders with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. The Forest boundary encompasses about 1.6 million acres; about 665,000 acres are managed by the USDA Forest Service. Aspen, birch, pines, balsam fir, and maples blanket the rolling uplands of the forest. Water is abundant, with over 700 lakes, 920 miles of rivers and streams, and 150,000 acres of wetlands. The forest landscape is a reminder of the glaciers that blanketed northern Minnesota some 10,000 years ago. Imagine spending time on a warm sunny beach, hiking a forest trail... fresh walleye, loons calling, a sunset and northern lights. All 21 campgrounds are accessible and located on 12 of the Forest's 1,300 lakes. Campgrounds are generally open from mid-May to mid-September; some are open all year with no water or garbage pickup off-season though walk-in access may be required. Campground facilities vary from flush toilets and showers to rustic campgrounds with vault toilets and hand pumps. Each campsite has a picnic table, fireplace, tent pad and parking spot. For a fee, reservations may be made in advance at some of the campgrounds through the National Recreation Reservation System. If you are seeking a more primitive experience, there are also over 300 free dispersed recreation sites on the Forest.