Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Kolleen Taylor: There are three beautiful cabins at Briggs Woods overlooking the lake that allow visitors to enjoy the natural wonders of the park year-round. During the winter months, these cabins offer all the amenities, plus a close-up of the animals who claim Briggs Woods as their own. The deer don't mind visitors to their home.

Some are tucked away in the back of Briggs Woods, nestled in the midst of nature, some overlook the lake and rivers, but all the cabins of Briggs Woods are treasures just waiting to be discovered.

Briggs Woods is known for a lot of things, the golf course, the lake, most recently the waterfalls, but one of the newest treasures in this park are the cabins.

There are several cabins that are available year round at the park,that offer an experience in nature that connects people. During late spring and summer, the cabins are heavily booked, with occupancy at 80-90 percent. But winter camping in the woods has become a thing in recent years.

“Fall and winter, occupancy falls off, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Brian Lammers, Hamilton County Conservation Director.

Considered a bargain any time of year, the cost to rent a cabin drops during the winter. The largest cabin sleeps up to 15 people, with some beds at double occupancy. During the summer they cost $200 a night, with a minimum stay of three nights, but between November and April, the price drops to $150 a night, making it affordable for large families or groups.

There are three larger cabins with all the amenities that are suitable for year round use.The first of those cabins was built in 2012. Three cabins were built in Briggs Woods Park and three were also built at Little Wall Lake. They were completed in 2016.

“Ice fishing is getting more and more attention,” said Lammers, “Fishing has been very good at the Briggs Woods Lake.”

Lammers said this year has been much better than the last few years, with the colder temperatures, the ice has been building up making the lake safe to fish.

But there are others who book the cabins during winter. Many hunters who have found the cabins, which can sleep up to 15 people in the largest unit, places them in a comfortable, relaxing environment.

“Camping in the winter is phenomenal,” said Lammers, “It’s a completely different experience.”

Building cabins in the midst of the park was the result of a needs assessment that was done in the early 2000’s. The public was looking for a way to utilize the parks year round, without staying in a tent or having to buy a camper.

So the first four small cabins by the river appeared. Those cabins sleep six, have heat and air conditioning, but have limited amenities. During the winter months, those are not accessible due to the cost of snow removal and the limitations of the facilities.

But as interest grew, larger cabins were built by the lake, near the Briggs Historic Red Barn.

The Hamilton County Conservation Board borrowed the money for cabin construction and this year the last payment will be made.

The cabins operate with a built-in maintenance and operations budget which means that no tax dollars were used for construction and none will be needed for future maintenance and operations. These six cabins feature full kitchens, bath, WiFi, satellite TV, and can accommodate up to 15 people.

Hamilton County was one of the first 16 counties to establish a conservation board in the state of Iowa. Now all 99 counties have appointed conservation boards, something that is unique to Iowa. Currently serving on the board are Jim Richardson, Mike Brandrup, Dennis Bahr, Diane Sinclair and Jay Heeren.

Their efforts, in addition to the staff at the Hamilton County Conservation office, give both residents and visitors to Hamilton County a chance to experience nature in one of the best settings possible.