Camping cabins near Spooner, Wisconsin range from basic lakeside shelters to fully-furnished woodland retreats. Located in the Northwestern Lakes region where over 900 glacial lakes dot the landscape, this area experiences warm summers with average highs of 80°F and cold winters dropping to 0°F. Most cabin rentals operate seasonally from May through October with limited winter availability.
What to do
River tubing adventures: At Log Cabin Resort and Campground, visitors can experience guided river excursions. "They will bring you up the river to float down and land on their nice sand beach," reports Drew G., who also noted the "nice inflatable park for the kids."
Fire tower climbing: Explore the observation points at Old Logging Trail — St. Croix State Park for panoramic forest views. "There is also a 100' fire tower you can climb up and get an epic view," recommends Scott G. The park's extensive 34,000-acre boundary contains CCC-era buildings with interpretive signs.
Ice cream and activities: Family entertainment options include structured recreation at Hayward KOA. According to Nate C., amenities include a "large 9ft heated pool, mini golf, large playground, horse shoes, volleyball, nice size water slide, covered stage for music, ice cream shop, huge jump pillow, and much more."
What campers like
Secluded waterfront sites: Many campers appreciate the privacy found at certain cabin locations. At Buck Hill site in Wild River State Park Campground, amber N. describes the setting as "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."
Pine forest settings: The natural woodland environment enhances the cabin camping experience. Tori K. notes the atmosphere at Hayward KOA: "I love campgrounds where you get to camp amongst the tall pines (not sure what kind they are)! Large campground with lots of amenities!"
Clean facilities: Well-maintained bathrooms rank high on camper priorities. Dave T. emphasized this at St Croix River Resort: "Can't stress enough how CLEAN the restrooms and showers are. Cleaned 3x daily due to COVID. Site drained VERY well during and after heavy rain."
What you should know
Reservation timing: Securing prime cabin locations requires advance planning. Melissa H. shares about Lake Chippewa Campground: "They start their booking for the year on January 1st. We called all day long (4500 times not kidding) and finally got a spot."
Bug preparation: The region's lakes and rivers create ideal mosquito habitat. Adam from Old Logging Trail notes: "There was some mosquitos, but the disappeared at night which was nice." Another camper, Lili R., warns: "Unfortunately we chose the peak of mosquitos season and camping next to slow moving water is a recipe for disaster."
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies significantly between locations. MickandKarla W. report about Lake Chippewa: "We did not opt for their Wifi, which you have pay for and later found out it doesn't work in this area anyway. We got 1 bar on Verizon and the signal was basically useless."
Tips for camping with families
Group site options: For multi-family trips, seek designated group areas. Lindsay T. recommends Lake Chippewa Campground: "We stay at this group site for a week every summer with our extended family and look forward to returning as soon as we pull-out. The group sites with water access and full hook-ups can't be beat."
Swim areas and amenities: Water recreation enhances family cabin stays. At Wilderness Way, Chelsea T. describes: "It's on a beautiful lake with a swimming area. You can rent a pontoon or take out a canoe or rowboat for free. Great fishing too!"
Night visibility: Some campgrounds have minimal lighting. Moises P. advises about Old Logging Trail: "On days that the moonlight is not out bring flashlights because when the moon is not shining it's pitch black. Keep in mind the driveway trail is not lit up."
Tips from RVers
Site access challenges: Larger rigs face limitations at some cabins and campgrounds. Sheila H. notes about Hayward KOA: "But there are alot of trees that make it very challenging for larger rigs. There are a handful of sites that would be easy to access, I recommend calling first. We have a 43ft 5th wheel."
Concrete pads: Some locations offer improved parking surfaces. Sam C. from Nelson Lake Lodge reports: "The pad was concrete and level, included a nice patio, a picnic table, some nice planters and well maintained grass on the driver's side of our rig. We had full hookups."
Hook-up positioning: Utility connections vary between sites. MickandKarla W. explains at Lake Chippewa Campground: "Due to the rig's position on the site, we needed about 20' of sewer hose plus the connection is not threaded and sits up about 6 inches making it tough to dump. I used sewer weights to keep my connector in the sewer hole."
