Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Peoria is the way to go. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
$8 / night
Campgrounds with multiple campsites along the canal can be found at Lock 21, North Day Use Area
Equestrian camping is restricted to the south side of the Lock 21 area. Equestrian campers are asked to bring a shovel to clear their own horse droppings, which may be pushed off to the side of the trail. There is no tethering to trees.
If you are not familiar with the canal it may be confusing trying to find the campsites. Stop by the Hennepin Canal Visitor Center to pick up a detailed map of the canal, which shows all of the country crossroads. You can also call the visitor center and ask to be mailed a copy: 815-454-2328. I
$8 / night
$8 / night
An equestrian campground for horseback riders and their horses is located west of Route 178 between Route 71 and the Dells Area entrance. Alcohol is prohibited in all campgrounds. The horseback riders camping and multi-use trails are open from May 1st (weather permitting-determined by park staff) to October 31. Call 815-667-4726 to check conditions and status before coming to use these facilities.
The equestrian campground is for horseback riders only please. Sites are first come first serve and reservations cannot be made through the park or online. Campers will complete a registration envelope at the campground and drop the information and fee for the night in the box provided at the campground. Cost per night is $10. There are 14 sites that come with a picnic table and grill. Electricity and tie lines are not available, campers will need to bring their own generators. There are restrooms, water hydrants, and a mounting station located at the campground.
$10 / night
Legend
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. The campground is very big with lots of sites and since we were there at the end of October, there were not many other people around. We got a beautiful spot right on the lake.
The campground has nice bathrooms and hookups.
Guide
I have camped at this park several times over the last few years. Especially like winter truck camping here. The pit toilets are always available in the winter, and I usually have the park to myself. There’s a small fishing pond off the road a bit. The trails will be closed for deer season though. I enjoy riding my bike around the park and down to the actual college. There is a really old cemetery at the college if you just want to creep yourself out at night.
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GuideExcellent campground for those who want to relax and have quiet time. Nature trails are nicely groomed and mowed. Not a lot of amenities for families with young kids but bring your own corn hole bags and badminton. Nice for adults who want some peace and quiet.
Legend
Located literally just a few stone’s throw due west of the tiny town of Wyanet, which is just a few miles west of better-known Princeton, you will access this little spec of undisturbed primitive camping bliss first via the major Highway 80, running east-west, and then, eventually via Route 6, which is more like a well-paved country backroad than anything else. While you will be hard pressed to find Hennepin Canal Lock 21 on your GPS, trust me, if you simply head west out of Wyanet, you will eventually find this jewel in the middle of nature.
If you didn’t already know, the Hennepin Canal, and its series of locks & dams will eventually connect you with two of the most amazing rivers in the entirety of the US: the mighty Mississippi as well as the murky depths of the Illinois River – both of which are great for kayaking BTW. Should you choose to follow the canal in its entirety, you will be ushered through the minuscule townships of Mineral, Sheffield, Wyanet, Tiskilwa and Bureau – all of which are fairly emblematic of small Midwestern blue-collared towns that still to this day possess an equal amount of charm and hospitality, which the area is very well known for.
Given that you can’t actually make a reservation here (or at any of the campgrounds along the Hennepin Canal for that matter) as this spot and the 5 others that make up the Hennepin Canal Lock camping options are only offered on a first-come, first-served basis, one thing is for certain: if you planned to truly ‘get away from it all’ you really can ‘have your cake and eat here too’ at Hennepin Canal Lock 21. While there is no actual check-in or check-out time, occasionally there is a park ranger that will come by to check on the location and collect those $8 nightly fares, although we never came across a ranger during our entire canal-navigating weeklong journey. You should also note that all of the campgrounds up and down the canal are class C camping, meaning that these primitive camping sites do not have showers or electricity, so either bring your own or, better yet, learn to live without these conveniences for a few days and actually embrace the opportunity to connect with nature.
