Cabin camping near Mora, Minnesota provides access to over 34,000 acres of forests and waterways across multiple parks. Located in east-central Minnesota about 70 miles north of the Twin Cities, this region experiences cold winters with temperatures often below 10°F and humid summers where mosquitoes can be abundant, especially near water sources. Winter cabin campers should prepare for snow-covered trails while summer visitors need effective insect protection.
What to do
Hiking along river trails: Wild River State Park offers scenic hiking paths along the St. Croix River where visitors can spot diverse wildlife. "We snowshoed and skied. I really enjoyed the snowshoe hike along the St Croix River and watched the full moon rise. The ski trails were groomed and there were miles of trails," shares one Wild River State Park visitor.
Historical exploration: Banning State Park features ruins of a 130-year-old sandstone quarry accessible via hiking trails. "The Quarry Loop along the Kettle River has a ton of history, allowing you to explore the remains of the 130+ year old sandstone quarry. Seeing the drill holes in the cliffs was really cool and the remains of the old buildings were a highlight even to our small children," notes a visitor to Banning State Park.
Winter activities: Several parks maintain winter-accessible cabins with nearby activities. "This is a great place for winter camping! The campsites are large enough (despite the snow) to set up suitable winter tents, and each site has a picnic table and fire pit. In the park, there's a lot of ice climbing and cross country skiing," reports a Banning State Park visitor.
What campers like
Private wooded sites: Many cabin campers appreciate the secluded nature of sites at parks like Lake Maria. "The sites are private, couldn't see any neighbors as there are a lot of trees. The park rangers were very helpful and informative. The facilities were nice and well kept," mentions a Lake Maria State Park visitor.
Star-gazing opportunities: Clear night skies away from city lights offer excellent star viewing. "Buck Hill is right on the river, beautiful view to the east. Circled by flowers (goldenrod in the late summer), brush and trees. End of the path so zero foot traffic/passersby. It's a great place to star gaze," says a Wild River State Park camper about one of the backcountry sites.
Wildlife encounters: The forests around Mora host diverse wildlife visible from cabins and trails. "We saw sooooo many deer some even walking right through campsites! You can hear coyotes, raccoons and very loud owls," reports a visitor to St. Croix State Park's Old Logging Trail Campground.
What you should know
Bug preparation is essential: Insect activity varies dramatically by season with peak mosquito populations in early summer. "We went in the middle of Summer. High bug season. The black flies were dive bombing the car like a scene from Armageddon. First step onto the grassy trail exploded in a cloud of mosquitos," warns a Lake Maria visitor.
Winter access considerations: Winter cabin camping requires additional planning for accessibility. "This is one campground in Minnesota that offers a handful of electric hookups for winter camping. The vault toilet is not easy to find from where the electric openings are in the winter. While these spaces are right next door to a shower house with toilets, this is closed in the winter," notes a visitor to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park.
Water source distance: At some sites, water access points may be far from cabins. "Ours source ended up being 75' plus from our RV. Thankfully I just happened to be carrying the extra hose for several years but never had to use it before," reports a camper at Banning RV Park and Campground.
Tips for camping with families
Backpacking with kids: Some parks offer short hiking distances to cabin sites suitable for children. "Backpack sites only. Love this park as it offers many backpacking sites with some being very short hikes in and some being longer hikes. Some are lake front and some are more woodsy sites," says a visitor about Lake Maria State Park.
Water activities: Several parks offer water-based recreation options for family enjoyment. "The canoe rental place wasn't open so we can't comment of water activities!" notes a Wild River visitor, highlighting the seasonal availability of water recreation that families should check before visiting.
Educational opportunities: Many cabins are located near historical or natural sites with educational value. "The park hosts various seminars throughout the week. There are several places to swim and a big playground for the little ones," explains a Mille Lacs Kathio State Park visitor.
Tips from RVers
Site angles and backing challenges: RV sites at some parks require careful navigation. "The designers of this park have clearly never spent a night in an RV. Virtually every site in the park is a blind back in from the driver seat. You're trying to back your trailer into a site on the right side without being able to see anything over there," cautions an RV owner at Banning RV Park and Campground.
Electric hookups: Winter cabin and RV camping often depends on available electricity. "The beauty of this campground, is that while the campsites available are in a row, there's plenty of space between sites and some of them are even pulled through. Making it easy for RVs to pull in and hook up," explains a winter visitor to Mille Lacs Kathio State Park.
Shared water connections: Some RV parks near Mora use shared water hookups requiring special equipment. "We were quick to learn that water hookups were shared with other sites and required 'y' connections at the spigots. Our host(s) were prepared with the connectors in hand but seemed a bit surprised that we might need them," reports a Banning RV Park visitor.
