Best Equestrian Camping near Elkhart Lake, WI

I live very close to this park and camp here often. It is a nice family type campground with a nice swimming beach and playground for children. There is only 1 bath house here and MANY pit toilets that are surprisingly clean and not real stinky. It is part of the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine and there are great hiking and biking trails as well as horse trails with a horse camp nearby. Every once in a while you can spot an eagle soaring around dinner time. There are sites very near the lake, but I prefer the ones up the hill. Mosquitos are present in the early summer and the breezes topside keep them at bay.

I would say sites are average size for a county park. All sorts are mostly wooded and offer good shade. There are miles of nice hiking trails, a nice beach, pavilions to rent, horse riding trails, archery range and I’m sure I’m missing more. There are pit toilets by the sites but a nice shower house with flush toilets about a 1/4 mile walk away. We have camped there several times and plan on coming back.

No matter what your skill level you can find a trail here from easy to challenging to hike or bike.  There is a beach, a marina, Lake Winnebago, horse trails, hiking, biking and pet beach and picnic area.  The park is very clean and pretty.  There is a playground, several vault toilet areas spread around and a shower house.   Some sites have electric and there is a dump station and water fill up.   

Both AT &T and Verizon provided good service and the ability to stream.  Spaces are large and have many  trees for shade and privacy.

We have been to Menomonee park several times. It is one of the kids favorites. The sites are just about all wooded. Not huge but a good size for a country park. Most offer decent separation from your neighbor. The Ranger will come by often with wood to buy. There are a few group sites separate from the family camping. Large but in wide open fields. The park has a lot of trails for hiking, biking and some horse trails. The quarry is good for swimming, kayaking, or canoeing. There is a beach with life guards.

This is a state run campground that provides plenty of hiking, biking and horse riding trails. There is also access to Lake Winnebago for boating and swimming. The camp sites are all either partially or fully shaded with a good amount of privacy for each site. Plenty or pit toilets are provided and there are also plumbed toilets and showers available on the campground.

This campground is perfect for a weekend getaway or for those families just starting out. It is close enough to town to be able to run in and get forgotten items. There are plenty of playground equipment for kids to run and climb on. If you are looking for a rustic get away this may not be exactly what you are looking for but it is a great spot to get out of the city for a day or two.

Great clean sites and fishing. Many hiking trails. Historical attractions. Wisconsin does their parks and forests right.

It was a bit chilly to enjoy the lake unfortunately, but the hiking is amazing. There are great rock outcrops for bouldering and exploring. All over just beautiful. Definitely one of my favorites in Wisconsin!!

Great place to explore with the fam. Hike the trails to see pieces of Wisconsin history throughout. Some trails on the Ridgeline offer vista views and moderate inclines that add to the adventure. There's plenty to do from fishing to hiking mountain biking lookout towers and parks .

Open tent sites and well designed riggings and beyond excellent, well-maintained trails, accommodations and hospitality. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, so if you’re looking for this kind of experience, don’t pass it up. In one of the most lush forests in the SE corner of Wisconsin near Milwaukee.

This was my first time camping in a Wisconsin state park and I thought it was great! Our site backed up to a trail along the cliff which was awesome for a family that loves to hike. I felt for a state park most of the sites were spacious, ours was particularly because we had no site behind us. Shower house was clean. Will be back!

Mauthor Lake is a beautiful state park in Wisconsin. Good for biking, hiking, swimming and fishing. Sites are fairly wooded and private. Most of them seemed to be a decent size. Electric hook-ups, but no water. You can fill up at the dump station but I recommend bringing drinking water. There is a general store just outside the park where you can rent row boats, kayaks and paddle boats. The beach is mostly shallow water great for little ones. Flush toilets and changing area nearby. Small concession stand and playground within eyesight of beach

Another spacious Wisconsin State Park site. #2 is level and listed as full shade but we had enough sun to recharge our Jackery everyday. It helps that it was blue skies each day! All sites were rented for the weekend and there were just a few no-shows. Even full there wasn’t enough noise to mention. We were near the entrance and enjoyed watching all the cars and campers coming and going. The shower house was fine, a very short walk for us. The camp host was friendly and quick to clean sites. There’s single stream recycling at the dump station and they take glass! Cell reception was good enough (Visible) There’s much to do in the park and in the area. We hiked, fished, golfed, shopped and ate well from what we find. I recommend the Appleton Farmers’ Market, Dick’s Family Foods in Sherwood Nieman’s Southside Market in Appleton.

