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

MINNEAPOLIS — 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:

Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park, New Prague

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.

All the cabins are especially popular with older campers with long histories of pitching a tent — and sleeping on the ground. “They’ve turned to camper cabins as an alternative,” he said. “It is very common for grandparents to rent the cabins and have an outing with the grandkids.”

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.

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