Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Deer River? Camping with horses is a beautiful way to experience nature. These scenic and easy-to-reach Minnesota campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Drive-in Sites 86 sites Electric Sites 21 sites RV Length Limit 40 feet Length is measured from front of tow vehicle to rear of vehicle being towed. Walk-in Sites 3 sites These are first-come, first-served sites in the Beatrice Lake Campground. Horse CampLocated in George Washington State Forest, Stony Brook Horse Campground. Not located in the park. Although the horse campground is not located in McCarthy Beach State Park, they are managed by the park. The Stony Brook Horse Campground is located 9 miles from the park office. Trails connect the park to the horse camp. Group Camp 1 Site - Accommodate up to 40 people Site located on wooded bluff overlooking Big Sturgeon Lake, nestled between the picnic area and boat landing. Spigot for water and vault toilets available. May accommodate a few small camping trailers, but is primarily a tenting area.
Located 10 miles south of Blackduck, Minnesota on County Road 31. Follow Forest Road 2207 east for one mile, then drive two miles south on Forest Road 2236, the campground provides access to Webster Lake, a picnic area and a large trail system. There are 15 sites available as well as a boat launch.
$14 / night
Cut Foot Sioux Horse Camp is located northeast of Lake Winnibigoshish. Over 120 miles of forest roads and recreation trails surround this scenic campground, making it a favorite location of campers with horses.
Many miles of trails pass through or begin at Cut Foot, leading horseback riders, hikers and mountain bikers through the Cut Foot Experimental Forest. Several trails are also open to off-road vehicles. Research areas are designated by various markers. Please leave the markers as you find them.
The campground lies within the Cut Foot Experimental Forest, managed in part by the North Central Research Station in Grand Rapids and the Chippewa National Forest. The Cut Foot is an outdoor laboratory for studying pine forest management. A mature stand of red pine trees cover the area, and oak and birch trees dot the forest. The campground has nice shade and good privacy between sites.
Boating, swimming and fishing are popular activities on Big and Little Cut Foot Sioux Lakes and Lake Winnibigoshish. These lakes and several others are within a few miles of the campground.
$16 / night
$14 - $50 / night
Rustic camping at its finest! Beautiful private secluded sites with 120 acres of winding trails specifically Designed for ATV's and horses. Unique camping experience includes your own picnic table, charcoal grill, outdoor lighted camp cupboard and strategically placed lantern hooks. Even a fire ring with supplied firewood! Each site has its own private port-a-john nearby with a quaint little night lantern. For the horseman, sites are available with 100 gallon water tubs, and a custom hitchin' rail for up to 6 horses, complete with bucket hooks, protected saddle rack, hay pallet, tack-rack, everything you need including tents, screen house and chairs if needed. We forgot nothing! You bring the FUN!
$25 - $35 / night
Guide
I personally liked the Campground, close to the lake and clean bathrooms.
ScoutNothing says Minnesota like the call of the Loon and that’s what greeted me upon arrival at my site! This site is lovely—water and easy to access to water sports on either Sturgeon or Side Lake. Some road noise but not too bad. I am imagine it’s much more hectic in the summer with the big beach across the road. Great for kids! Easy trails for walking and dog friendly. Can be buggy but that’s MN. For more rustic, head further up to Beatrice Lake Campground.
ScoutBeautiful spot, close to great mountian biking. great time of year
Traveler
We love camping here! Definitely not for campers or rvs. Perfect for tents, backpackers, and a couple sites are good for Rooftop tents. Vault toilets are clean. Lots of picnic tables and fire pits.
ScoutFirst off, and most appealing to me is the fact that there is no cell service. All 12 campsites are first come first serve and you can’t jump a line by going on a website to reserve a spot.  there are no water or electric hook ups but there are hand pumps for pumping water and you could bring a generator or not.
Located north of Grand Rapids Minnesota about 60 miles or 35 miles from Nashwauk Minnesota which is the closest gas station, grocery store or post office. All the sites are back in no pull through sites, generally level however there’s a few that are on an angle
GuideThe site was lovely! I stayed at #48 and it was nice and level. The only bummer was that the camp office was closed when I arrived at 5pm so I couldn’t buy firewood.
The lakeside trail was very pretty!
Ranger
I saw the sign for a campground on the road and I thought I check it out. It's a campground by a lake with a hiking trail, pit toilettes, and boat launch.
People come here off-roading, fishing, boating, and hunting.
I was visiting in September, Labor day weekend, and half of the sites were empty. I got a really nice, large spot on the lake. It's a primitive campground, with no any sort of electricity or even garbage service. First come first serve, there is an envelope stand at the entrance.
Depending on what way you are coming from, you have to drive a few miles on gravel forest roads. It's not bad though.
I did try the trail that goes around the lake, it's about 3.5 miles long. It goes through the forest mainly, not a very exciting trail, very easy. There is a place where you can walk on the bog and sit down on a bench for a nice view. That was the pretty part.