Mauthe Lake Campground is located in the Northern Kettle Moraine Forest in East/Centreal Wisconsin. This is one of my frequent visited campgrounds in the state given all the recreational trails for hiking and bicycling. The campground is clean and spread out. This campground offers some of the cleanest showers I have encountered on my camping trips. The Lake to Lake bike trail connects Long Lake Campground and Mauthe Lake Campground which is abut an 8 mile trip one way. This trail is a mix of paved, dirt, and gravel and travels through different landscape . There is a short hiking trail around Mauthe Lake that you should be able to complete in an hour at a average pace. The Ice Age Trail also runs through the park as part of its 1200 plus miles through the state. Ice cream and restaurants are close by, just follow the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, which takes you on a scenic rout through the North Kettle and Southern Kettle Moraine Forest. Be prepared for LOUD FROGS when attempting to sleep, if you can sleep through this noise the campground won't let you down.

A beautiful park with lots of history! The park entranace sits just after the High Cliff golf course for all you golfers and then follows the East side of Lake Winnebago with beautiful views of the Fox Valley area. This park features many hiking and biking trails, none of which are over exhilarating but enough for everyone at all levels. Climb spectacular cliff formations or just walk through the many cliff crevice's is something kids will remember. This park features an awesome General Store with some souvenirs to purchase and lots of information and history of the park. This can be a busy park for day walkers so the park can seem busier than it is at times. This is a popular park and can get busy but It never seems crowed unless a typical wedding reception is being held toward the North end by the observation tower. There is High Cliff Restaurant as well as a pizza, sandwich and ice cream shop with mini golf toward the entrance of the park. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this park during the month of October, this park offers an awesome trick or treat weekend where the campground woods is changed into a haunting and fun campground. Check the parks web page for exact weekend. Kids trick or treat at each campsite and the campground is transformed into a Halloween city! This is a popular event and is super busy but safe and fun for the kids and the adults! The campers go all out to have the best decorations! This event is open to the public and campers. If you plan on camping during the October weekend book early by State of Wisconsin DNR website.

A quick last second get away for the first time as a family this season. We stayed in site 201 which was convenient. I wouldn't stay in the site again as it had nothing but swampy muddy low ground around it. It was also right at the entrance. Lots of traffic. However, the kids had plenty of fun running and playing on the hill directly across the street. The weather was great. The easy access to the lake and surrounding hiking trails made for an enjoyable weekend. The Mauthe Lake campground area in the KM forest is a great option for all. Nice and quiet early in the season with beautiful scenery.

I have a self contained van and so like to camp in rustic sites. The full electric sites here are pretty small and tightly packed, but the tent / rustic sites are great. Aim for the 500 loop.

Mauthe lake is in the Kettle Moraine Northern Unit. It feels remote but we drove through a bunch of rural houses on the way in. The rustic roads made for good cycling. We passed quite a few pedaling up and down the hills.

The campground itself sprawls along one side of the lake. With the loops for each group peeling off, it is easy to lose your way. The signs mark the direction well so go slow. It helps to know your site number.

There was nobody at the entrance office. I’m not sure if it’s just today but make online reservations. It seems to be the 2022 way.

There is a shower house but we made use of the more convenient vault toilets. Water is available in different ways - even a drinking fountain. There seems to be only one garbage collection site on the way out. This was less convenient since we have dog droppings to deal with.

There is a nature trail that goes around the lake. By the beach and picnic area it’s paved. The rest is gravel or dirt. With recent rains we found a few puddles to walk through and mud to avoid. Our dog loved having the trail so close. Most of the trail is in the sun so bring water on hot days.

