Zippel Bay State Park

Rock Jetties - Channel

Zippel Bay State Park is located on Lake of the Woods, one of the world’s largest lakes. The mood of the lake is always changing, from storms that bring five-foot-high crashing waves to an eerie stillness, broken only by the faint calls of gulls in the lake’s interior. A stone jetty provides protected access at the mouth of the channel between Zippel Bay and Lake of the Woods.

Fishing in Channel

With ample shoreline, a marina, boat ramp, and fishing pier, Zippel Bay State Park is a great place to fish. This spot is a springtime favorite for anglers hoping to catch spawning, trophy-sized northern pike. It is here that the Hiking Club Trail concludes. The historic Zippel town site was located on this scenic point.

Overlook

Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a beautiful view of Zippel Bay from picnic tables set near the water or up on an adjacent rock outcrop. As you sit and relax, watch the skies and surrounding bay and marshes for bald eagles, pelicans, bitterns, waterfowl, beaver, otter, muskrat, and several species of gulls and terns.

Boat Ramp

A concrete boat ramp offers easy access to excellent fishing and sightseeing. Plenty of parking is available for the boater’s convenience.

Marina

The park’s marina and floating docks offer boaters a place protected from the wind and waves. The marina is a popular destination for summer visitors because of its many amenities.

Picnic Shelter

A shaded picnic shelter, just off the gravel parking area, offers a great place for family and friends to share a meal. Only steps away, kiosks offer information on Zippel Bay, Lake of the Woods, and Garden Island State Recreation Area.

Fish Cleaning

A building for fish cleaning is conveniently located near the marina parking area. It is the perfect place to get the catch of the day ready for transport or for a dinner with family and friends.

Fishing Pier

A long, wooden fishing pier stretches into the waters of Zippel Bay and offers plenty of space for anglers to try their luck at catching northern pike, perch, or bullhead. It is also the perfect venue to catch glimpses of Zippel Bay’s avian and aquatic wildlife.

Homestead Site

If you’re looking for a quiet getaway, take the trail from the marina road to the historic Zippel Homestead. A picnic table resting in the shade of tall Norway pine and oak trees waits for your arrival.

Lake of the Woods Shoreline

The park offers over two miles of sandy beach stretching along Lake of the Woods. This impressive lake is 55 miles wide at its widest. It varies in depth from 0 to 36 feet in the southern bays to more than 150 feet deep in northern areas. The lake is shared by Minnesota, Manitoba, and Ontario and is dotted with over 14,000 islands.

Swimming Beach

Zippel Bay’s swimming beach is a highlight for guests both young and old. It is the perfect place to cool off, sunbathe, or build sand castles on a hot summer day. Unique underwater sandbars stretch on for hundreds of feet and are great places to explore and play.

Picnic Area

Picnic tables, fire rings, and a shelter near the beach offer a great place to hang out and to play Frisbee or catch. Visitors can get an icy cold drink from the fresh water flowing well. Vault toilets and changing stations are conveniently located nearby.

Pond

This pond was created when fill was excavated for the beach parking lot. It is fed by the flowing well and makes a prime spot for kids who enjoy searching for minnows and dragonflies. Waterfowl gather here abundantly in the fall.

Small Beach Canoe Access

A gravel road ends at a carry-in access for canoeists and kayakers who wish to paddle Lake of the Woods. A picnic table, parking lot, and fire ring can also be found at this secluded local favorite.

Lady’s-Slipper Campground

Located closest to the lake, this campground loop offers 11 non-electric campsites interspersed with shade trees. A vault toilet and a hand pump can also be found within this campground loop. Lady’s- Slipper is an ideal campground for those camping with a tent or a small camper.

Birch Campground

The Birch Campground loop offers 16 non-electric campsites interspersed with shade trees. Vault toilets and a hand pump can also be found within this campground loop. Birch is an ideal campground for those camping with a tent or a small camper.

Ridge Campground

This campground loop offers 14 non-electric campsites and can accommodate bigger campers and RVs as well as tent campers. Vault toilets and a hand pump can also be found within this campground loop. In the fall of 2012, there was extensive logging in and around this campground which created a dramatically different view than seen here.

Group Camp

The park’s group camp area is an excellent spot for gathering family, friends, or scout groups. There is plenty of room to spread out as you play games, cook meals, and spend time around the campfire. This is a drive-in site with a vault toilet, but no water source. The decadent jack pines present in this scene were logged off in the fall of 2012 to reduce fire hazard and ensure a healthy regenerative forest for future generations.

Angler’s Campground

Angler’s Campground is the park’s most popular campground as it shares a road with the marina and is the most accessible for big rigs. The campground loop offers 16 non-electric campsites. Vault toilets and a hand pump can also be found within this campground loop.

Park Entrance Sign

This welcome sign will greet you upon entering Zippel Bay State Park. The park is located ten miles northeast of Williams, Minnesota on Lake of the Woods. Zippel Bay offers something for everyone with its nearly 3,000 acres of forest, 58 campsites (including a group site), two miles of sand beach shoreline, marina, dump station, and fishing pier. It is a favorite among birders, anglers, berry pickers, hikers, swimmers, orchid lovers, and camping enthusiasts alike.