Frequently Asked Questions

No. The cabins and lodge all have heating. So you will always be eating and sleeping in warm areas. Heat is rustic as it is provided by a baseboard heater or a fireplace. Pack for the outdoors with layers and wool socks to be ready for the cold and snow. You need to bring all your own bedding and make sure it has layers. Hiking boots are strongly recommended, but also have indoor footwear as boots should be left at entrances. The bath house is a separate building so pack footwear with pajamas or bathrobe to facilitate quick trips to the bathroom if necessary. Check out the full packing list for all the details.

Feel free to look over the Whitewater State Park website for everything offered during the winter. The camping compound is located is a beautiful gorge that offers amazing hiking, photography and wildlife. The cabins themselves are situated around a “commons” area that provides plenty of room for fursuiting, playing in snow and general winter frolicking. Otherwise, the main lodge will have plenty of space to play games, draw, read, work on projects, or watch movies. Cabins are cozy - you and your mate can just relax and get away from the world for a bit. If you have any questions or even suggestions of specific activities, use the contact form.

Yes. You can get this as a daily pass for $7 at the main office or support the parks and get a yearly pass for $35. We would recommend getting a year pass as it is just $35 dollars per vehicle and you can use it in all Minnesota State parks. Go camping this summer at one of the more than 75 parks around Minnesota. More information can be found on the DNR website.

A “wing” can be reserved and provides a single registration (that price will be announced each year). The person who reserves the wing can then add an additional roommate(s) for $55 dollars per additional person. So get with your friends and designate who will reserve the wing. Then, work with them to fill the room with as few or as many roommates as you want.

We serve a big breakfast in the morning. Soup or chili and snacks during the day as furs play in the snow. Then, the main course dinner when the sun goes down. To help aid with what to prepare, please enter food preferences when you register and we will do our best to try to achieve this. We still have freezer and fridge space as well as can arrange to cook for individuals who may have special dietary needs. Contact us prior to the event to arrange a cooking time.

Primary reason is one of safety and insurance. A frozen river, steep cliffs, lots of wilderness, not a safe place for youths to be in Winter. Coincidentally, this allows a space to draw, write or otherwise artistically express themselves in all the aspects of Furry Art. Reminder, this is a state park which does not allow alcohol on premises.

More than a convention, input and participation of everyone is suggested. We want everyone to chip in however they can. Cleaning, cooking, planning activities, keeping the fires going, etc. We still have staff who arrive early and leave later to set everything up and make sure everything is left the way we found it. But everyone is asked to help chip in in some small way, even if it is just to clean a cabin, help in the kitchen, or plan some activities.

Safety is top concern so we have several contingencies. If very bad weather occurs Friday, we cancel the event. If it is focused on Saturday, we may still hold the event depending on severity of weather as everybody has already arrived and hunkering down in the lodge and cabins is an option. The road is plowed and we will help each other dig out Sunday. If poor weather looks like it might occur Sunday, we may just have to ask you to leave a tad earlier than expected for your own safety. We may also allow people to stay earlier or leave later depending on who is willing to help out like staff normally would. Keep an eye on your emails the Wednesday before the event. That is the day we release the final weather report and action plan for the weekend. Also review our cancellation policies.

We will never stop you from leaving the park. Rochester is just 30 minutes away with world class shopping, eating and drinking establishments because of the nearby Mayo Clinic. However, we STRONGLY recommend that you plan to be back before sundown. Depending on the temperatures and weather conditions, the final drive in from the highway is unlit and can be icy with no shoulder and a five foot drop-off in places. We have had people need a tow truck, at their own cost, to get back on the drive.

We have rented the main camping compound. So all cabins, lodge, and commons area are extremely fursuit friendly. You may wish to take pictures in exotic locations and trails. We highly recommend wearing partials, as winter trails can be icy and undergrowth grabs at fur. Please use a buddy system of handler and suiter for anyone going on trails and be aware of a fursuit’s visibility limitations. That being said, really amazing pictures of you in-suit can be had if done right. Park has asked us to refrain from suiting in the welcome complex at the entrance to the park.

The main lodge is open all night if needed. We simply ask not to raid the fridge as everything in there is planned for a meal. Hot water for instant soup and hot drinks should be available at all hours. Cabins come under the semi-communal clause. Be respectful of your bunkmates who may wish to sleep.

Not really. We are a small event of just under 100 so this really is not the best place to do so. We have no designated space to hold dealers and currently do not wish to disrupt other events to do so. That said, if you are already drawing at a table and someone asks if you could do a commission, there is nothing stopping you from taking one.