Best Equestrian Camping near Middleton, WI

Governor Dodge State Park Equestrian Campground features 20 campsites specifically designed for campers with horses. The campground accommodates tents and RVs with electric hookups, picnic tables, fire rings, and access to toilets and showers. The equestrian sites provide large parking areas for trucks and trailers, water for horses, and direct access to the bridle trail system. Horse campers must supply their own portable corral or tether system as permanent corrals are not available at individual sites. The campground maintains clean facilities with reasonably hot showers. Sites are reservable through the Wisconsin State Park system and fill quickly during peak riding seasons.

The extensive trail network connects riders to over 25 miles of bridle paths throughout the 5,000+ acre park with terrain varying from open meadows to wooded hillsides. The trails feature water crossings, scenic overlooks, and connections to two lakes within the park boundaries. Trail maps are available at the park office, with routes clearly marked for horse use. Seasonal restrictions may apply to certain trails depending on ground conditions, particularly after heavy rainfall when some routes may close to prevent damage. Riders report well-maintained paths with adequate width for passing and relatively moderate terrain suitable for most experience levels. Additional amenities near the campground include a sanitary dump station, trash collection, and a park store for basic supplies, though riders should bring all necessary feed and tack from home as equestrian supplies are not sold on-site.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Middleton, Wisconsin (11)

    1. Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground

    23 Reviews
    Stoughton, WI
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 873-9695

    "Good hiking around the lake and mostly dog friendly. Nice play ground with horse she pits."

    "Just a quick 2 hour drive from our home in Chicago, with large wooded sites for privacy. Clean bathrooms."

    2. Merry Mac's Campground

    6 Reviews
    Merrimac, WI
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 493-2367

    $35 / night

    "It’s located right by Devils lake. Firewood for sale, great wifi, clean bathhouses/rooms"

    "Lake full of all kinds of floats the kids can climb and jump on. Clean pool to cool off in. Sand volleyball, ga ga ball, huge park. Has so many different accomadtions to choose from!"

    3. Cox Hollow Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

    28 Reviews
    Dodgeville, WI
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 935-2315

    "Two good lakes for kayaking/canoeing/fishing/swimming. Lots of good hiking trails and they are working on a big improvement to the equestrian campground."

    "The sites on the "inside" of the loop are rather close to one another. 21 has a nice view of the lake, and you can walk back to the fence to look over the bluff 24 is quite private and very large 26,"

    4. Yellowstone Lake State Park Campground

    35 Reviews
    Blanchardville, WI
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 523-4427

    "Tons of forest with cross country, equestrian, and hiking trails. One of the best lakes in Wisconsin for fishing along with a nice beach, and pet area. There is a free gun range."

    "It has a large lake with three boat launches, a main one with a motor ramp, a canoe launch near the marshy end, and a fishing pier."

    5. Twin Valley Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

    20 Reviews
    Dodgeville, WI
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 935-2315

    "Lakes, trails, kayaking, boating, paddle boarding, fishing. Hidden gem of Wisconsin. The campsites are pretty private, nestled in trees. Some shaded, some have sun and shade."

    "Great park in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin. Not far from the house on the rock and Taliesin. Great open hiking trail. Well laid out sites with lots of space."

    6. Sleepy Dragon Campground

    3 Reviews
    Poynette, WI
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (920) 992-5157

    "As this place didn’t have much for reviews I wasn’t sure what to think but it’s a great location with good service."

    "In 2024 just before Memorial Day, I needed to leave the campground I was in and started calling around for openings at private campgrounds."

    9. White Mound County Campground

    3 Reviews
    Loganville, WI
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (608) 355-4800

    "Most of the time, the pay envelopes are outside and you have to duck into your car, fill it out, and dart back into the dark to the drop box."

    "The campsites are tucked away and private. There are bathrooms and a small playground. The lake is gorgeous and clean. The only downfall is the lake is spring-fed so it’s a bit cold for swimming."

    10. Harnischfeger County Park

    3 Reviews
    Ixonia, WI
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (920) 386-3700

    "Has trails, disc golf, and rock river for kayaking."

    "Their is also a great hiking trail if you like that."

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Middleton, WI

1 Photos of 11 Middleton Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Middleton, WI

123 Reviews of 11 Middleton Campgrounds


  • Ted W.
    Aug. 21, 2019

    Yellowstone Lake State Park Campground

    One of our favorites

    We spend quite a bit of time here. We hunt here and camp here year round. Tons of forest with cross country, equestrian, and hiking trails. One of the best lakes in Wisconsin for fishing along with a nice beach, and pet area. There is a free gun range. Hunt anything from pheasent to deer. There is also a nice bar and grill just down the street. Along with dairy bar as part of the park. Showers and bathrooms are always clean.

