Are you looking for a place to stay in Quincy with your horse? Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. Find Illinois equestrian campgrounds with ease on The Dyrt.
Indian Creek lies on the northern banks of Mark Twain Lake. It is the largest campground on the lake with 215 standard campsites, plus additional non-electric and tent-only sites. The lake is named for the beloved writer and humorist, Mark Twain, who was born just south of the lake in Florida, Missouri.
Boating is convenient with Indian Creek's public boat ramp. Bass fishing and hunting are also popular.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region, in addition to an extensive habitat for wildlife.
While visiting the area, tour the birthplace of the world-famous humorist and writer Mark Twain in the nearby Mark Twain State Park. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is located below the dam.
$30 - $125 / night
Frank Russell Campground, set near the picturesque Mark Twain Lake, has a location near the dam, providing campers with easy access to the lake, river and surrounding attractions. The campground also features an amphitheater with weekly events in the summer. The lake's namesake and legendary author and humorist, Mark Twain, was born in a town beside the lake.
The 32-mile long Joanna Trail is accessible from the campground. Here, horseback riders, mountain bikers and hikers can enjoy the rough and varied terrain that meanders along the northern banks of the lake, across bluffs and over hills. Campfire programs are provided every Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region.
While here, many visitors tour the birthplace of world-famous humorist and author, Mark Twain, in Florida, Missouri. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is below the dam and the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center is located on the south end of the Dam.
$30 / night
Weinberg-King State Fish and Wildlife Area is an area of rolling hills with a meandering creek in western Illinois. The 772-acre site, including a 4-acre pond, is located in Schuyler County, 3 miles east of Augusta north of Route 101. Mrs. Gertrude K. Allen presented a deed for about 500 acres of what is now Weinberg-King SFWA land to the State of Illinois in May 1968. An additional 295 acres were later purchased by the Department of Natural Resources to expand the site.
$18 / night
The Lick Creek Unit contains two nonmodern equestrian campgrounds with nonelectric campsites. Facilities include pit toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, gravel parking pads, water hydrants, hitching rails and shade for horses. There are also stalls for overnight stabling.
Shimek State Forest is located in Lee and Van Buren Counties in southeast Iowa near the town of Farmington. Although the forest's original and most important function is to serve as an example of forest management for Iowas citizens, recreational opportunities abound in the forest. Visitors come from a wide area to hunt, fish, hike, ride the equestrian trails, mountain bike, camp, picnic, study nature and enjoy the outdoors. Visitors can expect to find oak-hickory forests and bottomland hardwood timber forests but will also find several areas where native prairie plants can be found and about 1,000 acres which have been planted to conifers. In this extremely varied habitat wildlife is abundant. Bring your camera or spotting scope! The forest is managed by the Iowa DNR Forestry Bureau and is comprised of five separate units with a total of 9,148 acres. The forest headquarters is located about one mile northeast of Farmington on county road J56. The four lakes in the Farmington and Donnellson Units are stocked with bass, channel catfish and panfish. There are no designated swimming areas. The entire forest is open to hiking and hunting (except in the camping areas).
Scout
Nice new concrete sites with fire pit, full hookup. Great trails and fishing lake, with concrete sidewalk and benches around it to make fishing easily accessible.
Scout
so family friendly, very well service, cheap, and most importantly everyone enjoyed time there
Traveler
This site was so much better than what I was expecting! My friend, Kari, her 3 Doodles, my Beagle, and I camped out the first night in the group section, because there's hardly anyone there and we got there too late in the day to actually start hiking. In the morning, we loaded up our packs, put the little packs on the dogs (they have to carry their own food and water), and headed up the Red Oak Backpacking Trail. I don't know if we started at the beginning or not, but we parked by a little wooden bridge and the hill to start off our adventure kinda kicked my ass a little bit. After we made it up the initial incline, the landscape was beautiful and varied from flat areas to valleys and some creeks (which I was very thankful for after a few hours in 90° and 25 lbs on my back). We ended up setting up camp at a spot we thought was nice just before it got dark, because we didn't know where or how much further the primitive hike-in campsites were. The next day, we figured it out, but we wouldn't have made it there before dark. Towards the end, there were stairs built into the earth that were way too difficult to manage when your legs are jelly and your pack is heavy, so it was almost easier trying to take the side of the stairs and make your own little path, so just a heads up there. We had so much fun the whole time and I can't wait to go back for some snow camping later this year (they are open year round)!!!
GuideBeautiful wooded sites, a bit close together and not a ton of privacy but we weren’t bothered by our neighbors at all. The bathrooms are very clean and nice, they have a dish washing sink and good showers. Our site had an electric hook up.
