Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Babcock? Camping with horses is a beautiful way to experience nature. With our help, you'll find the best Wisconsin equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
$18 - $23 / night
$50 - $65 / night
We have 54 RV & Tent Sites, all with water and 30 amp electric. Select sites have 50 amp service. Our extra large camping sites are nestled in our beautiful oak forest which offers plenty of shade and privacy. We also offer double sites for groups who want to come camping together.
We are located on 90 acres of scenic rustic countryside near Amherst Wisconsin. In addition to traditional camping activities we offer daily horseback riding trail rides and all kinds of family fun. There's no place like Wild West Campground. Get ready for an unforgettable camping and horseback riding experience. Camping is a great way to spend a few days with us on our working 1850's horse ranch! Bring your RV, camper or tent and live the life of a modern cowboy!
$35 - $50 / night
Traveler
Campground is adequate, it has a functioning shower house and private spots. I used a primitive campsite and it cost me $30 ($15 if your from WI). That was on top of the $11 non resident park entrance fee. So $41 for a primitive tent site, $47.50 if you count the bundle of firewood I bought from them. So yeah, keep that in mind if coming here as a non resident. I’m sure there are cheaper places nearby.
Scout
This was quiet and peaceful. When we needed our fire pit cleaned out theg came pretty quickly. Being able to watch the horses was very calming. We would recomend this place to others and we would go back.
Traveler
Very cool secluded walk in sites, pet friendly, awesome trails.
GuideThis is a smaller campground but makes up for it with all the access around it. Ice Cave trail was a neat, quick walk. The trails around have gorgeous views of the driftless area and Kickapoo river. I stayed at site 1. While it is right next to the campground road and a trail, trees block the views from people looking in and there was not that much traffic. It is a tent only site and can fit one tent. Was a good site for just me and would stay at this site again as most of the other sites are very explored.
LegendNice campground, quiet would come back! It was our first time to WI so the scenery to the park was just beautiful.
Our campsite was nice. Spaced out enough from neighbors that we were comfortable. Do not like the nickel and diming of WI state parks. Charge the site fee which is reasonable enough but then a $8 reservation fee that gets you to $40 and then another $11 to NR's for the vehicle pass. You can get an annual pass for $38 but when you are just passing through it's not worth it. Brought us to $51 for the stay and it was worth it since we needed a place to camp, but I've stayed in better places for less. This park was much better than Rocky Arbor.
Bathrooms were super clean for a campground. Good shower with directions on wall, which was a nice touch. The cement in shower is stained so it looks dirty but it's really pretty clean. Enjoyed my hot shower here.
Hiked the Old Settlers Trail. It was nice, some elevation changes that get you attention. It was muggy and hot as I hiked right after the rain, so temperature was miserable at times, but it is July! The entire trail was about 3 miles round trip from the campground. Definitely check out observation point! Beautiful view!!!
GuideLoved this park and will return again! I stayed at site 38 which had good privacy on one side, the other site was a little more exposed. Research your spot before booking as some are wide open and others have privacy. There are 100+ site at this park and two shower houses. The shower houses could use some work, however, the hot water was on point! Lots of trails and beach access. Great for bikes and kayaks. This is an older park, with some partying, but I’ll be back. Had a great time.
ScoutGood
LegendThis was our second visit to this park. On both occasions we wanted to canoe the scenic Kickapoo river. Our first trip was five years ago and we got portage service for our canoe from Titanic Rentals in Ontario. We went from there (bridge 1) to bridge 12 Which took nearly all day, but we were able to have lunch at the park's Wildcat landing, the only real and equipped picnic site along the river. NOTE; Google maps makes it look like the campground and landing are near each other. They are not. It's three miles of very steep roads, so don't think you're going to fetch anything you left behind.
The campground is on top of the ridge, which means in the morning you will look out over a fog shrouded valley through the trees. The views from the overlooks, which are a short hike, are worth checking out. Campsite 15 is the only one with a clear view.
There are walk in sites and the paths are wide and clear. The park provides large carts for your stuff so you can really pack stuff in and get away from it all. But the family tent and RV sites generally well spaced, check the map as some are more private than others.
