Cabin camping options near St. Michael, Minnesota offer year-round outdoor recreation opportunities within the Mississippi River watershed. Most sites sit at elevations between 900-1,000 feet, with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F and winter temperatures frequently dropping below freezing. The region's glacial terrain features small lakes and wooded areas interspersed with prairie remnants.
What to do
Hiking trails: Baker Campground features extensive paved trails for family biking and hiking. "Spent a lot of my childhood playing and exploring this park! The campgrounds are grouped, well maintained, and always have firewood stocked for their guests. I love birding here as well," notes one visitor to Baker Campground.
Water recreation: Lake Maria State Park cabins provide access to several small lakes. "This site was nearly surrounded by a lake which lended to a lot of bugs, but was absolutely gorgeous! We could see one other camper in a different site, but it still felt like you were in the wilderness," reports a Lake Maria visitor.
Winter activities: Bunker Hills Regional Park maintains trails suitable for cross-country skiing near cabin sites. A visitor described their experience: "I went to this park for the first time last weekend, and I spent the entire time just saying 'wow'. I had never been here before, despite it only being 20 minutes away, because I always prioritize going to state parks."
What campers like
Private settings: Lake Maria State Park cabins offer secluded wilderness experiences. "Site B6 feels like a secret woodland sanctuary — set up on a slight rise, tucked beneath a cathedral of towering oaks and maples. The site is private, quiet, and wonderfully shaded, with just enough open sky for stargazing by the fire," reports one camper.
Wildlife viewing: Bertram Chain of Lakes provides opportunities to see deer and other wildlife near cabin sites. "This place had awesome trails and so many deer! It's like they were camping with us," notes a visitor to Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park Campground.
Family-friendly amenities: Bunker Hills Regional Park combines natural settings with nearby attractions. "If you simply look at the list of amenities this park has, nature lovers would be quick to turn their nose up at it as an overly-commercialized playground. It has a golf course, a restaurant is on the grounds, there is a stable with horses/ponies that you can take guided trail rides on, a water park."
What you should know
Booking requirements: Most cabin sites require advance reservations, especially during summer. At Lake Maria State Park, "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."
Bug protection: Insect repellent is essential, particularly during summer months in wooded areas. A visitor to Crow Hassan Park Reserve advised that "the best place to be bug-free happens to be the sandy prairie trails, the wooded areas are nice but you may want to hustle out of there if you don't have enough bug protection."
Accessibility concerns: Some cabins require hiking to reach. As one Lake Maria camper explained, "BP7 didn't have much dead wood around so we had to reserve the firewood we purchased. Carrying firewood, food, water, gear, on a hilly trail through the woods can become real tough real fast for anyone that isn't physically active."
Tips for camping with families
Playgrounds available: Baker Park Reserve features playgrounds near camping areas. "We went with a group of friends (all families with young kids). It was the perfect place to easily get in, set up, hangout, and just relax. The sites are fairly large, but very open," noted one family.
Swimming options: Several cabin sites offer swimming beaches or pools for family enjoyment. A visitor to Minneapolis Northwest KOA shared: "The hosts at this campground were very nice. We had a tent site with no hook ups. The site was spacious and private-surrounded on 3 sides by trees. The bathrooms were clean. The pool area was clean and without issue."
First-time camping: Baker Park provides an excellent introduction to cabin camping for beginners. "For our first time camping, this was a great site! It was very clean, had friendly staff, and was close to a really fun park for our kids. We will be back!" reported one new camper.
Tips from RVers
Site selection: When booking cabin sites, consider proximity to amenities. "The campground is right on the Mississippi River with great views. The sites are somewhat small, but decent. The only thing that took us by surprise was that we were right in the middle of a mobile home park, which we weren't expecting," noted a visitor to River Terrace Park.
Seasonal considerations: Most cabin sites near St. Michael operate seasonally. "Stayed here for an overnight stop through MN. Close to downtown which was nice for us coming through. Water fill stations readily available so we loaded up prior to continuing out west. Easy late check in with campsite hosts," shared a camper at Bertram Chain of Lakes.