ScoutVery wooded campsites but large and spaced apart nicely. Was very quiet after 10pm. Bathrooms have a shower area and were pretty clean. Raccoons visited nightly so secure your food supply and trash. Boat landing and Beach that is private for campers only. You can't see the Lake from sites and it's a very long walk or drive to the beach. There is an outdoor amphitheater and nice hiking trails. Monroe City about 7 miles away has a Shell station that is 24/7 If you need ice, drinks and minimal groceries. But the town...minus the few bars, shut s down around 9pm. There is a Hardee's there as well. It's a nice drive to get to the campground. Will definitely be back!
ScoutNot a bad State Park/Camp ground, theres an Amish store close by with ice and amenities. The map online is wrong when choosing a campsite though. The site I chose appeared off by itself on the map and when I arrived it was in the same area as all other sites.
RangerGreat place to camp and fish. Quite clean campground
GuideThis was a 1 night stay while getting to the east coast. Most impressed by how perfectly level our paved parking pad was. We didn’t have to level the rv or even unhook it from the truck. Very few campers as some sections were closed, peaceful & quiet evening. Shady site with picnic table and fire ring. Restrooms were clean-ish (we are camping, right?), they could use a fresh coat of paint and soap dispensers. Showers were fine. Used their dump station and filled the water tank as we exited the park. Would recommend & would stay there again
Legend
This is a large state park with separate camping loops. The equestrian loop was popular and we saw many there. It has plenty of shade and even what looked to be a horse water trough.
The non-equestrian loop was not as nice. There are a few spots with morning shade but the whole place will get that hot afternoon sun. We saw a couple RVs running a/c with the electric sites. There is a central picnic shelter. Maybe this will be better when the younger trees grow tall enough to be shadier.
There are some grass covered hiking trails that are wonderful. A few picnic areas add up with some fishing spots to make this a great place to enjoy. We found that it was close enough to another state park to camp there and travel back for day visits.
ScoutEven though it rained like crazy. Me and my husband loved this spot, especially with 3 perfect trees close enough to put our hammocks up! Will definitely be coming back to this spot. Down the road a walk away. There is a trail that leads right to the water where we were able to have a swim and not have to leave the campground.
RangerI think these campgrounds are definitely under rated. This one is well maintained and clean. The sites are all paved and most are well spaced.
My only concern is the photos of the sites are a bit deceiving. I thought my site, #6, was dead level. While it was level side to side, it had about 6" of slope front to back. Not a problem for me but some campers may find it a bit much. At $20/night ($10 for seniors) with electricity it's a bargain.
There is access to the lake from the campground, there is no beach. We spent on night during the week in mid May and there were only 5 campers in the whole park. We had the place to ourselves. We will spend more time our next time through to explore.
RangerWe camped during Covid so the swimming beach and playgrounds were closed but everything else was great! Nice big lots, everyone has full shade. Each loop has a big bathroom with massive showers. One of our showers even had a handheld nozzle! And each loop has their own dumpster.
This campground is out in the boonies so you'll want to stock up before you pull in. Here's a rundown:
25 min from Walgreens
45 min from Walmart
40 min from laundromat
2 hours from Target and CVS
The trails are wide and there are multiple water access points to get to the shoreline This is a reserve only now so be sure to pick your spot before you show up. I haven't seen an attendant though I did see a couple kids cleaning the bathrooms. There is a paid wifi option that's$20/week but I just used Sprint roaming as a hotspot for my laptop and it was perfect. So try the free route first. The photos for each spot are accurate on recreation.gov=)
GuideGreat place to stay, doesn’t seem to have a lot of hiking trails. They do have nice secluded little spots mostly all electric. Bathhouse is pretty a long walk, but big and really clean. only 20.00 per night. It’s has an archery range and equestrian site.
TravelerI had a great time here. The roads were paved, signs were marked clearly. Good connection on the phone service as well. Only issue I had was the amount of bugs that were everywhere. When I stepped out it felt like I was walking through a thousand spider webs everywhere. The bathrooms aren’t that clean either. That being said though, bugs are to be expected of a campground. Other than that though it was quiet and it was a nice stop.
ScoutBathrooms could have used more attention especially with the times, beach was nice and clean but could use a bathroom close by
TravelerRoomy, clean, spacious, affordable.
GuideWe always stay in the main campground area. Either in a normal camper, pop-up, or tent, Siloam is a perfect place to stay. The bathroom and showers are good, and the walk from the main circle of sites is super close. The pines give great cover when hot and add that familiar pine sent to the whole park.
From hiking to fishing to boating/kayaking, there is a lot offered. I prefer to spend most of my time hiking and every once in a while, I will rent a kayak. The trails are pretty well marked and are best in mid/late fall or early spring. We’ve redone them numerous times and still enjoy them. My favorite trails are the Red Oak and Hoot Owl!
