9 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Several horse camping options exist near Bartonville, Illinois for riders seeking accommodations with their horses, ranging from primitive equestrian campsites to sites with electric hookups and shower facilities. Horseman's Park at Sand Ridge State Forest offers primitive camping with tie-up posts at each site and designated areas for manure disposal. The campground features a single loop design with outer sites providing more privacy against the woods, while inner sites create a group-like atmosphere. Sites include picnic tables and access to vault toilets. The sandy terrain and extensive trail system provide varied riding experiences, with the yellow loop offering particularly challenging steep sand hills that effectively work horses.
Jubilee College State Park Campground provides access to well-maintained horse trails that connect to the main park system. Riders note the trails are nicely groomed and mowed, making them excellent for equestrian use. The park includes both horseback riding and hiking trails throughout its acreage, with clear directional signposts marking trail intersections. Questing Hills Equestrian Campground at Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area represents another option for horse owners, offering electric hookups, water access, showers, and toilet facilities for campers bringing horses. All three locations allow direct trail access from the campgrounds, minimizing the need to trailer between camp and riding areas.
"Excellent horse trails. Went with a group of around 8 people and it was beautiful! Well maintained."
"The abundant forest, trails and the creek going through the park make this an ideal place to visit during spring and fall. Summer is ok too but may get a bit hot in Central Illinois for my taste."
"Comlara is a beautifully laid out hidden gem in Illinois. Evergreen Lake is the perfect back drop to the campground."
"Located just northwest of Bloomington, which is located absolutely smack-dab in the middle of the state of Illinois, you’ll discover a nature wonderland over here nearly hidden from plain site."
"This is the campground for horses and their riders. Tie up posts are in each campsite along with picnic tables."
"Lots of trails nearby, and plenty of beautiful green trees. Outhouse on site. One of the more quiet sites that doesn’t get a lot of action."
from $8 / night
"Near the back you can camp right alongside the river. Amenities are minimal, there are just port-a-potties for restrooms but they are very clean."
from $22 / night
Check Availability"Praire Lake Campground has 3 facilities on the lake. FAMILY camp for Rv, Tentand cabins. 1. 84 sites with Electric or 19 have FHU. 2."
"We camp at the equestrian loop, unlike some campgrounds we have our own shower house with three showers and three bathroom stalls."
from $20 / night
Check Availability
GuidePraire Lake Campground has 3 facilities on the lake. FAMILY camp for Rv, Tentand cabins. 1. 84 sites with Electric or 19 have FHU. 2. Primitive Camp has seven three-sided shelters to camp near or in for a fee of $6 per night 3. Group camp area. A separate location has the equestrian campground, Questing Hills, with 51 electric sites.
LegendThis is the campground for horses and their riders. Tie up posts are in each campsite along with picnic tables. The campground is one loop so the inner ring of sites are almost like a group site setup. The outer ring sites are more private and up against the woods. A set of vault toilets is commonly located. Along with garbage cans there are multiple spots to pile manure. There were a couple sites occupied the first night but it emptied out on Saturday.
Most trails in this natural area are accessible to horses. Trails head out from camp. The longest being almost 15 miles. Hiking and hunting also happen here so keep an eye open on the trails. If you have an energetic horse that you want to work hard, head into the yellow loop. The ranger said it tires everyone because it’s steep hills of sand.
Across the road is a spot for day use riders to park their trailers. There were a bunch parked when we passed it.
This is a hidden gem and worth giving a chance.
GuideA friend and I were looking for somewhere to spend a weekend backpacking that wasn’t a 4+ hour drive away from central IL. This fits the bill but does leave some to be desired. The terrain is an interesting change from most IL hiking since the trails are incredibly sandy while the forest itself is mostly pine. Watch out for cacti along the trail! My only real complaints are the lack of water sources, and the inconsistencies between the trail map and the actual trail. Each trail is marked very clearly with directional sign posts as often as necessary, however, the first night we were hiking in to find BC1 and according to the map we should have passed it in our hike but never saw any sort of campsite at all. We ended up setting up camp off the trail in an unmarked clearing that worked quite well. The next day we moved on to look for site BC7. After hiking much farther than the map indicated, we finally stumbled on BC7. It turned out to be a pretty picturesque little clearing among the pines with an actual fire slab and a signpost marking the entrance trail. Overall it was a good trip, just don’t be fooled by how close things look on the map! Also, the bugs (of all kinds including ticks and mosquitoes) are pretty terrible and I would recommend going either in the early spring or late fall. Not June.
The forest grounds also have an equestrian campgrounds and the trails would be perfect for riding.
ScoutExcellent horse trails. Went with a group of around 8 people and it was beautiful! Well maintained.
GuideWe camp at the equestrian loop, unlike some campgrounds we have our own shower house with three showers and three bathroom stalls. Their is also a vault toilet in the middle of camp and the opposite end of the main bathrooms. Most sites have at least partial shade. The sites are always maintained with hitching rails and electricity water is not at every site but through out the park. Trails are well marked and maintained over 26 miles of trails.
