Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Rockdale? Finding a place to camp in Illinois with your horse is easier than ever. Find our top-rated horse campsites from other campers like you. Plan the perfect trip in minutes.
Big Rock Campground, part of Big Rock Forest Preserve, is located at 46W499 Granart Rd., Big Rock, IL. The campground is open seasonally, May - October 15, each year.
Camp sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not accepted. Payment is accepted via cash, check and credit card. Check-out is at 2 p.m., each day.
The campground contains 109 camp sites including 96 improved, vehicle campsites complete with 50-amp electrical service, water access, parking pads and fire rings, 9 primitive, tent-only sites without electric access, and four equestrian camp sites.
Camp fees are as follows:
Improved camp site (with electric and water): Kane County residents: $20/day Nonresidents: $35/day
Primitive camp site: Kane County residents: $12/day Nonresidents: $18/day
Equestrian camp site (with electric and water): Kane County residents: $15/day Nonresidents: $25/day
Dump station (not registered): Kane County residents: $15 Nonresidents: $15
Firewood (available at Campground office): Bundle: $5
Note: Outside firewood is allowed to be brought into the campground, however, all firewood must either be completely burned or left on site. No firewood will be allowed to be taken off site, due to the Emerald Ash Borer quarantine and restrictions by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Big Rock Campground opened in the summer of 2013. This project was partially funded by an IDNR OSLAD and Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant.
This campground/preserve includes a horseback riding area. Most horse trails are natural surface, mowed grass paths. Limestone screenings trails and asphalt bike trails are available in some of the preserves. These are multi-use trails shared with runners, bicyclists, dog walkers etc. Horse riders are required to stay on designated, forest preserve-maintained trails. Trail riding is not allowed in restricted natural areas, Illinois Nature Preserves, picnic areas or in farmed areas. To prevent trail damage during wet weather, trails may be temporarily closed. Individual forest preserves will post a sign at the entrance when horse trails are closed. Trails are currently OPEN for equestrian use at this campground/preserve.
$18 - $35 / night
Our Class-A Premium campground is located in the main park with shower facilities, flush toilets, and all sites have electricity. Water is available by pump at designated locations throughout the campground and at the sanitary dump station. This is a very wooded area with 4 loops-Oak, Hawthorne, Osage & Hickory. Pit toilets are also located near each loop. Alcohol is prohibited and credit cards are not accepted at the site.
Leisure Lake Membership Resort is a family camping and RV resort. Enjoy the great outdoors without the long drive. Located in Joliet, Illinois, we are 40 miles from Chicago and only minutes from Chicago Land's Route 66 Speedway, 10 miles from Metra Train Station. We are owned and operated by the members for the members. We do allow Good Sam members in based on availability.There are many organized activities, dances, and live entertainment provided throughout the year. We have many amenities to offer! Featuring a 24 acre stocked fishing lake, 2 acre sand bottom swimming lake, swimming pool, convenience store, and free WiFi.
$37 / night
Within Burnidge Forest Preserve is Paul Wolff Campground. Paul Wolff Campground contains 89 improved, vehicle camp sites with 50-amp electrical service, water access, parking pad and fire ring. Improved camp sites are available to vehicle campers or tent campers. Each improved site is capable of handling a 50-foot motorhome. There are also 5 equestrian camp sites, where you may camp with your horse(s); and 10 primitive, wooded sites for tent camping only, away from the main camping area. Primitive sites do not have electric service and are available, weather permitting. All camp sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis; reservations are not taken.
$12 - $35 / night
The Equestrian Campground off Illinois Route 113 is open from April 1 through October 31. Equestrian trails operate on a seasonal basis. There is no water available in the Equestrian Campground.
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
ScoutWe booked a month stay but weren’t able to stay over 2 weeks because water is so horrible. Our cat got diarrhea, clothes got ruined, you can’t even make tea with that water. But everything else was good. Nice helpful staff, clean, quiet rv park.
