Best Equestrian Camping in Minnesota

I am from a suburb of Twin Cities metro area in Minnesota and we wanted to go camping with my in-laws who have horses. We needed a park that was close and had equestrian camping so we decided to go to Lake Carlos State Park.

Lake Carlos State Park is roughly 2.5hours from the Twin Cities and is a beautiful getaway for a weekend trip. You can leave after work on a Friday and still have time to make it to the park, set up and still be able to cook dinner and enjoy a s’more or two.

We booked site H3 in the equestrian campground which was a VERY open site right off the main loop in the equestrian campground. It was very sunny and barely any shade for the horses. The site were in was electric and there were only three non-electric sites in the equestrian campground. The other sites were awesome for shade but were still super open to everyone.

There were great trails for hiking and horseback riding. They also allowed mountain biking on the trails.

The staff at the office were super friendly and they talked to us for about 15 minutes. Their store in the office was pretty great and they had everything from toys for the kids to s’mores stuff and stickers specific to the park. The firewood was pretty fast burning and cost 6$ a bundle so it was pretty spendy since we cook only over the fire.

The main campground was VERY busy and jammed packed. The sites were too close together and open for my comfort.

The beach was very dirty and there were army worms everywhere crawling on everything.

We took a little bike ride to the group camp which was an amazing area with a very nice shelter with electric.

All in all, this is a good park to go to if you are looking for a park close to the twin cities metro area.

We thoroughly enjoyed the hiking trails here. Plenty of space to socially distance. Equestrian camping area is nice and plenty of horse trails too. The biggest hit for me was the newly remodeled beach area on Lake Andrew. Plenty of space and a nice “fishing” pier to hang out at. They rent kayaks there too!!

We stayed in the Upper Campground in the site closest to the equestrian campground. The kids loved being able to meet & visit with the horses. 

The sites were a good size, but not much privacy or tree coverage in the area we stayed. There were a lot of trails to hike and a river/stream that they said you could wade/swim in, but we didn't go into it. 

There were a lot of playgrounds, and one really huge one the kids wanted to play on, but with COVID-19 still going strong, we didn't use it.

I've never been to an equestrian camp before, and this was a surprise! I didn't know it was one until I arrived. But surprise or not...it was a happy accident to find the Shell City Equestrian Camp. What a beautiful little place to drop a tent, even if you didn't have a horse! And even though there was snow on the ground and a serious chill in the air, I still had the gitty up and go to make some Mountain House Beef Stew, but this time, with a twist!

Campground Review:

Shell City Equestrian Camp (and sister Shell City Camp) are run by Itasca State Park, so any info about this campground can be found under the State Park website. When I set out for the day, I anticipated finding a campground on the river, and I did find one there, but I didn't know they had a sister camp for horses. They are both located off the same road, but the equestrian campground had two ways to get in. Both are equally good, but come from different directions. The road is gravel/dirt and not a bad drive, but being unpaved, it's a bit bumpy. Be gentle when you drive. I visited in the winter, so I had snow on top of bumps and ruts and my all wheel drive was appreciated. I don't think I'd want to drive the 1/2 mile on this road in deeper snow.

Near the entrance, there are a few campsites with picnic tables and because the road into the campground is off the beaten path, I doubt there would be much traffic to bother anyone. Just past these sites are hitching posts and more campsites around a large, open area that I assume would be for horse trailers and campers (note there are no hookups here). Around the perimeter are more picnic tables, fire rings and a scattering of horse pens set in the woods. Very quaint! There was even a three stall covered horse stable (three sided). The campground also had a pit toilet and water pump for horses and people. Even if I didn't have a horse (and I don't), this would be a lovely place to drop a tent for the night. There were even horse trails to explore. Even though I didn't stay the night here, it was a great little find in the middle of the woods!

Cost for this spot was $16/night on the honor system at a drop box near the entrance.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally have the opportunity to test amazing products from incredible companies and this time, I had the pleasure of trying out Mountain House Beef Stew, but on top of the product testing, I had a culinary challenge! I was asked to create a new dish from this freeze dried meal, and my tastebuds were rewarded!

This beef stew is a medley of tummy pleasing comfort foods wrapped into a meal that's perfect for a blustery day. Beef, potatoes, carrots and peas with a gentle sprinkle of spices. Seriously yummy by itself as long as you have enough patience to give it the time it needs to absorb the hot water. These meals are fully cooked, but since they are freeze dried, they take time to re-hydrate, so add the water, zip up the special bag that allows you to "cook in the bag" and walk away. Set up your tent. Hang your hammock. Go to the bathroom. Just wait...and stir...and wait. And then YUM! Absolutely worth having a little patience.

But then there's more...

I turned mine into East Indian Couscous Stew.

