New camper cabins are coming to one of Minnesota’s most-visited state parks

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park is adding another reason to visit the popular destination on Minnesota’s North Shore. Four new camper cabins are targeted to open early next June, a Department of Natural Resources manager said. The additions will broaden the state park system’s inventory of a sought-after alternative to tents and other camping options. The project and location made sense, said Rachel Hopper, visitor services and outreach manager in the DNR’s parks and trails division. Camper cabins are often fully booked, and North Shore parks are historically the most visited of the system’s 73 parks and recreation areas. Advertisement “With limited opportunities for camper cabin development along the North Shore, Split Rock was one of the best options for us to expand overnight amenities,” she said. Split Rock, located between Two Harbors and Silver Bay, is the 28 th state park to add camper cabins. Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park opened four in 2020 and four more in 2021. The one-room dwellings offer a small package of amenities, with heat, electricity, and bunks that usually sleep five to six people. They also make winter camping accessible, an activity on the uptick, according to national outdoor participation reports. The new Split Rock cabins will be open year-round, all week. Cabins in some parks are open Thursday through Sunday or only available from April through October.