Gilles Family Dairy & Woodland - Hipcamp in Houston, Minnesota

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Gilles Family Dairy & Woodland

100%

226 reviews

· Houston, Minnesota

4 sites

3 Lodging

1 RV/Tent

Welcome ; Located in southeast Minnesota's Driftless region of hills, valleys, fields and forests, we are a grass based working dairy farm with over 100 acres of woodland, including an extensive trail system and campsites in our wooded acres. What makes this woodland special is it's quiet, secluded setting and over 6 miles of hiking / skiing trails. Our farmstead sits three quarter of a mile off the paved county highway on our well maintained gravel driveway. Each of our campsites are secluded from the others with their own sawdust compost toilets, picnic tables, fireplaces, and firewood. Two of our sites require 4WD with a minimum of 6 inches ground clearance to access, and two are accessible with 2WD. If you do not have 4WD we can help transport your gear while you enjoy the walk in. There are plenty of woodland birds, deer, turkeys, raccoons and squirrels sharing the woods with you. At night it is common for owls to visit the campsite area to say hello, and coyotes talking in the distance. The winding trails through 100 acres of woodland offer a variety of woodland habitats, from Old growth Maple to mixed hardwood, to dense brush, to the edges of open pastureland. Bring your fat bike or mountain bike for an enjoyable ride. For winter users there is a mix of easy, moderate, and challenging winter cross country skiing or snowshoeing / hiking on the property. however the Wooden Tent is not heated so bring winter sleeping gear. This property is part of a working pasture-based dairy farm and guided tours of the dairy and cattle are available when scheduling allows. Children 12 and younger are free at our campsites. No need to be counted as guests , but please let us know when requesting to book. We do not allow non-booked visitors to our campsites due to the secluded, remote location, and accessibility.

Activities

Biking

Hiking

Horseback riding

Snow sports

Natural features

Forest

Farm

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Location

Houston, Minnesota, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Mike And Joan G.Joined in August 2017

Response rate: 100%Response time: Within 3 hours

100%

260 ratings · 226 reviews

Aubree D.recommends

September 25, 2022

HILLTOP QUEEN

Pleasing experience

Had a great time. The bed is comfy, it rained and we stayed dry inside the boat. The outhouse did not smell and was a nice set up for an outhouse. I am not a camper, don’t have a tent, but still wanted a camping experience with my kid. This was perfect! Wood, water, grill, picnic table, outhouse and dry lodging all provided! Trails to hike and we got to play with the farm cats and help feed the calves. Would come back.

Chad J.recommends

September 20, 2022

HILLTOP QUEEN

Camping on a boat in the woods!

Once again Mike and Joan offered an unique experience! Staying in the Hilltop Queen is the best of both worlds…..great camping experience and a nice place to lay you head at night. Is was great when it rained for a bit and I had a place inside where I could be and an outdoor covered patio area on the boat! The trails they have created around their property are great to explore. Mike and Joan gave me the tour of the boat and showed me how to run the lights (solar power). Looking forward to next time😊

Tammy D.recommends

September 19, 2022

HILLTOP QUEEN

My sister and I are always looking for fun places to stay and the hilltop queen is now in our top 10! The hosts were very helpful and really enjoyed talking to them. The boat has a great story and the scenery is breathtaking. So peaceful and quiet. Added bonus we woke up to fog on the pastures. Slept great and the outhouse was a nice bonus. Most definitely a place to escape from every day life.

Michelle M.recommends

September 18, 2022

ROUND MOUND CAMPSITE

Wonderful

The owners take this seriously and have thought of EVERYTHING a for their guests’ comfort and enjoyment. I would call it “rustically luxurious.” We stayed in our 18ft travel trailer on the Round Mound site. Had a wonderful bonfire under an extremely starry sky. Our dogs were off-leash the whole time, and were in heaven. We were remote enough that there were no concerns that they would bother anyone. Couldn’t have asked for more.

Anna D.recommends

September 11, 2022

ROUND MOUND CAMPSITE

Camping with cows

The most important thing to say is Thank you! This was one of the most unique camping trips we have done. Mike and Joan let us come watch milking time; that was really cool to see! After milking they feed the cows, and Mike and his son-in-law spent time answering questions and sharing their extensive knowledge with us! This was the favorite part for my aunt who grew up as a farm kid. Joan allowed us to tag along when she fed the calves. That was very fun. She is also very knowledgeable and fun to talk to! They care about their cows, and treat them really well. We woke this first morning and could see the herd grazing in the pasture next to the campground. The Round Mound campsite was one of the cleanest campsites I have been to! Wood was available, a huge picnic table, a fire pit and a separate wood grill. There are so many thoughtful touches, like a clothes line. It had a shady parking spot for a trailer and lots of both open and shaded space. The bathroom has a compostable toilet. We weren't sure what to expect from the "outhouse", but it was spacious, extremely clean and had NO bad smells! There are many trails on the property, we didn’t explore much this time due to rain, but we are definitely going to come back!

Bryce N.recommends

September 10, 2022

WOODEN TENT IN THE WOODS

Go Camping

If you wanna feel like you are actually camping. This is the spot

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