Best Equestrian Camping near Spooner, WI

Saint Croix State Forest Boulder Campground provides primitive camping for equestrians seeking a natural setting with vault toilets and no hookups. The first-come, first-served sites cost $17 per night and feature fire rings and picnic tables. The campground remains open from May through November, offering a secluded experience with ample spacing between sites. While horse-specific amenities are limited, the surrounding forest offers access to multiple trail systems. The sites are remarkably clean and well-maintained, surpassing the condition of many state park campgrounds despite their rustic nature.

The Saint Croix area provides numerous riding opportunities through state forest land with established ATV trails accessible from the campground vicinity. Trails wind through diverse forest terrain and along the scenic Tamarack River. Wildlife sightings, including bears, wolves, and coyotes, are common in this relatively undeveloped camping area. Campers should arrive early in the day to secure sites during busy periods, particularly weekends, as the reservation-free system fills quickly. Water for horses must be brought in or sourced from natural features. Midweek visits offer the quietest experience with significantly reduced ATV traffic and fewer fellow campers. The campground's remote location requires navigation along gravel roads, but the pristine natural setting rewards the effort required to reach this destination.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Spooner, Wisconsin (4)

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Spooner, WI

2 Photos of 4 Spooner Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Spooner, WI

64 Reviews of 4 Spooner Campgrounds


  • Erik R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 5, 2025

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Camping in Spring snow

    Well, it snowed … in late March. I stayed in the campground in late March, 2025. This is a big park with a diversity of hiking, equestrian, and canoeing options. Since the park runs along the St. Croix, there are beautiful river-side walks to be had. There are also Oak Savanna trails. Several trails are for horses, but that isn’t my scene. I stayed in the campground for two nights. It was cold, rainy, and that turned into 5” of snow. Like many MN State Park campgrounds, you are close to your neighbors with no real private offerings. I stayed in site 66e. It was a typical site with nothing bad nor special about it. The hike to the former Dam site is the neatest thing about the park. I recommend reading the historical information at the site of the dam. Having been here once, I see no reason to come back.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 3, 2021

    Old Logging Trail — St. Croix State Park

    First solo experience

    This was my first solo tent camping night in June 5, 2020. There were some horse flies when I parked but they didn't seem to hang out in the shade of my campsite. There was a very loud bird making calls until about 1am... Maybe a whip-poor-will. Otherwise a serene spot tucked back in the walk in site.

    Directions to the walk in sites were a bit unclear when driving in but I eventually made it there.

  • Joslyn H.
    Jun. 27, 2024

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Lots of good memories

    I have been coming to Wild River since I was a kid. Nice park, scenic trails, horses on the way in.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 26, 2023

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Serene times at Wild River

    Stayed for two nights at a drive-in double site here and found it ideal for autumn camping. We didn’t think we would get colors, but they came out a little early, adding a few splashes to the hiking and river view.

    Site was private enough, the woods surrounding dense enough to obscure others while still feeling open. Also open enough to spot three white-tail deer.

    Hike to the Nevers Dam lookout was easy enough for a five year old to walk (most of it) — featuring some very cool fallen trees and a wonderful winding staircase — and the adjacent sandy beach was a pleasant and peaceful surprise.

    One complaint is that the nearby vault toilet reeked of amonia and was unusable so we had to walk to the adjacent loop for bathroom. Silver lining is that we discovered the free little library near that bathroom and grabbed a copy of ‘Ramona the Brave’ for the kiddo. We went back and left a copy of ‘Amira’s Picture Day.’

  • Kate H.
    Jun. 4, 2018

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Very spacious and private campsites!! Lots of wildlife!

    This campground is massive! Our campsite was on the farthest loop and was very private! We saw sooooo many deer some even walking right through campsites! You can hear coyotes, raccoons and very loud owls😂

    We spent an entire day hiking and it was decent hiking along the river, some of the trails where a little confusing and trying to figure out where we at, but we made it just hiked a little further than we wanted to😂! This seems to be the hot spot for horses and if we go back I definitely want to do the horseback riding right outside the park! DRIVE to the visitors center from the campsites it’s a bit away!

    Postives: Very private and remote, Lots of wildlife, friendly staff, okay hiking. The canoe rental place wasn’t open so we can’t comment of water activities!

