Best Minnesota Camper Cabins: Roughing It in Comfort

by Tom Watson

Overview

Minnesota is known for its beautiful wilderness: pristine lakes, deep forests, flowing rivers. There's no better way to experience the Land of 10,000 Lakes than by camping. For those who might not enjoy the hassles and discomfort of tent camping--and for those who do--outdoors writer Tom Watson presents a wonderful alternative: cabin camping! This is your guide to overnight stays that allow you to get out and enjoy nature without leaving your comfort zone.

Book Features:

Spotlight on 100 camper cabins, most of which have electricity and running water
Cabins in popular locales, as well as more secluded areas
"Tom's Tips": advice about each site and recommendations when visiting the area
Cabin ratings, features, amenities, fees, park highlights and more
Neat-to-know natural history aspects about each park
Opportunities for staying in yurts and teepees at state parks

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591937227
Publisher:	Adventure Publications, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/20/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	200
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Tom Watson is an award-winning freelance writer specializing in a variety of outdoor topics: kayaking, camping, self-reliance, and more. He is the author of Best Tent Camping: Minnesota and 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Minneapolis and St. Paul, as well as a book on self-reliance in the outdoors and a children’s book on paddling. He is an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers. Tom’s appreciation of Minnesota’s state parks began as a forestry student at the University of Minnesota where he spent two field campus sessions in cabins at Lake Itasca and Cloquet. As an avid camper and naturalist, he has visited every state park in the system.

Read an Excerpt

Bunker Hills Regional Park

Park Highlight! Just north of the Twin Cities, the camper cabins here have some of the most beautiful interiors of all camper cabins in the state.

Tom’s Ratings: Settings/Surroundings: 5/5 Privacy: 4/5 Security: 4/5 Quiet: 4/5

Number of cabins/availability: 2; seasonal (Apr.–early Oct.); off-season camping is in effect Oct. 10–23 (no bathrooms/showers/water available, but portable toilets available in campground).

Cabin sleeping capacity: 5

Cabin features: Electricity, baseboard heat, 14' x 16' units with natural pine walls, ceiling fan, ceiling lights, table/benches, log-framed bunks with mattresses, lights above each bunk, and a covered porch.

Where to find water/bathrooms: Water is available next to cabin site 38, and a shower and restrooms are a short distance away in the adjacent campground loop.

Reservations/fees: 763-757-3920. A park permit is also required. Daily permits are $5; annual permits are $25 and honored at all Anoka County regional parks as well as regional parks in Washington and Carver counties. $55/night; $8 reservation fee.

Restrictions: Each cabin has a maximum capacity of 6 guests. Visitors younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult; all vehicles must have a park permit; garbage and recycled materials must be separated and placed in appropriate dumpsters; and there is no smoking, cooking, or pets allowed in cabins. Fires are only permitted in fire pits.

GPS: Cabin location, 45.209209, -93.279614

Key information: Bunker Hills Campground Visitor Center, 13101 County Parkway B, Coon Rapids, MN 55433, 763-862-4970, www.anokacounty.us/910/Camping

Area activities/attractions: Nearby attractions include an 18-hole golf course, Bunker Beach Waterpark, an archery range, and riding stables. There is also a network of biking and hiking trails throughout the park.

Notes: The classic rustic interiors of these cabins glow thanks to the golden hues of the pine log furnishings. From the bedposts to the table leg and everything in between, these are some of the most beautiful camper cabins in Minnesota, and they are as solid, secure, and comfy as they first appear. The layout is a standard floor plan offering table/benches and two sets of bunk beds. Large lights over each bunk add to the brightness, creating a warm glow reminiscent of a small fireplace. The cabins are situated among the campsites in the Rustic Loop camping section, a more spacious and woodsy arrangement of sites within the larger campground complex. Located just beyond the outer edge of the suburban ring around the Twin Cities, the oaks and pine-forested hills.

Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

CAMPER CABIN DESTINATIONS, BY INTEREST

OVERVIEW MAP

• Afton State Park
• Baker Park Reserve
• Banning State Park
• Bear Head Lake State Park
• Beaver Creek Valley State Park
• Big Bog State Recreation Area
• Brown Park South
• Bunker Hills Regional Park
• Chippewa County Park
• Crow Wing State Park
• East Bearskin Lake National Forest Campground
• Elm Creek Park Reserve
• Flandrau State Park
• Forestville State Park/Mystery Cave
• Glacial Lakes State Park
• Glendalough State Park
• Gunflint Pines Cabins
• Hayes Lake State Park
• Hok-Si-La Municipal Park
• Jay Cooke State Park
• Lac Qui Parle State Park
• Lake Bemidji State Park
• Lake Carlos State Park
• Lake Koronis County Park
• Lake Maria State Park
• Lake Shetek State Park
• Maplewood State Park
• Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
• Minneopa State Park
• Myre-Big Island State Park
• Ojiketa Regional Park
• Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve
• Sakatah State Park
• “Sandy Beach” Cabin
• Savanna Portage State Park
• Sibley State Park
• True North Basecamp Cabins
• Whitetail Woods Regional Park
• Whitewater State Park
• Wild River State Park
• William O’Brien State Park

YURTS: ANOTHER LODGING OPTION

• State Park Yurts
• Private Yurts

Camper cabins Checklist

ABOUT THE AUTHOR