I have nothing but respect by wealthy suburban counties that choose to invest their excess into beautiful county parks and architecturally designed camper cabins. So, thank you Dakota County. Whitetail Woods is one of my favorite places, and is conveniently just 30 minutes north of Northfield. They have five camper cabins that are very close to what I’d choose to build myself, should we ever be in a position to build a little cabin in the woods. For now, they’re nice places for dreaming, quiet year-end reflections, and feeling less salty about winter.
Pine Forest Cabin, the first one we stayed at. Pro: You’re closer to the heated bathroom in these cabins.
The only downside to these cabins: they are so popular they are nearly impossible to get a reservation for. I first managed to grab one a couple of winters ago. We got one of the pine cabins, where you feel as though you are hovering in a pine forest. Since then, Dakota County built two prairie view cabins. To get one for New Year’s Eve, I stayed up until 12:01 am 120 days out from December 31 and managed to secure cabin #5.
We stayed during the negative temps that rang in 2022. The lower bunk next to the door did get a bit freezing, and that may have been us not quite knowing how to work the heat. Waking up to yellow and pink sunrises over the open field in front of us was such a gift, and the best start to the year. We read, watched movies, and yup, even headed home during noontime to roast a chicken for lunch, bringing our restock rations with us. It was too cold for skiing or hiking or sitting outside by our fire, but that just made our break even more restful. I can’t recommend these cabins enough. They’d be great for families with little kids, too. Good luck booking one!
Prairie View Cabin #5: I slightly prefer the Prairie View cabins, just because I’m a prairie girl who loves wide open views.
