Best Equestrian Camping near Viroqua, WI
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Best Equestrian Sites Near Viroqua, WI (9)
1. Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Ontario, Wisconsin19 Reviews•45 Photos•150 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
2. Wyalusing State Park Campground
McGregor, Iowa56 Reviews•253 Photos•323 SavesLocated on a high bluff overlooking the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, a land of sculpted limestone and prehistoric Native American mounds can be found amid a swath of preserved hardwood forest. Translated “home of the warrior” in the language of the local Munsee–Delaware Indians, Wyalusing Hardwood Forest and the Wyalusing Mounds have received recognition as national natural landmarks and historic places. Adjacent to the forest, Wyalusing State Park is the perfect camping destination for a little outdoors R&R, while discovering more about the natural and cultural history at the junction of Wisconsin’s and America’s greatest waterways.
Visitors to Wyalusing State Park have two campgrounds to choose from. Wisconsin Ridge is set on a high bluff over the Wisconsin River, and Homestead is located in shady hardwood forest. Combined, they offer 109 campsites for tent and RV campers; there is also a large group campground. Both campgrounds provide flush and vault restrooms, shower facilities and drinking water. A portion of sites in each campground have electrical hookups for RVs, and there is a dump station near the Homestead site. The park also has several picnic areas, sports courts, and five reservable group picnic shelters. Firewood, camping supplies, ice and boat rentals are available at the concession stand. Seasonal campsite rates range from $15–$35/night; entrance to the park requires an additional fee.
With nearly 24 miles of land and water trails in Wyalusing State Park, you’ll find ample opportunities for exploring riverside bluffs. Whether you like to walk, hike, ride, or paddle, there’s a trail just for you. Take an easy interpretive walk to learn about the park’s flora, fauna and geology; hike to see limestone caves, waterfalls, and a great view of the river; hop on your bike for a ride around the edge of a wooded grassland; or board a canoe or kayak and paddle through the Mississippi backwaters. Many of these trails are also open during the winter for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Other park activities include fishing, bird watching, and seasonal hunting.
- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
$15 - $35 / night
3. Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Waterville, Iowa11 Reviews•29 Photos•9 SavesYellow River State Forest in northeast Iowa is home to stunning views, beautiful woodlands, and meandering trout streams. Nestled in Iowa’s driftless area in Allamakee County, Yellow River offers numerous outdoor recreation opportunities including camping, equestrian riding, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, and more. Yellow River State Forest was first established in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corp and is home to Iowa’s only fire tower, built in 1963. Today, the forest is managed for numerous natural resource benefits and recreational opportunities.
Big Paint campgrounds are non-modern with vault toilets. Drinking water is available near the office complex. Advance campsite reservations are recommended and can be made through the park reservation system, and one-quarter of the campsites are available for self-registration on a first-come first-served basis.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- RVs
- Tents
$12 / night
5. Frontier Equestrian Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Waterville, Iowa1 Review•8 Photos•1 SaveYellow River State Forest is a perfect place to explore some of Iowa's best hiking trails. Located in northeast Iowa in Allamakee County, the forest is part of the "driftless area" that escaped the glaciers during the most recent ice age. The forest consists of 8,900 acres of hardwood and coniferous forest and is comprised of 6 units.
The Paint Creek Unit is of primary interest to the recreationist, with well-kept camping areas, equestrian accommodations, fishing, hunting, and over 45 miles of trails for hiking, equestrian riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.
Frontier equestrian campgrounds are non-modern and have non-electric sites with hitching rails and vault toilets
- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Equestrian
$16 / night
6. Creekside Equestrian Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Waterville, Iowa1 Review•8 PhotosThe Creekside and Frontier equestrian campgrounds are non-modern and have non-electric sites with hitching rails and vault toilets. There is no drinking water located in the campgrounds at Yellow River State Forest but it is available at the A-frame information center located on State Forest Road near Big Paint Campground approximately four miles off Highway 76.
Yellow River State Forest is a perfect place to explore some of Iowa's best hiking trails. Located in northeast Iowa in Allamakee County, the forest is part of the "driftless area" that escaped the glaciers during the most recent ice age. The forest consists of 8,900 acres of hardwood and coniferous forest and is comprised of 6 units. The Paint Creek Unit is of primary interest to the recreationist, with well-kept camping areas, equestrian accommodations, fishing, hunting, and over 45 miles of trails for hiking, equestrian riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- RVs
- Tents
- Equestrian
$12 / night
7. White Mound County Campground
Loganville, Wisconsin3 Reviews•22 Photos•50 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
8. Money Creek & Vinegar Ridge — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Money Creek, Minnesota2 Reviews•7 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- RVs
- Tents
- Equestrian
9. Oak Ridge / Wet Bark Recreation Area — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Houston, Minnesota1 Review•3 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Equestrian
Recent Equestrian Reviews in Viroqua
95 Reviews of 9 Viroqua Campgrounds
Stuart O.