Swimming isn’t allowed due to a blue algae bloom. This left plenty of empty space for us to sit with our dog under the trees. Folks did make good use of the fishing pier and playground. We also saw kayaks and stand up paddle boards on the lake.

Awesome views and tons of sites to pick from, although they are crowded and close together and some even have open paths connecting them. Great fishing and day-camping experiences too.

I camped at site #102. There are great views of the lake and easy access to water and bathrooms. The site that I stayed at was actually a teepee site and had a large-ish wooden platform. Parking was right in front of my site but not a drive-in site.

I've become a spoiled baby after hiking the PCT last year, so established campgrounds are hit or miss for me, primarily because of how noisy they are. That said, the hosts were wonderful and the park is clean and very well-maintained. I ended up leaving halfway through my second day because I just didn't want to deal with the noise and traffic.

Overall, I would definitely visit this park again! Next time, I'll aim for dates outside of peak summer camping!

It was hot and crowded but we had a decent campsite with plenty of shade so we were happy enough. Showers were nice. We spent most of our time fishing at Long Lake, which we liked much better. If you go, make sure to get fresh cinnamon rolls delivered to your site!

Campground Review

With the rising popularity of this campground, we were fortunate to get a short-notice reservation for a portion of Fourth of July weekend.

Our site was about 50/50 sun and shade throughout the day. Within the campground, both coniferous and deciduous sites are available and you have your choice of full shade all the way to almost full sun.

Each loop in the campground has pit toilets and there is a new-ish centralized shower and flush toilet building.

The lake is clear and beautiful for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, or just relaxing. The area around the beach has a playground, as well as a large area with picnic tables, park grills, and open fields for playing sports or games. There is even a reserveable shelter for special events.

There are a lot of hiking options within Kettle Moraine North and one of our favorites is the the Tamarack Nature trail. Unfortunately, much of the trail was flooded, though it didn't stop us. With more than 6 inches of water in some places, my shoes were wet, but it was still a good time.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, this time I tested a High Hopes Hammock.

Having used hammocks in the past, the biggest issue I've had was the hammocks are often too short for me, at 6'5". I was happy that the High Hopes hammock was long enough, and very comfortable. The quality of materials are very good and the bag is attached.

If you get the version without the straps (as I did), the included "rope" is just a couple short lengths of paracord. I'd recommend picking the version with the straps if you don't already have any.

High Hopes has two distinguishing characteristics. The first is that they donate either a hammock, survival supplies, or money to organizations helping underprivileged countries, the homeless, or those affected by natural disasters. This giving program is the reason you are paying a little more than other similar hammocks. The second feature is their cocoon function with velcro. This is great if you want some privacy (from people or bugs)...perfect for a nap.

Overall, High Hopes hammocks are quality and comfortable. Check them out, especially if you are on board with the High Hopes charitable mission. High Hopes is certainly a Ranger-worthy product.

We've been camping here for years and love the beautiful lake for swimming and watersports. No motor boats so nice and quiet. :) Also great trail running opportunities on the Ice Age. There is a crushed gravel trail running from here to Long Lake that is great for running/walking/biking. If you like ice cream, head to Dundee and visit the Hamburger Haus.

I visit this site often and love it. Great walking and biking trails, and reasonably private sites. The 300 and 400 loops are better and the 500 loop is the best in terms of space and privacy.

If you do t mind cold camping (or have a 4x4 class B like me) go in the winter. Beautiful and empty. So peaceful.

My partner and I camped here with our son for a night. We reserved a spot kind of late and wound up between the shower building and a loud group of hunters in an RV. If we return we'll definitely try to get one of the more secluded walk-in spots that are maybe 40 meters off the road. I'd recommend those spots in any case, if you don't need any of the amenities of the spots very close to the road.

Bring cash for firewood. You can get it on sight (need $5 bills to use the giant wood vending machine), or you can get it at the nearby general store.

The trailhead for the Ice Age Trail is close to the entrance, and there are lots of other spots for fishing, picnicing, or biking.

Nice beach/swimming area, bike path, and playground for the kids. Also the most beautiful sunset over the lake and pines in July