Best Equestrian Camping near Franklin, WI

Equestrian Camping Reviews near Franklin, WI

115 Reviews of 12 Franklin Campgrounds

• 

  Brian O.

  Legend

  Oct. 17, 2024

  Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

  Fine camping in Northern Illinois

  We stayed in the Turner lake south loop, which has nice and private sites. This is in contrast to Honeysuckle hollow which is open and row after row of RV sites. Fox den and Prairie view loops are nice as well with mostly primitive sites. Be aware that the map on www.ExloreMoreIL,com(where you make your reservations) doesn't show where the restrooms are. In the Turner loop, the pit toilets are next to the path to the fishing pier, while the showers and full restrooms are between Turner and Fox den, there is a short path between sites 60& 61. Facilities are clean and well lit. Fire pits are slightly raised steel troughs with a heavy adjustable grill. This is a BIG park, the campgrounds are two miles from the front gate, and it's a drive to the main boat launch at Maple Grove, where you have access to the Fox River and Grass lake. This location has a huge parking lot for boat trailers, a very well stocked general store with fishing supplies, a cafe, boat rentals and good firewood. To get away from the crowd if you're a canoeist or kayaker it's nicer to leave the park and go back in at Oak Point picnic area and boat launch at the northern border. This will put you on the Fox river with developments to the north(including a bar& grill) or to the south which is all nature. I think the distance by boat between the two launches is 4-5 miles, but I'm not sure, Halfway there you'll meet up with the Goldfinch trail which is the shortest loop and the most diverse in term of flora. There are horse/ snowmobile trails, but no equestrian campground. Chain o' Lakes is one of the busiest waterways in Illinois, with motorboats everywhere in the height of the summer season. We canoe, and both times we stayed there it was October, so I can't tell you how crowded, but the vast number of picnic areas must be there for a reason. An odd thing is that you can hear a Steam Train whistle quite often, this is from Richardson's Adventure Farm in Spring Grove. We don't have kids so we went to Stade's Farm& Orchard(which is also large and kid friendly) because they have an orchard and vegetable market. One last thing, the gates close at 10:PM and there are tire shredders, you can leave but you can't get back in… unless you want to walk 2+ miles in the dark:)

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• 

  Josh F.

  Legend

  Dec. 3, 2020

  Southern Unit Horseriders Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  If I had a horse, I'd definitely camp here

  Driving on country roads to this campground, I drove past many many horse ranches. So it's no surprise that there is a dedicated campground for horseback riding in this state park. 

  Built for Large Gatherings

  There are a number of COVID-era regulations that as of this writing are in place, see photos of the signs posted. This campground is clearly built for large groups to hang out together. There is a large shelter with picnic tables and very convenient roll-up sides that can be used to protect people during inclement weather. There is also a large grill that would be great for serving many, and a very nice fire pit with fixed seating for a large group. 

  Ammenities

  There are also nice touches, such as a small stair-step for beginners or young people to mount their horse. And the campground has a little free library. There are electric and non-electric campsites, all seem to have a picnic table and fireplace. There are ample places to bridle horses and shared corrals every four or five campsites. There are also animal waste collection areas throughout the campground. There are several pit toilets throughout the campground, and one building with flush toilets and showers. It's a very nice and fairly new building.

  Group Campsite

  The group campsite has six sites and they are not pull through for trailers. There is a fire pit with fixed seating around it centrally-located in the group campsite. The group campsite does not have electric units. 

  And no surprise, there is easy access to horse trails throughout the state forest. 

  My Top Picks

  There are several sites along one side of the park that are a little more secluded and in a pine forest. They have picnic tables and fire pits like the others, they include 409, 410, 411, 412, 413. There's also a series of pull-through sites that would make it easier for those who don't care to back trailers in or out of the site. These include electric sites 405, 404, 403, 402, and 401.

  There's a nice couple of campsites at the end of one of the loops that affords a little bit of privacy, the only problem is they abut the main road and are a little noisy with car traffic. However, they are sweet sites. They include 427 and 428. Unfortunately, they camping here you would hear all of the car traffic while all the other campsites are much further away from the road.

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• 

  Kim L.

  Ranger

  Jul. 28, 2019

  Big Foot Beach State Park Campground

  Great state park for family RV camping

  I love everything about this park except the beach, so it didn’t get a 5 star. We stayed at site 98- just barely big enough to fit our travel trailer in and right next to the showers and bathrooms. Not a great location, but fine. Took a walk around and found plenty of other large, private shaded electric sites. If we came here again I would go for a site away from the bathroom. The tent sites looks fantastic- large and private. Plenty of hiking trails here, a decent playground, and tons of large fields to picnic in. Park has a Facebook page where they post activities. Friday night we saw a presentation on the cranes of Wisconsin, and Saturday morning we did a parkwide scavenger hunt. All fun for the family. We would definitely camp here again. The beach is across the very busy road, and has about 10 ft of sand before the road. Fine for a dip, but not relaxing. Very crowded. Other beaches are nearby but not free. Town of Lake Geneva is very cute in an upscale tourist way. Our kid found the museum a lot of fun.