I was asked to take this meal and turn it into something else to tempt the tastebuds, and I wanted to keep it simple so that it could be done on the trail. What better way to keep the body nourished than to keep the flavors interesting so you actually want to eat it? I found a simple recipe at home to make an East Indian Spice Blend and then added in some plain couscous. Here's how I modified the prepared meal.

Indian Spice Blend: (mix all together and put in a little shaker)

2T Curry powder

2T Cumin powder

2 t Turmeric powder

2 t Coriander

1 t Ginger powder

1/2 t Cardamom powder

1/2 t Cinnamon powder

Recipe: I opened the Beef Stew package and added 1/2 cup of plain couscous and 1 T of spice blend. Then I added about 4 oz of extra water (beyond what the package called for) to compensate for the re-hydration of the couscous. Then, follow the package directions and that's it. Voila! Tummy yummy goodness! I served it with tortillas to bulk up the meal a bit.

note I had a little trouble with the zipper on this bag. I don't know if it ripped, or if the cold outside made the zipper brittle, but I couldn't get it zipped back up for the required "sitting" time. So I kept spilling the water while trying to agitate the bag. No harm, just a little frustrating.

The package says it contains 2.5 servings, but I don't know any "half" people, so I'll say two servings, and I'll say that's probably two hungry women. Especially since the couscous adds more bulk to the meal. A very hungry man could probably eat this alone, but you'll need to make sure you can divide this up in one sitting, because extra leftovers won't keep well on the trail. But I've never been hiking or camping when I couldn't find a willing guinea pig needing free food!

Great little campground, hot, filling meal on a chilly, snowy day. Perfection!

Well, it snowed … in late March. I stayed in the campground in late March, 2025. This is a big park with a diversity of hiking, equestrian, and canoeing options. Since the park runs along the St. Croix, there are beautiful river-side walks to be had. There are also Oak Savanna trails. Several trails are for horses, but that isn’t my scene. I stayed in the campground for two nights. It was cold, rainy, and that turned into 5” of snow. Like many MN State Park campgrounds, you are close to your neighbors with no real private offerings. I stayed in site 66e. It was a typical site with nothing bad nor special about it. The hike to the former Dam site is the neatest thing about the park. I recommend reading the historical information at the site of the dam. Having been here once, I see no reason to come back.

Very nice quiet horse camp. Could use more horse trails, only about 12 miles worth of trails for horses.

Nice campground outside of Red Wing, MN with a bar/restaurant and other features. Access to trials for bikes and horses. I stayed in the horse camp without a horse but it was a nice area.

We stayed at Ft. Ridgley horse camp. Very nice horse camp, with electric hookups, and water at every site. Bathrooms and showers right in horse camp, and a nice little creek about 50 ft behind our site, that our boys loved playing in!! Nice trails, I wish there were a few more miles, but over all very decent. We had a great time.

A free county camp very well maintained grass with nice toilet, clean well water, firepit, benches all well cared for. I was alone all day mid week in summer until a big rig pulled up at 10pm and took half the other spots about a dozen horses. It seemed cool for one night as a tenter but a clicky type of horse owners environment where they may not want folks without horses. A nice creek near by with space and a interesting place for my dogs to soak in all the smells even if its just one night.

We stayed at site 21 in late August of 2019. It’s obvious that the park had some heavy flooding earlier in the year. A lot of the waterfront sites became sandy. The sites are close together and not very many mature trees between sites. There isn’t any cell phone coverage at the campground but there is service around the historical site. Only restrooms are single stall vault toilets. No showers. However I think the horse campground has upgraded restrooms and showers but I never checked it out because it was so far away. Mosquitoes were bad, everyone came home covered in bites. Kids had a blast playing in the creek. There was also people out on their horses offering rides to kids and educating about horse ownership.

Extremely buggy in mid July which is expected. This park has many trails that wind through woods, prairies, and around lakes. The campsite we stayed was a back packing site called "GRASS". It had a pit toilet and a small shelter which the other backpacking sites did not have. Many horse back riders shared the trailers with us which was cool to see except for the horse droppings that remained on the trails.

Great place to snowmobile, hike, bike or rideas horse!

I have been coming to Wild River since I was a kid. Nice park, scenic trails, horses on the way in.

Campsites are flat and grassy. They back up to each other so good for groups camping together. Has horse tie ups and great trails

We were staying in the area so we took a look at the campground. It is very sufficient for what you need if you are staying with your horses. It is a primitive campground with running water out of spigots and vault toilets. Some excess firewood in the middle and plenty of space for your horses. The hitching posts were mostly in the shade but not all were. It is separated in two different parts but for the most part you can find shade unless this gets completely full. 

We walked some trails and went up to lost lake...disappointed to see someone took apart a camper and left it there in a pile. The black flies were bad on our walk, but it did have some nice views along the way. Loads of raspberries along the road so we stopped in the shade and had a couple snacks. Lots of trails to hike and ride in the area and plenty of signs to warn you not to spook the horses which I think is good. 

