Are you planning a trip to Savanna with your horse? We've got you covered. Finding a place to camp in Illinois with your horse is easier than ever. With our help, you'll find the best Illinois equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
$20 / night
Whether you visit for an afternoon or stay a few days, you will leave Lake Le-Aqua-Na State Recreation Area with many happy memories. Located in Stephenson County just west of Route 73 on Lake Road, the park is 6 miles south of the Illinois-Wisconsin state line and 3 miles north of Lena.
Highlighted by a 40-acre lake and all the recreational opportunities there, the park also offers multi-use trails, picnic areas, and RV, tent, equestrian and youth group campgrounds.
Developed as part of a statewide plan to provide Illinois citizens with recreational opportunities close to home, the park was started with a land acquisition program in 1948 and dedicated as a 715-acre state recreation area 10 years later.
Lake Le-Aqua-Na’s name is the result of a contest sponsored by the Stephenson County Sportsman’s Club, one of the park’s many sponsors. The name is a combination of the town of Lena and the Latin word for water, aqua.
$10 - $30 / night
Life preservers are required for boating in the rivers. Swimming is prohibited.
$15 - $25 / night
Access to the Equestrian area is one half mile east of the park entrance on 270th Street. A Scott County Recycling Station is located in the equestrian area parking lot.
A registration and information office is located at the south entrance off of 270th St. Open late April through mid-October. Select campgrounds/campsites are designated as "Reservable". All other sites are rented on a first-come-first-serve only basis. Please have your site number and identification with you when you register. Campground Hosts are located at each campground to assist you. Senior citizen (62 and over) and County resident discounts available. Concessions and firewood for sale. Gift Cards for sale - they make great presents and can be used anywhere in the Scott County park system. NOTE: All park gates are locked and no visitors allowed after closing time.
$15 / night
This is an equestrian campground only. Please register at the self check kiosk.
$4 - $8 / night
Legend
Ever dreamt of working / living / camping on an actual working horse ranch? Then you've arrived at the perfect spot. As my post from a bit more than a year ago provided quite a bit of detail on this campground, I’m following up on that review by sharing more fotos as well as providing a topline update:
Highlights: (1) Great hiking and kayaking in nearby Rock Cut State Park & George Fell Nature Preserve; (2) Supreme amount of peace & quiet; (3) Authentic feeling like you are actually on a working horse farm; (4) Sites are spacious and nicely shaded; (5) Excellent, well-maintained amenities like a game room, arcade, playground, small swimming pond, clean restroom & showers; (6) Very friendly and welcoming CG staff; and (7) Ample space to wander around and get lost in nature
Lowlights: (1) This CG is very remote; (2) There is nothing nearby to either stock up on supplies or grab a bite to eat, so when you come here, bring everything with you that you’ll need
Happy Camping!
Legend
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!
Legend
Offers basics: water, electric, showers some shade, stores nearby
Guide
I wanted so badly to love this campground experience, but just didn't. Site 19 was an easy walk-in that theoretically had nearby vault toilets, parking, and water.
Each site only had space for one car to park before walking in. Not a huge deal, but annoying as there were 2 of us who drove separate and we had to problem solve. When we got to the site I was shocked to see that what was labeled as a tent site had literally NO flat space to actually set up a tent. Spacious site, but fully sloped.
Also, what I would have loved to know, is that the vault toilets are closed because they are doing construction to build something new in that space. Construction that starts loudly each day at 7am. Honestly every site from about #35 down was affected by the noise because the construction is happening in the middle of the loop (and actually blocking some of the one-way road as well).
The park in general was okay. Per the usual, the pet areas were lacking. No beach at all, just grass covered in goose poop and one cut out on the raised shore between tall grasses and foliage where a dog could potentially jump in. Certainly nowhere for a human to enjoy the water with their pups unfortunately.
Legend
Primitive site offers table, fire ring, grill, tie up, outhouse, open space, hard surface parking. Trail is adjacent.
Guide
This campground is a lovely gem! Most of the camp sites are fairly secluded from one another by distance and from surrounding foliage (see pic). The exceptions would be sites 55-64 that loop around the playground. We, unfortunately, didn't know this and so had site 61. It was nice little spot with plenty of shade but I was a bit jealous of those with more secluded spots, especially since we are tent campers and all of the others on the loop were big RVs.
The pros:
- The campground hosts were lovely. Friendly but not overbearing, as some can be.
- The on site restaurant/bait shop/ boat rental was very convenient! Husband forgot to pack something and the little bait shop had what we needed. Plus, we were able to buy firewood there, too.