So many mosquitos though, you better spray yourself before going on the hike. I forgot and bugs were chasing me. I couldn't stop at all, I was rushing through the trail.
Overall, a nice National Forest Campground, quiet it's perfect for an outdoorsy weekend.
I had a strong AT&T signal, enough to run Netflix and do online surfing.
GuideWe camped here in the fall and were the only people in the campground. The office staff was very nice and we really enjoyed the fall colors in the park. We didn't use the shower/bathroom facilities, but the outhouse worked just fine for our needs.
LegendThis is a small rustic campground on Webster Lake. I arrived here on a Friday afternoon end of July, which should have been peak camping season, and the campground was half empty. Its a bit off the beaten path, the lake is not huge, and the campsites are simple so maybe the campground is not on many peoples radar. However, the lake is pretty and the fishing isnt bad, the lakeside campsites are fairly nice, and there are some interesting trails into the bogs around the lake. Supposedly it is most busy during fall hunting season, so for a quiet camping experience and wildlife wAtching it is probably best to come in mid to late summer. Early summer is also probably not the best time as the surrounding bogs are probably great mosquito breeding grounds!
TravelerWe were right on side lake. Nice beach at McCarthy. Good fishing.
Guidethe sand was so nice and the area was very well kept up! so many tables and spots to sit. They had 4 trails we didn’t get to go on but were well marked and the staff was very nice! I can’t wait to go back!
GuideFamily friendly, beautiful forest, and awesome lakes!!!
LegendThis state park that may be well known to locals for its stellar beach and day-use picnic grounds, but seems to be off the beaten path and a well kept secret as a family camping destination.
I would give the beach area a five star rating, as the beach is on Sturgeon Lake which is incredibly beautiful (even on a cloudy weekend like when we were there), the beach is amazing with crystal clear water, shallow depths for kids and family swimming, great picnic spots all along the expansive shoreline, new beautiful bath house, and overall terrific accessibility for folks of all kinds, including families with young kids and folks with disabilities as there are great paved walkways and gentle access ramps everywhere. There is a public boat access onto the lake just south of the beach area on Sturgeon Lake, and also in the campground which is actually across the isthmus on adjacent Side Lake. It is worth camping here if you want a relaxing vacation with daily trips to the beach, or time out on the water of either lake for fishing and boating. There are canoe rentals avaialble if you dont have a craft of your own. There are also naturalist programs,and regular outdoor perfromances by local music ensembles too, so overall there is lots to do in a relaxing and fun outdoorsy location.
I am giving the campground itself just a 4 star rating for a couple reasons. First, there is currently a water issue--testing has found contamination in the campground wells, so there isnt potable water and you have to get drinking water from other locations in the area. The campground also seems a bit cramped, with most sites placed very close together, so you dont get a real quiet secluded experience. An exception are some of the sites at the end of the loop, such as campsite 30, where the neighbors arent so close. Also, the Group campsite, which is located in between the beach and the boat access on Sturgeon Lake, is probably the best camping option in the park, with its own indoor shelter and tent sites for groups up to 40--for your best camping experience here in the park, get a group together and go for the group site!
ScoutLocated just outside Hibbing and Chisholm, this campground is on Side Lake and Sturgeon Lake. If it is too windy on one lake, just walk across to the other one. Beautiful beach, with modern beach house and nice picnic area. The lake is shallow for quite a ways out so it’s great for water games and younger swimmers, as well as those who just just love floating around. The group campsite is beautiful. We have been Camping there now for over 10 years and it is still one of our favorite spots. Love listening to the loons at night and enjoying a campfire among the tall trees of the campground. This is also the best place that I have seen the northern lights.
ScoutUsed to be great about ten yrs ago, now it's changed and not for the better. Brought my family there for what was supposed to be a three day trip, we were there one night. Very loud camp neighbor's! RV campers who are drunk and loud, noisy generator's, camp spots are too tight together. Not worth the money or time!
GuideWe really enjoyed this park. Electric loop was tight and some sites had minimal privacy. The non electric sites were much more private. All sites had nice shady trees. It's a very forested park. We really appreciated the new restroom facilities.
We had easy water access for our kayak off the campground loop. And it was easy enough to carry the kayak across to the other lake to explore out there. The beach on the big lake was very nice, clean and there were easily accessible "ends" of the beach to have a dog. The sandbar was expansive!
This was a great park for campers of all styles; very family friend - it was very busy with lots of kids. Trails can be reached from the campground but the hike to the trails would be a hike in itself for some. Trail heads seemed remote compared to other parks.
There were temporary problems with the drinking water on the whole campground - couldn't brush teeth with sink water, and had to go to the dump station to fill up from the one safe water spigot, but it wasn't anything that would keep us from coming back.
TravelerSituated by a lake and awesome regional trails, McCarthy Beach is a great weekend trip. Lots of great wildlife and the lake is beautiful to sit and chill by on any evening. I loved it - quiet campsites and peaceful region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Deer River, MN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Deer River, MN is Side Lake Campground — McCarthy Beach State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Deer River, MN?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Deer River, MN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
