Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Middleton, WI is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Middleton, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
"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."
$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!"
"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,"
"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."
"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."
"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."
$65 / night
"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."
"Has trails, disc golf, and rock river for kayaking."
"Their is also a great hiking trail if you like that."
TravelerWe 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.
RangerGreat 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.
LegendThe 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.
ScoutTwo 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.
LegendDriving 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.
LegendI 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
ScoutWe 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
GuideA 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.
Legend This is a very large state park located halfway between Mineral Point and New Glarus, both nice visiting destinations in their own right.
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. There's also a boat rental place run by the nearby Cork Down Saloon. There are no boat-in or lake accessible campsites however.
The campground is up a long 30 degree hill across from the main launch and Beach/ main picnic area. The sites are more secluded from each other than you'll find at most parks , which is very nice. Beware that some sites are so secluded that they are bi-level. That is, parking pad and then step(s) down to the site. Be sure to check the photos provided when reserving. There are very nice walk-in sites, but no carts are provided.
the facilities are clean, but there's only one building with running water and showers. Water throughout has a mild iron taste.
There's no playground in the camp area, it's located in a picnic area near the canoe launch that you pass as you com in. Not walking distance, remember the big hill.
There's an Ice Cream/concession at the east end of the lake with limited hours. Beyond that is the Cork Down Saloon, just outside the secondary entrance to the park. It's your closest option to eat out. Also there is the private Chalet campground (see others for a review) Neither has a view of the lake as they are below the Dam.
A fun place to visit in the area is the Toy Train Barn Museum in Argyle, indoors if you have a rainy day.
Horse camping in Wisconsin offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of well-reviewed spots, you can find the perfect place to set up camp and ride the trails.
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.
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