Best Glamping near Warrens, WI

This is a diamond in the rough - exactly what we wanted on our journey.  Our criteria - less than $100, pet friendly and rustic. 

This is a sawmill that has it all - they run the mill when needed, but also have primitive cabins (where we stayed), full cabins with in house bath, electric RV/tent camping and more. Even wood fired pizzas with homemade crust most nights of the week and sometimes live music!

We were in cabin #3 - rustic.  Yes - it did have heat!  A little ceramic heater had it so toasty when it was 30 degrees outside we actually turned it off - so it's sure to please on chilly nights.  The interior was amazing - lumber that I'm sure came from the mill and ceiling planks that were gorgeous - left over planks from many years ago, stored in a shed and re-purposed for the cabin. The bed was very comfortable with clean sheets and squishy (in a good way) pillows. A small covered front porch and we just parked in front.

Bathroom - if you are in a cabin without a bath, it's very nearby. One of the largest, cleanest bathrooms I've seen.  He built it himself. Women's had 2 sinks with a large vanity area, about 3 stalls (very large - you don't have to squish into them) and two very large shower stalls with full doors - not shower curtains. Heated as well.

Pets - easy pet policy. Just let the owner know and it's no problem as long as you are responsible, pick up after them and leash them when necessary.  Just a small charge for them and they were very welcomed here.

He even has event space indoors (heated) and outdoors for weddings and such.  And hiking trails (6 miles) if you choose to take on the outdoors.

The owner plans on adding saunas and a hot tub in the near future - so this would be the place to drop for a while if you want something out of the norm, peaceful, rustic and relaxing. It's off the main road, behind a field in Amish Country.  Lovely place to stay for the night. Very quiet.

The cart in sites all have a fire pit with a grill, picnic table, and are a short walk from the primitive toilets. There is a water spigot in the parking area. They have 4-5 wheelbarrows to use as carts to get your stuff to the site. Each site could comfortably hold 3 to 4 tents. They are on a path for an out and back hike so expect some passers by. Cart in 1 and 2 are fairly close to the parking area and are less secluded from each other. 3 and 4 are more secluded. Site 3 offers more shade and 4 looks to have recently had some trees cut down and is fairly open air. Overall the trails are well maintained and accessible from the cart in area. They provide some nice views of the river and you can easily hike the area in a day. It’s by no means a secluded area if you’re looking to get away from road noise or other people. All in all it makes for a nice weekend getaway.

What's Appealing?

This campground is nestled in the woods above the Mississippi River. There's a beautiful view from King's Bluff Overlook which is about a 2.5 mile roundtrip from the parking area. You could make it about 5.5 miles if you hike from campground. There are also short walks to a few other overlooks.

We were just spending the night but I'm not sure there's anything else to do. The information sheet says there are 7 miles of hiking trails, but there really isn't anything interesting other than the overlooks. It was a quiet place for a one night stay.

I think fall would be the best time to visit after the mosquitoes are gone and when the leaves have turned. Winter would also be good. There are 9 miles of groomed X-country ski trails; you need a MN Ski Pass.

The Basics

There are 31 pull in/back in sites (38 is the highest number but some numbers are skipped), 4 cart in sites, and 5 sites for bicyclists (off the Great River Road bike route below the campground across from the Mississippi River). The sites are spacious and shaded and have a picnic table and fire pit.

Very Basic Campground

There's a bathroom with toilets, showers, and sinks. The showers are push button so you get no heat control and the water shuts off after about 30 seconds. There are also pit toilets that may be closer to your site. Drinking water and trash dumpsters are near the bathroom.

Cost

It's $19 plus the $7 MN state park fee. There was no camp host on site, but I saw a ranger drive through. We have a MN parks sticker on our window and paid online the day we came in because the office was closed. There was no online reservation fee when we paid online on the day of our stay.

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I enjoy camping away from the hub bub of the family campground and opting for the backpack or cart in sites. Luckily, Great River Bluffs has some of the nicest cart ins I have encountered.

The 5 sites are well spaced out with lots of trees, nice flat tent pads, a newer clean vault and good fresh water both within a short distance of all the sites.

The surrounding hiking trails feature incredible views of the Mississippi River valley, high upon a bluff. The sites are away from the heavy foot traffic of picnic areas and primary hiking trails, though during the day there will be a few hikers walking the trail down the middle of the cart site trail to get to a fantastic lookout site. There weren't tons of people but it might bother those that don't want to see anyone while there.

There are two vault toilets. One at the parking lot and one between camp site 3 and 4. If you want a shower, you have to drive up to the family campground which is a good half mile away.

We stayed over Memorial Day Weekend at site 183. It was spacious and very well kept, with a great view of the lake. Wry easy to back in and get set up, almost level and took very little adjustment to get our spot in order. Neighbors were friendly, kids found other kids to play with, and lots of activities to keep them busy. We found the seasonal campers super friendly and nice to chat with. The sites are all flat with a gravel pad, some also have concrete patio and all have nice fire pits. While there aren’t a lot of trees or shade, it was a great site with our awning out. There is a nice sized heated swimming pool with a kid splash pad area, and you can boat on the lake. Bathrooms are well kept and clean, with nice shower facilities that area accessible. We have camped here before, and have already booked again for Labor Day weekend. The staff are helpful and friendly, and the outdoor movies on the weekend are a fun way to wind the kids down. Nearby recreation of the LaCrosse River trail for biking is a short drive away, and plenty of exploring can be done within a 30 min drive. Bring your bikes and enjoy this gorgeous area.

This campground is perfect for families with young children that don’t like the chaos of other campgrounds that are made for children. This ultra clean campground has amazing shower and bathroom facilities. All the camp sites are shady and super well kept. On site there is a small swimming pool that is clean and not too deep, as well as a giant beach and swimming hole. Campers me use the beach for free, but the inflatable‘s that are on the water cost extra . There is also an electric wakeboard Experience for cost. The beach is clean with a lot of shade pergolas, picnic tables, and seating. There is a restaurant on site that is not part of the campground, but makes for a good place in case of rain. They are currently building a new office which will improve the look at check-in a lot. The owners are kind and respectful, the grounds are very well-kept and bathrooms are cleaned multiple times a day. The showers take quarters, but they are hot, have good pressure, and a quarter gets you a lot of shower time. Our kids bring their bikes and have a nice time on the quiet and slow paths.

There is firewood for sale on site as well as ice, a few necessities, and ice cream!

We had site A11, and just loved the location. The A loop is overlooking the lake and close to the beach. Big pine trees so your campsite is really flexible- we had 3 sites A10-12 and just made it a big area for the families to merge in. Plenty of trees and coverage for hammocks, fire pits can be moved. The only negative is that showers cost $0.25 for 3 min. We skipped the showers and just went swimming. There’s a big beach area roped off, and a swim platform for the big kids. There’s a boat launch, and Buckhorn State park is just 15 min away if you need more trails. Dogs were welcomed, plenty of bathrooms and trash locations. They have 2 dump and fill stations for rvs. We have a 28 ft travel trailer and had tons of space at our site. So far, this may be my favorite camping location in WI! We went mid August, and didn't have problems with mosquitoes but we load up on the DEET. We are already planning our group camping trip again for next year! Also was able to get a nice 6 mile run in on roads without much traffic.