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The campgrounds near Janesville, Iowa do not offer dedicated horse facilities according to the data. None of the campgrounds feature horse corrals or specialized equestrian amenities in their listed features. Black Hawk County Park provides general camping with electric hookups, water, and sanitary facilities, but lacks specific equestrian infrastructure. George Wyth State Park Campground offers extensive recreational options including hiking and biking trails that could potentially accommodate horses, though this is not explicitly stated in the available information.
Trail access varies across these campgrounds, with most providing multiple access types including drive-in, walk-in, and boat-in options. The extensive trail system at George Wyth connects to over 100 miles of interconnecting bike trails throughout the Cedar Valley area, though their suitability for horseback riding is unspecified. Black Hawk Park features fishing access, an archery range, and boat access with decent bathroom facilities. Backbone State Park, slightly farther from Janesville, offers more diverse recreational activities with hiking trails and trout streams but similarly does not indicate specialized horse accommodations. The terrain throughout these parks consists primarily of wooded areas along rivers and lakes, potentially suitable for day rides but lacking overnight horse camping infrastructure.
"** Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.)"
"On Cedar Valley bike trail (100+miles of interconnecting bike trial. major Hwy on two sides of park, sleeping in a tenet it was very noisy at night. and a train track close by (again at night)"
from $16 - $24 / night
Check Availability"Right on the bike trail.. Hot showers.. Good place to camp..."
"Kids had a great time playing in the water, our site was about 20 ft from the waters edge."
"There are miles of trails. Is hiking your thing? What about equestrian? Maybe mountain bike trails? You can even take the family for a nice leisurely walk on the easier trails."
"Backbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa. There are two campgrounds."
from $16 - $25 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $16 - $36 / night
Check Availability"Dump station and dumpsters near the exit. Clean bathrooms and showers. Lots of space at each campsite. Good hiking and horse trails."
"It runs along the Cedar River and has a put in for paddlers nearby. It is situated right off the blacktopped road."
from $14 - $26 / night
Check Availability
TravelerYou 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!
GuideBackbone is a very diverse area. There are miles of trails. Is hiking your thing? What about equestrian? Maybe mountain bike trails? You can even take the family for a nice leisurely walk on the easier trails. Exploring is fun at this park because there is so much to see. The Trout stream was busy the weekend we were there. You might even want to play a round of Gulf. We have solar on our trailer so we stayed in the Six Pines campground and it was beautiful. We listened to the night animals for hours.
LegendWhy Should You Camp Here?
Iowa state parks are a bargain! This one is $11 for a non-electric site, $16 for an electric site. (Rates go down to $6 and $11 from 10/1-4/30.) There is no separate park entry fee (unlike some states).
You can rent kayaks, canoes or pedal boats near the campground at Wyth Lake. And there are 3 other nearby lakes.
There's a small beach at Wyth Lake.
The Cedar River is on the edge of the campground.
You're so close to Cedar Falls and Waterloo which means there are craft breweries!
We were only there for a night but I saw this on reserveamerica.com: "The Lake-to-State Park Bike Route is a 50 mile route connecting Pine Lake and George Wyth State Park. The route primarily utilizes county highways and established bike routes and paths once inside Cedar Falls/Waterloo."
We didn't do everything we could do there, because we were just passing through. Check this out: https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/george-wyth-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IA&parkId=610125
Amenities
The usual fire ring and picnic table
Dump station and potable water
Flush toilets and running water in bathrooms along with push button showers. Ok, push button showers are not ideal. Just keep pushing that button and hopefully you'll be okay with the temperature that you can't control!
RangerBackbone State Park is unlike any other place in Iowa, having geological features uncommon in Iowa.
There are two campgrounds. I have camped in both:
Modern Campground: This is a large, modern campground with all of the standard amenities found in a modern campground… electric hookups, flush toilets, water. I have camped here twice, both times in my travel trailer. Overall, it is a nice campground with decent space in between campers, however, I tend to avoid it during the busier summer and fall colors seasons.
