Best Equestrian Camping near Clear Lake, IA

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Clear Lake. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Iowa camping has to offer. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Iowa camping adventure.

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Best Equestrian Sites Near Clear Lake, Iowa (5)

    1. Clear Lake State Park Campground

    12 Reviews
    Clear Lake, IA
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 357-4212

    $17 - $35 / night

    "We love coming to Clear Lake! The campgrounds are always very well kept, bathrooms very clean! Easy access to the lake, and the town has so much to do during the summer months!"

    "Clear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous. It is clean and close to the beach. Down town and other shopping is a short drive away."

    2. Pilot Knob State Park Campground

    12 Reviews
    Forest City, IA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 581-4835

    $10 - $28 / night

    "Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park."

    "When driving to my site two fawns were laying near the playground."

    3. Shellrock River Co Preserve

    4 Reviews
    Nora Springs, IA
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 423-5309

    "Big grassy field surrounded by huge (walnut) trees. There a gravel track that goes along a large river. Trees everywhere so bring bug spray. Quiet, peaceful. Not private but worth it."

    4. Cedar Bridge County Park

    1 Review
    Osage, IA
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (641) 732-5204

    "Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails."

    5. Camp Comfort Recreation Area

    1 Review
    Clarksville, IA
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (319) 278-4237

    "Kids had a great time playing in the water, our site was about 20 ft from the waters edge."

Show More
Showing results 1-5 of 5 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Clear Lake, IA

30 Reviews of 5 Clear Lake Campgrounds


  • Vanessa H.
    Sep. 11, 2022

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Great spot

    We love coming to Clear Lake! The campgrounds are always very well kept, bathrooms very clean! Easy access to the lake, and the town has so much to do during the summer months!

  • T
    Jul. 13, 2021

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Nice

    Clear lake state park is a nice campground. It does get very busy during peak season and traffic is continuous. It is clean and close to the beach. Down town and other shopping is a short drive away. Lots of families camp here. Spots are nice.

  • Becky M.
    Jul. 3, 2023

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Great State Park

    This is our second time camping at the Clear Lake State Park. The park is clean, the shower house is nice. It’s hard to control the temperature in the showers, too hot for little kids to stand directly in the water. The playground was fun for the kids, nice beach access! Limited full hook up sites. I wish there were more full hook ups that you could reserve. Paved roads are great for bike riding. Great shaded spots. DNR cruises the park daily which is nice to see.

  • T
    Jun. 5, 2021

    Cedar Bridge County Park

    Terrific little RV park!

    You will love this park. There are about 20 self-serve sites with electric and water. Self serve firewood. Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails. Sitting right on the Cedar River, it’s a great location to kayak and tube. Cheap at $20 a night. We showed up at 8:00 on a Fryevening and spots were available!

  • B
    Jun. 11, 2022

    Shellrock River Co Preserve

    It’s nice quiet to listen to old podcast. Have a fire. Not much more is needed

    It’s quiet, clean, and has some pretty views of the Iowa nite sky

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 25, 2023

    Pilot Knob State Park Campground

    Layout of campground would be challenging if full

    General: A mixture of tent (non-electric) and electric sites, mostly arranged in several rows. 

    Site Quality: Mixed. Not all sites are level, and most do not have delineated parking pads (there is a small pavement indent to show where to access the site). A fire pit and picnic table complete the site. Most of the sites are too close together for our liking, however, when we were there (a Monday at the end of August, the day before school started), we were only one of three sites occupied so for our stay it didn’t matter. 

    Bathhouse: Basic but clean. My biggest complaint is there were no hooks or shelves for toiletries by the sinks. The showers looked nice but we did not use them. 

    Activities: Horseback riding (there are trails for this), hiking, fishing. Although we did see several trailheads, I did not have a map so didn’t explore them. There is an observation tower, but it is a two-mile walk/drive from the campground (on paved roads; I didn’t try to find hiking trails to get there). 

    Misc: A shout-out to the great host, Pam, who greeted us as we arrived. The observation tower, entrance gates, and picnic shelter were all constructed by the CCC and were beautiful. It almost seemed like the campground was an afterthought as it is outside the entrance gates and nowhere near the tower. The layout of the campground would be challenging if all sites were occupied.

  • M
    Aug. 26, 2018

    Pilot Knob State Park Campground

    Camping in the woods near town

    Located by New Ulm, MN this campground has plenty of activities in the park or very near the park. Plenty of hiking trails, playground for the kids, and an amazing sand bottom swimming pond surrounded by sand beach. Golf is also nearby at The New Ulm Country Club which is open to the public. Nice level sites with electric, picnic tables and fire rings.

  • eThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 24, 2025

    Shellrock River Co Preserve

    It appears to be hike in only

    I was exhausted when I arrived but couldn’t find a way to drive to the campground due to gates saying hiking, horseback, and walking only.

  • Lisa M.
    Jun. 13, 2019

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Big and Beautiful

    Great campground. Family and friends get together a must here. Close to the beach, town and the lake has great fish. Reserve early!


Guide to Clear Lake

Horse camping in Iowa offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a great choice for riders and their horses.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like electric hookups

  • Cedar Bridge County Park features electric hookups, making it convenient for equestrian campers who need to power their equipment while enjoying the outdoors.

Equestrian campgrounds include well-maintained facilities

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Clear Lake, IA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Clear Lake, IA is Clear Lake State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 12 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Clear Lake, IA?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Clear Lake, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.