Traveler
Can get a little crowded ar times
Scout
Got kicked out cause I didn't have a horse. Even though it was completely empty. Gave me my $8 back though.
Traveler
Stayed 4 nights- first come first served- no reservations- bring plenty of hose for water connections- first site we tried was just too far to connect- toilets but no showers available- electric/ water no full hook ups. Clean, with large sites, about a 5 mile walk around the nearby lake- saw several deer and rabbits - T-Mobile worked just fine- no Wi-Fi
Traveler
Rode my bicycle for an overnight test run. I stayed in the primitive tent area. There are 5 wooded and 5 prairie sites. There is water and vault toilets by the tent area and flush toilets a 3 minute walk into the RV area.
As noted in other reviews, I heard 3 trains between 10 pm and 6 am. Otherwise no other excessive noise issues. Tent area was very quiet.
Staff was also very pleasant and helpful.
ScoutAmazing and friendly staff, beautiful grounds, and very well kept. There are mainly RVs and campers but we brought our little tent and were welcomed with open arms. The price is perfect whether you’re a resident of the area or not. There’s options for everyone. 10/10 would recommend!!!
LegendPotowatami campground is divided into four loops. We camped in the Osage loop. Garbage cans are at the start of the loop. A central shower house is on the main road midway between the loops. Right at the start of Osage is an entrance to the crushed gravel bike path. It gave us a great hike through the trees. You can find picnic areas and playground equipment by following the bike path. The camp host checks you in. He gave us the signal in case we drive out of camp. Wave the sign out your window and re-enter camp. He also told us about rock creek nature trail. It’s just across the main road near the ranger office entrance. There are another couple miles of trails if you want some diversity.
TravelerFirst off the camp hosts were amazing! Very friendly and helpful!
Ok. Came in on a Thursday with no reservations. Camp Hosts got me a spot for Thursday and only had 2 available spots in the whole campground for the weekend so I took Oak 1 over the only other open spot.
Thursday night was GREAT. It was quiet and peaceful. Had a great day chilling on Friday during the day too. Friday afternoon people started funneling in and it still wasn’t too bad into the evening.
About 8 is when it got a little worse. There was a group that came in and occupied 2 sites. They were a little more loud but bearable. About 9:45 another part of their group came rolling in. That’s when it wasn’t as nice. They were trying to set up their tent with headlights/flashlights shining into our camp. Yelling back and forth between the 3 sites, etc. Finally I think the quieted down about midnight. Saturday. Still loud and a few of the cars in their group were in and out several times. Not a big deal except every time they were driving out a one way.
LegendWe have a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow and stayed in site 35 for 3 days in late June. This is a relatively large CG, just under 100 sites, and fortunately it was only about 25% full, because they do not accept reservations. The CG is very clean and well maintained. The water hookups on most sites were way at the back, or on the"wrong side", which might present issues for some. AT&T coverage quite good, with 3 Bars of 5G service and speeds up to 22 MB/s. We had a clear view of the southern and northern sky, so we were able to get DISH coverage on all three western satellites at our site and Starlink had speed up to 19 MB/s.
TravelerI wouldn't recommend this "Campgrounds" for anyone not in a trailer. You're going to be just camping in a big open flat field.
Also if you're not a resident of the local county, you're going to be paying an additional $10 per night.
There are no showers. There is one flush toilet and two pit toilets.
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!
ScoutNice clean area to camp. Most of the sites are for travel camper or RV’s.
A couple of drive Ups.
50/30 amps hookups. Water hookups as well. Great water pressure.
Running water restrooms & non-running water restrooms.
2-dump sites they have sections for tent camping- but down fall is they do not have showers.
Overall experience was great and we will return.
ScoutThe campground has nicely spaced sites. If others think these sites are close, they haven’t been to campground with close sites. There is a train next to the campground that runs once a day, but it is before 10pm. The rules say you cannot take any plants or animals whether dead or alive from the forest preserve and campground. There is a limit to the length of stay for all campers, except for the six campground attendants, of 14 days in a 21 day period.