Primitive Campground: This is my favorite at Backbone for camping, especially in the autumn after the leaves have fallen off of the trees. As this campground is non-electric, there are not many people camping after it turns colder. I have spent many nights there alone in the primitive campground, watching RVs pull in and then leave after realizing that it has no hookups.
Nearby trout fishing: Backbone is home to one of the more popular trout streams in Iowa. The fishing is easy as most of the fish are stocked (April-October). Still, it is an enjoyable fishing trip as the stream itself is mostly rocks and gravel, with several deep holes. The water is cold and clear.
Other activities: Hiking is very popular in Backbone. I have also seen rock climbing and rappelling. There are some nice spots away from the trout stream for wading and a little swimming. Backbone State Park also has a small lake with a swimming area and boat rentals during the summer. Several nice cabins are available for those who do not want to camp.
TravelerThis campground has many things to do. This place has tent, rv and cabin camping, you can choose modern or non modern camping. Fun activities include fishing, swimming in a lake and also ground fed springs, boat rentals on the lake, hiking also horse trails, rock climbing, caves, playgrounds shelters for events and parties. I am sure there are even more things to do that I didnt have the time for.
TravelerWe stayed here two nights. That was plenty, although it's not really the park's fault. The lake was super gross, with excessive floating moss (probably a weather issue) and EXCESSIVE goose poop everywhere. The beach was basically unusable, with goose bombs everywhere. It was better when we kayaked, but still gross.
So why the five stars? 1. The bathrooms were fantastic. 2. The camp site was really nice and plenty of room. 3. The hiking was superb. Felt like we were not in Iowa. 4. The driving through the park was also really great and I will go back this fall to look at leaves. 5. There is a cave you can explore on your own. We did. It's awesome. It's muddy. It's super cool. 6. There are some decent bouldering spots. 7. Cheap, huge bundles of firewood at park entrance. 8. Really friendly at the camp store. 9. Close to Strawberry Point. Go to town to Clayton's Pharmacy and get an old fashioned soda. Fantastic. 10. Close to Edgewood and the Edgewood Locker. Go visit and stock up on meat on the way home.
LegendI have visited a lot of Iowa parks and campgrounds. Backbone is one on my favorites. Backbone is the oldest state park in Iowa. You can take your canoe out on the lake or hit some of the hiking trails. There are cabins for rent if you don't want to sleep in a tent.
Click on the following link to download the trail maps: www.iowadnr.gov/portals/idnr/uploads/parks/trailmaps/trails_backbone.pdf
This is a great place to stay but make sure you get your reservations in early if you plan on staying on the weekend. If you want it to be quiet and prefer less crowds but you still want to enjoy the park, I highly suggest taking some time off of work during the week and avoiding the weekend.
This is a special place, the facilities, the showers, the campsites, the trails, and the lake are top quality.
LegendThere are two campgrounds at this park (the first state park in Iowa): a primitive one and a “modern” one. The primitive one (Six Pine) only has a pit toilet and each site has a fire grate and a picnic table. The modern campground (South Lake) has 30 amp, 50 amp, and tent sites. The electric sites are very close together (too close for our liking) so we opted for a tent site. We were in a loop with about six sites, and while the site size was generous and spaced a decent distance apart, there was no delineation between sites and no specific place to park your vehicle (and you cannot park on the road). These sites were also decidedly bumpy and not level; it took us about 15 minutes of maneuvering our van around to find a reasonably level spot.
The restrooms were six separate rooms, each complete with toilet, sink, and shower; they were clean.
We drove around the park and saw the balanced rock (meh) and I walked the short distance to the mouth of the cave. There was good signage to find the cave but once there, no information about the cave and its safety (or not) was available so I opted not to explore its dark and wet interior! There are seven trails in the park; the East Lake trail was a treat to hike. It hugs the lake for about two miles and while you can veer off onto the Bluebird Trail, I enjoyed hiking out and back for a different view. You can also hike from the South Lake campground to the beach– about a mile but the trail does start and stop, and you have to walk on the road for a bit. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats but we did not take advantage of this. We also did not swim so I cannot speak to the quality of the lake (other reviewers took issue with this). There is also a CCC museum, but it was not open while we were there.
