Cold Weather Camping in Minnesota

This weekend I was lucky enough to be able to camp in Minnesota, in February. We’ve had an unseasonably warm spring, so we caught a 30-40 degree weekend with no snow on the ground at St. Croix State Park near Hinkley in Minnesota.

Experiencing St. Croix State Park

We were only able to stay for an overnight, but we still got to see some beautiful parts of the park. The drive to the park center and campground is about 5 miles of pure forest. Seeing this driving close to sunset and in the morning shortly after sunrise led to glowing landscapes. We saw a flat paved trail through some of these woods and couldn’t help but picture ourselves returning for longboarding over a long summer weekend.

We stayed at one of the three taken campsites this weekend

Living so close to the northern Minnesota state parks known for their beautiful waterfalls, hikes, shorelines, and pines, I wasn’t sure if a park only 30 minutes from Hinkley in central Minnesota would be able to have that same beauty. I’m glad to say that although it was a different landscape, it was still gorgeous. The campground was wide and for the most part open, the park buildings were all log cabins, and the park was truly isolated in a forest. I can happily see ourselves coming back to experience this park in the summer. Oh, and a plus for the cold months: the bathrooms are heated. We were able to experience a short walk in the morning before heading home.

The campground was very quiet with just three sites taken. We still got to meet some of the other campers who were very nice and gave us an extra bundle of wood to burn for the evening.

Trying New Camping Gear

My boyfriend and I made a bigger purchase this last black Friday: a double sleeping bag. This 0 degree Teton brand sleeping bag was the sleeping bag of our dreams. It was about the size of a full or maybe queen size bed to our surprise, and incredibly warm and cozy. If you’ve got someone you’re camping with, I’d recommend investing in a bag like this. I never sleep great in a sleeping bag, but this was the most comfortable I have ever been.

I also tried out something new: sleeping with a headband/boho bandeau rather than a hat. I can’t stand how itchy hats feel for night-long sleeps, and how they always seem to creep up your head. But I also can’t stand having frozen ears. I’d recommend this method of covering you ears and forehead to anyone who already has a buff or headband. Try it out and experience a forehead-itch free morning. Or maybe I’m just late to the game, and you’ve already figured that one out.

The tent glowing under a bright full moon

Camp Meals

I’m a big believer in quick and easy camp meals. Just add water? Sounds like my kind of thing. One of my favorite go-to meals is minute rice with taco seasoning, kidney beans, shredded cheddar cheese, and a side of instant potatoes with a can of corn mixed in.

But maybe for the better, my co-campers wanted to go for a campfire cooked meal. We picked up plenty of veggies, some kidney beans for me as the group vegetarian, sausage for the others, and made a roasted potato dinner over the fire. I had my doubts, but the meal turned out incredible.