Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Champaign? Finding a place to stay in Illinois while traveling with your horse has never been easier. Find Illinois equestrian campgrounds with ease on The Dyrt.
$40 - $20 / night
This recreation area is part of Lake Shelbyville
Ranger
We have camped here many times and this time was awesome as well. The park is huge and is one of the only state park's in Illinois with horse camping and horse trails. There are 13 horse camp sites and additional trailer parking for about 6 more rigs with tie out posts for riders that will not be camping. There are several miles of horse trails and the area is set apart from hiking trails and the other camping areas. There are hundreds of campsites in this park in addition to the horse campgrounds and the entire area is maintained by the US Corps of Engineers. There are full hookup RV sites everywhere with tons of flush toilet bathrooms and shower houses in each large section. There is also a tent camp area without electricity, these sites are cheaper and there are lake front sites available here too. There is a beach that closes after Labor Day, but there are lots of sites available all year round. There are lots of hiking trails and deer run through the park in herds in the winter months. The hiking is OK in this park and good if you like short 1 to 1 1/2 mile hikes. I recommend visiting in the fall after Labor Day, October when leaves are changing is my favorite time for this campground. Clean restrooms, showers and a small store at the entrance for bait, firewood or forgotten items make this a great place to spend a few days.
Website: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/WolfCreek.aspx
GuideLots of equestrian parking and camping flush toilets neat trails very swell nice better if s en during the fall. Fishing and boatibg here as well.
TravelerThis is a wonderful campground with drive in availability, equestrian camp and reservable sites! The have great camp hosts Dave and Sharon on the reservable side that will help out in anyway and are so friendly! This campground also has boat access and a beach and hiking trails. It is built into the woods so most lots are very shady and all are very level.
Scout
I visited this campground for the hiking. I never did all of the trails but spent an afternoon hiking with a friend last summer. Not going to lie we did get lost due to lack of proper signage but it all worked out when we found the equestrian trail. Beautiful walks through the trees and great campsites. Super cool but most sites are a hike to get there since they are in the woods. Small boat and kayak rentals are available here for fun in the daytime along with a great little food shack you can eat either inside or outside. Great spots to fish away from the open, very large lake. Would recommend attending this park for a day.
TravelerNice state park in the not so great state of Illinois. Stayed July 4th weekend and it was blistering hot. This was a couple years ago. Pretty noisy also but that can happen anywhere. Nice lake for fishing and the whole park was great to take bike rides in. State park operated restaurant in park is a nice touch. Very handy for ice and drinks on a hot weekend.
ScoutSo we loved staying here for 2 weeks, it was cozy and quiet. It had excellent 5G AT&T, 30amp service and lots of shade. We stayed in our 44’ Newmar Dutchstar.
The Sites have lots of slope so bring many leveling pads/blocks (we needed 9 - 1.5” thick dica road warrior jack pads (highly recommend). It’s also never super convenient to need to pack up just to go to a dump station but as long as your fine walking to the community restrooms, you should be fine.
If my wife wrote this - it would be 4-stars due to showers without temp control and button timer style where you get 30-60 seconds of water for each push…
Overall it was a great camp spot for Illinois and a good place to stay if your prepared for it!
ScoutWe walked in to do camping and we only had spots available at Tall Timber. It’s primitive along with nice trail.
TravelerThis campground surprised us. We got there in the dark and woke up to Fall colors, Canadian geese, trails, playgrounds. We got in without a reservation and upgraded to a beautiful spot on the water. The LTE was a bit weak, that’s the only downside.
TravelerWe group camped with about 6 tents and 12 people, had a great time, very quite secluded area for group camping. Good fishing and kayaking, facilities could be a little cleaner but not bad, the water is TERRIBLE and looks like coffee or tea. But otherwise, if you bring your own water, not bad...
TravelerFirst stop on a cross county trip. We were directed to Catfish Bay for tent camping. It was lightly drizzling and on an overcast day most of the tree-covered campsites were dark. There are some nice sites right on the water (be prepared to walk your gear in from parking lot). Site #21 was private, with more open sky and a shorter walk to parking/outhouse. The outhouse was in really rough shape--looked like it hadn't been swept out or hosed down for awhile. Won't be back.
TravelerGorgeous camp ground with lots of trees and a lake. They could do a little better cleaning out the fire pits. Had garbage and cigarette butts from the previous camper that we cleaned out.
