Are you planning a trip to Saint Croix National Scenic River with your horse? We've got you covered. Camping with horses is a beautiful way to experience nature. With our help, you'll find the best Minnesota equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
The park provides opportunities for semi-modern camping, group camping, equestrian camping, backpack camping, and canoe camping. Visitors who want modern amenities can reserve the guest house which provides a living room, dining room, kitchen, and fireplace. The park also has six camping cabins which include bunkbeds, a table, and benches.
$35 / night
Riverview has a mowed, semi-shaded to shaded sites (42 electric). This is the preferred campground for RVs.
$25 - $35 / night
$17 / night
Come and Camp With Us! “Go with the Flow” and enjoy our fun and relaxing family campground near the city of Isanti, in central Minnesota. By day enjoy camping, tubing, canoeing, kayaking or paddle-boarding! Hop in the refreshing swimming pool or take a spin through our fun splash pad.
$40 - $75 / night
Guide
This is a solid state park offering. The sites are decently spaced with good tree cover. Noise seemed to travel between sites, I had some loud neighbors during the day but they settled down before quiet hours. The grass was easy to get tent stakes into. Bathrooms were your basic state park situation. Clean with warm showers so no complaints from me. The star gazing area was great! Intermittently had 1-2 bars of T-Mobile with LTE Internet. Wi-Fi is available at the park entrance.
Scout
Nice river nearby canoeing swimming pool fireplaces and little store for treats.
TravelerThe campground is nice and clean. Good size spaces. The tubing is a plus. Had one issue with power dropping so we had to pull the surge protector off the. It was fine. Also very hot and humid so everyone was running AC to the max. Pool was small but nice. Splash pad was even nice for adults I recommend this campground. Key thing is the river is very clean and sandy bottom.
GuideI have been coming to Wild River since I was a kid. Nice park, scenic trails, horses on the way in.
ScoutI stayed here 3 weeks ago with my wife and 2 young children and it was fantastic great playground and heated pool the spaces were well kept and spaced apart 10-10 would most defiantly go again! A ton for the kids to do!
ScoutGreat campground. Clean bathrooms, and friendly at office. Beautiful this time of year! Hiking was awesome
TravelerStayed for two nights at a drive-in double site here and found it ideal for autumn camping. We didn’t think we would get colors, but they came out a little early, adding a few splashes to the hiking and river view.
Site was private enough, the woods surrounding dense enough to obscure others while still feeling open. Also open enough to spot three white-tail deer.
Hike to the Nevers Dam lookout was easy enough for a five year old to walk (most of it) — featuring some very cool fallen trees and a wonderful winding staircase — and the adjacent sandy beach was a pleasant and peaceful surprise.
One complaint is that the nearby vault toilet reeked of amonia and was unusable so we had to walk to the adjacent loop for bathroom. Silver lining is that we discovered the free little library near that bathroom and grabbed a copy of ‘Ramona the Brave’ for the kiddo. We went back and left a copy of ‘Amira’s Picture Day.’
TravelerWe were at site 93. It's a large site with plenty of room for a huge tent or a few tents. It was very buggy so we got a screen tent. Nicely shaded site as well. Not far from the water station and pit toilet. For a bathroom with running water it's a long walk and there's not close parking either. The campground is a long drive into the park from the main entrance. 12x10 screen tent fit easily over the 8' picnic table.
Traveler
It’s very very secluded from the near by town
On days that the moonlight is not out bring flashlights because when the moon is not shining it’s pitch black
Keep in mind the driveway trail is not lit up but the showers are very clean and up to date And very clean they are fully stocked in hand soap & toilet paper the have sinks for washing ur utensils and pans and ect
GuideSecluded Spots. Plenty of hiking trails. Great views. Dump Station and 50 amps. Right on the St. Croix River
GuideGreat campground with plenty of privacy and space between sites. Excellent hiking trails along the river. Restroom/shower building and vault toilets well maintained.
TravelerLots of different camping spots. All with trees surrounding your area for a little bit of privacy but the spots are relatively close to each other. We really liked the far end of the campsite but would've preferred campsite 89 or 91 or any on those sides because they seemed to have the most room and privacy.
Toilets were great and they had some bathrooms not too far away that have running water as well.
Trails that ran along the river were great!
Legend
This was a one night stop over on the way to Grand Portage and Isle Royale. It is a nicely maintained campground with lots of open space and nicely constructed rustic bath houses. Apparently, the bath houses are under renovation. The loop I was in had one of the new bathrooms and it was impressive….definitely an A rating. The site spacing is good but not a lot of landscaping for privacy. The mosquitoes were voracious! That has been my experience throughout MN.
We also experienced the most intense and violent thunderstorm of my life. One lightning strike hit within 100 yards of our site. All of the campers were talking about it in the morning. My poor dog was a basket case and could not even eat her dinner. Their reservation system could not find St. Croix without the period.
TravelerWe stayed at a backpack site where we were greeted with well maintained paths, great hiking options, and good views. The only con I have with the park is the lack of water accessibility for backpack sites located in Highland Loop. We have to either carry in all water for our trip or do the steep, winding hike to the Visitor Center to refill. There wasn’t any area to filter water. Otherwise, everything was great!
GuideWe enjoyed our stay. Large, wooded campsite with electrical service and T-mobile service (1 bar). Good trails and plenty of wildlife (deer, etc).
