Best Equestrian Camping near Norris City, IL

Little Lusk Trail Lodge and Campground accommodates horses with spacious campsites that can fit large rigs. High lines are available behind sites, and stalls can be reserved for overnight equestrian stays. The campground offers both full hookup and primitive camping options, with numerous sites featuring electric and water connections. The property includes an arena and event barn that can be reserved for equestrian activities or special occasions. High Knob Campgrounds in Shawnee National Forest caters specifically to equestrians, with sites that include shade and safe stalls for horses. The campground strictly serves as a horse camp and does not accept tent-only campers without horses.

The extensive trail system throughout Shawnee National Forest provides excellent riding opportunities from these equestrian campgrounds. Maps are available for the trails, though some routes need better markings according to regular visitors. Riders can access the River to River trail from multiple points near these horse camps, with routes traversing hilly, rocky terrain with impressive cliffs and scenic overlooks. The One Horse Gap area was historically known for annual organized rides. Horse owners should bring all necessary supplies as these campgrounds are located in remote areas with limited services nearby. Both Little Lusk and High Knob serve as excellent staging areas for exploring the Shawnee National Forest on horseback, with multiple trailheads to choose from.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Norris City, Illinois (22)

    1. Harmonie State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    New Harmony, IN
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 682-4821

    $20 - $23 / night

    "It is located back in the hills, far off the highway. Very little cell phone signal. Very relaxing and enjoyable."

    "Located in Southwest Indiana, about 40 miles from Evansville. 

    This is a typical Indiana State Park. Some sites are pretty close together, some are spacious."

    2. Gun Creek

    21 Reviews
    Whittington, IL
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 724-2493

    $18 - $30 / night

    "One of the first campgrounds that you come to at Rend Lake when you get off the highway, this campground has lots of positives and few negatives."

    "The lake had the most amazing sunset! Everyone is super friendly and we recommend the blue jay loop for best views and swimming access to the lake."

    3. Camp Cadiz Campground

    6 Reviews
    Karbers Ridge, IL
    28 miles
    Website

    "On a gravel road, in the back country like most everything else on this side of Illinois , fill your gas tank up and your food locker or you will be driving back out a ways to refill. "

    "It's super quiet despite the gravel road nearby. The vault restroom is kept very clean. It has easy access to the River to River trail, and I love the CCC stonework."

    4. South Sandusky Campground

    19 Reviews
    Sesser, IL
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 724-2493

    $16 - $26 / night

    "North and South Sandusky campground is located in southern Illinois on Rend Lake. It is a large state park with tons to do. From boating and swimming to hiking and relaxing."

    "Well maintained on beautiful Rend Lake in southern Illinois. Reservations accepted on reservation.gov. Walk ins also welcome."

    5. Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park Campground

    14 Reviews
    Whittington, IL
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 629-2320

    "Wayne Fitzgerald State Park is on Rend Lake, just off I-57 in Southern Illinois. It’s a great place for camping, fishing and bikes."

    "Many of the sites are walk up only.  The sites have a lot of room to enjoy a relaxing weekend or set up yard games.  Rend lake is a good size lake with numerous areas to explore the water."

    6. Shawnee Forest Campground

    36 Reviews
    Vienna, IL
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 658-0619

    $40 / night

    "We followed our GPS to the clearly marked CG entrance but our GPS showed we still had about a half mile to go."

    "Super friendly camp host, conveniently located off the interstate and feels pretty secure and tranquil. I will say some of the gravel was washed out which is surprising given how dry it’s been."

    7. High Knob Campgrounds

    4 Reviews
    Karbers Ridge, IL
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 275-4494

    "deffinitly caters to equestrians, my only complaint is the shower houses. The potty area is clean but showers are usually kinda gross."

    "High Knob is a Horse campground in Shawnee National Forest near Garden of the Gods off Il1. The entire area has extensive trails through some awesome, hilly, rocky, cliffy areas."

    8. Little Lusk Trail Lodge & Campground

    3 Reviews
    Eddyville, IL
    31 miles

    $30 / night

    "Little Lusk is the most Spacious and beautiful equestrian campground in southern IL.    Bring your horses, or just come and camp and stay in the lodge. "

    "I will be back next time I'm near shawnee."