GuideBig Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Good late season option for the self-contained camper
Was very thankful to find a place to overnight in mid-November. Not a lot of free parking options in this part of Iowa. No water, electric, or dump station, so very much like a parking lot overnight from that perspective. However, the park is situated on the valley bottom of the Yellow River Forest with beautiful tall trees, and there are fire rings. Fee was $12. First come first served basis from November through March.
- JJohn B.
Traveler
Wyalusing State Park Campground
Nice Park
Nice sites, trails and facilities. Stayed during the week in mid September. Beautiful sites overlooking the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers. Great hiking with clean bathrooms and toilets. Private with plenty of room from neighbors for our teardrop.
- Jarrett G.Traveler
Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Sweet place
Very cool secluded walk in sites, pet friendly, awesome trails.
- Tori L.
ScoutBig Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Dream stay.
Came to learn more about Tenkara fly fishing. Had a ball. Visited the 3 lookouts including Iowa only Fire tower. Bird life is colorful. Lots of places to hike. Scenery is lush. I had no phone service. Campsites are well mown, have a picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets. Easy access to water. Drink water and firewood are at the host A frame. There is no dump site. Everyone was very friendly. Helpful. Nights were quiet. Very relaxing.
Brent B.GuideWyalusing State Park Campground
Views
Lovely morning sunrise and amazing sunsets. Great hiking trails,overall a great play to stay.
loren S.GuideWyalusing State Park Campground
Best views, great hiking, kayaking
Awesome campground with lots of hiking trails, and access to backwaters of Mississippi. Outside camp sites off gorgeous views of valley below.
- SStephGuide
Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Beautiful area and great Kickapoo access
This is a smaller campground but makes up for it with all the access around it. Ice Cave trail was a neat, quick walk. The trails around have gorgeous views of the driftless area and Kickapoo river. I stayed at site 1. While it is right next to the campground road and a trail, trees block the views from people looking in and there was not that much traffic. It is a tent only site and can fit one tent. Was a good site for just me and would stay at this site again as most of the other sites are very explored.
- Kristi D.
LegendWildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Lovely quiet park
Nice campground, quiet would come back! It was our first time to WI so the scenery to the park was just beautiful.
Our campsite was nice. Spaced out enough from neighbors that we were comfortable. Do not like the nickel and diming of WI state parks. Charge the site fee which is reasonable enough but then a $8 reservation fee that gets you to $40 and then another $11 to NR's for the vehicle pass. You can get an annual pass for $38 but when you are just passing through it's not worth it. Brought us to $51 for the stay and it was worth it since we needed a place to camp, but I've stayed in better places for less. This park was much better than Rocky Arbor.
Bathrooms were super clean for a campground. Good shower with directions on wall, which was a nice touch. The cement in shower is stained so it looks dirty but it's really pretty clean. Enjoyed my hot shower here.
Hiked the Old Settlers Trail. It was nice, some elevation changes that get you attention. It was muggy and hot as I hiked right after the rain, so temperature was miserable at times, but it is July! The entire trail was about 3 miles round trip from the campground. Definitely check out observation point! Beautiful view!!!
Stacey N.
RangerWyalusing State Park Campground
Amazing.
Fantastic site… what a view. Good firewood… but the place right at the entrance is fantastic…. Offering both hardwood and pine. The only drawback is a lack of staffing… not really surprising. Bathrooms not cleaned as often as other places, but, not a dealbreaker.
Dana K.GuideWyalusing State Park Campground
Serene
Loved the camping and hiking. Beautiful in the fall
Brian O.LegendWildcat Mountain State Park Campground
the best river for canoeing / kayaking in Wisconsin
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.- HHpM R.Guide
Wyalusing State Park Campground
A touch above average
Site layouts a little less private. Great hiking. Duck hunting season must have started at sunrise Oct 1 - sounded like the Civil War started. City lights of PDC visible all night from the site. Trains ran quite a bit but didn't bother us. Oak trees dropped acorns enough to have us reposition the rig for uninterrupted sleep. TMobile strong 5G signal
- Patty M.Guide
Wyalusing State Park Campground
Beautiful campground on the bluffs
Campground sits high up on the bluffs so the views are beautiful. We stayed there in early spring so there wasn't much vegetation growing yet between sites but sites are well-spaced. Great hiking paths up and down the bluffs.
Michael V.RangerWyalusing State Park Campground
Beautiful views of the driftless and river valley below
Stayed here back in 2017, will be going back hopefully soon. Beautiful area! Campground is very nice, with showers and restrooms. Camp sites are far enough away from neighbors that there is some privacy. Need a state park sticker to access. Illinois Minnesota and Iowa are all short drives away. We have also snow shoes here to the ice caves in the winter. Which was fun.
- NNicole K.Guide
Wyalusing State Park Campground
Overall a really nice park!
We stayed in the Homestead Campground. You’re not competing for the views up on the ridge so the camp sites are spaced out more and have a little more privacy. Our site was nicely sized and the facilities were kept quite clean. Wyalusing has fantastic trails and incredible views. I would give it five stars, but our specific campsite was quite close to sites in the next loop and there was a lot of noise from those sites. I agree with other to come prepared for the bugs.
- rrita H.Traveler
Wyalusing State Park Campground
Awesome view
Great site. Great view. Lots of mosquitoes so come prepared. This is a really nice campground.