- Lovely scenery! The hiking trails were well maintained and there were lots of beautiful flowers, bird, and butterflies. We even saw a raccoon!
- The (and I cannot emphasize this enough) CLEANEST campground bathrooms I've ever seen! I'm not squeamish and have been camping for years so my expectations for campground bathroom cleanliness is well calibrated but these bathrooms (even the vault toilets!) were amazingly clean! There weren't even spiderwebs on the ceiling of the shower house. Just *chef's kiss*
- The water from the pump was very clean.
The cons:
- Lack of privacy/seclusion for the 55-64 sites along the loop.
- For that same loop, since it circles the playground, if kids playing noises bother you, might want to choose a different site.
- The food at the restaurant was meh. It was fine- it was sustenance. Nothing to write home about.
- LOTS of big RVs. It wasn't an issue for us on this trip, but on other camping trips sometimes being surrounded by big RVs just isn't a great vibe.
Legend This is a very large state park located halfway between Mineral Point and New Glarus, both nice visiting destinations in their own right.
It has a large lake with three boat launches, a main one with a motor ramp, a canoe launch near the marshy end, and a fishing pier. There's also a boat rental place run by the nearby Cork Down Saloon. There are no boat-in or lake accessible campsites however.
The campground is up a long 30 degree hill across from the main launch and Beach/ main picnic area. The sites are more secluded from each other than you'll find at most parks , which is very nice. Beware that some sites are so secluded that they are bi-level. That is, parking pad and then step(s) down to the site. Be sure to check the photos provided when reserving. There are very nice walk-in sites, but no carts are provided.
the facilities are clean, but there's only one building with running water and showers. Water throughout has a mild iron taste.
There's no playground in the camp area, it's located in a picnic area near the canoe launch that you pass as you com in. Not walking distance, remember the big hill.
There's an Ice Cream/concession at the east end of the lake with limited hours. Beyond that is the Cork Down Saloon, just outside the secondary entrance to the park. It's your closest option to eat out. Also there is the private Chalet campground (see others for a review) Neither has a view of the lake as they are below the Dam.
A fun place to visit in the area is the Toy Train Barn Museum in Argyle, indoors if you have a rainy day.
LegendSite is located in the very SE corner of the park with: charcoal grill, fire ring, outhouse, picnic table, recycle station adjacent, tie-up, hard surface for RV. No water onsite. Trails available.
LegendIf you fancy pitching a tent or parking your RV for the night in an actual horse / farming working ranch environment, which puts you quite close to some pretty amazing river kayaking, somewhat challenging, yet scenic hiking all in a fairly historic area of north central Illinois, then Hansen’s Hideaway may just be the spot for you. Located a good 15 to 20 minutes southwest from downtown Oregon, in 1962 Bill & Evelyn founded Hansen’s Hideaway, which is comprised of 100 or so acres of rich farmland and pastures where you’ll see a good swath of horse roaming freely. Out here, there’s nothing to obstruct your pretty amazing view of the Midwest moonlit sky, apart from the handful of red barns and scattered Oaks that will provide you plenty of shade during a hot, sunny summer afternoon.
As for the campground, you’ll first look for a sign pointing you to Hansen’s Hideaway while you are driving west on S Harmony Road – and when you see the sign, you’ll want to head due south, passing a few houses, until you will have no other choice but to follow the bend in the road, which immediately reveals the main office at Hansen’s Hideaway. You’ll pass underneath one of those oversized wooden ‘OK Corral’ ranch gates that welcomes visitors to Hansen’s Hideaway, which is a nice touch. The office itself is quite homey with a wood-burning furnace, a number of comfy sofa chairs to sit in along with the check-in desk. The front office also serves as a bit of a market store, although there is not a whole lot here for sale.