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• A

  Adam W.

  Traveler

  May. 31, 2019

  Pinewoods Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Fine camp for hikers on the Ice Age trail.

  A good campground for tents and trailers in a pine forest.  It is close to the Ice Age trail and the Scuppernong trail, and a short drive from Ottawa Lake.  Nearby is some excellent mountain biking in hilly terrain at the Emma Carlin and John Muir trails.  You can almost feel like you're away from it all, but there is a small highway in the distance.

• 

  Brenton S.

  Traveler

  Jul. 1, 2020

  Elkhorn Campgrounds

  Affordable and friendly!

  Such a great little place to escape to or visit if you're just passing through. Nothing crazy fancy but hook-ups and fire pits available if needed. Within walking distance to downtown Elkhorn, EAHS, and the horse areana. You might even be able to catch a show or two on site at the fair grounds, depending on the time of year.

• 

  Brian O.

  Legend

  Jan. 13, 2023

  Big Foot Beach State Park Campground

  There are no Yeti here

  This is one of the most popular State Parks in Wisconsin because it's on Lake Geneva. In fact, it's the only state park within town's limits. This area has always been a summer getaway, so reservations are hard to get. We went in October, so it was much easier, but the weather was unpredictable.
   The lake is famous for it's mansions, summer homes and the trail which goes around the entire perimeter and is open to the public, no matter how many property lines it crosses.
   The park is on the lake, 2 miles south of downtown. So, a 40 min walk, 11 by bike, though there are hills on both routes. The park has a long strip of beach that almost seems like a shoulder to the main road. There's a fishing lagoon with a bait vending machine. The campsites and trails are further back, and out of the wind.
   The sites are generally spacious, some are oddly shaped. The further back you go on the main loop though, actually brings you closer to town. You can hear events taking place at the High School even though it looks like you're in the woods.
   The main restroom and shower facility is brand new and spotless.
  Too many things to see and do in the area to list here but I'd point out the Boat House Bar & Grill is right next to the entrance. It has a big patio and is dog friendly. Easy walking distance from the campground. Good food at a good price.
   Outside of town, Lake Geneva County Meats is a butcher shop and more with a terrific selection and variety of brats (among other things) and can supply all your cookout needs.  Also, check out Royal Oaks farm & Orchard. In season, they have the greatest variety of apples we've ever seen. Better still, they are well labeled telling which types are best for what use. Of course, donuts and cider too.

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• C

  Cathy L.

  Scout

  May. 12, 2018

  Kettle Moraine South Camping — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  We love camping at Kettle...

  We go there every year. The campsites are large with lots of foliage for privacy. It's so pretty in the fall. Red Trail, Paradise Trail,Rice Lake are all great hikes. Great views of Lake Ottawa.

  The close by town of Oconomowoc has a nice place to eat, Burkes Lakeside.

  About 20 minutes northeast of the campground is Lapham Peek Park with a walk up tower offering great views of the area.

• C

  Claire S.

  Scout

  May. 31, 2017

  Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

  Typical State Park Campsites

  The state park is larger than expected with decent amenities (boat rentals, concessions, relatively clean pit toilets) and areas designated for trailer camping and tent camping.

  We stayed in the Turner South Loop, one of the older tent camping loops, and the age definitely showed. Most of the sites on this loop are pretty worn, with not much privacy. We stayed in T10, but would consider T9 if we returned to this loop for a different reserved site. The prairie loop looked a bit newer with bigger, less worn sites. Both loops had grill pits that were well-maintained for fires and campfire cooking.

  Trails were geared more towards horses and bikes, but there are plenty of walking paths, and we were able to find some hidden trails along the lake (read: unofficial). Overall, a place for relaxing and leisurely strolls and not hiking.

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• 

  Jen L.

  Guide

  Aug. 23, 2018

  Pinewoods Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit

  Mixed Bag

  The Pinewoods Campground is an odd mix. The comfort station (ie flush toilets with sinks and baby changing station) and shower facility is well maintained and centrally located to the camp ground with nearby playground, field area, and a little free library. The bathrooms located closest to the campsites are pit toilets that are lit at night, toilet paper provided, and hand sanitizer. The individual campsites are good sized (some with electric hookup for RVs) with dirt/pine needle ground instead of gravel areas which are more comfortable for tents. The tall trees keep the area shaded and cool even on hot summer days. The shade limits ground growth which pro - limits mosquitoes, but con - leaves clear eye-lines from one site to the neighbors. Kettle Moraine Forest - South as a park area has miles of trails for hiking, biking, skiing, and horse back riding. But individual trail areas are spread miles apart and driving or biking between sites is often required.

  Overall its a great area for families or inexperienced/unsure campers but if you're looking to get out into nature and away from civilization this isn't the place for you. Also if you are a family with young children then loop 1 (campsites 1-36) which is a 24hour quiet zone should not be your first choice.

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