  • Meg  S.
    Aug. 1, 2015

    Twin Valley Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

    Great Campground in Wisconsin

    Great state park for a family camping vacation, tons of stuff to do. Lakes, trails, kayaking, boating, paddle boarding, fishing. Hidden gem of Wisconsin. The campsites are pretty private, nestled in trees. Some shaded, some have sun and shade. They even have horse sites, so you can bring your horse, and stroll through the park horseback riding. Vault toilets, and regular toilets with ok showers. Water faucets scattered around for easy water access. Twin Valley has tent sites and RV/electric sites.

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 23, 2022

    Cox Hollow Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

    Loud, party vibe

    The campsites here are deep with lots of greenery. However we chose this site thinking that it was on the end. The loops curl around so there were campers around us. On the other side was a playground that had children enjoying it all day. While this is great for some, our reactive dog was quite distracted.

    Upon arriving at the check in, there is still a couple miles to wind around until the campground, longer to get to twin lakes campground. The road is hilly too. It’s not a problem in our vehicle but it would be tiring on a bicycle. There are showers in the center of our loop. It could be expanded a bit - we had short lines for the restrooms. Water , garbage and recycling are available as well as a dump station.

    It was raining when we arrived but we drove around to see the park. We hiked the short distance to Stephen’s Falls and was not impressed. Maybe they need more rain this year but all we saw was a splatter.

    We saw folks who kept their kayaks and canoes locked up by the lake. The beach looked nice too. The other end of the park has an equestrian campground. We did see some horses riding the trail around the park.

    The vibe here wasn’t for us. Various sites had music playing loud enough for us to hear. Trails from camp would be great. We ended up walking along the narrow road.

  • P
    Jun. 7, 2018

    Cox Hollow Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

    Great campground for everything but big 5th wheelers and motorhomes

    Two good lakes for kayaking/canoeing/fishing/swimming. Lots of good hiking trails and they are working on a big improvement to the equestrian campground. Lots of activities in the area and close to shopping in the town of Dodgeville.

  • Josh F.
    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.

  • Josh F.
    Sep. 11, 2020

    Cox Hollow Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

    Two lakes, two campgrounds and some nice walk-in sites!

    I stayed at this campground when I was a kid and only recently revisited it. The state park has two very large lakes with nice pan fishing and modest but well-groomed (daily?) swimming beaches. The lakes are a definite drive from the campgrounds, however, which makes it hard for "the kids" to simply amble down for a swim. This is important, in Sept. 2020 (COVID-19 times) 1/3 of the parking lot was closed off. Not sure why, but I speculate this is to regulate the number of beach dwellers and swimmers. Regardless, it's a very large and lovely park. Here's my review of the campsites.

    I am a car camper with no interest in (E) electric sites, so I did not pay attention nor note good ones. I prefer the silence and relative darkness that non-E sites provide.

    Campsite - Cox Hollow

    45/47 would be a nice couple of sites for a family/friends (wouldn't want this if you only needed one of them!)

    The sites on the "inside" of the loop are rather close to one another.

    21 has a nice view of the lake, and you can walk back to the fence to look over the bluff 24 is quite private and very large 26, 27 and 29 are all large, near the bluff

    34 is interesting, it's divided into three "terraces" Kind of fun, like a campsite divided into rooms

    44 right next to the water, BIG site, right near the bathroom and playground. This would be great if you have kids.

    The second campground is Twin Valley - though it is NO WHERE NEAR the Twin Valley lake. Lots of driving to get to the lake from here.

    221 is large with nice surrounding trees

    285 is really big

    This campground has walk in sites - these are sites with car parking on the road and you have to walk a minute or two to get to the site. Downside? Carrying all your gear and firewood. Upside? You can genuinely pretend that you've got the place to yourself, can't see a tent or an RV from any of these sites.

    262 is 40 steps in, right on the edge of the valley with it's own personal bluff.

    263 is a longer walk of 75 steps, a little less shaded than others, but PRIVATE

    264 is about 45 steps off the parking lot, right against the bluff edge.

    269 is 50 steps in, but it's just off the path, not as nice as others

    270 is a long 120 steps walking past 269, this is the site for you if you're looking for seclusion

    271 is 110 steps in, flat, really secluded

  • c
    Nov. 28, 2021

    Cox Hollow Campground — Governor Dodge State Park

    Big Beautiful park has it all!

    We love camping at Governor Dodge state park. The campsites are big and fairly private some areas are better for groups of families camping together with play grounds and nice clean bathrooms with showers. If you camp at Twin Valley You will have to drive to the beach. We like the Cox Hollow beach the best ..so if you want to walk to beach camp there. There are lots of beautiful hiking trails including one that passes an old farm homestead complete with the old spring house and a waterfall. You can also rent horses and rid them in the park…the rental place is just outside the park. They have groomed cross country trails and mountain biking trails as well. You won’t be disappointed if you visit this park!

    V

  • Matt N.
    Apr. 19, 2021

    Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground

    Fun state park

    A nice state park. Clean bathrooms with showers. Good sized site with nice privacy. Good hiking around the lake and mostly dog friendly. Nice play ground with horse she pits.