As you arrive, ultimately via Route 6 & Route 34, you will need to hang a left (coming westbound from Wyanet), where after just a short jig heading due south, you will find the first of 5 camping areas on either side of the main road you are driving down. On the right, in addition to the camping area, you will discover the first of 3 restrooms and just slightly beyond that, the boat launch. If instead of turning right to follow this first encampment, you head left, following the Hennepin Canal, you will see a small camping area on your immediate left, followed by a water spigot, after which you will come across another much larger camping area that has the second restroom facility. Opposite of these 2 camping areas on the other side of the road, there are 2 small camping areas that run right along the canal. If you go back to to the main road, from which you just came, and continued south across the little land bridge and hang another left, you will go around a small pond that will eventually present the third and final restroom facility as you go up a slight incline, where on your immediate right will be the sixth and final camping area that has been reserved for equestrian campers, of which there’s about 4-5 individual sites complete with a wooden hitching post to tie your horses down.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Of all the camping options up and down the Hennepin Canal, while Canal Lock 21 is likely the largest and has more campsite offerings, it is still very basic and primitive, apart from the restroom, boat launch, picnic tables and fire rings that you will find. If that bothers you or you are simply looking for a spot with more space to explore, then likely the Hennepin Canal camping options aren’t for you, and instead, you may want to look just a bit further afield to another amazing place called Johnson-Sauk SP; (2) Should you grow weary of fixing ‘franks & beans’ again for dinner over your roaring fire, while there isn’t much out in these parts, if you are looking for some local fare, over in nearby Wyanet, you’ll find an abundance of just 3 options: Casey’s for well-made, fresh pizza; Harley-K’s Filipino Restaurant, which might actually just shock you!; or Ecky’s Tap, which is fairly darn amazing actually, but only serves up booze. For anything else, head on into Princeton, where there’s tons of options; (3) There is no potable drinking water anywhere at any of these locks up and down the Hennepin Canal apart from at the Visitors Center, so ensure you bring your own water or a filtration system; (4) Should you have your own kayak or canoe, the Hennepin Canal is very nice to explore, although at times difficult to navigate, especially when you come to each of the sets of locks and dams. If that is bothersome and you simply want to get some oaring in without having to take your watercraft in and out of the water every 30 minutes or so, then head on over to Goose Lake just southwest of Hennepin, which is a fantastic lake to explore and has some decent fishing as well; and (5) If you are on the look-out for simply amazingly fresh meats to ‘slap on the Barby’ then head on over to Wyanet Meat Locker, which has fresh venison, pheasant and of course, all of the typical Midwestern carnivore fare like brats, Ribeyes, burgers and pork chops, which all would be DELISH on that flip-open BBQ grill you have back at Canal Lock 21.
Happy Camping!
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!
LegendBeautiful lake view site. Steep drop to water so not good for those w/little kids. Great trees for hammock-overlooking lake! Pad level. Water very close. Outhouse close walk. Kayak launch close walk. Boat dock close. Shower house short walk
LegendVery large non electric site near water. Quieter area of campground. Site level. Water close by. Pit toilets close.
Scout
Got kicked out cause I didn't have a horse. Even though it was completely empty. Gave me my $8 back though.
LegendSite 31 is for those who want more privacy. It has woods on 2 sides with a trail thru woods to outhouse. Nice shade, site is level and on cul-de-sac so way less traffic. Water spigot very close. Very short walk to lake/dock and shower house. Park kept clean and very friendly staff.
LegendSite 28 unlevel. Requires several lifts. Site is very large however. Does have nice shade.
LegendCampground with nice no wake lake. Sites are fairly large although many of them with wide open area and thus little privacy. Site 31 nice site backed by woods. Could use a second dump station-only has one. Camp staff very friendly.
LegendNeeded a couple nights stay near Bloomington and chose site #29 sight unseen. Ended up having to grab a different site since #29 was too unlevel. The campground office was very accommodating. Park is very well maintained with small lake access and lots of open space. Enjoyed peace and quiet with only one other camper in our loop. Filled the fresh water tank on the way end and used the easy access dump on the way out. Verizon signal was minimal, but worked. Recommend the McLean County History Museum in downtown Bloomington. Located in the old courthouse building and extremely well done.
ScoutWater spigots are supposed to be communal. No one site has water, but trailers hook their hoses up to the spigots for the duration of their stays and nothing is said to them. Meaning that primitive-tents, and bikepackers have to seak further away from your particular campsite for refill. This campground is full most weekends all summer, so tenters and cyclists plan ahead. Other than that, the campground looks well cared for. Trees are trimmed, grass mowed. Sites are roomy. Pit toilets were clean and had paper, shower house is 15 seconds per push button. The water is warm. The lake is beautiful for paddling.
LegendCounty campground with good rates. Nice no wake lake for fishing, kayaking. 4 RV sites with lake view, 2-3 tent sites with view. A lot of sites in wide open areas with few trees and privacy. Fire pits need work-many sinking. Shower house adequate but nothing to rave about. In general area nice picnic pavilions and play area. Firewood and ice for sale. Could use more than a single dump station-I waited in line for 1.5 hours during the week. Site 16 during heavy rain becomes a river of mud. They give discounts for longer stays, veterans and county residents. Site 30 level and with shade tree. On cul-de-sac so less traffic. Backs up to pond.
LegendCamped here during week while listing house. Campground not busy and very quiet. Evergreen lake beautiful. Site 28 nicely shaded but not level.
ScoutWe spent the weekend here. Nice park with lots of playgrounds and good bike riding! The only bad thing was our site was kind of on a bit of a hill. Otherwise had a nice weekend here!
LegendFor those that bring their noble steed to this campground, you’ll have it basically all to yourself. I have to admit, I was incredibly bummed to arrive here only to discover that this campground was reserved exclusively for those packing their four-legged, mane-baring, buggy-pulling horse friends, but hey, there were some pretty outstanding trails to hike during the day and the friendly on-site ranger made a call over to nearby Starved Rock SP to secure me a camping spot over there, so not all was lost.
