These cozy cabins are perfect for a winter getaway in Wisconsin
As the days get colder and the nights get longer in Wisconsin, it’s tempting to hunker down and not leave the house for the seemingly endless winter ahead.
But you don’t have to do all the hunkering in your own place. Wisconsin has plenty of cabin rentals perfect for a cozy getaway — think a quiet log cabin surrounded by snow-laden pines, a rocking chair next to a wood-burning fireplace. Throw in a big-city lawyer falling in love with a Christmas tree farmer and you’ve got yourself a Hallmark movie.
Whether you are the lawyer or the farmer, Wisconsin offers cozy cabins for every budget and preference. Here are some options across the state.
Justin Trails Resort, Sparta
This resort in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region has three cabins for rent, the coziest of which is aptly named the Little House on the Prairie. The one-room log cabin has a gas fireplace next to its queen-size bed, with a ladder that leads to a loft with a whirlpool tub. If the weather isn’t too bad, a large porch has rocking chairs for taking in the bucolic landscape.
That hilly landscape includes 10 miles of trails for hiking, skiing or snowshoeing (skis and snowshoes are available for rent at the office), plus a designated skijoring trail. There are also two sledding and snow-tubing hills.
The Little House doesn’t have a kitchen, but you won’t need it for breakfast, which is provided by the resort in the main lodge and might include homemade granola, fruit, muffins, scrambled eggs or French toast.
In addition to the Little House, Justin Trails offers a Paul Bunyan cabin for rent that sleeps six and has two bathrooms and a full kitchen, and the Cottage, with a king bed and twin bunk beds plus a kitchenette. All cabins are pet-friendly, and dogs can run off-leash on the resort’s 200 acres (but should be leashed near buildings).
The resort is at 7452 Kathryn Ave, Sparta. Call (608) 269-4522 or see justintrails.com.
Big Bear Hideaway, Boulder Junction
This resort offers a handful of classic Northwoods log cabins for rent in the woods just outside downtown Boulder Junction. The newest, and perhaps coziest, of the bunch is the Honey Bear, with a covered porch, gas fireplace, queen bed, full bathroom and kitchen. Modern bonuses include satellite TV and Wi-Fi.
Big Bear offers five more year-round rentals that sleep anywhere from four to 13. The cabins are located along the Heart of Vilas bike trail and a snowmobile route.
Find Big Bear at 10482 W. Main St., Boulder Junction. Pets are not permitted. Call (715) 385-2001 or see bigbearhideaway.com.
Black’s Cliff Resort, Hazelhurst
Cabins at this family-owned resort south of Minocqua feature century-old stone fireplaces, knotty pine walls and views of Lower Kaubashine Lake, including from screened porches with swinging beds (best enjoyed in the summer). The cabins have full kitchens and from two to four bedrooms.
If you want to get outside, the resort has carved out hiking trails on its 80 acres of woods (rent snowshoes from the office), and when the lake ice is thick enough, they shovel out a rink for ice skating and pond hockey — bring your own skates, but a few sticks are provided. A snowmobile route also crosses the lake, which you can also fish for walleye, musky and northern pike.
Black’s Cliff is at 10223 Lower Kaubashine Road, Hazelhurst. Dogs are permitted for an extra fee. Call (715) 356-3018 or see blackscliff.com.
Kickapoo Valley Ranch, La Farge
These dude ranch-inspired cabins in the Driftless Region are a peaceful retreat in any season, with winter bringing even more quiet and a different kind of beauty to the area. You might not be able to enjoy the large rocking chairs on the cabins’ private covered porches, but you can enjoy the gas fireplaces, cozy handmade quilts and fresh-made cookies from the ranch’s on-site bakery, Cowboy David’s.
Each cabin has a full bathroom and at least a kitchenette, TV with DVD player (DVDs are available to borrow in the office) and Wi-Fi.
The ranch is at E11761 County Highway P, La Farge. Call 608-625-6222 or see kvranch.com.
Anaway Place, Richland Center
The outdoors meld with the indoors at these beautifully designed cabins formerly known as Candlewood Cabins. The Prairie-style Meadow House — appropriate for architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s hometown — is a favorite, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the surrounding hills and a wood-burning fireplace for cozying up next to. The house has a full kitchen and bathroom and sleeps four.
