Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Watertown? Equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. Search horse campsites and discover top-rated spots, as reviewed by other campers.
$18 - $30 / night
Mauthe Lake campground has 135 sites, including 51 electrical sites, one shower building with flush toilets in the 300 loop and several vault toilets throughout the campground. The campground is located within the Mauthe Lake Recreation Area. The beach area has playground equipment. Food/drink concessions and kayak/canoe rentals are available seasonally. Campsites accessible to people with disabilities are also available. A sanitary dump station and recycling/garbage station are provided for registered campers. Mauthe Lake campground is open for camping year-round.
$18 - $28 / night
$28 / night
Harnischfeger Park (132 acres) is the largest Dodge County Park. The park is located in southeastern Dodge County along the Rock River in the Town of Lebanon about one mile west of the unincorporated community of Ashippun and eight miles east of Watertown. A variety of terrain, vegetation and facilities provide park visitors with a multitude of recreational opportunities in a scenic setting. The clubhouse and two open pavilions offer excellent places to hold group functions, such as family reunions, company picnics, graduation parties and weddings. Camping is available with ten sites and a group site. Active and passive recreation abound with several miles of hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing trails, snowshoeing, sledding, fishing areas, mini-golf course, disc golf course, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, baseball field, playground and a canoe launch with canoe and kayak rentals available. An 800 foot boardwalk provides additional shoreline fishing, wildlife and wetland viewing opportunities.
Located within the Villages of Menomonee Falls and Lannon, Menomonee Park is filled with a historical background from the stone quarrying period of 1880-1900. Historical remnants include an old stone crusher and the railroad spur from the quarry to the Bugline. The Park totals 464 acres of rolling field, high quality maple woods, cattail marsh, wetlands, and a 16 acre quarry lake. During your travels through the miles of trails, you may spot a warbler, thrushes or other songbirds. The rolling hills provide challenges to hikers, cross-country skiers and those on snowshoes.
Enjoy a bike ride along the historical Bugline Recreational Trail that was once the railroad that served Stone City. The 16-mile paved trail is a treasure for hikers, bikers and runners. A separated portion of the trail is set aside for equestrian use. Rent Stand Up Paddleboards and Canoes on site.
$25 - $80 / night
Merry Mac Campground is a family friendly campground nestled between the South shore of Devil’s Lake and Lake Wisconsin. This 40 acre facility offers activities for all age groups: swimming pool, beach, swimming pond with water inflatables, jumping pillow, dunk tank, miniature golf, playground, sand volleyball, basketball, gagaball pit, trykes and bikes, friendly camp store surrounded by Mother Nature’s beauty!
$35 / night
Guide
It was hot and crowded but we had a decent campsite with plenty of shade so we were happy enough. Showers were nice. We spent most of our time fishing at Long Lake, which we liked much better. If you go, make sure to get fresh cinnamon rolls delivered to your site!
Guide
Stayed one night (Friday) and really enjoyed the location. We were in the quiet loop, Loop 1, which actually was very quiet. Everyone was respectful of the rules. We did walk over to the other loops where there was more of a party atmosphere at some sites with larger groups, music, and kids.
The sites in Loop 1 are varied as far as tree coverage, seclusion, and terrain. Our site (22) was relatively flat, felt secluded, had good tree coverage with some filtered sunlight. The pit toilets are about 3 sites away, a short walk. There is room for two tents.
There was a posting about black bear sightings in the area. We did not experience that, just chipmunks and birds.
GuideStayed in campsite directly connected to Green Trail of the Scuppernong Trailhead. Campsite was clean and quite private for being near people.
Traveler
We booked a week here in 2022 and ended up staying for two summers as camp hosts. The park is quiet, family orientated, and the park caretaker John is a national treasure. He’s been with the park since before it was county owned and knows every nook and cranny, critter and creature, and appreciates each and every guest who comes to the park. His one rule is to enjoy the park and let the staff know if you have any ideas to help to “keep it fresh”. 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. The last weekend of September is FallFest and often books a year in advance.
GuideI camped at site #102. There are great views of the lake and easy access to water and bathrooms. The site that I stayed at was actually a teepee site and had a large-ish wooden platform. Parking was right in front of my site but not a drive-in site.
