Well, that was fast.
Reservations for the three camper cabins at Dakota County's Whitetail Woods Regional Park opened at 10 a.m. Dec. 1 and within the first 60 seconds, there were 45 requests. After 30 minutes, there were 238 requests. And after two days, there were more than 650 requests.
If you'd hoped to still score a weekend night in the cabins among the trees, you're out of luck. Only a few scattered weeknight spots are left and those are going fast, too, said Beth Landahl, manager of visitor services for the Dakota County Parks Department.
"We didn't expect, but we planned for that kind of response," she said.
Reservations were initially available for Dec. 5 through April 30, 2015. Those for May 1 and later open April 1.
The cabins are simple, yet architecturally interesting, with sloping timber ceilings and a glass wall that looks out among the trees. The units are each elevated — one at 7 feet, one at 10 and one at 14 feet, to give the feeling of being in a treehouse.
Although the cabins can accommodate six people, that would be tight. At just 227 square feet, the cabins include full-sized bunk beds, a couple of day beds, a dining room table and an open-air deck. There's a concrete patio outside with a picnic table and a fire ring. What there isn't is running water and a bathroom. Shower and bathroom facilities are in another building about 100 yards away.
Hiking and snowshoe trails, however, can be accessed right outside the front door.
