Just about everyone knows that northern Minnesota is home to vast woods full of wildlife, lakes, and incredible views. But have you ever taken the time to visit any of these forests? There’s a national forest in Minnesota that is just begging to be visited. This hidden gem forest is not only beautiful on its own. It’s also home to more than 1,300 lakes. Keep reading to find everything you need to know about Chippewa National Forest.

Chippewa National Forest is a large expanse of northern Minnesota. It covers 666,623 acres, spreading across Itasca, Cass, and Beltrami Counties.
Tony Webster/Flickr
The forest is made up of several types of trees, including aspen, birch, balsam fir, maple, and pine.
Eli Sagor/Flickr
There's even a section of old-growth forest known as the Lost 40 (read more here). Trees in this part of the woods are more than 200 years old.
evilfoo/Flickr
But it's not just trees that you'll find in Chippewa National Forest. Animals that live here include bald eagles, red squirrels, woodpeckers, bears, and more.
Michael Janke/Flickr

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Like we mentioned above, there are also more than 1,300 lakes to explore within Chippewa National Forest. There are countless little-known lakes that might just become your new favorite fishing spot.
Brett Whaley/Flickr
And three of the lakes — Cass Lake, Leech Lake, and Lake Winnibigoshish — are among the top ten largest lakes in Minnesota.
Greg Gjerdingen/Flickr
But that's not all the water you'll find here. Chippewa National Forest has 400,000 acres of wetlands! It's an area rich in both wildlife and breathtaking scenery.
evilfoo/Flickr
Luckily, it's easy to explore it all. There are miles upon miles of hiking, biking, horse, and snowmobile trails. If you'd like to stay the night, there are 21 developed campgrounds and many other remote campsites.
Tony Webster/Flickr

Chippewa National Forest is one of the gems of northern Minnesota. If you ever get the chance to visit, don’t miss out! For more information on planning a visit, we recommend taking a look at the Chippewa National Forest page of the U.S. Forest Service website.

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