Best Equestrian Camping near Genoa, WI

Located on the far western edge of Wisconsin this state park offers a little of everything - hiking trails connected to the camp grounds, boat access to the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, overlook of where the Wisconsin River meets the Mississippi River, showers and flush toilets, playground/basketball/tennis courts, etc. Depending on what part of the park you are in (and the season) you can be away from it all or have almost all the comforts of home. There are 2 campgrounds within the park - Homestead (back in the woods and a little more rustic with vault toilets and no showers) and Ridge (on the bluff). Also both an indoor group site and outdoor group site. Campsites are mix of RV (+/- electric) and tent. Ridge Campground sites- located on the bluff they stay dry even when the rivers are at flood level. Some sites have views of the river right from the tent/RV. During peak season you will definitely need a reservation (likely months in advance), but there are a few same day spots held in reserve. Also during peak season there is a concession stand near the campground and boat rental (canoe/kayak) near the boat launch (neither were open when I camped there but were on a separate day trip)

A short drive from the state park is Effigy Mounds National Monument with additional trails and a reverse of the scenic view (looking south and east instead of west/northwest). Definitely worth a look since its FREE and so close by. Also in the area is Villa Louis (historical homestead) which can be toured for a modest fee (good rainy day activity). If coming from Madison area be sure to check out some of the small wineries along the drive either to or from the park.

This 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.

5/30/20-5/31/20

We went camping on a whim and headed to the state forest since dispersed camping is open. We backpacked to the quarry and found a large open area, perfect for multiple tents. The sandstone bluffs were in the background. There are multiple handmade rock fire pits, some rock chairs, tables and lots of space.

There are many hiking trails, including a trail that goes on top of the bluff with views of the forest and of Wisconsin and the Mississippi River. There is also hiking within this unit and a horse campground. The bugs weren’t too bad, no ticks, no critters and no road noise. It was very quiet and peaceful. I’d highly recommend this section of RJD forest.

This review is for Yellow River State Forest's Big Paint Campground which consists of sites 35 through 61. Big Paint is a couple miles from Little Paint, a larger campground with 70+ sites. There are two equestrian campgrounds (Creekside and Little Frontier with sites numbered 1 through 34) as well as hike in campgrounds for backpackers. A photo of an area map is included.

Why did we choose Big Paint instead of Little Paint?

It's smaller and that's just our personal preference. There were only 4 sites occupied early Friday afternoon and a few more were reserved. We liked site 35, the first site on the left as you enter. This site is like being in a garden with trees and flowers surrounding the site. It had rained and more rain was coming, so the gravel parking pad on #35 was appealing. Most of the sites are completely on the grass.

Activities

Stocked trout streams are an attraction for fishermen; see photo of stocking calendar. We enjoyed hiking despite the mosquitoes and humidity in August and were able to make a 5+ mile loop leaving from the campground. You can also hike from Little Paint, and there are equestrian trails. This would also be a good area for X-country skiing and snowmobiling. A photo of the trail map is included. Caution: hunting is allowed in the non-campground area of the state forest.

Amenities

Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Other than that, you can dispose of your trash and use a vault toilet. There's water at the information center (and a camp host site) outside the campground about 100 yards to the left.

Cost

You're not getting much (and that's not a bad thing) so the $9 fee seems fair. Pay up front at the entrance station, or make a reservation online at last 2 days ahead of time (and pay a reservation fee). There are 7 non-reservable sites at Big Paint. I doubt that Big Paint fills up; just check the reservation site to see if they get crowded.

https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/yellow-river-state-forest/r/campsiteSearch.do?search=site&page=siteresult&contractCode=IA&parkId=610130

The cart in sites are fantastic at Wildcat Mountain! Each site is spacious with most heavily treed for shade. Each site has a nice large flat pad for a tent or two, fire ring, bench and picnic table. Proximity to potable water, vault or modern toilets and designated parking are all within 400 yards of all sites. 

The park is located in the Kickapoo valley area where the driftless area is amazing to hike. You can kayak or tube down the river that is flanked by high limestone bluffs. The hiking trails are well maintained. There is also extensive horse trails, a beautiful outdoor ampitheater for viewing sunsets and access to the river right in the park. 

The campers were respectful and quiet. Our campsite was fairly clean when we arrived. Contactless registration due to covid 19. That made getting set up quick and easy!  The cart provided was fairly big for less trips. I would happily camp here again!

Wyalusing State Park is located in the Southwest corner of Wisconsin athe the Iowa border and where the Wisconsin River empties into the Mississippi River. The views are spectacular anywhere in the park, from your campsite to picnic area! This offers more than at first sight! There is an star observatory which seems to be open on Saturday's, it was not open when I was there but information is available at the park office. There are plenty of of hiking trails and picnic areas as well. The Bluff trail was my favorite of the trails and it leads you to Treasures Cave and many spectacular views along the bluff. The park has NO SWIMMING! but does offer a boat landing and fishing pier. Be prepared to walk through knee high water if you want to use the pier! The park offers many shelters for rent as well as a playground and concession building. The concession building offers ice cream treats, shirts, sweatshirts, post cards, drinks, live bait, canoe and kayak rentals and much more,. The store does accept debit cards! There is also a camp store just before the entrance of the park which sells some necessities as well as campood for $3 compared to the parks $5. If you want more conveniences and necessities you have another 20-25 min. drive to the city of Prarie du Chein. There are some restaurants as well as a Walmart. If in Prarie du Chein you might as well take a drive over to Marquette Iowa and check out the small town and shops as well. The campgrounds here are gems! There are 2 family campgrounds, an indoor group campground, and outdoor group campground. The indoor group campground is intended for organized groups. The outdoor group is your typical group campground in grassy areas and few trees. The two family campgrounds offer showers and flush toilets. A new shower and bathroom building was constructed in2018 in the Homestead Campground. The Homestead Campground is a little more secluded with no bluff views. The 244 loop offers the best sites as the are well shaded and deep as well as wide. The Wisconsin Ridge Campground is where the views are at. It is buiser and the showers and bathrooms aren't as clean and new. This is also where the concession building is located. The view of the Wisconsin River emptying into the Mississippi, the sight of watching Bald Eagles, and beautiful sunsets might be hard to pass compared to the Homestead Campground.