Best Equestrian Camping near Cherry Valley, IL

We stayed in the Turner lake south loop, which has nice and private sites. This is in contrast to Honeysuckle hollow which is open and row after row of RV sites. Fox den and Prairie view loops are nice as well with mostly primitive sites. Be aware that the map on www.ExloreMoreIL,com(where you make your reservations) doesn't show where the restrooms are. In the Turner loop, the pit toilets are next to the path to the fishing pier, while the showers and full restrooms are between Turner and Fox den, there is a short path between sites 60& 61. Facilities are clean and well lit. Fire pits are slightly raised steel troughs with a heavy adjustable grill. This is a BIG park, the campgrounds are two miles from the front gate, and it's a drive to the main boat launch at Maple Grove, where you have access to the Fox River and Grass lake. This location has a huge parking lot for boat trailers, a very well stocked general store with fishing supplies, a cafe, boat rentals and good firewood. To get away from the crowd if you're a canoeist or kayaker it's nicer to leave the park and go back in at Oak Point picnic area and boat launch at the northern border. This will put you on the Fox river with developments to the north(including a bar& grill) or to the south which is all nature. I think the distance by boat between the two launches is 4-5 miles, but I'm not sure, Halfway there you'll meet up with the Goldfinch trail which is the shortest loop and the most diverse in term of flora. There are horse/ snowmobile trails, but no equestrian campground. Chain o' Lakes is one of the busiest waterways in Illinois, with motorboats everywhere in the height of the summer season. We canoe, and both times we stayed there it was October, so I can't tell you how crowded, but the vast number of picnic areas must be there for a reason. An odd thing is that you can hear a Steam Train whistle quite often, this is from Richardson's Adventure Farm in Spring Grove. We don't have kids so we went to Stade's Farm& Orchard(which is also large and kid friendly) because they have an orchard and vegetable market. One last thing, the gates close at 10:PM and there are tire shredders, you can leave but you can't get back in… unless you want to walk 2+ miles in the dark:)

Of all of the campgrounds that I have visited in Illinois, I would say that Rock Cut State Park is the best that I have seen. It boasts as being the largest State Park in Northern Illinois. It has a large lake with almost 40 miles of hiking trails, including equestrian trails and an equestrian campground. There is boating and fishing as well as swimming in the lake.

The campground staff is very helpful and do a good job at keeping it clean and well maintained even with the large number of visitors. Don't miss my interview with Marsha, one of the friendly staff members at Rock Cut State Park.

Rock Cut St. Park is in the middle of an urban area, but you would not know it. The park is very large(the largest in northern Illinois) and has multiple campgrounds. I stayed in the Prairie View campground. Trees all around, plenty of shade. There is a central bathhouse with flush toilets and 3 showers. There is also a pit toilets throughout the park. Sites have electrical hookup, but water is from a hydrant or there is a dump station and water supply near the campground entrance. There are bike trails, hiking, and equestrian trails. You can swim in the lake at the east end of the park. Paddle boats, canoes and kayaks for rent as well as two boat ramps on the big lake in the middle of the park. The Plum Grove campground is more open between sites and sites are closer. Staghorn, White Oak, and Prairie View are father apart and have more under growth between sites. Hickory hills campgrounds is all tent sites and most are on the lake. Also there are AOA sites.

Located just northwest of the little hamlet called Franklin Grove, which is just due north of Ronald Reagan’s birthplace in Dixon, Franklin Creek State Natural Area Equestrian Campground is ideal if you are one of those primitive campers who want to take their noble steed(s) with them for the night in order to gallup along some pretty amazing horse-friendly trails. While there’s not a lot in the way of amenities here, if you need a post to tie up your horse, a round-about where they can go for countless circle walks along with plenty of hay to keep them fed, then this location might just be ideal for you.

