On the shores of Lake of the Woods, Zippel Bay State Park brings together a clearly defined loop trail and a long sandy beach. The park is in Lake of the Woods County, on the lake. More than two miles of sandy beach line the shore; the Hiking Club Trail is a 1.5-mile loop along the shores of Lake of the Woods. These two details describe different ways to experience the park: a set loop or the beach as part of the lakeside landscape.
Sandy beach, loop trail, and lake waters
Those who choose the Hiking Club Trail get a specific distance and a loop route. The sandy beach offers a different focus: it stretches for more than two miles along Lake of the Woods. Together, the trail and beach show that experiencing nature here is not limited to a single kind of visit. You can explore the loop along the shore or discover the beach as a feature of the park in its own right.
There is also a way to explore on the water: You can rent a canoe from the park office and take a self-guided water tour around Zippel Bay. Check current canoe rental availability in advance. A concrete boat ramp provides access for fishing and sightseeing. The trail, water tour, and ramp each offer a different way to experience the shore and lake, without needing to combine them into a set route.
History from the natural environment to agriculture
The Lake of the Woods County Museum presents the region’s history across a broad span of time and themes. It ranges from geology and natural history to early populations, the fur trade, settlement, and the development of local industries and communities. In this way, questions about the landscape sit alongside topics of human use and community development. The focus is not limited to a single era or industry.
In the adjoining annex, early wagons, hay loaders, binders, and tractors add to this perspective. These objects are part of the region’s agricultural history and give the subject a tangible, material dimension. While the main exhibition takes up different chapters in regional history, this section focuses on agricultural equipment and vehicles.
Other museum materials cover the Great Forest Fire of 1910, the court-ordered drainage campaign, and the Federal Resettlement programs. These topics operate on different scales: a named fire, a drainage campaign, and federal resettlement programs. Together with the topics of geology, settlement, and industry, they provide a multifaceted view of the region’s history.
A depot as a trace of earlier transportation routes
The Baudette Depot was built by the Canadian National Railways in 1923 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2005. It was once an important part of the regional transportation system, when all travel into or out of the area took place by river or rail. This former role adds the history of transportation routes to the topics covered at the museum. The depot and museum have different areas of focus: one centers on a specific building and its former function, while the other houses a collection ranging from natural history to local industries.
Discover more destinations: Baudette, Murray, Morrison, St. Louis, Chippewa County, Carver, Marshall County, Brown County.
For the main travel overview: Minnesota.