    9. Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    15 Reviews
    Goreville, IL
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 995-2411

    "Ferne Cliffe State Park is situated in the Shawnee National Forest, in the southern part of Illinois."

    "Dog friendly, pretty well spaced out campsites but some are used as paths with to get to farther back campsites. Good set up, not too close to neighbors and it’s heavily wooded in between."

    10. Rend Lake

    5 Reviews
    Whittington, IL
    36 miles
    Website

    "Hundreds of campsites, marinas with boat rentals, beaches and stores nearby in case you need something. This area is truly a southern Illinois gem!"

    "Large spacious sites, close to swimming beaches, although not walking distance. Tree covered and offer some privacy. Great place to meet with family and friends."

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Norris City, IL

2 Photos of 22 Norris City Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Norris City, IL

183 Reviews of 22 Norris City Campgrounds


  • d
    May. 29, 2019

    Little Lusk Trail Lodge & Campground

    A beautiful equestrian lodge and campground. Ride out of several trail hea

    Address: 50 Barger Rd, Stonefort, IL.

    Little Lusk is the most Spacious and beautiful equestrian campground in southern IL.    Bring your horses, or just come and camp and stay in the lodge.  Ride or hike in the beautiful Shawnee National Forest.  Campsites are spacious and can accommodate very large rigs. High lines behind sites.  Stalls can be reserved. some sites are full hookup. Primitive camping also available.  CALL them for more info at 270-205-7138.  Arena and huge event barn on site. Event barn can be reserved for weddings.  Numerous sites have electric and water.  They have a Facebook page with numerous photos.

  • A
    Aug. 12, 2018

    High Knob Campgrounds

    Lots of trails

    deffinitly caters to equestrians, my only complaint is the shower houses. The potty area is clean but showers are usually kinda gross. Love the sites most have a little shade and the stallsa are nice and safe. The trails are great maps available some trails need marked a bit better.

  • Anton T.
    Jul. 31, 2016

    Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    Ferne Cliffe State Park

    Ferne Cliffe State Park is situated in the Shawnee National Forest, in the southern part of Illinois. It is not among the best known parks, and its distance from bigger cities makes it more obscure and less frequented than other places I have visited. The campground is small, situated on a limestone bluff which is cut by a small rivulet and some seasonal small waterfalls. The area is really a hidden gem - one has to hike down to discover the natural canyon with the awesome sites. The campground is clean and well maintained. A site of interest nearby is the Garden of the Gods wilderness, which 300 million years ago was the bottom of a sea. The whole area was spared by the glacier activity, yet the weathering of the rocks has given us a sandstone plateau with numerous hoodoos. Close nearby are also Cave in Rock and Land Between the Lakes, both worth seeing.

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 21, 2018

    High Knob Campgrounds

    The way to travel

    High Knob is a Horse campground in Shawnee National Forest near Garden of the Gods off Il1. The entire area has extensive trails through some awesome, hilly, rocky, cliffy areas. There are some excellent things to see. The trail traverses some of the River to River trail that meanders through the area. There used to be an annual ride through “One Horse Gap” I don’t know if it’s still a thing. 

    The campground has options in addition to sleeping in your rig, cabins, travel trailers and a “hotel” . There’s also stalls and tie outs in the area you park in. A good staging area for Shawnee NF treks with several trailheads to pick from. Groups can set up in here and either stage or use it as base camp. Quiet , depending on who you are camping with, all amenities available on site too. (showers, laundry, store)

    We enjoyed the trails though we went no where near as far as the horse people do. (There is so much to see, we have been going to Shawnee NF for over 20 years but I still find something or somewhere new almost every visit.)

  • Cindy C.
    Aug. 7, 2018

    South Sandusky Campground

    Wonderful for all ages. Located on Rend Lake Illinois.

