Looking for the best horse camping near Cresco? Equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. With our help, you'll find the best Iowa equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
$35 / night
$35 / night
Yellow River State Forest in northeast Iowa is home to stunning views, beautiful woodlands, and meandering trout streams. Nestled in Iowa’s driftless area in Allamakee County, Yellow River offers numerous outdoor recreation opportunities including camping, equestrian riding, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, and more. Yellow River State Forest was first established in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corp and is home to Iowa’s only fire tower, built in 1963. Today, the forest is managed for numerous natural resource benefits and recreational opportunities.
Big Paint campgrounds are non-modern with vault toilets. Drinking water is available near the office complex. Advance campsite reservations are recommended and can be made through the park reservation system, and one-quarter of the campsites are available for self-registration on a first-come first-served basis.
$12 / night
Yellow River State Forest is a perfect place to explore some of Iowa's best hiking trails. Located in northeast Iowa in Allamakee County, the forest is part of the "driftless area" that escaped the glaciers during the most recent ice age. The forest consists of 8,900 acres of hardwood and coniferous forest and is comprised of 6 units.
The Paint Creek Unit is of primary interest to the recreationist, with well-kept camping areas, equestrian accommodations, fishing, hunting, and over 45 miles of trails for hiking, equestrian riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
Frontier equestrian campgrounds are non-modern and have non-electric sites with hitching rails and vault toilets
$16 / night
Guide
Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective. However, the park is situated on the valley bottom of the Yellow River Forest with beautiful tall trees, and there are fire rings. Fee was $12. First come first served basis from November through March.
Scout
WiFi intermittent At far end of campgrounds. Very clean showers and bathroom near office
ScoutCame to learn more about Tenkara fly fishing. Had a ball. Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush. I had no phone service. Campsites are well mown, have a picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets. Easy access to water. Drink water and firewood are at the host A frame. There is no dump site. Everyone was very friendly. Helpful. Nights were quiet. Very relaxing.
Guide
Secluded free camping with port a potty, fire rings and a shelter. My AT&T service worked enough for a podcast but not streaming.
GuideReally nice campground. Well maintained and level sites. Had a river to walk along and playground and animals for kids to enjoy. Staff were really nice and helpful. They had (free) loaner electric cords and water hoses for the sites that had a longer distance to go to the box/spigot. The state park was just down the road with great hiking.
RangerStayed here multiple times throughout the years, not much to it. Put toilets, usually slow except during hunting season. Camp sites are decent but primative.
RangerSmall campground, usually no one here except during hunting season. Not much to this place.
LegendSites are primitive with tables, fire rings/grates, pit toilets, self registration, ice/wood available across road at visitors station. Cell service is possible at times .
Legend
Clean, well kept sites with tie-ups, tables, fire rings, manure station and tools, multiuser trails including stream crossings. Trout fishing is good with seasonal stockings.
Legend
In Yellow River State Forest,-Very nice spacious sites for horses/riders including tie-ups, fire rings, tables at each site. Self registration, trails from/ camp including stream crossings in trout streams. Manure station with tools. Some trails are multiuser.
GuideWe stayed at the Big Paint Campground and had a nice time. The sites there are pretty spacious and level, but they don't feel very private because this campground is essentially just an open field with line of sight to all other campsites. Still, it was a lovely place with nice trails and great river access. There are also some breathtaking lookout points to see the countryside.
We drove through Little Paint Campground and many of those sites were pretty small and crowded, but again, the river access and the views made it a pleasant stay. Nearby Harper's Ferry is a neat little town, so be sure to visit there!
Guide
Nice place but it is a campground not an rv park, 30 & 50 amp service but no water hookup (fill when you come in) and dump tanks when leaving,
ScoutIt’s quiet, clean, and has some pretty views of the Iowa nite sky
TravelerThe campground name is called big paint. The location is very nice, right next to the river. I wouldn't exactly call it a river though. It's nice and quiet, and very nice trail runs through it as well. The only thing is the sites are very close together
Guide
Stayed here one night in early may and hiked the big spring trail. Site #42 was private with partial shade and a very nice and level gravel tent pad. The site was plenty big with plenty of room for activities. The shower facilities were very clean, same story for the latrines.
ScoutWe stayed here for the month of august, and this place is awesome! Beautiful spaces of various size, a river runs next to it and they have duck races. Dog park, small general store, backs up to a national park, close to town, immaculately maintained, volley ball court, lots of shade trees, easy access, and Andy(owner/operator) is the nicest person you’ll ever want to meet. For those so inclined there’s church service on Sunday in an old (cool looking!) barn! Fire pits at every spot. There is WiFi there, but little to no phone service unless you have a cell booster. 5/5 will definitely be back!
ScoutWell maintained trails, lovely hosts & amenities. Not like any other campground.
GuideNice park for everyone’s type from tents, cabins and all size RV’s. Electric only at the camp sites but have water and dump station on site. Clean bathrooms and showers. Best value I’ve seen for fire wood. Has many walking trails that you can take your dog on and just a couple that you can’t.
TravelerOverall a nice place. It was very wet, standing water in the grass from lots of rain. Spot 105. Not much room between sites there and had to back turn around and back down the road to park. Memorial wknd, they had a very nice pot luck lunch and pork chops on a stick, all free and great food. Shower house is a quaint old farm house, it was very nice. General store and firewood. Dump station was in odd spot, if it were busy it wouldn't be good. Overall a nice time.
GuideFor a campground that’s not too far out of the way, you feel so secluded and hidden away in the woods. Its quiet and really easy to get some solitude.
LegendThis is a pretty great campground with mostly large, private sites. Not all sites are level and there’s little to no cell coverage. The tours of the cave and historic Forestville are extra costs and are only available Thursday - Saturday
Guide
Good time! It rained and was a little muddy, but it was nice. Site 11 is kind of small for a large tent like we have. The group sites are close by and they were quite loud, but the rest of the park was nice and quiet. There is horse camping here, and the lake is nice for swimming.
ScoutThis is a great family park where the kids and grown-ups can have fun!
You can go fishing at the pond without having to purchase a Minnesota Fishing License!
GuideOur sight overlooking a small grove of trees. Several species of birds I don't recognize kept us entertained the whole time. Bathrooms were exceptionally clean best I've encountered. We got bikes from nearby LeRoy city hall ($5.00 donation) really great program. The bike path traverses through the campground (shooting star trail). One drawback is the faint highway noise. I would visit this campground again.
GuideWe stayed here for a week in June to start our trip around the country and it was a great place to start our camping experience! The owner/host does a great job and is extremely helpful. Plenty to do in the area... we floated down the root river for about 3 hours and had a great time. The campground had everything we needed including a great little trout stream on the edge of the property, a hayride, movie for the family in the old red barn, and a church service in that same barn on Sunday. We will look forward to camping there again in the future!!
Traveler
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!
GuideThe are 8 sites. There is no water or electricity. One pit toilet for the site. 5 miles from Rushford MN. Access to Root River trail close by.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Cresco, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Cresco, IA is Forestville Mystery Cave State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Cresco, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Cresco, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
