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Aefintyr campground is located in the scenic woods of the Whitewater River Valley in the Driftless Area of Southeastern Minnesota. We offer beautiful blufftop hike-in camping and glamping and cozy treehouse inspired camper cabins. The hike-in camp/glamp sites offer a backpacking like experience (1460 ft hike with a 230 ft elevation gain) and are great for people who like to get some exercise and want to immerse themselves in a woodland setting. Perfect relaxation destination or home base for your Whitewater Valley adventures. Aefintyr is a small operation that values peace, quiet and quality over quantity. Get away from crowds and get into the woods! Onsite, enjoy a campfire, stargazing, hiking and observing the amazing animals, plants and fungi.
**Nearby recreation opportunities include:**
Within 2 miles of Whitewater State Park, the Elba Fire Tower, Whitewater State Wildlife Management Area (hunting, trout fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing) and the Whitewater River State Water Trail (canoe/kayak/tube). There is a gas station (bait and fishing supplies, convenience store items), 2 bars and a restaurant within a mile in the town of Elba. Whitewater Wines Winery is also just a few miles up the road!
**Shared amenities:**
Bathhouse with individual rooms, with a hot shower, vanity and composting toilet
Outhouse with composting toilet on top of the bluff within 400 feet of each campsite
Fire pit with Cooking Grill and several chairs (in the community area on the blufftop)
Propane Gas Grill (in the community area on the blufftop)
Propane Gas Grill (at base of the hill by the bathhouse)
10' x 20' gathering tent with comfy outdoor furniture
10' x 20' tent with 3 wooden tables (4' x 4') and wicker bar
Stargazing area
**Cell service:** varies depending on carrier, AT&T typically works well, Verizon works intermittently, and T-mobile doesn't have a good signal.
**Wi-fi:** Available at the bathhouse
**Parking: **Parking lot near entrance to the campground, 2 vehicle limit per site, no vehicles larger than a full-size truck, no trailers
**Host accessibility: **Available 24/7/365 via phone and email/messaging, frequently on site
**Security:** campground is under video surveillance
20240206
From Elba (Hwy 74, AKA Main Street) - turn onto West Center Street, which heads up hill. There is an autobody shop on your right soon after your turn, then the St. Aloyisious cemetery also on the right, Aefintry is next on your left. Watch for the sign.
Coming from the East (heading west) on Winona Country Hwy 26 (AKA Co Hwy 25 in Olmsted County) you will pass several farms/homesteads, watch for the Aefintyr sign on your right after you begin to drop into the valley.
Was looking to tent camp at the state park the first weekend in May, to my surprise every single site was booked! Thankfully found Aefintyr via Google maps. Host was very informative and helped me book a tent site on top of the hill for the weekend...had the place to ourselves.
This property is quiet, unique, and makes good use of the available space but there's a few things to note before deciding if this is the right place for you.
• the driveway is narrow and steep and parking lot is small...no trailers or XL vehicles, the corner next to bathhouse was pretty tight for an F350. In the summer, if all the sites are booked the parking lot will fill up quickly, do plan to carpool or find somewhere else to park additional vehicles.
• the walk up to hilltop sites is ~1/4mile, but quite steep with some rocky rubble and can be slippery after rainfall. cool view! Pack light and plan for how you'll be carrying your gear up the hill (recommend backpack) carrying a duffel bag or plastic tote will not be pleasant unless you have a wagon
• bathhouse was a nice amenity - running water (sink & shower) with compost toilet and outdoor outlets to top off the phone battery. outhouse with just toilet on top of the hill.
• there are not many sites here, and they're separated by a good amount of trees so they are quite private.
• firewood was provided, dog friendly, the site we stayed at had a roll-out tarp shelter (excellent b/c it rained almost all weekend)
We had a wonderful getaway in the Celtis outdoor bed site. The hike up the bluff was a bit steeper than we anticipated, but each time we did it, it got easier. One night, we got back around twilight and the fireflies guided us up the trail. The bed was really comfortable and it was so luxurious to be able to go to sleep with the crickets and owls and wake up watching the sunrise and the woodpeckers. The stars were incredible and it was very private and secluded. You can hear the road below but we got used to it. The site has all of the amenities needed - including bottled drinking water and collected rainwater and a very clean compostable toilet. It is so close to Whitewater State Park and the town of Elba is great - we love Mauer Bros! Chelsi was extremely responsive and helpful from the start to the end and she has put a lot of work into making Aefintyr a special place.
Janky Gear Staff had a great time camping at the Hike-in Morus site! True to its name, Aefintyr offers much to explore and a variety of amenities that will instill the feeling of adventure for any explorer. The hike-in experience really helps you disconnect from the outside world, even though you’re not too far from your vehicle. We enjoyed how large the campsites were, and that the lush foliage offered plenty of privacy between campsites. Chelsi is an amazing host, and it was fun to connect with other campers at the group firepit and covered outdoor seating for games! This is the perfect spot to go if you’re new to camping or have kiddos that enjoy hiking. We look forward to booking a “glamping” campsite next time we visit!
Real hike-in outfitted camping! It was so nice not to have to haul our tent and sleeping gear up the hill. The hike in is only about a third of a mile but it is steep. The outhouse with a composting toilet was really clean and did not smell at all. When we got to our site (named "Quercus") we were so impressed! Bell tent all set up with mattresses, bedding, towels, lantern, rug, table, and chairs. A fire pit with a big iron cover for safety. Plenty of firewood and roasting sticks. A separate outdoor seating area overlooking a grassy open space. NO BUGS! That was amazing.
I liked how the hike up the hill added to the sense of really getting away from it all. Chelsi is an excellent host. I plan on staying here again. Full disclosure: I'm leading a retreat here in June 2023, so I might be biased, but I still plan to stay here again beyond June. It is a bit of paradise!
My partner and I had an amazing stay at Aefintyr. We were looking around for a unique camping experience over Memorial Day and decided to try the outdoor bed! From the parking lot, it is a climb to get up to the site, but since you don't need to carry a tent, you're just carrying up your gear. Then the view and the space itself is definitely worth it. Very thoughtful layout, amenities, and overall experience. Definitely would recommend.