What I enjoyed most about Franklin Creek State Natural Area is the 882 acres of fresh prairieland that feels fairly untouched and ready for some eager exploration. There’s several small natural springs completely shadowed by endless forests of hardwoods along with all of the natural fauna that you would expect in these parts like gray and fox squirrels, white-tailed deer, racoons, chipmunks, beavers and opossums. If you’re a bird watcher, you’ll enjoy the flycatchers, warblers, and woodpeckers, vireos as well as barn and horned-rim owls. And according to the information I found on-site, there’s more than 19 species of fish that you can find in the fresh water streams, creeks and rivers here.

From an amenities standpoints, while you will find 4 picnic shelters (Bartlett, Sunday, Banker and Hausen-Knox, all of which can be reserved), restrooms, potable drinking water, stand-up grills and fire pits, there is very little in the way of amenities in the actual equestrian campground apart from water spigots with a picnic shelter, restrooms, running water, show area and the occasional picnic table. The equestrian trails offer more than 12 miles of horse hoofing fun and the terrain is heavily forested with just slight variable grades increasing and decreasing around fairly easy-to-maneuver turns. You’ll also discover that there is a very nice stream here that the kids will love jumping across and / or wading in searching for crawdads or small fish.

What you’ll enjoy most about being here, apart from the peace & quiet as well as the abundance of serenity is that this place has a really nice connection with history as it features a fully functioning grist mill that goes all the way back to early Americana where corn meal and wheat flour were made from the stream currents of water passing by that would fuel the grist mill. On weekends, you can actually take the kids to this site, located just 70 yards west of the Equestrian Campground for a super-cool interactive exhibition. Other activities here that you can access include an archery range, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, biking, hunting and even snowmobiling.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Should you get tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or on-board RV mini-fridge, then you are in luck as with in the nearby town of Franklin Grove, given its very small population of just slightly more than 1,000 souls shouldn’t have many restaurants (let alone stop lights), but thankfully for your sake, it does. Apart from the Casey’s gas station, which actually serves up some pretty awesome pizza believe it or not, there’s 3 proper restaurants all serving ‘down home Midwestern comfort food’ that are each pretty delectable: Lincoln Way Café, Rooney’s and Rev on 38; (2) If you are looking to explore a slice of history in these parts and the grist mill just isn’t your thing, head due west to Dixon where you can go explore the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. There’s also nearby Chaplin Creek Historic Village featuring an old salt box farmhouse as well as a one room school, which will take you back to the late 1800s before the world knew modernization and technology; (3) Although the trail hiking at Franklin Creek State Natural Area are very good, should you be on the hunt for much more challenging trail hiking or biking, then head on over to either White Pines Forest State Park or Castle Rock State Park, both of which are only about a 20 minute drive from here and offer very large areas to explore; (4) Should you come with kayak or canoe and are looking for some good challenging currents to get some excellent oar-rowing in, you will struggle to find that here at Franklin Creek State Natural Area, so I highly recommend towing your watercraft over to the banks of the Rock River where you will be richly rewarded; and (5) When you are ready to book this particular equestrian campground, just go to the IL SP site to book it: https://camp.exploremoreil.com/location/221.

Happy Camping!

Rock Cut St. Park is in the middle of an urban area, but you would not know it.  The park is very large and has multiple campgrounds.  I stayed in the Plum Grove campground.  Trees were not really leafed out and some sites would have shade later in the year.  Site along the edge of the campground had ample shade.  There is a central bathhouse with flush toilets and 3 showers. There is also a pit toilet.  Sites have an electrical hookup, but water is from a hydrant.  There is a dump station and water supply near the park entrance.  There are bike trails, hiking, and equestrian trails.  I also believe that you can swim and boat here.

Driving on country roads to this campground, I drove past many many horse ranches. So it's no surprise that there is a dedicated campground for horseback riding in this state park. 

Built for Large Gatherings

There are a number of COVID-era regulations that as of this writing are in place, see photos of the signs posted. This campground is clearly built for large groups to hang out together. There is a large shelter with picnic tables and very convenient roll-up sides that can be used to protect people during inclement weather. There is also a large grill that would be great for serving many, and a very nice fire pit with fixed seating for a large group. 