- Michael V.Ranger
Money Creek & Vinegar Ridge — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Good hunting campground
Stayed here multiple times throughout the years, not much to it. Put toilets, usually slow except during hunting season. Camp sites are decent but primative.
- Michael V.Ranger
Oak Ridge / Wet Bark Recreation Area — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Horse trail campground
Small campground, usually no one here except during hunting season. Not much to this place.
Lyla W.GuideWyalusing State Park Campground
Absolutely stunning
Third time here camping at this campground, almost any spot on the bluff over look is good, but if you want a good view, anything really in the 120s or 140s is nice. Stayed at 125 this time, it’s all gravel with little grass, we had a raccoon come within a foot of where we were sitting, he got scared when we turned on the light haha. I get LTE/5G service at the camp ground, I have us cellular. Overall, would definitely come here again.
James M.LegendBig Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Nice smaller primitive CG along Big Paint
Sites are primitive with tables, fire rings/grates, pit toilets, self registration, ice/wood available across road at visitors station. Cell service is possible at times .
- BBridgerScout
Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground
Great area for canoeing and kayaking
Pretty cool state park. Campground is located on the top of the hill. Wish there were more hiking trails. You can also hike on the horse trails if you want. Would highly recommend canoeing or kayaking the Kickapoo River if you are spending a weekend there.
- James M.Legend
Creekside Equestrian Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Equestrian CG along trout streams
Clean, well kept sites with tie-ups, tables, fire rings, manure station and tools, multiuser trails including stream crossings. Trout fishing is good with seasonal stockings.
- James M.Legend
Frontier Equestrian Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Very nice equestrian CG near trout streams
In Yellow River State Forest,-Very nice spacious sites for horses/riders including tie-ups, fire rings, tables at each site. Self registration, trails from/ camp including stream crossings in trout streams. Manure station with tools. Some trails are multiuser.
Branden A.ScoutWyalusing State Park Campground
Camping ll
Danger
- Daphne D.Guide
Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest
Busy but beautiful
We stayed at the Big Paint Campground and had a nice time. The sites there are pretty spacious and level, but they don't feel very private because this campground is essentially just an open field with line of sight to all other campsites. Still, it was a lovely place with nice trails and great river access. There are also some breathtaking lookout points to see the countryside.
We drove through Little Paint Campground and many of those sites were pretty small and crowded, but again, the river access and the views made it a pleasant stay. Nearby Harper's Ferry is a neat little town, so be sure to visit there!
- Daphne D.Guide
Wyalusing State Park Campground
Very well maintained, quiet
We stayed here for one night only, but we will be back! Many of the camp sites (including ours) were secluded in trees and felt very private, but there were some sites that are very close together, so check the map! Beautiful park, great trails, probably the nicest and cleanest shower and bathrooms we've ever seen. The only downsides are that some of the sites are very small, and there were a LOT of bugs (none seemed to bite, but they swarmed our faces). Overall, though, we will definitely return!
Mallory S.GuideWyalusing State Park Campground
Great view
We stayed on the ridge and enjoyed the tremendous views. This park also has nice hiking trails, good birding, clean bathrooms, recycling drop off, great cell and tv signals and is close to Prairie du Chien. Our site on the ridge was nice. Many of the sites have something that makes set up interesting-slope, angle, tree, retaining was for example, take time to find one that’s good for you.
Guide to Viroqua
Horse camping in Wisconsin offers a unique experience for equestrian enthusiasts, combining beautiful landscapes with well-equipped facilities for both horses and riders.
Campers appreciate these amenities for horses
- The Reno Horse Campground — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest features spacious sites with tie-ups and fire rings, perfect for horse riders looking for a comfortable stay.
- At the Frontier Equestrian Campground — Yellow River State Forest, campers can enjoy well-maintained sites that include tie-ups and access to multiuser trails, making it ideal for horseback riding.
- The Creekside Equestrian Campground — Yellow River State Forest offers clean sites with fire rings and a manure station, ensuring a pleasant experience for both horses and their owners.
Equestrian campers like these nearby activities
- The Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground provides access to scenic trails, perfect for horseback riding through the picturesque landscapes of the Driftless Area.
- Campers at the Reno Horse Campground — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest can explore numerous hiking trails that offer stunning views of the surrounding forest and Mississippi River.
- The Frontier Equestrian Campground — Yellow River State Forest is located near trout streams, providing opportunities for fishing and enjoying nature after a day of riding.
Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like trails and facilities
- The Money Creek & Vinegar Ridge — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest features primitive sites with access to the Root River trail, ideal for those looking to combine horseback riding with scenic hikes.
- At the Oak Ridge / Wet Bark Recreation Area — R.J.D. Memorial Hardwood State Forest, equestrian campers can enjoy a small, quiet campground with access to horse trails, perfect for a peaceful getaway.
- The Big Paint Campground — Yellow River State Forest offers spacious sites and is close to beautiful trails, making it a great choice for horse camping enthusiasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Viroqua, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Viroqua, WI is Wildcat Mountain State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Viroqua, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Viroqua, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.