Deer Lake

Location

1235 DIVISION ST.
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Policies

Check-in

2:00 PM

Check-out

1:00 PM

Pets

Allowed (per listing)

Campfires

Allowed (per listing)

About

Deer Lake Campground sits along the northwest shore of Cut Foot Sioux Lake, a short drive northwest of Deer River on Highway 46 and then west on Eagle Nest Road (Old County Road 33) for about four miles; the campground's North Deer loop appears first with South Deer a half-mile farther on. The site count is small and straightforward: 30 total campsites, all configured to accommodate both RVs and tents. Sites are single-family in design and each includes a picnic table and a metal campfire ring; vault toilets and a hand-pumped drinking water source serve the loops, and the on-site host sells firewood. The campground is divided into two distinct forest characters North Deer under a hardwood canopy of maple and oak with scattered mature pines, and South Deer shaded by red and white pines and both loops afford easy access to the water. A centrally located boat ramp (accessing Cut Foot Sioux via Biauswah Creek) sits between the loops, boats may be moored offshore, and overnight rates are $16.00 per night. For current seasonal openings and reservation options, check with the Chippewa National Forest office or the official recreation reservation site before you go. Recreation at Deer Lake centers on water and trails: Cut Foot Sioux Lake offers boating, swimming from a large beach in the North Deer loop and a smaller beach at South Deer, and fishing for walleye, northern, sunfish and crappie. The adjacent, much larger Lake Winnibigoshish (Lake Winnie) is visible from the area and reachable by boat; it's known locally for serious walleye, northern, panfish and muskie fishing, plus opportunities for water skiing. Land-based options are extensive miles of multi-use trails pass nearby, including the 26-mile Cut Foot Sioux National Recreation Area Trail that bisects the campground and connects to the Simpson Creek Trail making the area good for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and birding. ATV owners may camp here, but ATVs must be trailered to roads that are legal for riding (they cannot be ridden out of the campground). Nearby East Seelye Bay provides a larger picnic area, a boat landing with dock and another swimming beach, and wildlife viewers commonly encounter loons, osprey and bald eagles across the lakeshores.