    North and South Sandusky campground is located in southern Illinois on Rend Lake. It is a large state park with tons to do. From boating and swimming to hiking and relaxing. The sites have many areas that fit different needs. I have stayed this year in both. My site at North Sandusky was on the water and I could pull my pontoon right behind my campsite. The kids were close enough to the bathrooms and showers to walk. And there was fresh water located there as well. There was a park a bit further down the way as well. But no need as the lake was in the backyard.

    South sandusky site was across from a park, bathrooms, showers and water. The beach was a 2 mi hike on a beautiful trail. But we could walk across the street to a fishing swimming spot as well.

    The beach is super clean and monitored well.

    The bathrooms were cleaned every morning before 7 am. Water had great pressure and was always nice and hot.

    I love these campgrounds and can’t wait to go back.

  • M
    Aug. 19, 2018

    South Sandusky Campground

    Picture perfect

    Full hookups to tent camping and spacious sites. This is a Corps of Engineer Campground so bring your America the Beautiful pass! Well maintained on beautiful Rend Lake in southern Illinois. Reservations accepted on reservation.gov. Walk ins also welcome.

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 20, 2018

    Camp Cadiz Campground

    Right at the old tree stump

    Camp Cadiz in Shawnee National Forest was fun to find :) The GPS is a little off BUT it gets you in the area.

    On a gravel road, in the back country like most everything else on this side of Illinois , fill your gas tank up and your food locker or you will be driving back out a ways to refill. 

    IL1/Ohio River Scenic Byway(in Illinois, who knew;) off the ferry from the Kentucky side, not much phone signal in these parts so bring the old fashion paper map. 

    There is a sign for Camp Cadiz, trust the sign. Stay right onto the gravel road at the Y and you will pass JJ’s.

    This is a very cool little basic campground with two stone fireplaces and several other sites with shade. A pit toilet and water source that’s about it. 

    This is a campground you wanna use if you like being off the beaten path out on your own. Would also be a good group outing. 

    This is the Eastern trailhead for the River to River trail , there is also a shorter trail , Beaver. Good one to practice your backpacking skills on. Very dark at night, bring your headlamp. Good times to be had ;)

  • Travis R.
    Sep. 14, 2020

    High Knob Campgrounds

    Horse camp only

    They do not accept tents, this is strictly a horse camp, they will rudly tell you so if you call.

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 17, 2021

    Camp Cadiz Campground

    Dusty, rustic camping at the edge of Shawnee

    This small, rustic camp is at the edge of Shawnee and only had a few campers staying multiple nights with us. Then the turkey hunting season came upon us and the sites filled.

    We had site choices that ended up being along the gravel forest road that goes by camp. This put us away from other dogs but caused other issues. Every vehicle that went by generated dust which then coated everything in our camp. If you come here, we suggest taking the site that is furthest from the road (it's right next to the small forest road that heads off to the hiking trails. They had shade as well as sun and no dust. 

    The sites are large but there isn't any foliage between them. Luckily the dogs were in camps further away from our dog so she was able to relax. The water pump got frequent use and the twin vault toilets were plenty for the campground. 

    The hiking trails that headed out from the camp were wonderful. We even hiked down the forest road and found a hidden cemetery tucked away. The river to river trail heads out from camp too - we saw a group of backpackers leave their cars and head off for the night. Garden of the Gods area is a short drive away for more hiking options.

    Choose your time wisely. Camp filled up with hunters who started generators at 3 in the morning to get ready to head out for turkey. Once we realized what was going on, we put our dog's bright shirt on. Everyone was wonderful and we had some interesting conversations. It was also morel mushroom time so some people were hunting for them.


Guide to Norris City

Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a perfect getaway for horse lovers.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

Equestrian campgrounds include ample amenities

  • Bear Branch Campground offers electric, sewer, and water hookups at many sites, ensuring a comfortable stay for both horses and their owners.
  • Gun Creek provides well-maintained facilities with ample space for larger rigs and horses, making it a convenient choice for equestrian campers.
  • Double M Campground features electric hookups and sanitary dump stations, catering to the needs of horse campers.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused features like stalls and trails

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Norris City, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Norris City, IL is Harmonie State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 34 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Norris City, IL?

TheDyrt.com has all 22 equestrian camping locations near Norris City, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.