Ammenities

There are also nice touches, such as a small stair-step for beginners or young people to mount their horse. And the campground has a little free library. There are electric and non-electric campsites, all seem to have a picnic table and fireplace. There are ample places to bridle horses and shared corrals every four or five campsites. There are also animal waste collection areas throughout the campground. There are several pit toilets throughout the campground, and one building with flush toilets and showers. It's a very nice and fairly new building.

Group Campsite

The group campsite has six sites and they are not pull through for trailers. There is a fire pit with fixed seating around it centrally-located in the group campsite. The group campsite does not have electric units. 

And no surprise, there is easy access to horse trails throughout the state forest. 

My Top Picks

There are several sites along one side of the park that are a little more secluded and in a pine forest. They have picnic tables and fire pits like the others, they include 409, 410, 411, 412, 413. There's also a series of pull-through sites that would make it easier for those who don't care to back trailers in or out of the site. These include electric sites 405, 404, 403, 402, and 401.

There's a nice couple of campsites at the end of one of the loops that affords a little bit of privacy, the only problem is they abut the main road and are a little noisy with car traffic. However, they are sweet sites. They include 427 and 428. Unfortunately, they camping here you would hear all of the car traffic while all the other campsites are much further away from the road.

I've camped here four different occasions this 2020 covid-19 year. The staff are super nice and the campground has great social distancing rules in place for the check-in shack and bathrooms. It is a super clean campground with multiple hosts and forest preserve staff. There are a large number of RV pads overlooking the prairie and a few along a grove of trees. I was lucky once to see the equestrian area full of campers with their horses. There are 9 walk-in tent sites about 10-20 yards from parking (the two at the end p7 and p9 are connected for groups that know each other). There are multiple ada sites and two "walk-in/ie roll-in" site in the tent-only area. It's a good mix of young people, retired people, and families. I've seen weekends with mainly RVs and one weekend with a quarter of the drive-in sites being tents. The most shaded sites are p1,3,5,7 and 9. Many of the sites in the middle are wide open with little shade but nice summer breezes. Prices are a great deal if you live in Kane county but still worth the trip if you live in another county. Firewood is $7 for about .75 cu ft (what you can fit in a milk crate.) There are a few trails and I've seen lots of butterflies, gold finches, hawks, deer, flocks of giant sandhill cranes, rabbits, ground squirrels, and of course actual squirrels. Lots of people (including me) bring their leashed dogs. The other campers have been polite and friendly. I wish there was more distance between sites in the water/electrical loops for more privacy, but I'd go every weekend if I lived in Kane county because it would be worth the resident price even tho there are so many RVs. Because there is electrical it is a peaceful campground with no generator noise.

For whatever reason you find yourself up here in northern Illinois, whether just entering the Land of Lincoln or fleeing to the 'nation of cheese curds' to the north (a.k.a. Wisconsin) – only 10 minutes from this natural outcrop by the way – be sure to stop by this multi-campus nature preserve camping outpost. With more than 3,000 acres of wetlands, tall grasses and protected forest preserves, Rock Cut SP packs a punch from a camping perspective as it offers up so much in such a concise area of land that has Pierce Lake perfectly placed in its center. 

The biggest problem you are likely to encounter here is exactly which of the 7 (yes, I just said 7!) campgrounds to stay at: Staghorn, Prairie View, Plum Grove, Hickory Hills, White Oak, Equestrian or Youth Group. And if 7 campgrounds aren’t enough, there’s also a single rustic cabin with electricity (mind you, no running water or even a bathroom) you can rent as well as 3 other smaller, really intimate primitive camping spots (that are actually my favorite) with the following names: Hawk, Crow and Owl, which sit along the same lane opposite the Youth Group campground on this eastern stretch just due north of the lake.  Over here, you'll also see the boat launch area.

