Zippel Bay State Park sits on the southern shore of Lake of the Woods in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, offering 2,826 acres of wild, remote beauty that feels genuinely far from everything. This is Minnesota’s northernmost state park territory, where the boreal forest meets one of the largest freshwater lakes in North America — a lake so vast you cannot see the opposite shore.

The park’s standout feature is its sandy beach, a rarity in northern Minnesota. The natural swimming beach stretches along Lake of the Woods and draws families during the brief but brilliant summer season. Birders flock here for good reason: the park hosts nesting piping plovers, one of only a few inland sites in the state, along with common terns and a rich mix of woodland and shorebird species.

Hiking trails wind through birch and aspen forest, wetlands, and along the lakeshore, totaling roughly six miles of easy-to-moderate paths. Fishing is a major draw — Lake of the Woods is legendary for walleye, and anglers come from across the Midwest for both open-water and ice fishing seasons. Winter visitors can cross-country ski and snowmobile on groomed trails.

The park offers drive-in campsites suited for tents and RVs, though amenities are modest compared to parks closer to the Twin Cities. That remoteness is the point.

Visit between June and August for warm weather and the best beach conditions, or January through March for world-class ice fishing. Expect mosquitoes in summer — pack repellent and enjoy the solitude.

Explore Nearby

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