Also on the property is the Woodland House (sleeps two), with a spiral staircase in the tower leading to the second story; the aptly named Log Cabin (sleeps four); the new Hillside House (sleeps four), which replaced the property's original cabin in 2022; the Little House Next Door, a cozy 480-square-foot abode that sleeps two; and the Barn, a renovated barn for bigger groups that can sleep 12. Anaway also has a Glass House that sleeps two but is only available April through November.
Reservations for these popular cabins open 24 months in advance (so reservations for December 2023 open Dec. 1, 2021), and they fill up that far out. Cancellations sometimes lead to openings, and Anaway posts those on its social media sites.
Pets are permitted only in the Log Cabin, with an additional fee. Those two are the only ones with TVs (with DVD players but no television service). All cabins except the Glass House have Wi-Fi.
The cabins are at 29493 Highway 80, Richland Center. See anaway.com or call (608) 647-5720.
Canoe Bay, Chetek
Cabins at this resort are scattered throughout 300 private wooded acres, many offering views of three spring-fed lakes. Every cabin has a fireplace, deck and whirlpool tub, and some up the cozy-luxury factor with heated bathroom floors and private saunas.
The resort also has on-site dining, offers in-room massages and has snowshoes available to borrow for exploring the property.
For an even cozier experience, next door is the ESCAPE Village, with tiny homes that don’t feel so tiny, thanks to large windows, high ceilings and queen- or king-size beds on the main level. Tiny home guests don’t have access to Canoe Bay’s amenities, but they are welcome to walk or snowshoe the village grounds, which include two private lakes.
Wi-Fi is available in some locations on the property. Pets are not permitted, and guests must be 21 and older. Smoking is not permitted in the cottages or anywhere on the grounds.
Canoe Bay is at W16065 Hogback Road, Chetek. See canoebay.com or call (715) 924-4594.
Kohler cabins, Sheboygan County
Wisconsin’s only Forbes Five-Star resort, the American Club, has a couple of cabins for a luxurious getaway for bigger groups.
The Sandhill cabin is in a secluded spot on 350 acres, its red roof standing guard over a reclaimed wood exterior and huge wrap-around porch with a porch swing. You might not be able to enjoy the latter in winter, but inside the 2,000-square-foot cabin you can enjoy a fireplace, cathedral ceilings and panoramic views of the surrounding natural scenery. The cabin sleeps six and has the high-end finishes you’d expect from Kohler: a gourmet kitchen, leather furniture, and of course, Kohler fixtures in two bathrooms. A bonus: a separate poker shack, with a sauna, poker table, fireplace and another full bathroom.
The Red Fox cabin sits on the edge of the village of Kohler along the Sheboygan River. The 2,600-square-foot cabin has five fireplaces spread throughout its three levels, which include three bedrooms (room for six), two bathrooms and a lower rec room with pool and poker tables.
Cabin guests have access to all of Kohler’s amenities, including River Wildlife, the resort’s 500-acre nature preserve; the Sports Core Health and Racquet Club; spa services including massages; and private yoga sessions. The cabins are all dog friendly.
Sandhill is at 1168 Garton Road, Mosel. Red Fox is at 1141 Lower Falls Road, Kohler. For more information, call 800-344-2838 or see destinationkohler.com.
Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary, Sarona
The rustic Log Cabin, perched on a wooded hill at this nature sanctuary in Washburn County, was built in the 1930s. It features an enclosed porch, a stone fireplace, hardwood floors, one bedroom with a queen bed and a sleeping loft with a twin mattress (accessed via a ladder), plus modern amenities including a kitchen, a water closet and a shower in the main room. There is no television or Wi-Fi. Guests also have access to the sanctuary’s 10 miles of trails.
The sanctuary’s Frances Andrew Cabin next door was built in 1917 but is available for rent only May through September.
Hunt Hill is at N2384 Hunt Hill Road, Sarona. Pets are permitted. See hunthill.org or call (715) 635-6543.
Contact Chelsey Lewis at clewis@journalsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chelseylew and @TravelMJS and Facebook at Journal Sentinel Travel.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Cozy cabins for a winter getaway in Wisconsin
