In 2013 the park celebrated its80th anniversary of the Norway Beach Recreation Area after being closed for most of the 2012 season due to the storm of the century that struck the campground along with the communites in the area inlcuding, Cass Lake, Bemidji and more, many of those affected by the storm were without power for up to a few days. The storm scarred the entrance to the campground and the campground itself which was once adorned with beautiful Norway, White and Red Pines. The miracle - no fatalties or any serious injuries were reported in the wake of the storm.
High humidity mixed with high temperatures led to the nasty windstorm that toppled thousands of trees in the Cass Lake and Bemidji areas on Monday, July 2, 2012 it was a night that won’t soon be forgotten.
This massive storm affected 10’s of thousands of people leaving a mess of destruction everywhere from snapped trees and power poles, wrecked cars and many homes, businesses, garages as well as yard décor and more were damaged or destroyed.
The Norway Beach Recreation Area was one of the hardest-hit areas, with trees laid across the entrance roads and throughout the campground. Miraculously, the Visitors Lodge was left unscathed. Norway Beach Campground was closed for the remainder of the camping season, as crews work to remove the debris left by the storm. Approximately 70 campsites were occupied at the time of the storm, and the majority of the campers took shelter in the bathrooms.