I've become a spoiled baby after hiking the PCT last year, so established campgrounds are hit or miss for me, primarily because of how noisy they are. That said, the hosts were wonderful and the park is clean and very well-maintained. I ended up leaving halfway through my second day because I just didn't want to deal with the noise and traffic.
Overall, I would definitely visit this park again! Next time, I'll aim for dates outside of peak summer camping!
Traveler
Campsite 65- Rita, the mgr/owner, returned call to assist in selecting a site. The outer lanes had shade, while our site was in the middle open area. Easy access to electric and/or water. If unsure, contact office. Site, restrooms, and showers were clean. There are a lot of sites but still felt like there was ample space. Great location to visit Lake Geneva (~8mi.) or see a concert at Alpine Valley (~20 min). There’s a shuttle from the campground (outer sites near racetrack.). You pay for the shuttle through Lakeshore shuttle. This weekend had their annual Ribfest. Great food and music that you can walk to from your site (~2 min walk). Due to the fest, there was some late noise, but nothing obnoxious. Definitely recommend as a home base for area fun, music, shopping, and restaurants.
ScoutCute peaceful campground. Only 9 sites. Has a 9 hole mini golf course that cost $1 a person. Has trails, disc golf, and rock river for kayaking.
GuideI camped for two nights in Loop 1, site 21 (24-hour quiet enforced - no pets or speakers allowed). My site was pretty open, but still had nice shade and flat areas for my tent. I also hung a hammock and clothesline and had plenty of space to move about!
Five stars for the camp hosts -- so friendly and they keep the campground very clean! You can also get firewood and ice from the camp hosts, so extra points for convenience!
Hiking at Scuppernong and the Ice Age Trail are both accessible from the group camping area and/or near the showers, depending on which trails you are accessing.
Firepits were cleaned out daily, so no soggy ashes or smoky fires :)
You could hear a bit of road noise, especially motorcycles and heavy trucks, but nothing crazy. There are also several hike-to sites that are nice as well.
Legend
A local favorite to hike during the weekend, relax and get back in touch with nature. All seasons have their own beauty and especially here. If you enjoy ooing and ahhing over fall color leaves, mushrooms, native plants and the wonders of nature, hiking here won’t disappoint.
Legend
Open tent sites and well designed riggings and beyond excellent, well-maintained trails, accommodations and hospitality. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, so if you’re looking for this kind of experience, don’t pass it up. In one of the most lush forests in the SE corner of Wisconsin near Milwaukee.
LegendAwesome views and tons of sites to pick from, although they are crowded and close together and some even have open paths connecting them. Great fishing and day-camping experiences too.
LegendMauthe lake is in the Kettle Moraine Northern Unit. It feels remote but we drove through a bunch of rural houses on the way in. The rustic roads made for good cycling. We passed quite a few pedaling up and down the hills.
The campground itself sprawls along one side of the lake. With the loops for each group peeling off, it is easy to lose your way. The signs mark the direction well so go slow. It helps to know your site number.
There was nobody at the entrance office. I’m not sure if it’s just today but make online reservations. It seems to be the 2022 way.
There is a shower house but we made use of the more convenient vault toilets. Water is available in different ways - even a drinking fountain. There seems to be only one garbage collection site on the way out. This was less convenient since we have dog droppings to deal with.
There is a nature trail that goes around the lake. By the beach and picnic area it’s paved. The rest is gravel or dirt. With recent rains we found a few puddles to walk through and mud to avoid. Our dog loved having the trail so close. Most of the trail is in the sun so bring water on hot days.
Swimming isn’t allowed due to a blue algae bloom. This left plenty of empty space for us to sit with our dog under the trees. Folks did make good use of the fishing pier and playground. We also saw kayaks and stand up paddle boards on the lake.
TravelerI have a self contained van and so like to camp in rustic sites. The full electric sites here are pretty small and tightly packed, but the tent / rustic sites are great. Aim for the 500 loop.
GuideStayed here one night in loop 1 (33). Camp sites are spread out. Facilities were in good condition for a state park in July. Showers were all working and had hot water. There's a playground for the kiddos. Trails to showers so you don't have to walk the long way on the roads. Every site was nice. Water in each loop available. Toilets in each loop. Trails connected to park.
