Experience more of winter, without frostbite, in a Minnesota camper cabin

Gen Z and millennials make up 61% of all new campers, according to Kampgrounds of America’s 2025 report, and they are more likely to book a cabin than pitch a tent.

As Minnesota’s winter revs up, this group might satisfy its outdoors appetite among Minnesota’s camper cabin options found at state parks and beyond.

And there is extra incentive: Camper cabins draw visitors into wild places, with the bonus of providing a warm, simple base to retreat to after a day of fun in the elements.

Park systems of all sizes see steady demand from solo travelers to families. Some new cabins even have popped up.

Here are several to reserve soon as winter progresses and their availability gets more difficult, especially on weekends.

Snapshot: Joint managers of the park, Three Rivers Park District and Scott County added a winter camper cabin option when it built four units at the park northeast of the city. They opened fully this year.

“So far the response [at Cedar Lake Farm] has been very positive,” said park district spokesperson Tom Knisely.

The cabins, which sleep six, require a two-night minimum on weekends and are reservable a year in advance.

Three Rivers has established popular camper cabins at Baker (Orono) and Elm Creek (Maple Grove) park reserves, but they close for winter. Overall, they had an 8% increase in overnighters from 2024, or about 4,100 reservations.

More information and reservations: threeriversparks.org; 763-559-6700

Snapshot: The campground on Lake Pepin, which also is a city park site, has continued to add what it calls “sleeping cabins.” Three cabins were built in 2014; now there are 10. The newest, a remodeled environmental learning building, opened at the end of June.

Demand for the cabins, which sleep six, has increased as their number has grown, said park manager Lisa Quest. The cabins were booked 95% of the time on weekends between the campground’s regular season of mid-April to mid-October. This is Hok-Si-La’s third winter season, Quest said.

Quest said she is hoping for a snowy winter, which would mean groomed trails for skiing, snowshoeing and walks.

More information and reservations: hoksilapark.com; 651-345-3855

Snapshot: True North Basecamp has transformed since opening almost 10 years ago, much like the mountain biking mecca it’s anchored in.

The camp’s six cabins remain the hub of the recreation property at the edge of the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. In recent years, True North has added more campsites and even canvas tents on platforms.

The 275-square-foot cabins sit on the park’s edge. With corrugated steel siding and pitched roofs with exposed wood beams, they are a modern nod to the area’s mining history. Each cabin accommodates up to five, bunk-style.

Jake and Meghan Zoesch bought the business from True North co-founder Dan Jurek, taking over Oct. 1. They have a history of renovating old spaces and turning them into rental properties in their Cuyana Cabin Collection. Their properties include modern A-frames and Minnesota’s first “mirror cabin” with walls made of one-way mirrored glass.

Early ideas for True North include a floating sauna open year-round for rent. They also bought 12 sets of HOK skis, designed to maneuver like snowshoes but with the glide of Nordic skis. They’ll either be rentable or made part of camp amenities, the Zoesches said.

The features fit at the property, with immediate access to trails to bike or ski and at the edge of the 27-acre Armour #2 Mine Lake, they added. “Winter is such a cool time to be in our area and get outdoors,” Jake Zoesch said. “It is a long winter, and we need things to do.”

More information and reservations: truenorthbasecamp.com; 218-833-2267

Snapshot: The distinctive units are popular, with plans for more at Whitetail Woods, according to Dakota County Parks. The park opened in 2013.

The master plan for the park will be updated in 2027. More cabins are expected, said visitor services manager Beth Landahl. The county will request public feedback to help determine the scope of the expansion.

What’s known is that the county will add units that are architecturally distinct like the current ones. “I think we will be interested in what would create a unique design and make it memorable and at an affordable price,” she said.

The current dwellings, which sleep up to six people, remain popular and almost 100% booked on weekends. One trend: Big groups that rent multiple cabins for a visit. Like state parks, they also can get reserved 120 days out.

“Everyone has been pleased with the response and popularity of these cabins,” Landahl added.

More information and reservations: co.dakota.mn.us/parks; 952-891-7000

Don’t forget the yurts at Glendalough and Afton state parks and Cuyuna Country. All but one of the yurts are 20 feet in diameter and sleep seven. They are wood-heated (the parks provide wood). “They’re a unique winter experience,” said Sara Joy Berhow, spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources’ parks and trails division.

More information and reservations: bit.ly/MNwintercabins; 888-646-6367