If you do plan on camping here alongside your horses, you will want to note that there is no reservation system and that all sites are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s a registration envelope that you’ll pick up when you arrive at Matthiessen SP, where you’ll simply need to fill this out with your name, # of days that you are planning to stay and then deposit the envelope in the drop-off kiosk along with the nightly fee and you’re all good.
With nearly 2,000 acres, there’s a lot to explore here at Matthiessen SP, located just south of Utica by a few miles and due east of Oglesby by 3 miles. Whether you are camping or not, from the many valleys you will surprisingly encounter (Illinois is an incredibly flat state, for those that may not know) and the small trickling waterfalls you will stumble across to the non-stop trails, canyons, bridges, stairways, dams and dells that you will come across in this place, there is a really good cross-section of prairie land that meets densely-packed forests. What makes this area particularly unique is the unusual rock formations that you will discover all over the place, and nearby Starved Rock SP is no exception, where you’ll encounter exposed lime and sandstone. With water seepage and rain occurring naturally and in overabundance here, the residual impact of the water that dries on the sandstone adds to the verdant colors that you will find decorating the canyon walls.
Occasionally, if you are especially quiet, you’ll come across no shortage of white-tailed deer or wild turkeys foraging through the crabapple and plum trees that are scattered throughout the forest here. Cottontail rabbits are scurrying around trying to stay hidden from the several bald eagles that conquer the skies and who beat out the vastly over-populated flocks of red-tailed hawks that usually beat them to their lunch. You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of most of these unadulterated natural experiences along most of the 5 miles of trails that can be found here at Matthiessen SP, where believe it or not, the easier of the hiking trails are located in the upper bluffs and the more difficult trails to manage are those on the interior.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If like me, you stumbled across this campground and forgot to bring your horse (er, or don't have one to begin with), no worries, there’s a ton of outdoor camping outposts near here, top of which I would highly recommend Starved Rock SP, actually located just kitty-cornered from Matthiessen SP, or Kishauwau County Cabins, which is but a 10 minute drive from here; (2) In all of my camping, I have never really worried too much about poison ivy or ticks, until I came here – you definitely want to not only look out for the 3-leafed poison ivy that thrives here (note: if the 3-leafed descriptor wasn’t enough, be sure to look for the greenish-white berries), but be sure to bring some suave to apply to any skin that comes into contact with this nefarious plant, and if you find that you have a vampire-like tick that has fallen in love with you, a simple match applied close to the bugger will usually do the trick; (3) When you get tired of foraging for your next meal from the depths of your Cordova cooler, then head on over to The Lodge at Starved Rock SP where they serve up some pretty traditional continental American food of which I highly recommend the fried Walleye, smoked duck or the pan-fried pork chop; (4) When you’re looking for a great place to drop your kayak or canoe into, then head no further than the lower portion of Starved Rock SP where there is a boat and kayak launch into the turbulent currents of the Illinois River; and (5) After a good several days of camping, hiking and kayaking, you’ll definitely be looking for a place to ‘whet your whistle’ of which I would recommend heading over to Utica where you can try out one of the many taps they have on hand at Skoog’s Pub& Grill.
Happy Camping!
TravelerWhat a great little hidden gem. I don't get the four star reviews. I have stayed a lots of campgrounds in my years, if you are tent camping or even Pop-Up or RV it is a five star for sure. If you are a big RV'r looking for cement pads, this is not the place for you, but for what it is, it is a five in my book. Facilities are very clean and the park is kept very clean. Fishing, boating, hiking, biking, camping. Enjoyed it completely. Maybe on the high side price wise, but loved it anyway.
ScoutShelbyville is way larger and is half the cost. Aesthetically it's beautiful, but nothing special. Prices are definitely unfair. There's already a reservation fee, then another 7-10 dollars if you pay in person or over the phone. That's ridiculous.
TravelerSites are level if you have a smaller rig. Longer trailers will struggle to get level. Our trailer is 40 ft and we had to switch sites to one that allowed us to level. Otherwise, it's a nice and quiet campground. There is a dump station and fresh water fill station. The sites are electric only.
LegendThis small campground has separate space for equestrian campers and those without horses. There are picnic tables, vault toilets and water. The campsites are all on grassy areas with trees at the edges. This gives you some shade depending on the time of day. The grassy sites were a bit unexpected. We saw tire marks showing that people drove into the grass to set up camp. Some of the sites were completely separate from anyone else by the camp road. You were entirely visible to anyone else in the park but it was empty during our stay.
The Hennepin Canal Trail goes right through camp. On a previous visit I rode my bike along the crushed gravel trail. With a few connecting roads, I traveled from a Chicago suburb to the Mississippi River. While I didn’t see any horses then we did see a couple riding on the trail today.
This is a good spot for an overnight rest but there isn’t much more to the amenities than the campsites.
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!
GuideVery nice place. My only disappoint was the playground has been taped off for a long time. So much space for playgrounds!
Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it an ideal choice for riders and their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Peoria, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Peoria, IL is Jubilee College State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 22 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Peoria, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Peoria, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