Traveler
Great park with swimming beach, trails, dog park, and archery range. Campsites were ok, not much separation or privacy at all. Pit toilets and metros desperately need to be cleaned more often. We had very noisy neighbors that did not respect the quiet hours rule and park staff did nothing to intervene. Very convenient that they drive through the Campground to sell/deliver firewood tho. I'd stay here again because the park overall is great, but I would try to choose a better site. #9 looked alright, and in the 20#s looked a bit more tree lined and bigger.
Scout
I bought a new rooftop camper. Thought this would be a good place to try things out. It's only 20 minutes from my house and it was a nice site. The campground is clean, well organized. The restrooms are just fine for a state park. Nothing special. There's a small lake with a beach. Lots of places to have a picnic. When I was there there were quite a few families having large family gatherings in the park. But the campgrounds were your typical state park campground. Not very loud. We will behaving themselves for the most part. Each site seems to be pretty secluded from one another. Wood is available at the front gate as well as ice.
TravelerAll of the campsites were full so it was busy but we liked that each spot still felt separated by trees. We would recommend staying further from the road as there is some road noise but it didn’t really bother us at all. The facilities were well maintained.
Pros: Clean Private Camp Site Good playgrounds Hiking Trails
Cons: Road noise if you’re in the first row
GuideA quick last second get away for the first time as a family this season. We stayed in site 201 which was convenient. I wouldn't stay in the site again as it had nothing but swampy muddy low ground around it. It was also right at the entrance. Lots of traffic. However, the kids had plenty of fun running and playing on the hill directly across the street. The weather was great. The easy access to the lake and surrounding hiking trails made for an enjoyable weekend. The Mauthe Lake campground area in the KM forest is a great option for all. Nice and quiet early in the season with beautiful scenery.
GuideGreat for fishing and hiking
Traveler
My family and I love the yurts and the giant pool/ pond. The park model rentals are nice now that my grandma is getting older. 4 stars simply because everything has a price and it's not included in tge total.
GuideGreat campground! We camped at the Whitewater Lake Campground and it was well maintained. It was very quiet and peaceful. There were two areas we went swimming; one was a river where there were more boats and the other was more for recreational swimming. Bathroom and shower facilities were well maintained! Our campsite had a table and fire pit.
GuideLive nearby. We go there a lot over the summer. Fun park to ride bikes through. Many trails to walk or hike. The pond has a great beach for kids.
ScoutWe stayed with a group of people here with no electricity but was able to use my generator during the day while camping in my pop-up. Hot shower, public lake to go kayaking in. Also they had bicycle rentals.
ScoutWe went late in the year in October the place was full but still peaceful. Did some biking and walking along the trails.
LegendFirstly- don’t reserve a spot in loop 1 if you have a dog. It was easy enough to change but now we know to aim for loop 2 or 3 (and this will be one to return to).
There is plenty of greenery between sites giving privacy. We could hear children playing but only saw them when they rode their bikes around the loop. There is a central shower building with vault toilets in the camping loops. Our site 158 had lots of shade but some have more sun.
We didn’t get Verizon service in camp but occasionally found 1 or 2 bars of weak signal while hiking. We asked the ranger about hiking and she gave us a map to a trail system that connects to this campground between the group sites and loop 3. We enjoyed a 4 mile hike from camp to the observation trail. While the view was mostly hidden it was still a nice hike. The trail is wide which meant my doggo hiked by my side. We both enjoyed it.
There is a playground too but the diverse hiking and woodsy sites make this one to return to.
Traveler
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. I thought the stay price was reasonable and there are lots of options for sites and bathrooms. It was quiet and beautiful location with a nice owner.
ScoutWe were just looking for a site to stay overnight after a wedding we attended near by. The sites ver very close together, but the biggest complaint is the noise into the wee hours of the morning. What good are quiet hours if they are not enforced? The people across from us were playing music and being loud well past 1:00 am. Overall the park looks nice, but we would not recommend this place based on the noise after quiet hours.
Wisconsin offers a fantastic experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with a variety of campgrounds that cater specifically to equestrian needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Watertown, WI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Watertown, WI is Pinewoods Campground — Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit with a 4.3-star rating from 21 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Watertown, WI?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Watertown, WI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