Additional amenities here at Hansen’s Hideaway include: game room / video game arcade, horseshoe pits, covered pavilions with picnic tables, firewood & ice available for sale, designated dumping station, snack bar, fairly decent restroom and shower facilities, kid’s playground, water and electric hook-ups (no sewage lines to speak of) as well as scattered picnic tables, fire rings and BBQ grills. The ‘crown jewel’ amenity at this camping ranch is the man-made swimming pond with a small little beachhead encircling it, which the kids will love. And while you could pitch a tent here, to be fair, this is definitely more of an RV countryside outpost. There are two primary ‘neighborhoods’ or loops here, with the first being just past the main building where you would have checked in at, while the second is further afield and requires you to veer to your left just before reaching the pond and driving about 100 years before reaching 2 oval loops that have RV slots around the perimeter. In all, there’s about 40 slots for RVs in both of these two designated outposts.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) I think the name ‘Hideaway’ is fairly accurate here, as you will find that you are very far away from just about everything, which is great if your goal is to commune with nature, but this also means that you should come prepared with everything you may need during your stay; (2) While there are 2 different neighborhoods to consider parking your RV, the area closest to the main office is definitely the one that is more congested, with sites being quite close to one another and given that the main office as well as the swimming pond are in the vicinity, of the areas to choose from, this is definitely the busier of the two, although it does provide you quicker and closer access to the amenities; (3) If hiking is on the agenda then you should definitely check out nearby George B. Fell Nature Preserve and Lowden-Miller Forest, both of which have some easy-to-medium trails to hike; (4) Should you coming towing watercraft, I would hightail it over to Castle Rock State Park, where on the bend of the Rock River (just look for the overlook signs) there’s a very decent kayak launch that you can depart from and which will take you down river; (5) If you’d like to take to the water in style (and have a good meal at the same time), then check out Maxson Restaurant & Riverboat, which will provide you with an AMAZING view of the Oregon area, but on the river, all while you are throwing some strong martinis back to wash down all that Saturday night prime rib special!; and (6) If you don’t have your sea legs about you and would rather stay on land while trying out the local fare and don’t mind a short 20 or so minute drive back to civilization, I would recommend the deep fried pork tenderloin sandwich with natural cut French fries all while slurping down the chocolate cake shake at Jay’s Drive-In, the Fettucine Rose pasta with shrimp and the most amazing Sauvignon Blanc in the world at La Vigna or fried anything (chicken, catfish, cod, wings, oreos) at Messie’s Bar & Grill in Oregon.
Happy Camping!
LegendWe saw an article about "Dutch Days" in nearby Fulton on www.OnlyInYourState.com, (first weekend in May) and thought it looked like fun. The nearest campground at Thomson causeway recreational area was closed both for repairs and for flooding so this was our best choice.
It was not crowded this early in the season, though most of the sites are pretty private and that wasn't an issue. We stayed in the 60's loop which is more open than most since it has the playground. There's only one shower building, which is clean and well-kept, and it is on the 80's loop, though there are paths to it from the others.
There are a few pull-through sites, but I'm not sure they're indicated. The ADA sites are large and well paved, though the tables do not have wheelchair overhangs.
Fire rings are hit and miss, our site had a low square pit with a non-adjustable flip-over grill, other sites had taller, circular rings, check site photos.
There are two trails downhill to the lake from the 60's loop, no lakeside campsites.
The lake is small but pleasant and stocked with fish. There are boat rentals available and a small restaurant and general store.
We went on day trips to Fulton and Clinton, IA. Eagle point park has a good view of the Mississippi, but more spectacular views are at Mississippi Palisades State Park, a 50 min drive.
If you don't feel like cooking, a great choice is the Candlelight Inn(s), half an hour to the east or west in Clinton, Sterling or Rock Falls. A great family restaurant/ steakhouse famous for it's "Chicken George" (they'll give you a free sample to get you hooked)
GuideThis campground offers sites with electricity for RVs but some of the sites seem pretty narrow to use RV awnings. We booked an RV site but decided to camp. The site had a picnic table and fire ring but since it was an RV spot not a lot of good tent placement options. There are numerous pit toilets to use. The park has hiking trails that are accessible from the campground. The lake has a walking trail, kayak ramps and boat ramps.
GuideWe enjoyed the beautiful lake and cute restaurant/gift shop. We liked the different loops of campsites with pit toilets every where and a nice modern bathroom/shower house also. There were several camp hosts scattered among the camp site loops. Our campsite had a more open feel than some of the others. It wasn’t as heavily treed and we liked that. The sites were very well spaced apart. There were many well worn paths that lead to the lake, but it was too wet from previous rain for us to explore those. We did enjoy walking along the various loops among the trees. We will definitely return and bring some friends with us next time.
TravelerVery nice park. Well marked and maintained trails. A large lake with boat launch and beach area. Separate pet area.
We spent the weekend at site 101, which is a tent site. I wouldn't recommend this site. based on a quick walkaround, it seemed a bit smaller than other sites. That's not really a deal-breaker, but it didn't really have any flat spots to pitch the tent. We ended up pitching it up on the parking area, but it was still a bit slanted and we could feel the tire divot a little through the air mattresses. Aside from that, it was great. The site had a picnic table and fire ring that we used a lot. It was secluded from the surrounding sites.
We hiked the Windy Ridge trail and the Prairie Loop trail. both were well maintained and enjoyable trails. We also spent some time on the beach.
GuideGreat beach, lots of space with picnic tables. Awesome concession stand- great ice cream. We enjoy this park. Lots of bat houses so the mosquitoes weren't a problem.
