Norway Beach Loop

Norway Beach Loop is part of the Norway Beach Recreation Area on the southern shores of beautiful Cass Lake in north central Minnesota. The campground sits 500 ft from the banks of the lake in a forest of red and white pines. Cass Lake is the largest of eight lakes that make up the Cass Lake Chain of Lakes; it covers nearly 16,000 acres and has 27 miles of forested shoreline and sandy beaches. Cass Lake offers many recreational activities, including boating, canoeing, water skiing and swimming. Anglers fish for walleye, Northern pike, perch and trophy muskie, with a boat ramp 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. Programs and displays depict Dakota and Ojibway heritage and the area's flora and fauna. Special annual events are held at the center, including a Kids Fishing Day in June, Bald Eagle Day in July and Smokey Bear's Birthday Party in August, and interpretive programs are offered Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Norway Beach Loop offers numerous campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Flush and vault toilets, showers and drinking water are provided. The town of Cass Lake, Minnesota is 4 miles west of the campground, offering restaurants, a bank, grocery and hardware stores, a movie theater and museum.