U.S. Forest Service · Chippewa National Forest · Deer River, MN

Deer Lake

Deer Lake campground is located on the west shore of Cut Foot Sioux Lake, next to Lake Winnibigoshish, and is split into two separate loops. North Deer Lake campground has 17 sites; South Deer Lake has 31 campsites. A boat ramp is centrally located between the loops and provides lake access via Biauswah Creek. Visitors come to the area for boating, walleye, northern, sunfish, and crappie fishing, and beautiful scenery. The 26-mile Cut Foot Sioux National Recreation Trail runs through the Deer Lake campgrounds and is designated for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

Open now Reservable · Recreation.gov 50 sites From $16 per night No hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in Minnesota · pets allowed in Minnesota

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of Alexandria Ness, USFS · Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups		30
Host/management		20

Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

Towing a trailerRear or front mounted accessoriesi

Tow vehicle length, ftTrailer length, ft

The longest site here provides 45 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

30 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Loop	Entry	Fits, ft	Surface	Shade	Waterfront	People / vehicles	Fires	Rating
X	MANAGEMENT SITES	Back-in		Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes
XXX	MANAGEMENT SITES 1	Back-in		Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes
001N	NORTH	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes	Standard
002N	NORTH	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial	Lakefront	8 / 2	Yes	Standard
003N	NORTH	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes	Standard
004N	NORTH	Back-in	25	Gravel	Partial	Lakefront	8 / 2	Yes	Prime
005N	NORTH	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes	Standard
006N	NORTH	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes	Prime
007N	NORTH	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes	Standard
008N	NORTH	Back-in	45	Gravel	Partial		8 / 2	Yes	Preferred

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

Hookups	None
Equipment	RVs & trailers, Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions
Fees	$16.00 per night

The campground offers several single-unit campsites, each equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Vault toilets and handpumps for drinking water are provided. There are no electric hook ups in the campground. Firewood is available from local vendors.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

Status	Open
Forest	Chippewa National Forest
Booking	Reservations can be made by calling 1-877-833-6777 or going to www.recreation.gov
Fees	Use Fee/ $16 Night

Chippewa National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Leech Lake, 19 miles from the campground at 1,302 feet, station USC00214652 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 27 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 48 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Take Highway 46 northwest from Deer River, MN. Turn on Eagle Nest Road (Old CR 33) and travel 4 miles west. You will pass East Seelye and West Seelye Campgrounds. Deer Lake Campground is on the left. North Deer is first and South Deer is another half-mile down the road.

Nearest town	Deer River, Minnesota
Coordinates	47.5142° N, 94.1058° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

OHV use is not permitted on Eagle Nest Road.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gear	Wildlands Gear Exchange ↗	33.2 mi
Dump station	Dump station ↗	33.6 mi
RV sales & service	KB RV Center Inc. ↗	35.6 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Video of Deer Lake Campground, MN from Elizabeth S.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

0.6 mi
Simpson Creek/Seelye Point
0.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
0.6 mi
Simpson Creek/Seelye Pt Spurb
0.2 mi trail · hiking
0.7 mi
Simpson Creek/Seelye Pt Spura
0.07 mi trail · hiking
1.6 mi
Simpson Creek Trail Spur D
1.6 mi trail · hiking
1.6 mi
Simpson Creek Trail Spur A
0.2 mi trail · hiking
1.8 mi
Simpson Creek Trail Spur B
0.1 mi trail · hiking

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Chippewa National Forest.

in
Chippewa National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 1,598,139 acres

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Other campgrounds nearby

Historic landmarks nearby

On Register Atlas →

National Historic Landmark · 22 mi

Rabideau Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp

Blackduck

Natural features

A sandy swimming beach is located at North Deer Lake campground. North Deer Loop is covered by a hardwood forest of maple and oak, with some mature pine trees scattered throughout the site. South Deer Loop is forested with mature red and white pines. The Cut Foot Sioux area is home to a variety of waterfowl and birds of prey, including loons, osprey, and bald eagles. The much larger Lake Winnibigoshish is accessible by boat and within sight of these two campgrounds.

Recreation

Boating, swimming, and fishing are popular activities on Cut Foot Sioux Lake. A boat ramp is centrally located between the campground's two loops and provides lake access via Biauswah Creek. A large swimming beach is located at the North Deer Loop and a smaller beach is located at South Deer Loop. Boats may be moored offshore. Miles of trails in the area provide great hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and birding opportunities. The 26-mile Cut Foot Sioux National RecreationTrail runs through the campground and connects with the Simpson Creek Trail. Off-highway vehicles, including ATVs and UTVs, may be brought to the campground. However, OHVs must be trailered to roads legal for riding outside the campground. Cut Foot Sioux Lake is located next to Lake Winnibigoshish, which can be accessed from Cut Foot Sioux. Lake Winnie offers excellent fishing opportunities for walleye, northern, panfish, and muskie. It is one of Minnesota's premier fisheries. Boating and water skiing are popular activities.

Nearby

Down the road, East Seelye Bay offers a large picnic area, boat landing with dock and a swimming beach.

Guidebooks for Minnesota

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Best Tent Camping: Minnesota
Tom Watson, 2018
Find at Bookshop.org
Backroads and Byways of Minnesota
Amy C. Rea, 2019
Find at Bookshop.org
Hiking Minnesota
Mary Jo Mosher and Kristine Mosher, 2019
Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Deer Lake?

Sites at Deer Lake are reservable on Recreation.gov. Reservations can be made by calling 1-877-833-6777 or going to www.recreation.gov Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Deer Lake?

$16.00 per night

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Deer Lake?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 1:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Deer Lake open right now?

Open as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Deer Lake have?

50 sites, including 30 standard sites without power.