GuideLoved this quiet park! Camped at site 62 which is tent only. The site was huge and could easily fit 4 tents. Most sites had good privacy. Bathrooms could use a little work along with signage. However, I will absolutely be going back.
Legend
This was an unexpected good find in Illinois. The campground was nice with the standard set up - picnic tables, restrooms, water available. You can follow the road or the trails and make your way to the lake. We didn't go in the lake but we saw people fishing.
The hiking trails were enjoyed often by us. We found one section that had some interesting wildflowers. We paused and turned around when we found the archery area. We suggest keeping an eye on hunting season if you head this way.
We would certainly return in the future.
LegendSite has hard surface for vehicle/trailer, table, grill, non potable water, outhouse, tie-up, trails, shade trees. Located in SE corner of Scott County Park. Firewood, ice, concessions can be found in main park along with pool, golf, Pride Lake for fishing and paddling. Historical Pioneer Village is located at north end of main park.
GuideGreat camping here. Water readily available. Clean bathrooms. Welcome center when you arrive. People friendly. Lot of different types of sites. Lot of sites. Did about 10mi of hiking. Buggy, but it's June in WI.
GuideAll sites are clean. They clean out fire pits after every weekend. Some sites were not the most level. All Roads are newly paved. New/Updated Dump station. Once you enter the park, there are some drastic hills to navigate. We didn't get to use the lake. It was refilling, via letting nature fill the lake back up. I'm not sure why, but the lake was drained some time back, when the park was closed for over a year for the maintenance that was done.
GuideThis Campground was spacious and quiet. We camped in April so it wasn't as crowded but I can imagine in summer this is a popular destination with the large lake. Lots of nice hiking trails. The water was still turned off since it was the off season so we didn't look at any of the facilities but everything seemed well maintained.
Scoutfirst timers/ young kids- yes. Primitive campers- no. My husband had never been camping. I grew up with very primitive camping- no electricity, only pit toilets, sometimes fresh water, and no showers (milk jug showers!) Little by little, I’m warming him up to camping. This is a great place for new campers, families of young kids, or just looking for an easier trip. There’s a shower house with flush toilets, warm showers, and surprisingly CLEAN! The site was medium size. Enough room to spread out. Ground was flat so finding a tent site was no problem. Electric hookup worked. Picnic table was good. Check your site before booking! One section of sites is like an open field? No trees and full view of others. But these surround a playground- also very nice. Glamping with young kids? These sites would be a perfect. AT&T and Verizon cell service worked fine
Traveler
This is a hidden gem of Winnebago County. Beautiful, quite and clean park with hiking trails and horse trails.
RangerThis is a working ranch where you’re able to board your horse while camping yourself. They have a game room, snack bar, swimming pond, playground, water and electric hook-ups, shower building with flush toilets, and firewood. Rates start around $20 for a tent site. They’re open from April 15th to October.
RangerGreat spot to camp. Right by a lake. There is a dock out onto the water for easy access if you want to bring your kayaks, paddleboards, etc. Easy to get to and a beautiful drive through the country to get there in the fall. There are a lot of bugs due to the proximity to the lake
ScoutPretty location for boating or relaxing. Limited hiking with poor maps. Adequate pit toilets throughout campgrounds. One shower house with flush toilets that was decent. Concessions with snacks and boat rentals, but closed on Mondays--even holidays. Our campsite was spacious but some are open and too close together. Good for one night unless you have your own boat.
GuideWe went to Yellowstone Lake with the primary intention of kayaking. The lake is man made and not very clear (it’s very shallow, only 14ft max depth), but the water quality is fine. The kayak launch was nice and had overflow parking. The lake was a very nice and easy paddle.
The beach itself looked nice, but it’s mainly grass on a tiered hill. It was very busy when we were here, so we only stopped here to have lunch.
We stayed at site 60 which we really liked. It was pushed back and had a private feel, even though it was right next to the water (which is also a plus) and a double site. Firepit wasn’t the best, the grate was getting pretty deformed. Bathrooms were pretty nice with several shower rooms available.
Overall it’s a nice park, especially since it has a lake and is close to Madison. It just doesn’t stand out among some of our other parks (hence the 3 star rating).
Traveler
Nice long trail, friendly people, and a cute little ice cream shop that was a lifesaver after a long hike. Beautiful scenery, firewood available for $6 a bundle, water, electricity and fairly clean bathrooms with showers. We tent camped for $20 a night.
Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a great choice for riders and their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Savanna, IL?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Savanna, IL is Morrison-Rockwood State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Savanna, IL?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Savanna, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.
