A Weekend in ROAM

ROAM Adventure Basecamp is a worthwhile destination for trail lovers of all sorts. We have been there now in two seasons, summer and winter, and the area is now top of our list for potential future cabin property.

ROAM Cabin #2 after a fresh snow.

I have probably mentioned before that the sweet spot of adventure for us at this stage of our life (namely, having a toddler tag along on our adventures) is a cozy little cabin with just enough of the comforts while maintaining some sense of the rugged. ROAM does that perfectly.

Tucked away in the woods between the Wisconsin towns of Cable and Hayward, ROAM Adventure Basecamp is a campground right in the heart of the CAMBA trail system. There are about 30 tent camp sites plus 4 small dry cabins. There is a shower house, clean fully plumbed bathrooms nearby, and even a sauna with a sign up sheet to reserve your sweat time. The cabins are cozy and modern. There are beds enough to sleep 6, though it would feel pretty tight with that many in the cabin when not sleeping. Big beautiful windows look out into the trees. There is electricity, a good number of shelves and hooks for storage around the cabin, and a firepit outside. The restroom is a short walk away, and the sauna and showers not much further.

Surrounding ROAM are trails of all types - mountain biking, equestrian and ATV trails in summer; bike, ski and snowmobile trails in winter. Last summer Brad got a “shotgun seat” for Kate to ride with him on his bike. She has a little seat and stirrups that sit on his crossbar, with her own little handlebars. We figured it would take some getting used to and that she might be scared at first, but we were wrong. She took to it like a duck to water and LOVES to go biking with dad. At home they ride to the park and to the lake and to the ice cream shop. At ROAM they got to try some fun new winding trails and had a blast. They bike in the winter too. I prefer to go for a walk, read in peace, or ski in winter. The ski trails there are home to the American Birkebeiner race each February. When we went this past March it happened to be a day or two after a fresh snowfall. The weather was pleasant and the trails were in perfect condition. It was incredible.

Making snow angels in the fresh powder on the side of the trail.

We have found some other gems during our visits to the area. The Rivers Eatery in Cable makes a great wood fired pizza, and in summer the French doors open onto a patio and lawn with activities to keep a child occupied while waiting for food. You walk through a bookshop to get to the restaurant (and I LOVE a bookshop). Just next door is Tilly’s Pies for dessert. Velo Cafe, also in downtown Cable, is a great spot for coffee and breakfast, and Main Street Tacos in Hayward serves up delicious street tacos and other Mexican fare.

In summer, the Wayside Wanderings Nature Play Area in Cable is a fun place to explore with kids. We climbed in the “spider web”, played in the tree house, navigated the stump walkway and added to the fairy houses built on the mossy forest floor. We also checked out the Wilderness Walk Zoo in Hayward. It’s a private zoo that has some nice features, but overall it left us cringing at some of the tiny enclosures and the pacing animals inside them and so I can’t say that I would recommend it.

Watching the goats at the Wilderness Walk Zoo petting zoo area.

ROAM Adventure Basecamp, and the Hayward/Cable area in general, has more for us to explore. It is a place we are sure to return to again and again, and in any season.

Freshly groomed ski trails.