Cabin accommodations near Alma, Wisconsin provide access to diverse outdoor recreation opportunities along the Mississippi River and the surrounding bluffs, with elevations reaching over 500 feet. Winter cabin rental options typically offer heating systems suitable for the region's below-freezing temperatures that can persist from November through March, while summer cabin rentals may require booking 3-6 months in advance.
What to do
Hiking trails access: Whitewater State Park features well-maintained hiking paths with multiple rest areas throughout the park. "I spent a day here hiking and had a blast! I hiked up Chimney Rock and then looped back to tackle part of the Dakota trail! The hiking paths were well taken care of. There were plenty of places to stop and rest if you need to," notes one visitor at Whitewater State Park.
River recreation: Explore the Root River by canoe or kayak with rental equipment available directly at Eagle Cliff Campground. A recent visitor explains, "This facility is clean and very well kept. Even the shower rooms are very nice and sanitary. This is by far my favorite camping spot. They offer kayak, canoe and tube rentals and shuttles. They also have bike rentals."
Bike trail access: Multiple cabins provide direct access to paved bike trails. "Located on the Root River. If you're a bicyclist, campgrounds on great paved trail," mentions one camper about Eagle Cliff. Another visitor at Haycreek Valley Campground notes, "We really enjoyed the bike trail that was so close, paved and had lots of tree cover to keep us cool. Very nice ride to Red Wing right from our site!"
What campers like
Private spaces: Several cabins and camping areas offer more secluded settings. At Hok-Si-La City Park, "The sites are semi-walk-in sites, where your car stays in the main parking lot, but they do allow for drive-up loading and unloading, so don't feel like you need to pack extra light. It limits traffic driving through the campground, and is really nice to not have vehicles driving through at all hours."
River views: Many cabins near Alma provide direct water views. At Eagle Cliff Campground and Lodging, "The Root River goes right alongside most of the campsites which creates a really peaceful space. The grounds are super clean including the showers and porta-potties that are available for campers." Another visitor states, "Stopped here on the way up to Minnesota and our campsite was gorgeous! Everyone was very friendly and the sites were very clean. We stayed right on the water."
Less insects: Several campgrounds in the area report fewer mosquitoes than typical Midwest locations. One visitor to Whitewater State Park notes: "Best part: very few mosquitoes!! (The cold, constantly moving water helps keep them away.)" Another camper at Haycreek Valley Campground simply states: "Nice area! Large open sites and NO mosquitos!!!! Will be back with our group again."
What you should know
Winter preparation: Some cabin rentals remain operational during winter months. At Aefintyr, a visitor explains: "Its nice to have a place this nice only 35 minutes from Rochester. Beautiful campground with great amenities available. The hike to the site is steep but worth it once you get up there. I stayed at the Talia bell tent site so I didn't have to bring much so it made the hike a lot easier."
Reservation timing: Many cabin rentals fill quickly, especially during summer months. As one Chester Woods Park visitor noted: "Nice place but it is a campground not an rv park, 30 & 50 amp service but no water hookup (fill when you come in) and dump tanks when leaving."
Firewood availability: Most cabin locations offer firewood for purchase on-site. At Whitewater State Park, "The wood was small pieces of mill offcuts, but it burned better that we expected, enough to warm up and to cook. It started drizzling, so we didn't sit out by an evening fire. We think our bundle was oak. In any case, it was good, dry hardwood. It exceeded our first disappointing impression."
Tips for camping with families
Group site options: Several parks have designated group camping areas. At Hok-Si-La City Park, a camper reports: "We stayed on one of the group sites, G6 on the Tour De Pepin weekend. The campground was very full that weekend but the group sites are spacious and well spaced out, (if you can I would recommend G4 or G5 right on the lake for group sites) you definitely don't feel like you are on top of each other or another group."
Swimming access: Chester Woods Park provides a clean swimming beach for summer visitors. "The campground is very clean and nice. The bathrooms and showers were pristine clean and close and easy to walk to. The beach was great and clean. Fishing was great. Would definitely come back," reports one visitor.
Playground facilities: Several cabin rental locations include playgrounds and recreational facilities. A Lazy D's Campground visitor notes: "Tent camping - Fun things to do with kids - jumping pillow, petting zoo, kids train ride, playground, pool, sandpit, volleyball, peddle bikes, river with tubing, horse rides, close to white water with hiking and beach."
Tips from RVers
Hookup variations: Electrical service can vary between campgrounds. At Haycreek Valley Campground, one visitor notes: "Our site was rather odd as the electric and water post was on the opposite side of our camper. Our standard water hose and electrical cord wouldn't reach so we ended up backing up the hill to get next to the water and filled our tank for the weekend. Thankfully a neighbor had a 30' extension that we borrowed."
Campsite positioning: Some campgrounds have specific challenges with campsite layouts. At Haycreek Valley, "The fire pits were located in very odd spots too - basically unusable unless you wanted to light your rig on fire."
Space considerations: Site dimensions can accommodate various RV sizes. At Sleepy Hollow Campground, "They have 13 pull through sites 80" in length and very wide with full hook-ups, eight back in sites with just water and Electric. And tent sites as well. It is on a quiet road called Lower Eagle Valley Rd."