GuideWe may have set the bar too high with our first camping trip. Comlara is a beautifully laid out hidden gem in Illinois. Evergreen Lake is the perfect back drop to the campground. Although we don’t fish, we saw many people fishing from the shore line and enjoying the water in boats and canoes. There is a designated swimming area (beach), but it wasn’t open at this time. There are many hiking and walking trails within the park that are within driving distance of the campground. There is one main shower house and several single outhouse style men/women bathrooms scattered throughout. The showers were very adequate, nothing fancy, but serve their purpose. There are fire pits and picnic tables at each site along with 30 or 50 amp hookups. Some have shared water hookups nearby also. There is also a typical dump station and potable water by it.
The camp sites are spread apart nicely with some moderate elevation change giving many great views of the lake. All campsite pads were gravel and the access roads were paved. Site 40 where we stayed was right by the lake and absolutely beautiful!
LegendLocated just northwest of Bloomington, which is located absolutely smack-dab in the middle of the state of Illinois, you’ll discover a nature wonderland over here nearly hidden from plain site. One moment you’ll be driving down the well-paved country road with golden tassles of corn popping up on either side of you and the very next, you’ll turn into a wooded sanctuary that is punctuated by the marvelous Evergreen Lake, which was built in 1970 and is some 925 acres in size with an average depth of nearly 20 feet and 50 feet at its deepest.
It is this fresh body of water that really makes Comlara County Park stand-out from just about anything else in the surrounding area. It has not one but two outstanding boat launches as well as a separate launch for canoes and kayaks. There are simply tons of little nooks and crannies all around the lake to get some decent fishing in – which you will predominantly find largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, saugeye, muskellunge and crappie – as well as a small individual isle called Deer Island, although when we explored the small land mass, no deer were to be found. There’s boat rentals and a bait shop that is available on the weekends only as well as a proper beach head with swimming available 7 days a week during the summertime (Memorial Day – Labor Day).
As far as the campground(s) are concerned – if you look closely, there's actually not 1, not 2, not even 3, but actually 4 to choose from – but if you add up all of the 144 campsites (apart from the primitive camping options) collectively, they are spaced a little too close to comfort for my taste, which when you add on top of that there isn’t much brush or anything separating you from your neighbors camping alongside of you. This is likely my biggest complaint: privacy. If that doesn’t matter to you and you enjoying being in a large wide open space chock full with other tents, RVs and 5th wheelers, then Comlara County Park is a great choice for you.
I would first begin by pointing out that the entire Comlara Park is very well organized, kept impeccably clean and very easy to navigate with relatively good roads and decent signage. It feels as though whether you are looking for a trail to hike, a spot to launch your kayak, biking trails to navigate or finding a fishing hole to cast a line, everything seems as though it is in very close reach and just a short walk away. All of the 144 campsites are made available on a first-come, first served basis, with 94 including 30 / 50 amp electric while 23 are non-electric sites, with the 11 remaining devoid of any hook-ups.
For my tent-pitching primitive bredren, there’s 16 walk-in sites in the main recreation area (I guess that is situated amongst or in-between the other 3 campgrounds that exist here), but there is a completely separate whole other area (oh, and located completely in a different county altogether), which is technically a completely different campground in a completely separate physical location with these 16 primitive campsites.
With amenities in mind, aside from the greatest asset being Evergreen Lake itself and beyond the associated amenities that have already been highlighted (e.g. boat launch, beach, canoe / boat rental, bait shop) there’s 3 kid’s playground, at least 5 large shelters by my count, at least 3 his / her bathroom and shower facilities as well as scattered in-ground fire rings, water spigots (basically planted every 3rd or 4th site) stand-up BBQ grills as well as the prerequisite picnic tables, all of which were in very condition during our stay. There’s only one dump station, which seemed odd considering that there’s at least 3 campgrounds if not 4 here and 144 sites collecting garbage at a single time. There is firewood, ice and fishing worms available at the visitors center and campground station in the main area.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If like me you are a primitive tent camper and on the look out for some pretty amazing, not-so-EZ places on earth to really feel like you are out enjoying pristine, undisturbed nature, then you’ll want to have a very close look at the primitive camping areas west of Evergreen Lake over near White Oak. There’s 16 or so simply excellent lakefront sites over here along with your own boat dock; (2) Should you be ‘herd camping’ with a much larger group, there’s actually a simply fantastic hidden group camping oasis over here in White Oaks as well that you can get away from it all; (3) In the event that you grow weary of cooking up franks & beans again for dinner, you’ll have a decent drive to either El Paso, where there’s a Monical’s Pizza, Dairy Queen, Casey’s, El Paso Mexican or, upgrade yourself to The Local Tap, which is a craft kitchen and alehouse serving up some excellent fare. Of course, you could head into Bloomington, of which you will find everything, but that’s a bit of a hike unless, like me, you would make that drive to either have some of the best deep dish pizza Chicago has to offer, Giordano’s, or one of the greatest sausage and Italian beef joints in the world, Portillo’s.