We stayed one night which was sufficient for us. It might have been nice to stay longer if we decided to rent kayaks or hike different trails.
ScoutIt’s quiet, clean, and has some pretty views of the Iowa nite sky
Campgrounds near Janesville, Iowa feature varying levels of trail access with most found along the Cedar River and its tributaries. The terrain consists primarily of river valleys with hardwood forests, gentle slopes, and grasslands. While equestrian enthusiasts might not find dedicated horse campgrounds near Janesville, Iowa, several nearby parks offer trail systems and natural areas where day rides can be arranged, though specialized equestrian camping facilities remain limited.
Kayaking and canoeing on Cedar River: Access multiple launch points at Cedar Bridge County Park where the river provides excellent water recreation opportunities. "Sitting right on the Cedar River, it's a great location to kayak and tube," notes Tim M., who appreciates the park's riverside location.
Swimming at lakeside beaches: George Wyth State Park Campground offers a sand beach area with rentals available. "There is a sand beach to swim, where they also rent kayaks & canoes," reports Steve R., who found multiple water recreation options at the park.
Trout fishing opportunities: Anglers can access trout streams at South Lake Campground within Backbone State Park. The campground provides access to stocked trout waters, making it popular with fishing enthusiasts. "Beautiful park!" mentions Edward B., highlighting the overall appeal of the area for outdoor recreation.
Clean, accessible facilities: Campers consistently mention the well-maintained bathrooms at campgrounds in the area. "Clean bathrooms, showers and spots," notes Edward B. about South Lake Campground, a sentiment shared across multiple area campgrounds.
Extensive trail connectivity: The bike trail network receives high praise from campers at Black Hawk County Park. "Right on the bike trail... Hot showers... Good place to camp," writes Jeff A., highlighting the convenience of trail access directly from the campground.
Fishing access points: Multiple fishing locations cater to various preferences. "Nice place good amenities. Has plenty of fishing access archery gun range. Boat access," reports Travis R. about Black Hawk County Park, where water recreation and fishing opportunities abound.
Flooding concerns: Several campgrounds experience periodic flooding that can impact accessibility. At George Wyth State Park, "because it is so close to river anytime it rains heavily there is flooding in several areas of the park... in 2 out of the last 3 years it's even been bad enough to close the park completely," cautions Jennifer T.
Highway noise at some locations: The convenience of easy access comes with some noise trade-offs. "It's also pretty bright here at night because it's right in the city," notes Max K. about George Wyth State Park, indicating that light pollution can affect the camping experience.
Limited equestrian accommodations: While there aren't dedicated horse campgrounds near Janesville specifically, day-use trails in the broader region can accommodate riders. None of the reviewed campgrounds mention dedicated equestrian facilities or corrals.
Playground facilities: Shellrock River Co Preserve offers basic amenities in a quieter setting. "Secluded free camping with port a potty, fire rings and a shelter," shares Tammie C., making it suitable for families seeking a more rustic experience.
Swimming options for children: George Wyth State Park offers designated swimming areas with amenities for families. "For little ones, there is a large sand playground area with slides and swings. There is a sand beach to swim," mentions Steve R., detailing the family-friendly facilities.
Weather preparation: Seasonal changes affect campground conditions significantly. Backbone State Park can experience rapid weather shifts, particularly in spring and fall, requiring appropriate clothing and shelter preparations for family campers.
Electric hookup details: Most campgrounds offer 30/50 amp service, though setup varies. "No full hook ups - must fill water tanks before parking and 30/50 power available," advises Edward B. about South Lake Campground, providing important information for RV planning.
Site selection for larger units: Camp Comfort Recreation Area accommodates various RV sizes with thoughtful layout. "Sites are decent size. They have a shelter and small playground. There is a spigot to fill your tanks and electric hook ups," reports Chantal C., noting the practical amenities.
Dump station locations: Several campgrounds provide dump stations, though not all. "Dump station and potable water" are available at George Wyth State Park according to Mary S., who found the campground to be "a bargain" despite some limitations like push-button showers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Janesville, IA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Janesville, IA is George Wyth State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Janesville, IA?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Janesville, IA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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