Cut Foot Horse Campground

USDA Forest Service campground, 34 sites

Overview

Cut Foot Sioux Horse Camp is located northeast of Lake Winnibigoshish. Over 120 miles of forest roads and recreation trails surround this scenic campground, making it a favorite location of campers with horses. The campground will be first-come, first-served for the entire 2025 season.

The Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe work together to co-steward resources - making the Forest a great place to recreate as well as a special place where cultural and traditional resources are protected and preserved and the Band’s treaty rights are respected.  

Recreation

Many miles of trails pass through or begin at Cut Foot Horse Camp, leading horseback riders, hikers, and mountain bikers through the Cut Foot Experimental Forest. Several trails are also open to off-road vehicles. Research areas are designated by various markers. Please leave the markers as you find them.

Facilities

Unique campgrounds like Cut Foot Horse require certain restrictions to maintain water quality, minimize soil erosion and lessen any impacts on vegetation. Special attention has been paid in designating the site for horse camping.

Several single-unit campsites are available, most of which are accessible. Each site 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.

There is no campground host on site. The campground is patrolled regularly by Forest Service personnel and Itasca County law enforcement officers.

Natural Features

The campground lies within the Cut Foot Experimental Forest, managed in part by the North Central Research Station in Grand Rapids and the Chippewa National Forest.
A mature stand of red pine covers the area, with oak and birch trees dotting the forest. The campground has nice shade and good privacy between sites.

Nearby Attractions

Boating, swimming, and fishing are popular activities on Big and Little Cut Foot Sioux Lakes and Lake Winnibigoshish. These lakes and several others are within a few miles of the campground.