For this particular review, I will focus my efforts on detailing Staghorn, which is the second campground (with the first campground you pass by being Prairie View) you will come across after entering Rock Cut SP from its northernmost entrance, with Highway 173 to the west and Harlem Road to the east. Once you enter the park, you will follow the long winding nicely paved roadway until you begin seeing the signs highlighting where to go for the various campgrounds. Once you access this road, you’ll come across a small building with a smiling SP ranger inside where you will register, after which, you will pass by a designated dump station before coming around a small bend where you will take your second right (careful: taking that first right will have you driving into Staghorn the wrong way!). 

The sites begin with #300 and as you circumnavigate the simple circular loop, you will pass by about 2 dozen or so slots that are nice flat paved slots perfect for just about any RV or 5th Wheel. You will note that the odd numbered sites are on the exterior while the even numbered sites are located on the interior of the loop. There are two his / her restrooms located at Staghorn with the first being placed behind the campground host sites (#302 and#304) at the beginning of the loop, while the second is strategically placed towards the end of the loop behinds sites #324 and #326. At the end of the loop there is also a designated trash area just past site #331. To access the shower, you will need to go back to the main road and hike it down the road with your towel and toiletries, which makes the latter sites (#318+) more attractive for their convenient location to the bathhouse (if that’s important to you). 

As far as amenities go, Rock Cut SP offers up an awful lot (if the 7 campgrounds weren’t enough to help you arrive at that conclusion). In addition to all of the camping options, of course, one of the greatest assets here is the very massive Pierce Lake, which is great for fishing, boating, kayaking and swimming. In the Staghorn campground specifically, in addition to restroom and waste disposal, you’ll also have access to running water spigots at each site along with running electric. A single amphitheater is located centrally just past the camp store and before reaching the Hickory Hills campground. While I'm at it, this camp store in the middle of Rock Cut SP is just decent (not amazing) and offers up ice, firewood, ice cream, snacks, games, limited groceries and a number of other sundries you might need while camping. In all, there are 5 shelters that have electricity, water and restrooms nearby, with each shelter available by reserving them well in advance. Two of the shelters (Red Oak and Puri Crest) also have children’s playgrounds nearby. To launch your watercraft, you’ll have to head south to Hickory Hills campground where on the eastern side of this area you’ll be able to find the boat launch. To make a reservation either to camp or rent out a shelter, you’ll have to visit the ExporeMoreIL site to make a reservation. 

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) IMHO the best sites here in Staghorn are those that are positioned on the exterior of the loop and located furthest from the main road, for the obvious reasons being less traffic, less noise and more privacy. As such, odd-numbered sites from #301 to #319 are the best spots as they deliver peace & quiet, privacy and thus an intimate nature experience; (2) Once you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your onboard RV fridge, fret not, and just head out of the park where you will find a handful of dining options, including: Tom& Jerry’s, Fresh Start Café, Waffle Shop, Golden Chopsticks Buffet, Sunrise Family Restaurant, Beef-A-Roo (in fact, there’s like 4 of these that the park is surrounded by, so apparently they are very popular), but one of my absolute favorites is Pig Minds Brewery Company, which is, surprisingly, a Vegan joint, but one nonetheless that you can grab a number of seriously astonishingly awesome brews; (3) If you are on the prowl to see some of the most amazing animals that call northern Illinois their home, then you’ve hit the wild animal jackpot with easy viewing of white-tailed deer, red foxes, raccoons, squirrels, opossums, woodchucks and beavers; (4) But because there are so many wild animals out here, be sure to keep your domesticated pets on a leash (as its a requirement here at Rock Cut SP); and (5) If you would like to experience a bit of Illinois history, you could go for a nice long drive to the northwest corner of Illinois where you can experience Galena or if you don’t have enough time for that, then just head south of Rock Cut SP to check out Midway Village Museum. 

Happy Camping!