TravelerEasy access from the highway. Drove in without reservations, mid-week, just before dark, for a quick overnight while on a cross country trip. The very nice hosts (father/daughter team) helped us with the process. Lots of good sites available with long, relatively level gravel pads with 30amp electric. Got water on the way in, by the dump station. Firewood bundles for $8. Lots of beautiful, tall trees. I imagine it would be nice on a summer day, with plenty of shade. Clean and basic bathroom, there were free showers but I didn’t use them. This was an excellent overnight stay for only $20.
ScoutThis is an awesome place to stay. We got a first come, first serve tent spot right on the lake which made for a gorgeous sunrise. The amenities were great and there’s plenty to do around the area.
GuideA suitable local choice for camping if you desire more trees surrounding your site. There are a few very short hike-in primitive sites for extra seclusion.
TravelerGreat campground. Good fishing, playground etc. clean restrooms and showers. Nice place to walk. My reason for 4 stars is there is no water at the site. Must fill up before. Price is high for just electric at site.
GuideSo we camped at CatfIsh Bay which Is walk up only/no reservatIons and ended up in probably the worst spot (#1.) Don’t get me wrong there are some pretty spots here on the water but I could just tell by the crowd it was probably going to be trouble. We were woken up at 4am by a man screaming at his teenage kids and 2 drunk girls on the other side of us yelling. Don’t get me wrong i like to have a good time but these were the kind of people where I couldn’t speak up Bc I didn’t want to get in a fight and/or murdered. Soooooo I just wouldn’t come here. We only did because were passing through on a longer road trip. The plus was it was only $6.
ScoutWe went here with a group of tent campers sight unseen, so that’s always rolling the dice. We stayed until the main part where you could reserve online through reserve America. Would not recommend that area to anyone. Sites are right on top of each other in every direction. Not sure who would seek this out or agree to it after seeing it.
Upon finding the rustic tent sites, we’d wished we’d known about that area before going. Those were still a little close together but were at least wooded and you could walk from your car.
The dispersed camping sites were the closest to what I’d been used to coming from New Hampshire, but it was more of a hike than I would be looking for.
ScoutNNice lake for fishing and kayaking. Excellent restaurant on site also
TravelerSites arent crazy on top of one another... but quiet and family friendly. May not be suitable for some large RVs as saw some motorcoach and 5th wheel struggle. Decent bathhouse and boat ramp for lake access. Great lake to kayak at. Hosts were very nice.. had family movie Saturday night.
ScoutLiving less than 5 mi away from Moraine Hills, I seem to never get bored. Every season, rain or shine, you’ll always find somethin new. Between endless geocaches, climbing trees, walking/bike trails, and picnic spots, its the perfect place for a quick stop or a sunrise to sundown day! Mark my word.
GuideThe campground offers electric and non-electric. We were camping next to friends and the electrical area didn't offer much in the way of privacy between neighbors.
There are regular and handicapped showers. Also a small playground for the kiddos. There is a beach within walking distance if you like to hike or drive by car. The beach wasn't kept up on cleanliness as it was covered in spots with geese droppings. The campground also has some hiking trails and fishing.
The camp hosts are very nice and allowed us to pick another camp site spot due to severe rain storms that hit a few days before.
GuideHas sections of niceness hiking and kayaking
ScoutNice place no alcohol. 'Lake' has had a lot of algae over the last couple years
TravelerThe good: swim beach is not right in campground but nearby. $3 entry for beach. The RV campground is on the water, book far enough in advance for a waterfront site. You can kayak or fish from campground. Sites all seemed flat (meant for RVs but most had grass good for tent setup) and most were shady. There's a playground by bathrooms which have showers. Showers were a good temp. Campground was not particularly loud when we were there (even on a holiday weekend).
The bad: bathrooms seemed dirty even for campground bathrooms & 1 stall was broken, leaving 3 showers & 2 flush toilets for the whole campground. Sites could have been a little more spaced out/ private.
We live 20 minutes from Moraine view so I'm sure we'll be back. :)
ScoutGreat Hosts, clean facilities, nice lake, clean beach, separate equine campground areas, great shelters, lots of hiking trails, spacious sites, plenty of room to wander. Concession stand/ small resturaunt on site, marina on site.
ScoutThe park used to be so well maintained by volunteers and it seems have gone downhill over the years
TravelerLarge body of water. Not really clean enough to enjoy swimming. Campsites are a little cramped. We have stayed here a few times with our camping club.
There is a boat club near by. Gibson City has a great drive in movie theater and German Restrurant. Gibson is about 20 minutes from the camp ground.
Only electric hook ups.
Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the companionship of your equine friends. With various campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to saddle up and enjoy nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Champaign, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Champaign, IL is Moraine View State Recreational Area with a 3.9-star rating from 27 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Champaign, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 equestrian camping locations near Champaign, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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