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Best Equestrian Camping near Simpson, IL

200 Reviews

Hayes Canyon Campground offers on-site horse corrals for equestrians camping near Simpson, Illinois. Located within reach of the Shawnee National Forest trail system, this established campground provides full hookup sites for RVs along with tent camping areas and cabin options. The facilities include drinking water, electric hookups, showers, and restrooms to support extended stays while exploring the region with horses. Campground reviews note the well-maintained grounds and convenient access to riding trails. Fire rings and picnic tables are provided at each site, allowing riders to relax after a day on the trails.

The trail network accessible from Hayes Canyon connects riders to scenic areas throughout the Shawnee National Forest region. Equestrians should note that the campground is open year-round, providing opportunities for seasonal trail riding experiences. Water access for horses complements the drinking water available for campers. The nearby Ferne Clyffe State Park also offers an Equestrian Campground with more primitive accommodations, including toilets and drinking water but no electrical hookups. Trail riders appreciate the variety of terrain in the region, from wooded hillsides to creek crossings. Most equestrian trails in the area permit day use riding, while overnight camping with horses requires staying at designated horse-friendly facilities.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Simpson, Illinois (26)

    1. Shawnee Forest Campground

    36 Reviews
    Vienna, IL
    7 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."

    2. Deer Ridge Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    15 Reviews
    Goreville, IL
    13 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."

    3. Dutchman Lake Camp

    3 Reviews
    Buncombe, IL
    9 miles

    "Beautiful spot with easy access and not far off the highway"

    4. Giant City State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Makanda, IL
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 457-4836

    "There are currently 25 equestrian camp sites in this park in a different area than the normal RV and Tent campground."

    "Each site has electricity and access to water. Some have more.

    All the hiking in the park is some of the best in Illinois. The visitors center has a lot of great information."

    5. Little Lusk Trail Lodge & Campground

    3 Reviews
    Eddyville, IL
    12 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."

    6. Hayes Canyon Campground

    1 Review
    Eddyville, TN
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 672-4751

    $15 - $32 / night

    "A luxurious crowded but nice campsites older stalls cabins available great trails and maps available store and cowboy church. Permanent sites available"

    7. Bear Branch Campground

    2 Reviews
    Eddyville, IL
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 672-4249

    $30 - $200 / night

    "Under new ownership buy many cabins from 40 a night on up nice shower houses electric sewer and water at a lot of sites great trails well marked maps available stalls available store and restaurant to"

    8. Equestrian Campground — Ferne Clyffe State Park

    1 Review
    Goreville, IL
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 995-2411

    "You have to walk from the parking lot into the basic sites but they are super close. Trying here was nice, and campsites a quiet and well taken care of."

    9. Camp Ondessonk

    Be the first to review!
    Ozark, IL
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 695-2489

    $6 - $16 / night

    10. Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR

    6 Reviews
    Bargerville, IL
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 985-4983

    "This is a quiet family campground, most spots are lake side. Very spacious and lots of trees. First come first serve, and the park was full most of the time we were here."

    "Overall the campground was full but not very many people around. Appears many locals take spots on the weekends & then hold onto them during the week."

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Simpson, IL

2 Photos of 26 Simpson Campgrounds

Equestrian Camping Reviews near Simpson, IL

200 Reviews of 26 Simpson Campgrounds

  • Michael M.
    Oct. 23, 2017

    Giant City State Park Campground

    Campground Improving in 2017

    There are currently 25 equestrian camp sites in this park in a different area than the normal RV and Tent campground. The campground is being upgraded this year in which I belive they are adding 50 amp full service to many of the electric only sites. There is currently walk in only unless you are reserving a horse camp. There are fantastic hiking trails and equestrian trails here and you would think you are in the mountains here. The geology is much like the Missouri area near the other bank of the Mississippi river. I have tent camped here and camped in a pop-up camper in the fall both times. Hiking is the best activity here unless you ride horses and that is great here too. This one and Wolf Creek on Lake Shelbyville are the best parks in Illinois for horse trails.

  • 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.

  • Stacia R.
    Apr. 27, 2019

    Johnson Creek

    off the beaten path

    Located on Kincaid Lake in the northwestern edge of the Shawnee National forest. The campground has three small loops. Two are more forested with smaller sites and one is more open on the edge of the forest, and geared up for equestrian camping. There are very basic pit toilets that were fairly new and clean. You can get potable water at the entrance. We camped here mid-April and the campground water spigots had not been turned on yet. Camping is $10 a night - self check in. No need to worry about finding firewood, as it is plentiful within the forest. Listened to owls at night before bed.

    We took a short ride to nearby Ava and checked out Scratch Brewery. Delicious and unique little place that is off the beaten path. Only open on weekends, but highly recommend.

  • e
    May. 31, 2018

    Johnson Creek

    woods camping byo horse

    single, double, and triple camping spots set up on three loops in this small campground nestled in the corner of shawnee national forest. there's a central bath house located near check in. only amenities there are a pit toilet, so come prepared. drinking water available right outside the camp and most sites have a non-potable water spigot, horse hitch, and fire ring. close to lake kinkaid and johnson creek. there are a few trails that connect to this spot.

    if you have a golden pass then you can receive a discounted stay.

  • 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.

Guide to Simpson

Southern Illinois offers equestrian camping near Simpson, Illinois within the Shawnee National Forest region. The area sits at elevations between 400-600 feet with limestone bluffs and sandstone formations throughout the landscape. Summer temperatures average 75-90°F with high humidity, while spring and fall provide milder conditions for trail riding and camping.

What to do

Explore trail systems: Access the Red Cedar Trail from Giant City State Park Campground, which offers a 6-mile loop hike. "Lots of amazing, beautiful hikes in this park, especially if you're into bluffs and large boulders. Easy drive to many other picturesque and unique parks," notes Kyle K.

Fishing opportunities: Cast a line at Dutchman Lake Camp where primitive camping is available. "Great little spot right off the interstate. Lots of nice scenery and decent fishing," reports Jonathan H. This dispersed camping area provides a more secluded experience than established campgrounds.

Rock climbing options: Climbers can find routes in the area. According to Josh M. at Giant City State Park, "For climbers, there is a ton of nearby trad and sport climbing. The main wall stays wet for a while so if it has recently rained you may need to find somewhere else."

What campers like

Diverse terrain: The Shawnee National Forest region features unusual geological formations. Anton T. notes that at Deer Ridge Campground, "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."

Wildlife viewing: Evening hours bring special natural displays. "Once darkness hit the fireflies in the forest were magnificent!" says Stephanie S. at Deer Ridge Campground.

Water features: Several campgrounds offer lake or pond access. At Shawnee Forest Campground, Jessica R. mentions, "Pond for fishing so bring your poles. It's catch and release."

What you should know

Reservation systems vary: Some campgrounds operate on first-come, first-served basis. Tracie E. notes at Crab Orchard Lake, "All sites are FC/FS. Full hookups are in Loop B & it was full. Overall the campground was full but not very many people around. Appears many locals take spots on the weekends & then hold onto them during the week."

Site characteristics: Campground terrain differs throughout the region. MickandKarla W. observed at Shawnee Forest Campground, "Our site was not level and with all the rain we had, there were water puddles at the steps. There are some nice sites in this CG but we were not offered one of the better ones."

Trail marking issues: Some hiking paths lack adequate signage. Hannah H. mentioned about the Equestrian Campground at Ferne Clyffe, "My only complain is the trails in this park are not clearly marked and they do not offer maps you can take with you."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Simpson, IL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Simpson, IL is Shawnee Forest Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 36 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 26 equestrian camping locations near Simpson, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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