Cabin camping near Anoka, Minnesota provides access to outdoor recreation in the Mississippi River basin, where elevations range from 850 to 950 feet above sea level. Winter cabin occupancy often requires reservations 120 days in advance, while summer availability fills quickly during June through August. Most cabin sites feature mixed hardwood forest cover with oak, maple and aspen trees dominating the landscape.
What to do
Disc golf access: Bunker Hills Regional Park offers proximity to a top-rated disc golf course. "Close to a top 10 disc golf course if that's your thing (it's ours)," notes Lynsey M. The course features wooded and open terrain sections with 18 holes.
Water activities: Baker Campground - Baker Park Reserve provides beach access and boat rentals for water recreation. "You can rent canoes, paddle boats and SUP boards, and many people bring their own boats (although they do charge to park your boat trailer unless you bring it back to the campground and they limit the number of boats on the lake at a time)," explains Jennifer H.
Wildlife viewing: Walk the trails at Crow Hassan Park Reserve for birdwatching opportunities in prairie habitat. "I never tire walking the dog park circle along the crow river! Great for birding and tons of beautiful trails," shares Alison O. The park maintains restored native prairie with over 30 species of grasses and wildflowers.
What campers like
Private tent sites: Minneapolis Northwest KOA offers secluded tent camping areas away from RV sections. "The lots were really big and we had no one near us, so it was nice and private. Most of the lots near the front were occupied but the back was almost empty, which is where the more wooded lots are," reports Zach H.
Wooded settings: Lake Maria State Park Campground provides cabin accommodations in heavily forested areas. "Site comes with a fire ring, picnic table, and bear locker. Site 1 is my favorite despite the road noise due to the location of the tent pad and being on almost a peninsula offering lots of lake views," explains Tori K.
Trail connectivity: Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Regional Park features extensive trail networks directly from cabin sites. "We walked a portion of the trails towards the golf course, on a paved path under a green canopy," notes kristin C. The park maintains over 13 miles of paved and unpaved trails connecting to cabin areas.
What you should know
Bug preparations: Mosquito and horsefly populations can impact cabin camping experiences, particularly in wooded areas. "As we slowly whined down a gravel road the trees became more dense, our site seemed perfect for the two of us! That is when we started noticing the horseflies were making it known that we were 'trespassing on their turf'," shares Ariel H. from Rice Creek Campgrounds.
Fire ring placement: Baker Park Reserve cabins have varying distances between tent pads and fire rings. "The only reason this isn't a full 5-star banger is the fire ring placement. That thing is doing its own thing like 30 feet from the tent pad—felt like I needed a shuttle to roast a marshmallow," explains Alison O.
Campground closures: William O'Brien State Park Campground undergoes periodic construction affecting cabin and facility access. "The east part of the park was all closed for construction. Everything on the east side of the highway was closed so we could not hike a lot of the trails or use the beach which was a challenge with kids. Constructing is scheduled to the end of 2025," advises Tim.
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Ham Lake Resort provides family-friendly activities adjacent to cabin areas. "The campground has a couple of ponds, as well as access to Ham Lake where the watercraft is launched. There is a petting arena with goats, ponies, and a llama," details kristin C.
Cabin proximity to bathrooms: Consider cabin locations relative to restroom facilities when booking with children. "The tent/small trailer loop didn't appear to have electric either. And the RV loops obviously did. All were very nice! And there is a shower house (didn't go in) that was for all to use if you had a site," notes Amy G. from Rice Creek Campgrounds.
Waterpark access: Bunker Hills Regional Park offers a water recreation complex near cabin areas. "Huge waterpark, miles of bike trails," shares Tiffany W. The waterpark features a wave pool, slides, and zero-depth entry areas suitable for various ages.
Tips for RVers
Site selection algorithm: Minneapolis Northwest KOA uses an automated system for assigning sites that requires specific requests for preferred locations. "When I asked the owner for another site, he told me they were all taken except for one without a sewer connection. I asked why I was given such an undesirable site when I booked so far in advance and he told me that there is an algorithm that determines the site selection," cautions Diane A.
Cabin alternatives: Consider camper cabins for RV travelers without their rigs. "We camped here while our friends used a camper cabin and they loved it too. The waterpark is a blast and we were able to find discount passes online," mentions Bryan S. from Bunker Hills Regional Park.
Quiet time enforcement: Most cabin areas enforce strict quiet hours starting at 10pm. "The camp was pretty quite for as full as it was. I did notice that local law enforcement did patrol the camp a couple of times each night but it felt very safe to me," observes Joe R. from Baker Park Reserve.