We did stop in at the local ranch and asked about the programs they offered. We are thinking to come back in the winter when they have sleigh rides.

Some girlfriends and I wanted to stay at the camp for the weekend and have a place to social distance ourselves. We rented the horse camp sites and we couldn't have been happier. The sites have water and electric. There are high ties for the horses. The sites have a nice gravel pad with a picnic table and fire ring at each site. There is also a dump station that we were able to use before we left on Sunday. None of us had been at this campground before and love trying new places. We are endurance riders so we are used to early nights and up at dawn for riding. This camp was so nice and quiet! We had a nice fire after dinner listening to the water and birds. There were families with children, couples of all ages and well behaved dogs everywhere! The owner Andy as so gracious answering our many emails and questions. He went the extra mile at every turn. We can't thank him and his employee(who's name I sadly can't remember) we're just absolute delights! We will absolutely be back. And we will always check here first to see if their horse sites are open before checking the state camp. It's a very short road ride to the park trails and the campground and their amenities are first rate. I can't wait to return!!!

Nice clean campground very well maintained and free. Near Henderson, MN which is one of a kind small town well worth the visit for all. This is rustic with no hookups except very clean portapotty and hand lever water jack. Pick where to park in nice large grassy areas. A few areas are next to wild and deep ravines. Very nice large new play areas with slides for kids. Popular with a few horse trailers and riders on weekends because of COVID get to gather worries elsewhere. Friday morning before week end is best to get there in case of horse trailers to get nicer spot. Sometimes only a few campers are there. Call ahead to stay overnight so sheriff is aware. Not a lot of people know about it and is at end of long gravel road for peace and quiet. No problem for 5th wheels and tents both, pick your spot. Want to relax, chill out and visit your neighbors. This is worth the visit.

Mystery Cave State Park is surrounded in in a lush green forest with huge oak and maple trees that hang over the road like a huge living canopy. My new word while we stayed there was “Forresty” due to feeling like we had entered a different world. There are so many activities to do both within the park and surrounding areas, but my most favorite thing to do was walk the endless miles of hiking trails. (Word to the wise, some of the trails are hiking/equestrian so watch your step😂) We didn’t do our homework, but if we would have known, we would have brought our fishing rods as the rivers were full of trout!!

We arrived at 2:00pm on Saturday, after a long 5 hour drive from northern Minnesota. It was amazing to watch the landscape change from iron ore mining pits to countless acres of corn and potatoes!! Check in time is 4:00pm, but our spot was empty when we arrived, so the park rangers let us set up early (Friendly and most helpful!!) We grabbed a bundle of wood for $6.00 for a campfire while we were at the park office. (that is pretty normal rates as you can’t bring in your own wood at State Parks in Minnesota) There are 3 different loops, an additional equestrian loop, and 5 cabins. We stayed in loop “C” with has bigger sites for RV’s and offers electricity. Loops “A” and “B” have smaller sites (still big!!) and both of those loops are non-electric. None of the sites are “full” hook up, but there is a dump station & fresh water fill right off the park office. The restrooms and showers are just off of the “C” loop, as was the amphitheater, and there are garbage/recycling bins every 4-5th site. The park was very noisy, but that all changed when most of the folks left Sunday. It was very peaceful the rest of the week.

There are so many things outside the park to do too!! We were not aware, but the Mystery Cave is a short drive from the state park. We took the scenic tour, and our guide Kip was fantastic!!! Hey let everyone ask all the questions they wanted to, and didn’t rush us at all!! The rate is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for kids 5-12, and kids under 5 go for free. The pictures just don’t do it justice!! The next day we drove to Masonic Park in Spring Valley and we were amazed by the sheer size of the rock face!! There is no charge to picnic or visit there and there is one spot for camping, but you need to get permission from the city before doing so. We also toured Niagra Cave which is a longer drive, but well worth it!! The underground waterfall was super cool!! They charge $16.00 per adult, kids 4-12 are $10.00, and children under 4 are free.

All in all this was a great get away for our family, and I highly recommend staying at the park:)

Several rangers directed us here so we stopped in before we left Minnesota. The ranger was very helpful and set us up with a quiet campsite. The drive in was a few miles but it gave a view of the variety of ecosystems in the park. 

Site 33 is by itself on the access road to a small non-electric loop. This meant no distraction for my dog and let the bird song entertain us. There is a very long walk to a restroom but water is close by. The site is large and has enough room for two cars. This is a great site as long as you don’t mind the walk. 

We tried out hiking along one of the trails. The grass was long and we quickly found ticks crawling up our leg. More trimming of the trails would make hiking more pleasant. There are trails for horses and mountain bikes. Another draw is the lake. Bring your boat or rent one. There is even a place to clean your catch. 

The sites in the main loop have little privacy. That, coupled with the hiking trails, made this a not so high recommendation. It would go over higher with fishermen.