    Negatives: Only one shower house and we had to drive there, the primitive toilet smelled so bad it burned!! It needed to be emptied and wasn’t the entire time we were there. This isn’t a comment on this state park but because we where no where near a real bathroom and we have a toddler who wears a diaper/potty training there are no trash cans in the primitive toilet it could create a problem if you had a little one or if your a women😉

    overall it was good camping trip, but if we did come back we would definitely camp closer to the shower house.

  • Ramona A.
    Jul. 6, 2017

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Beautiful river valley area

    Have stayed here many times in all seasons. Not an over crowded park with lots of room to roam. Horses are welcome here with their own special campground area and miles of trails to ride. Hiking trails cover open grasslands, hardwood forest and valley waterways. Lots of wildlife and a great place for birders. Paved bike trails trailer and tent camping as well as camper cabins. Especially beautiful in autumn with the colorful leaves.

  • K
    Sep. 8, 2020

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Campsite 29

    We stayed in campsite 29 in the drive in campsite over Labor Day weekend. The park was great - lots of hiking options, very clean (including the bathrooms), available water, right along the river. #29 definitely wouldn't be my first pick, but we booked late and it was one of the two left. No pad, which was fine (some of the sites do have pads, though). You could easily fit two tents in the site - it was a nice big area and looked kind of empty with just our one tent! The site isn't particularly private, since it was in the center of the loop, and if anyone ends up in the campsite behind you (#33), you're really pretty close - we lucked out and no one showed up until we were leaving. On the other hand, if people wanted to double camp, those two sites would be great together! It was a busy weekend, but people seemed to be pretty quiet after 10 pm. #30 looked like an awesome site and probably had the most privacy of the B lane. The restrooms were between A and B lanes (walkway between #24 & #26, #26 was pretty exposed to people walking back and forth) and was pretty busy - and not many people following the mask rule for the park. The campsites in general were pretty busy (Labor Day weekend probably contributed to that), there are a lot of sites, and it's close-ish to the cities, so if you're really looking to get away from people this probably isn't the ideal park. Lots of dogs, too. But, the sites were right next to the hiking paths and the park has a ton to see. We had a good time! We hiked past the Spring Creek campsite area and it looked really great, if you want to carry your stuff in.

  • Heidi K.
    Aug. 3, 2018

    Riverview Campground — St. Croix State Park

    Group camping site.

    Our scout troop camped for a weekend her. Our site was very spacious, and had close access to a well maintained outhouse and walking distance to indoor toilets and showers. The main disadvantage to this site was, no trees.

  • HollyRose M.
    Dec. 9, 2020

    Wild River State Park Campground

    Lots to Explore/Learn

    I’ll say, one of the best parts of this park is all the interpretative kiosks. Love learning about the forestry and history of state parks!  Also many options for trails which is great. A lot of wildlife here, I heard a ton of coyotes and geese, a woodpecker, and a beaver under the bridge in the evening chomping away at peeling logs... totally scared me at first but he was just doing his job and I tried not to bother him! 

    I stayed at the backpacking site: SPRING. It’s just a short hike (bout 400 meters)  from the river access where there is a vaulted toilet snd water year-round. The site had a bench overlooking the river and a rugged stair for water access. Also had a little personal rustic toilet just a trail behind the site. Nice and wooded campsite, soft dirt, and fairly spacious! In wet months, I bet it's pretty muddy. The only drawback is that the trail it’s situated on is the hiking club trail and heavily trafficked. I stayed in winter, where you could see through the trees and all that tho. Maybe in summer, it’s more secluded? But still, something to keep in mind.

    Took a peek at the campground- some of the most spaced out and wooded sites I’ve seen yet. I like that they made it in separated loops, to avoid through traffic distracting your stay. Love the visitors center, great overlook, and interesting information. By the trail center, which is also very cozy and rents, skis and snowshoes and has a great inside fireplace, there is an interpretative walk about white pines- great for kids to imagine those huge trees! They do a great job aiding the imagination as you walk along the short trail.

    Camper cabins here are up on a bluff- didn’t stay there but totes want to! Nicely situated.

    Everything that I checked out here was very well managed and they clearly put a lot of time and care into making this park functional, interesting, and accessible. I loved my little backpack site but can’t wait to come back to camp in the summer or rent a cabin! The river is gorgeous, even as it was frozen in winter!


Guide to Spooner

Horse camping in Wisconsin offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to saddle up and enjoy nature.

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like trails

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Spooner, WI is Wild River State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 44 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Spooner, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.