  • Brian H.
    Aug. 1, 2021

    Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground

    Disappointed

    The Pros: campsites were spread out and did have nice natural separation. Lot of big biting horse flies, but hey, we are in the woods next to a lake…

    Cons: vault toilets cleaned but not maintained. Saw 2 (including ours) with non functioning lighting. Hand sanitizers where empty the whole stay. Shower house was older and not cleaned. No ventilation. And sealed windows made it a dank steam room.

    Beach was closed due to excessive algae. Wish they mentioned that on their website.

    Was a little confusing finding the campground when we first arrived.


Guide to Middleton

Governor Dodge State Park Equestrian Campground provides 20 sites with direct access to over 25 miles of bridle trails across varied terrain. Electric hookups, water access for horses, and shower facilities accommodate both riders and their mounts during peak riding season. Located within Wisconsin's driftless region, these facilities serve as a convenient hub for exploring nearby trails and state parks.

What to do

Explore lakefront recreation: Lake Kegonsa State Park offers water activities beyond horseback riding. "Beautiful sites super quiet," notes Heather H. about weekday camping at Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground.

Visit waterfall trails: Stephens Falls at Governor Dodge provides scenic water features and photography opportunities. "Lost Canyon was BEAUTIFUL and had so many interesting geographical features. The trails behind the hike-in campsites also lead to some cliffs with some really amazing views," shares Mary M. about Twin Valley Campground.

Fish on multiple lakes: Yellowstone Lake State Park offers accessible fishing opportunities with boat rentals available nearby. "We rented a 12 person pontoon from Cork Down Saloon Boat Rentals and that was great," reports Tate T. who stayed at the group camp area of Yellowstone Lake.

What campers like

Private, wooded sites: Campsites at Twin Valley provide natural separation between camping areas. "Site 271 was just enough of a walk to feel remote but not so far that I couldn't carry all my stuff," notes Mary M. The campground features "large private sites with good space between them in a lovely wooded setting."

Family-friendly amenities: Merry Mac's Campground offers extensive recreational facilities beyond standard camping. "Super fun campground with so much to do! Lots of games for all up by lodge. DJ dance party on the deck at night. Lake full of all kinds of floats the kids can climb and jump on," reports Tracy C.

Clean facilities: Multiple campgrounds maintain high standards for bathroom and shower facilities. "Site was clean and nice," writes Hubert M. about his experience at Lake Kegonsa State Park, with "showers which were clean and lots of hot water."

What you should know

Wildlife encounters: Raccoons can be problematic at several area campgrounds. "The raccoons here are insanely bold, we had one frequently visit our site and get VERY close to us and in the evening ended up ripping thru the roof of our tent," warns Sarah R. about her stay at Governor Dodge State Park.

Seasonal considerations: Weather conditions affect trail accessibility, especially after rainfall. "It rained all week before we arrived the site we were on could have used some more gravel as it was little muddy for the first day," shares Jeremy S. about Yellowstone Lake State Park.

Low clearance hazards: Watch for height restrictions when driving RVs. "There is an oak tree near entry with low branches and it took the AC off our friend's fifth wheel. There is also a low hanging overpass and it took the roofs off TWO fifth wheels while we were staying there," cautions Kathy L. about Lake Kegonsa.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Yellowstone Lake State Park Campground offers multiple recreation options beyond horseback riding. "A nice state park. Clean bathrooms with showers. Good sized site with nice privacy. Good hiking around the lake and mostly dog friendly. Nice play ground with horse shoe pits," reports Matt N.

Swimming options: Several parks offer both human and pet swimming areas. "The pedestrian beach is too rocky for my liking, but the dog beach is nice and sandy yet small. There is also a bit of a hike to get there. So if you take a cooler you may want a wagon," advises Ted W. about White Mound County Park.

Group site availability: For larger family gatherings, dedicated group areas provide more space. "Came July 2024 for our annual camping trip with 12 people and 6 cars at Group Camp 204. Biggest pro from the group was being secluded from the other sites and rarely hearing other sites," reports Tate T.

Tips from RVers

Site selection considerations: Harnischfeger County Park offers numbered sites with utilities. "Sites with letters are tent sites without water or electric, sites with numbers have water and 30 amp service, though there are plans to upgrade the sites to all have water and 50 amp service in the future," explains Lauren S.

Campground layout: Terrain can make leveling challenging in some areas. "Lots of the campsites are uneven and larger vehicles may have issues getting level," warns Jeanne M. about camping at Yellowstone Lake State Park.

Utility options: Electric sites are clearly marked at most campgrounds. "Electric sites (designated with an 'E' beside the number) were scattered with non electric sites. Electrics were more plentiful, though," notes Amy G. about White Mound Park camping facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Middleton, WI?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Middleton, WI is Lake Kegonsa State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 23 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Middleton, WI?

TheDyrt.com has all 11 equestrian camping locations near Middleton, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.