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Top Horse Camping near Hampton, IA

39 Reviews

Looking for the best horse camping near Hampton? Finding a place to camp in Iowa with your horse is easier than ever. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.

Map showing campgrounds near Hampton, Iowa

Best Equestrian Sites Near Hampton, IA (8)

Recent Equestrian Reviews In Hampton

39 Reviews of 8 Hampton Campgrounds

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve
    September 16, 2024

    Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve

    Great place!

    Standard site without electric was only $10.00 a night which includes a nearby water spigot to fill your tank with. Put toilets and showers available. The friendly hosts made a point to come by to chat. Two fawns were born there, under one of the picnic tables and they were around all weekend. I’ll be back !

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    August 15, 2024

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Nice but crowded campground

    Nice campground with grassy pull thru sites. But very close together. If full, you would have no privacy. Fortunately, it was 1/4 full, so no problem. Bathrooms clean, nice warm showers! Nice beach, lots to do. Would be a fun place if you don’t mind camping next to neighbors!

  • Becky M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    July 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.

  • V
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    June 12, 2023

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Nice place

    Overall nice place to stay. We stay each year with family so there are about 4 of our campers all there together.distance between sites can be wide or narrow depending on which site you’re on.

    Pros: Clean/well maintained, easy short path through the trees to get to the beach, sturdy picnic tables all around, long “driveway” for campsite

    Cons: pads are gravel and not very level, pads are very narrow, beyond the trees on one side of the campground is a major road so you’ll hear cars passing by, not a lot of restroom/bathhouses

  • Becky M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    June 10, 2023

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Very clean park!

    We spent 4 days here and the park is a busy place! Very clean!!!!! Dump station was easy access! We were right by the shower houses. Check in and out was simple. We made our reservations online. The park had paved roads, great for bike riding, playground was a hit! The sunset was gorgeous in the evenings at the beach! We will be back!

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve
    March 25, 2023

    Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve

    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.

  • Vanessa H.
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    September 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!

  • Travis R.
    Camper-submitted photo from Black Hawk County Park
    April 17, 2022

    Black Hawk County Park

    Lots to do

    Nice place good amenities. Has plenty of fishing access archery gun range. Boat access. Decent shower/ bathroom facilities.

  • T
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    July 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.

  • T
    Camper-submitted photo from Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve
    July 13, 2021

    Pilot Knob State Park — Pilot Knob State Preserve

    Our favorite

    This is our favorite place to camp. Never overcrowded, they have activities put in by Friends of Pilot Knob such as movie nights. Lots to do like hiking, biking, and fishing. Very clean bathhouse and bathrooms, park. Family friendly and quiet place to camp.

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from North Equestrian Campground — Brushy Creek State Recreation Area
    July 6, 2021

    North Equestrian Campground — Brushy Creek State Recreation Area

    North Equine Campground

    The only open site was in the North Equine Campground so we took a chance. We really did like the Campground, it was well maintained, clean and quiet. There were a few campers with horse but not many. Hitching posts behind each site which we enjoyed seeing. The roads inside the campground were all asphalt so lots of bikers enjoying rides around the grounds. There was also a nice playground for the kids surrounded by a well maintained, large, grassy area. There were many empty sites because so many had no electric. It made for lots of nice open space. Unfortunately, we had no shade in the afternoon so weren't able to eat dinner outside or enjoy a fire in the evening. We are fortunate we camped in a 5th wheel so we could escape the heat, we would have left after the first night otherwise.
    We did drive through the Beach Campground and the South Equine Campground. Beach had very little shade and was primarily families with younger children. The beach looked real nice, not too crowded for a hot, July day. North Equine was where most of the horse folks were staying it was quite crowded. A very bustling area.

  • T
    Camper-submitted photo from Cedar Bridge County Park
    June 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!

  • V
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    April 19, 2021

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Clean and quiet

    Loved this state park. Sites not too level, but spacious. Camped in mid April and park was not very busy which was nice. Full hook up sites and W/E only sites. Close to town and lots to do.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from North Equestrian Campground — Brushy Creek State Recreation Area
    March 15, 2021

    North Equestrian Campground — Brushy Creek State Recreation Area

    The Stars Were So Bright!