Happy Camping!
LegendSimple campground...simple is the key. Not a whole lot of fluff with this campground. The reason to camp here is to make sure you get to fish or be on the water. The location is nice as it is in central Illinois and one of the few in the area. Costs can be a little expensive to some but reality is it is right in par with the state. You need to make sure there is good weather coming here as there isn’t too much to do minus the lake. Sites are electric and some are right in the water which would be ideal for kayak/canoe. It is a pretty big park and it is normally booked up so better to reserve early.
I’ve stayed here a few times and we have always stayed with friends sharing sites as it is always better with friends along. It is located close tot he bike paths for mountain bikes so that is an added bonus. Nice little get away at the end of it.
GuideMy favorite thing about Jubilee is how quiet it is. The abundant forest, trails and the creek going through the park make this an ideal place to visit during spring and fall. Summer is ok too but may get a bit hot in Central Illinois for my taste. The campsites and campground are very nice. Electric only with water available and a dump station. Great local piece of nature and peace to disconnect and reset.
Central Illinois offers dedicated horse camping opportunities within driving distance of Bartonville. These equestrian-focused campgrounds provide trail access across varied terrain types, from sandy pine forests to rolling prairie landscapes. Most equestrian sites in the region maintain separate facilities from standard campgrounds to accommodate the specific needs of riders and their horses.
Explore unique terrain: At Horseman's Park — Sand Ridge State Forest, riders can experience Illinois' most unusual landscape. One camper notes that "the terrain is an interesting change from most IL hiking since the trails are incredibly sandy while the forest itself is mostly pine. Watch out for cacti along the trail!" The forest offers nearly 15 miles of trails through this distinctive ecosystem.
Nighttime stargazing: Jubilee College State Park Campground provides excellent dark sky viewing due to its distance from urban light pollution. "Great campground to get out of the city. The viewing of stars is incredible," reports Joe M. Winter camping offers especially quiet conditions for astronomy enthusiasts.
Fishing access: Several campgrounds provide lake or pond access for fishing. "There's a small fishing pond off the road a bit," notes Jonathan J. about Jubilee College State Park. Sites at Comlara County Park border Evergreen Lake, though some campers report mixed fishing results depending on location.
Privacy options: Comlara County Park offers varied site layouts. "Many spots for RV/campers, and as you venture further in, you'll find large open fields with camping spots," explains Mike K. For those seeking seclusion, "more hike in tent sites would provide more rustic experience," according to Kathie M.
Uncrowded winter camping: Off-season camping provides solitude at some parks. At Jubilee College, Jonathan J. shares: "Especially like winter truck camping here. The pit toilets are always available in the winter, and I usually have the park to myself."
Lake views: Some sites offer direct water access. At Comlara Park, Scott N. reports: "Site 14 is very spacious like it could be used as a group site... The best part was the view of the lake. There was a spot that a person could get a kayak or canoe into the water."
Wildlife encounters: While uncommon, wildlife sightings can occur. At Jubilee College, Ashley C. reports: "at about midnight there were at least 3 bobcats snarling and growling near our tents and then they circled our tents, sniffing them."
Facility maintenance varies: Campground conditions fluctuate seasonally and yearly. Some campers report clean facilities while others note issues. At Jubilee College, one reviewer found "bathrooms clean, but shower house water smelled like sulfur," while another stated facilities "could be cleaner, but gets the job done."
Additional fees: Deer Creek Campground maintains minimal facilities but remains popular for riverside camping. At some parks like Comlara, expect extra charges for recreational activities. "The kicker is the $20.00 fee per boat/kayak to get on the lake plus the fee for the swimming area," notes Marcie J.
Beach access: Deer Creek Campground provides clean swimming areas. "Nice place and people very helpful and beach is so clean," reports Leslie. Beach access often requires additional fees at public recreation areas in Illinois.
Playgrounds available: Several parks provide playground equipment to keep children occupied. At Comlara County Park, "There are a few playgrounds for the kids to stay busy as well as small marked trails to follow," according to Sage C.
Biking opportunities: Jim Edgar Panther Creek - Family Campground maintains separate facilities from its equestrian area and offers bicycling opportunities. At Jubilee College, Sarra W. shares: "Our family had a day out there on our bikes and loved it!"
Hookup availability: Questing Hills Equestrian Campground at Jim Edgar Panther Creek provides dedicated equestrian facilities with electrical hookups. "Most sites have at least partial shade. The sites are always maintained with hitching rails and electricity," reports Alicia B.
Site levelness: Check campground details regarding pad conditions. At Comlara, Kathie M. warns: "Site 28 unlevel. Requires several lifts. Site is very large however."
Quick overnight stops: Comlara County Park works well for highway travelers. Sarah S. notes: "We were looking for a quick place to spend the night, like a Walmart or gas station when we found this gem. It is only a few miles off the highway, making it super convenient for a quick overnight stop."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Bartonville, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Bartonville, IL is Jubilee College State Park Campground with a 3.8-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Bartonville, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Bartonville, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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