shingnobee recreation area

Our MN family camped in the area with the lodge available to use to cooking and gathering. It was a nice area, and everyone had a great time. There are outdoor bathrooms but no running water. The lodge has electricity and lots of tables and chairs and wood stoves etc... It's a pretty cool place for groups to gather and you make of it what you want!

The Shingobee Rec Area is absolutely beautiful, and for the best sledding in the entire area, check out Shingobee Hill, between Walker and Park Rapids on Highway 34. It rivals ski hills for vertical drop, so get your nerve up before pushing off the top of the slope! For chickens, there is a longer, more gradual sledding slope off to the side. A rustic lodge below the hill can be rented for $50 if you'd like to host a bonfire and hot chocolate party after sledding! In the summer and fall, it's a beautiful hiking destination.

We love Shingobee Hills, a popular recreation area within the Chippewa National Forest. Eight miles of looping trail, great for hiking and cross-country skiing. (Non-motorized site) The trails also tie in with the North Country National Scenic Trail that travels 62-miles across the southern end of the Forest. A little buggy in the summer! Fall is better.This is a unique historic site--one of the first downhill ski areas in Minnesota! The downhill ski area and old rope tow no longer exist, but today, sledders use the hill for winter fun. There is a little chalet near the bottom of the hill--built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1940. Usually open on winter weekends as long as the hill conditions allow for safe sledding. Forest staff get the fire going in the stone fireplace. The hill is steep for sledding, younger kids should start a little farther down on the side hill--many people also snowshoe and cross-country ski. ( Ski trails are groomed, but check ahead for conditions)Great fall colors in the area---nice little lakes along the trail, little site across Shingobee River is beautiful. Special events scheduled in the fall (Watch for Howl O Ween Night HIke for families in October) and Shingobee winter weekend events. Little picnic area down the road from sledding hill.