Our second trip was in August, 2023 and we canoed from bridge 12 to LaFarge (bridge 21). It was later in the season than our previous trip, and in the slightly less scenic stretch of the river. As a result, we didn't see any other boaters.
Campsites have basic fire ring, and there are pit toilets as well as one Full facility with running water and hot showers. Firewood is available at the Ranger station.
There's also Equestrian camping elsewhere in the park and lots of trails for both hikers and horses.
The town of Ontario has a good general store and a couple bars, but this is pretty much wilderness and small farms. Two unique places however are Wild Things Furrier near bridge twelve. Want a coonskin cap or some smoked trout? This is the place.
More unique than that if you want to treat yourselves, go 34 miles south to the St. Frances Hermitage restaurant. It's run by a small order of French Monks and Nuns who raise their own animals and grow the vegetables they serve. Their bakery is also delicious. This is not fast food, this is a gastronomic experience.
Guide
we stayed in the west loop. sites were large and private. firewood available at the campground. beach and lake are beautiful. fish jumping all day long. hiking was really nice. we’ll maintained trails. we’ll be back for sure.
ScoutPretty cool state park. Campground is located on the top of the hill. Wish there were more hiking trails. You can also hike on the horse trails if you want. Would highly recommend canoeing or kayaking the Kickapoo River if you are spending a weekend there.
TravelerNot our typical type of campground but absolutely no complaints. Very friendly atmosphere and more comfortable sized sites than we expected considering what we typically look for. All amenities are very nice.
TravelerIce cream 🍦 Shop in hot Dog 🌭
RangerI credit this state park as the park that introduced me to the Ice Age hiking trail. I was checking out the park and its trails and found a yellow blaze (trail marker).. the beauty of this trail is amazing! The park is well maintained, spacious and offers many quality campsites as well. I would highly recommend this to anyone, especially families.
TravelerA chilly weekend at Wildcat. Site 29 is nestled in between the family campground and the bathroom/shower facility. Electric is provided. Wood sales run until 5pm or 7pm depending on the day.
The site is open and near two others on the corner, but with enough distance to keep relative privacy.
Excellent hiking options with incredible overlooks.
GuideVery clean, nice amount of wildlife. Disc golf course and decent fishing. Plenty of trails to hike.
ScoutI have camped with a club in the group site for years. Electric sites. No water. You now pay to dump your waste. Price is right for a county site. BUT the water quality suffers from green algae almost the entire season. Fishing can be good. No longer good for nocturnal carp due to water. Group site is still a good deal. They’ve added electric for at least 8-10 campers. Big site. Your own covered picnic area. There are concrete outhouses which we have used as bunkers during inclement weather.
TravelerMy son and I stayed at site 106. Carts for hauling gear are in great condition. Clean restroom/shower facilities. Water available on trail next to the site. Access to the parks trail system is right by the parking area as well.
Will head back again before winter.
GuideWe camped in the family campground with our 17 foot Casita travel trailer. Large private site surrounded by trees, with several options for positioning the trailer. The nearby chain of small lakes connected by narrows is ideal for kayaking. Lots of level paved roads for cycling, and wooded trails for hiking. Clean restrooms with showers.
LegendThis is a small state park in terms of overall number of campsites, but its network of hiking and horseback riding trails is extensive. What makes this state park particularly interesting from a camping perspective are the walk-in(or cart in) sites. There are 12 sites you can't drive to, and the park provides very nice carts for each site(unlike other state parks where there is one or two carts for all of the sites or none at all(Blue Mounds and Gov. Dodge State Parks respectively).
Walk-In Sites
If you are looking for privacy, cart-in site 119 is quite a ways off the trail and far from the parking lot, but it's a bit small. It has some nice midday sun but is otherwise obscured by a lot of foliage which gives it a nice amount of privacy. Number 103 is in a heavily-wooded area and doesn't get a lot of sun but is nicely situated off the main path providing it quite a bit of privacy, but not too far from the parking area. On the other hand, number 104 directly across the gravel path from 103 is situated with a east-facing view of a very nice prairie, providing ample morning sunshine. However, a grove of trees on its western side provides very nice afternoon shade.