GuideThe layout of Wild River State Park has a lot of potential for great trails and exploration. April is a bit too early to go since the trees are still pretty baron. That said, it does have a surreal “Blair Witch” vibe and the further down the trails you go, the more you realize how separated you are from the rest of the world.
Guide
For $17 a night you can't beat a state forest campgrounds. This is real camping for the kids. Get there early in the day because there are no reservations and it's first come first served. The campground was clean and in better shape than any state park campgrounds I have been to.. The sites are spaced out and although it is a long drive in from the tar and gravel, it's worth the trip. A beautiful lake and lots of trails. There are many ATV trails on the way in, but the ATVs are not allowed in the campground. Most likely on busy weekends you were going to hear them in the distance. Mid week it was quiet and there was only three other people there and this remote campground.
LegendWooded, secluded sites. Fantastic hiking trails nearby. Clean restrooms, showers. Water. Dumpster. Pretty quiet here. T-Mobile 2 bars. Would stay here again.
RangerJust a wonderful campground, close to the city, with large secluded sites. This is our go-to when we need a quick one or two night getaway.
GuideThe camper cabins at Wild River are located just above the St. Croix River. Our cabin seemed to be at a trailhead to the river, which we took advantage of. The camper cabins had electricity and heat, no plumbing. Excellent fire ring for cooking. The park itself has many trails.
TravelerVery secluded RV sites. Some shallow some very long. Restrooms and showers were very clean
LegendThis park has a ton of camping available, particularly if you don't need electricity and have a smaller rig because then you can get into more of the campground loops. (There is electricity here, but there are many more sites without.)
The sites in the Old Logging Campground were close together but many had vegetation between them offering some privacy. Site 207 was especially tucked in but it's a tight spot, so probably best for a van or tent.
The park itself has a lot to offer being right on the St. Croix River, plus there are hiking trails, a paved bike path, a fire tower you can climb, an old CCC camp area you can tour, and more. Also, canoe and kayak rentals are available. And this is all within the state park boundary since, at 34,000 acres, the park is the largest in the Minnesota state park system.
Some of the loops have old bathhouses that desperately need to be replaced, but they are in the process of doing so, which means some loops have great new bathrooms and showers. (If you stay in the upper 200s, sites, you'll have one of these new bathrooms right away, but more are being built.) Cell service was incredibly spotty on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Depending on where you're at, you'll get a low signal, but often it was only enough for texting-- don't think about using the web or social media or getting any work done while you're here.
Overall, we enjoyed our weekend at this park and would come back for another getaway if we had the chance and it wasn't a workday.
TravelerLittle hard making the turn to back in, but nice flat, shaded lot
GuideNice campground on the river. There is lots of hiking trails but the deer flies could be bad on some of the trails. Spotty AT&T cell phone coverage.
GuideThis was my first solo tent camping night in June 5, 2020. There were some horse flies when I parked but they didn't seem to hang out in the shade of my campsite. There was a very loud bird making calls until about 1am... Maybe a whip-poor-will. Otherwise a serene spot tucked back in the walk in site.
Directions to the walk in sites were a bit unclear when driving in but I eventually made it there.
ScoutWe were here in Sept and back again at the end of Oct. Wonderful forests, pleasantly, quiet. Beautiful views along the Tamarack river. We like camping in state forest for the wild life experience. We seen Bear, Wolf, and plenty of Yote's. This is nature at it's finest. I will be back. Heads up! No hook up's. Vault bathrooms only.
RangerI’ll say, one of the best parts of this park is all the interpretative kiosks. Love learning about the forestry and history of state parks! Also many options for trails which is great. A lot of wildlife here, I heard a ton of coyotes and geese, a woodpecker, and a beaver under the bridge in the evening chomping away at peeling logs... totally scared me at first but he was just doing his job and I tried not to bother him!
I stayed at the backpacking site: SPRING. It’s just a short hike (bout 400 meters) from the river access where there is a vaulted toilet snd water year-round. The site had a bench overlooking the river and a rugged stair for water access. Also had a little personal rustic toilet just a trail behind the site. Nice and wooded campsite, soft dirt, and fairly spacious! In wet months, I bet it's pretty muddy. The only drawback is that the trail it’s situated on is the hiking club trail and heavily trafficked. I stayed in winter, where you could see through the trees and all that tho. Maybe in summer, it’s more secluded? But still, something to keep in mind.
Took a peek at the campground- some of the most spaced out and wooded sites I’ve seen yet. I like that they made it in separated loops, to avoid through traffic distracting your stay. Love the visitors center, great overlook, and interesting information. By the trail center, which is also very cozy and rents, skis and snowshoes and has a great inside fireplace, there is an interpretative walk about white pines- great for kids to imagine those huge trees! They do a great job aiding the imagination as you walk along the short trail.
Camper cabins here are up on a bluff- didn’t stay there but totes want to! Nicely situated.
Everything that I checked out here was very well managed and they clearly put a lot of time and care into making this park functional, interesting, and accessible. I loved my little backpack site but can’t wait to come back to camp in the summer or rent a cabin! The river is gorgeous, even as it was frozen in winter!
Horse camping near the Saint Croix National Scenic River in Minnesota offers a unique blend of scenic trails and equestrian-friendly amenities, perfect for riders looking to explore the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Saint Croix National Scenic River?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Saint Croix National Scenic River is Wild River State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 43 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Saint Croix National Scenic River?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Saint Croix National Scenic River, with real photos and reviews from campers.