My family and I have always enjoyed Siloam Springs as a good weekend getaway!
LegendThis area has a lot to offer. We chose this campground bc it wasn’t as busy as others and there are some nice riding trails for bikes. We explored a lot of the woods and came out with a lot of ticks, both lonestar and deer. The ticks don’t take away from the place but you do need to be aware. The hosts were super friendly and when a problem arose they took care of it right away. Lots of families with kids riding bikes by the campground. Our site, 87, backs up to a cliff with water below after a short hike through the woods it opens to the lake.
Mark Twain and the town of Florida is right about 7 miles away so there is some educational stuff as well. As of now tho it is all shut down bc of covid restrictions. Monroe City is about 20 miles away if you need anything.
We would say site 79 was the best and anything in that little group was pretty awesome and secluded.
Lots of boating and fishing to be had! Enjoy!
ScoutThis park is very clean and well maintained. There is a lot to do from hunting, fishing, hiking, and more. There are usually a lot of horse back riders on the hiking trails. Overall a great place to spend a weekend
RangerWe spent last night camping at Indian Camp Creek park and it’s a great mix between primitive camping with limited connection and camping at an RV parking lot. We took our 4 year old daughter tent camping for the first time and this was a great location. Although there’s only 8 individual tent spots available, it seems as though there’s always a spot available and each site is secluded by a group of trees. Each spacious site is equipped with a nice sized firepit, a concrete pad with a picnic table and a soft flat level space for a tent. One restroom with no running water is well kept and trash was picked up in the morning.
The park is loaded with activities. Great hiking trails, a huge kids playground, a pond with trails, and a full frisbee golf course. There’s a nice creek that runs through the front of the park you can cool off and float on a tube. The park is incredibly clean and well maintained. You could easily spend a weekend doing various activities without getting bored.
You can reserve a site online, but it has to be 4 days in advance otherwise it’s first come, first serve. There’s also the option for group camping, although we never checked it out.
All in all, it’s a great site, about 15 minutes away from wentzville. If you are looking for extreme primitive, or a place to park your camper, this is not your place.
GuideArrived on a Saturday evening late August with no reservations. . Pleased to find 4 park rangers at the check in gate. Multiple camp spots but enough trees/shrubs to make you feel secluded. Pros: Super quiet after hours Total darkness, perfect for stargazing Abundant wildlife (turn sound up on attached video)
Cons: No input as we only stayed for some quick zzzz’s.
GuideThe rain was a pain but didn't ruin Mark Twain! Though I grew up outside of St. Louis, I'd never been to this campground or to Mark Twain Lake. Really enjoyed exploring the area and the campground was nice. Showers were a short walk and campsites had a decent amount of privacy. The Loop we were on was really better suited to motor homes and we were tent camping. We had two tents and had to set them up in kind of a odd location near the loop road. Some sites were better then others but I wouldn't come back to this exact site to pitch a tent. If you have a camper though, its great.
You are right on the lake here, though it's a bluff so when you get to the edge, there is a steep drop off. It's very pretty and my kids are 9 and 11 so I wasn't worried but if there were much younger I'd be concerned about letting them wander toward the lake as they could slip and fall in. Since part of the reason I take the kids camping is to be able to let them explore, I'd go to another area with younger kiddos.
That being said, there was a trail that you could take for about 10 minutes that took you down to water level and is decent for swimming.
We took a day trip to Hannibal, which is a fun little town. Took in the Mark Twain Museum and took a riverboat cruise. On another day, we rented a pontoon boat to explore the lake, which I'd recommend as well.
Once you get the to the campground, you are at least 30 minutes from any store, gas station, etc, to stock up.
We were there mostly during the week and it was very quiet. As it got closer to the weekend, it started to really fill up and get more lively. Mostly families and such so didn't mind but just a heads up.
In the end, lovely area, really well maintained campground and would recommend.
GuideShower house needs updated, but other than that nice place to stay.
GuideI’ve camped and hiked at Siloam Springs several times. Great hiking trails for all ages. Nice hiking loop for backpacking camping. Had a great time taking a scout troop out on the lake. I actually haven’t fished it much but everyone around here loves to catch trout there.
GuideWe enjoy this park, nice hiking trails and lake. Also has a camp store and boat rentals.
GuideNice quiet CG. Small lake and good fishing
RangerHad a blast here. Lots of hiking and amazing trails.
Very much a mosquito paradise. Visitor center was antiquated but informative.
Lots of driveable attractions nearby we visited while buying more repellant.
Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique opportunity for equestrians to explore beautiful landscapes while enjoying the company of their horses. With well-maintained facilities and scenic trails, these campgrounds cater to both riders and their equine companions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Quincy, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Quincy, IL is Siloam Springs State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Quincy, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Quincy, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