Now for the "car camping" sites. All of the electric sites are in a wide open in a large grassy area, and do not provide any privacy between sites or from the road. On the other hand, the non-electric sites afford a bit more privacy on their loop. The sites on the right hand side of the one-way street have far more privacy than the ones on the other side of the road. I would not like sites 1 through 5 because they are located between the main road and the campsite loop road, which would mean lots of car traffic and headlights in your tent all night long. On the left hand side of the road site 6, 9 and 11 are decent.
I would like to add a special note about sites 13 through 16. Three of these are on the outside of a small cul-de-sac loop, and are nicely situated in the woods, though they are close to the main road and would experience a fair amount of traffic noise. However, if you have a choice I would highly recommend avoiding site 16, it's in the middle of the loop has no privacy and isn't very pleasant except that it is completely shaded.
About the Park Itself
This state park has an extensive system of horseback riding and hiking trails. The nice thing is that the horseback trails are shared by hikers. This state park also has one of the most beautiful and well-maintained overlooks, peering down into and across the Kickapoo River Valley.
I highly recommend visiting this overlook in the morning, at sunset, and even in pure darkness. We saw a wide array of stars and the Milky Way thanks to low light pollution. I'm not saying there is no light pollution, but it's pretty darn dark. I fell in love with this state park. It has fewer than 50 campsites, well maintained shower and vault toilet blocks, and a beautiful selection of walking trails. It also has a very accurate map of the walking trails, so you can hike confidently.
The park office sells firewood for$5 a bundle, which is about the same kind and quantity as they sell for$7.50 at the gas station 7 miles down the road in Ontario, Wisconsin. If you need a groceries or gasoline, the Cenex gas station has a small but sufficient grocery supply if you you need something. We forgot to bring eggs and pancake mix and they had both.
Kayaking the Kickapoo
This is a great place to start your Kickapoo River kayaking adventure. We booked two kayaks with one of the Ontario-based outfitters and spend a glorious September day paddling and floating the absolutely beautiful river. I HIGHLY recommend taking a day to explore the beautiful scenery from the silence of a river kayak.
GuideNot a lot of flat area. But great place to camp
TravelerI had an outside loop site. The inside loop is open and sites seem close. Lake is nice for swimming and recreating. Had fun with my son on this trip.
TravelerI camped on the handicap site as I am disabled. The site is near the bathroom which is good it's a nice big site. It was big enough for an camper and a tent. Site was clean and well kepted. Was one of the better sites that I've been on.
TravelerBeen coming here for years. But the rangers and camp hosts will give you tickets for EVERYTHING. I was profiled for fitting the description of a vehicle they had an issue with the week prior and I got a $50 ticket! My campsite was filled with nails and wood staples and the coals in the fire pit were overflowing. There’s no guest parking anywhere near the campsites and they’ll write you a ticket if you park by the bathrooms or have more than 2 cars in your site.
TravelerReally liked our site. Didn't feel crowded. Nice beach and trails. Pit toilets were fine as expected.
ScoutThis gorgeous county park in Marathon County, Wisconsin is 1,450 acres of mixed hardwoods forming a two-mile peninsula jutting out deep into the waters of the Big Eau Pleine Flowage.
Eau Pleine is from the French phrase meaning full water or stock river. There are two separate campgrounds–( the West Unit and the South Unit) with a total of 106 sites– about 60 with electric. The daily fee ranges from$18.00 for a non-electric, with no lake view to$23.00 for lake view with electric.
You can hike, bike, or ride your horse on the 12 miles of scenic, wooded trails. The park also offers several fishing points near the entrance and along the three boat landings. There is also a beach, two shelters and scattered picnic areas. And you can enjoy a fun game of disc golf on the scenic wooded course.
We found this park to be absolutely beautiful and definitely give it a double Hell Yeah!!
To see our video tour of this campground, you can click the link below:
TravelerI stay on the handicapped site. It's big it's level near the bathroom which is a big plus LOL. The whole campgrounds very very nice. They have a place to ride horses play Frisbee swim fish I love this place and you will
GuideYou name it I’m sure you can find it at Hartman Creek. From swimming area fishing hiking trails. My favorite camping ground even when was a kid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Babcock, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Babcock, WI is Big Eau Pleine Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Babcock, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Babcock, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