    Camped here in order to be close to Fort Dodge first thing in the morning.  I stayed in the Beach Campground.  It's not on the beach, but close to it.  There are 3 total campgrounds in the park.  My choice was a very well manicured campground.  The shower house was not open yet due to the time of year, but the drop latrine was open, very clean and well lit.

    This little nugget is laid out on a vast prairie.  Most sites have younger trees that provide some shade.  This is not the big wooded type park.  There are trails to get you out and away from the "park" and closer to the rustic woody nature.

    Fire rings are all adjustable, sites are well kept and they offer "buddy sites" that are 2 sites really close together for those times when you bring friends, but have too many tents/vehicles to fall into the rules.

    Verizon 4G fluctuated between 0-2 bars.  Was able to send pictures and only dropped a call once.

    Very little light pollution

  • Jennifer D.
    Camper-submitted photo from Clear Lake State Park Campground
    July 12, 2019

    Clear Lake State Park Campground

    Beautiful

    I love this campground! Clean, well maintained, and the hosts are very friendly. Trail to the beach is clear, the playground has nice, safe equipment for the little kids. Sad that there were so many back up sites over the holiday weekend, would have liked to have been able to camp here. It being full more than a week before the holiday, shows how great it is.

Guide to Hampton

Camping near Hampton, IA, offers a mix of beautiful nature and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or an adventure-filled trip, there are several campgrounds to choose from.

What to do

  • Hiking: Explore scenic trails at Ledges State Park Campground. One camper mentioned, "The campground is well kept but busy in the summer months with it being a popular hiking destination for Des Moines locals."
  • Fishing: Enjoy fishing opportunities at Pine Lake State Park Campground. A visitor shared, "Fishing is good here, as are the hiking trails."
  • Biking: Check out the Cedar Valley bike trail near George Wyth State Park Campground. One reviewer noted, "On Cedar Valley bike trail (100+miles of interconnecting bike trail)."

What campers like

  • Clean facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the restrooms and showers. A review for Clear Lake State Park Campground stated, "Bathrooms clean, nice warm showers!"
  • Friendly staff: Many visitors mention helpful campground hosts. At Myre-Big Island State Park, a camper said, "Park employee Noah was very accommodating and pleasant to deal with."
  • Scenic views: Campers love the beautiful surroundings. One review for Dolliver Memorial State Park Campground said, "Dolliver State Park was our maiden voyage in our travel trailer... The park's beauty and tranquility did get disturbed a couple times."

What you should know

  • Cell service can be spotty: Many campgrounds have limited cell coverage. A visitor at Iowa Ledges State Park Campground mentioned, "Cell coverage is terrible out here, and there is no WIFI to help keep people connected."
  • Busy during peak season: Campgrounds can get crowded in summer. One camper at George Wyth State Park Campground noted, "I much prefer during the off season (it gets too busy during the warm season for my liking)."
  • Limited amenities: Some campgrounds may not have markets or stores nearby. A review for Eagle City County Park stated, "There is no pit toilet... you need to pay ($10) via a website."

Tips for camping with families

  • Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with kid-friendly amenities. At Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA, a camper said, "Kids had fun at the swimming pond."
  • Choose spacious sites: Opt for campgrounds with larger sites for more room to play. A review for Brushy Creek State Recreation Area mentioned, "Great for tent camping, very spacious and grassy sites."
  • Plan for activities: Make sure to have a list of activities to keep everyone entertained. One camper at Pilot Knob State Park shared, "They have activities put in by Friends of Pilot Knob such as movie nights."

Tips from RVers

  • Check site amenities: Make sure the campground has the hookups you need. A visitor at Myre-Big Island State Park noted, "If you need 50 amps, you're going to want to head to the Beach Camp."
  • Look for pull-through sites: These can make parking easier. One camper at Waterloo - Lost Island Waterpark KOA mentioned, "Lots of pull through lots."
  • Be prepared for noise: Some campgrounds are near highways or train tracks. A review for George Wyth State Park Campground stated, "Sleeping in a tent it was very noisy at night."

Camping around Hampton, IA, has something for everyone, whether you're in a tent or an RV. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Hampton, IA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Hampton, IA is Clear Lake State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 11 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Hampton, IA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Hampton, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.