Minnesota / Leech Lake Reservation / Itasca County

Cut Foot Horse Campground

Closed — Closed for the season. The campground operates first-come, first-served and typically opens in May through September.

About

Cut Foot Sioux Horse Camp is located northeast of Lake Winnibigoshish within the Cut Foot Experimental Forest, managed jointly by the North Central Research Station in Grand Rapids and the Chippewa National Forest. The campground offers 34 single-unit equestrian sites nestled in a mature stand of red pine with oak and birch trees, providing good shade and privacy between sites. Over 120 miles of forest roads and recreation trails surround the campground, leading horseback riders, hikers, and mountain bikers through the Cut Foot Experimental Forest. Several trails are also open to off-road vehicles. The area serves as an outdoor laboratory for studying pine forest management, with research areas designated by various markers. Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table and campfire ring. Hitching racks, picket lines, and manure pits are located throughout the campground. Vault toilets and a solar-powered drinking water cistern are provided. The Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe work together to co-steward these resources. Boating, swimming, and fishing are popular activities on nearby Big and Little Cut Foot Sioux Lakes and Lake Winnibigoshish.

Directions

From Deer River, travel northwest on Highway 46 to Forest Road 2171, just over three miles past the Cut Foot Sioux Visitor Center. Continue approximately two miles on Forest Road 2171 to the campground. The campground entrance is on the west side of the road.

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