ScoutThis is definitely more of a rest area than a campground. All the sites are pretty tightly packed, was awoken by a toddler screaming across from us like it was being murdered for about an hour at 6 am. Relaxing. They do have flush toilets as well as vaults that were both kept fairly clean. Firewood is a scam. Spent an hour collecting dead, dry, fallen wood OFF THE TRAIL(NOT out of the woods), only to have it taken because they sell wood. But the wood they DO sell was knotty and not dried well enough and couldn't get half of it to burn well at all. Basically, don't come here for an actual camping experience, because it will not be what you're expecting.
ScoutNewer camp ground that is Clean and well maintained. Has water and electric. The camp ground has a small pond and some trails. Just lacking a playground and shower house. Came across a lot of carpenter bees.
ScoutPerfect place for walking relax super quiet Helpful people I like it
ScoutThis campground is well maintained. The tent sites are nicely arranged for privacy. There are a few wooded trails from the campground. Just don’t count on sleep unless you are in the habit of sleeping through trains, traffic and planes taking off at least once per hour from nearby airport. It was torture. Bathrooms are okay not great.
GuideSpacious sites with lush jungle-like greenery grown in between, which provides perfect privacy. Easy access to water pump. Have to drive to get to the toilet/ shower station though.
GuideI've stayed in a tent and a trailer here. Love this place. Super clean, everyone is pleasant. The tent sites are kind of away from the RVs. There's only 10 tent sites, but you could land your tent at an RV site if you wanted water or electric. Love coming here.
GuideSingle night stay.
ScoutWe bought our first RV in 2019 and this place was in town so we used it to learn how to better rv camp after work some days. They have a short hiking path that leads to big rock forest preserve where there is a tiny beach that we use to put our kayaks and canoes into for floating parties. Fishing is decent and it has a 1 mile loop that goes up and down hill around the lake. Peaceful and quiet. Great place to get away and chill.
GuideTook my sister and her bf on their first camping trip here. Our original plan was to come here and do a "vanlife" experience by sleeping in our car, but the attendant told us we can't do that and needed to be in tents. So we all got tents and went to the primitive sites. That wouldn't have been a problem, but the lady had an attitude and said, "I'm going to drive by and check up on you guys"...like we're doing something super illegal? If you want to sleep in your cars, according to her, you need a "commercial" license plate, for anyone who wants to do that!
Other than the check-in experience being rough, our campsite was spacious with a table and fire pit. The bathroom was nice and clean. There's a nice forest where we went for a night's walk!
ScoutThis was our first camping here and we really enjoyed our stay in the campground. The campground manager was very friendly and helpful and our site was clean with a nice fire pit with built-in grill and very clean. Lots of shower stalls in the shower house. We will definitely be back!
GuideNice sites in the Potawatomi Campground! Would have been a 5 star but no Campground host on duty the night I camped and no toilet paper in the toilet in the Oak loop. Can't make a reservation day before camping so that kinda sucks as everything is walk in... Am on a "purpose trip" and not a journey, so not partaking of park amenities. I would definitely camp here again!!
GuideHad Electric and Water hookup. Very roomy and level sites. It's about 9 years old, so no trees. No swimming or fishing. Only hiking trails.
GuideI wish we were able to stay longer than one day! I loved this spot! We loved riding our bikes along the river and just being away from the hustle and bustle. Not many amenities other than showers, toilets and hookups, but it just adds to the appeal here. A great spot to get away and experience some silence and solitude!
ScoutFull hook ups and electric sites plus some restricted Equestrian and walk in sites
Not for #vanlife. I tried to pay for a tent site and was told “you’re not supposed to sleep in your car” “this campground is for RV’s only”
Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique experience for equestrian enthusiasts, combining beautiful landscapes with facilities tailored for both riders and their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Rockdale, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Rockdale, IL is Big Rock Campground with a 3.8-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Rockdale, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Rockdale, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
