Best Equestrian Camping near Vandalia, IL

Wolf Creek State Park features 13 equestrian campsites with additional trailer parking for 6 more rigs and tie-out posts for day riders. The horse camping area is separated from hiking trails and other camping areas, providing dedicated space for equestrians. The park contains several miles of horse trails set apart from hiking paths. Flush toilet bathrooms and shower houses are available in each camping section. The park is maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers and remains open year-round, with October offering particularly scenic riding when leaves change color. Equestrian sites lack electricity, but water and toilets are accessible. The trails are wide and well-maintained, though some riders note they aren't marked particularly well.

Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area provides horse camping opportunities with shaded sites, though equestrian campsites do not have electrical hookups. Water access and toilet facilities are available to horse campers. The park features wide, well-maintained trails for riding, though trail markings could be improved according to frequent visitors. Both Wolf Creek and Ramsey Lake remain accessible throughout most of the year, with Wolf Creek open year-round and offering particularly good riding conditions in fall after Labor Day. The parks accommodate various camping styles beyond equestrian sites, including RV camping with full hookups, tent camping, and cabin options, though horses are restricted to designated equestrian camping areas. Trailer parking is available at both locations with adequate space for rigs of various sizes.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Vandalia, Illinois (7)

    1. Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area

    5 Reviews
    Ramsey, IL
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 423-2215

    "The park is reasonable priced, beautiful surrounding and friendly staff. Would definitely come again. The only downside is that it’s somewhat far from supply stores"

    "Shut down some karaoke party in a loop around 9pm. Will go back."

    2. Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area

    13 Reviews
    Kinmundy, IL
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 547-3381

    "Most of the sites are large and a good distance from the next one. Shower house is alright. The store/restaurant has been closed for a year or two now because of the Illinois budget."

    "It's a small campground that offers a playground,bathhouse, hiking trails, and a small swimming area. There is easy access walking down to the marina. With small towns close to this state park."

    3. Dam West Spillway

    10 Reviews
    Carlyle, IL
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 594-5253

    $30 / night

    "It is directly on Carlyle Lake, ,the largest lake in Illinois. It has activities for children on the weekends."

    "Right next to the marina and with many sites right on the lake, you can’t go wrong here."

    4. Sangchris Lake State Park Campground

    19 Reviews
    Rochester, IL
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 498-9208

    "These walk in sites check all the boxes.  At the western part of the RV loop, is a peninsula of primitive tent camping spots to choose from. "

    "Lots of trails, Lake Sangchris is very close by for fishing & kayaking. Quiet campground; great place to unwind."

    5. Wolf Creek State Park Campground

    10 Reviews
    Findlay, IL
    42 miles
    Website

    "The park is huge and is one of the only state park's in Illinois with horse camping and horse trails."

    "Lots of equestrian parking and camping flush toilets neat trails very swell nice better if s en during the fall. Fishing and boatibg here as well."

    6. Sam Dale Lake State Conservation Area

    4 Reviews
    Johnsonville, IL
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (618) 835-2292

    "Dump station right outside the campground. Site 35 was perfectly level for the Class C (cruise America rental with no levelers. Great Campground host. We didn’t have a reservation."

    "Clean campground right on the lake."

    7. Whitley Creek - Lake Shelbyville

    3 Reviews
    Sullivan, IL
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (217) 774-3951

    "But a beautiful lake and campground."

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Vandalia, IL

3 Photos of 7 Vandalia Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Vandalia, IL

64 Reviews of 7 Vandalia Campgrounds


  • Michael M.
    Oct. 9, 2017

    Wolf Creek State Park Campground

    Great camping all year round

    We have camped here many times and this time was awesome as well. The park is huge and is one of the only state park's in Illinois with horse camping and horse trails. There are 13 horse camp sites and additional trailer parking for about 6 more rigs with tie out posts for riders that will not be camping. There are several miles of horse trails and the area is set apart from hiking trails and the other camping areas. There are hundreds of campsites in this park in addition to the horse campgrounds and the entire area is maintained by the US Corps of Engineers. There are full hookup RV sites everywhere with tons of flush toilet bathrooms and shower houses in each large section. There is also a tent camp area without electricity, these sites are cheaper and there are lake front sites available here too. There is a beach that closes after Labor Day, but there are lots of sites available all year round. There are lots of hiking trails and deer run through the park in herds in the winter months. The hiking is OK in this park and good if you like short 1 to 1 1/2 mile hikes. I recommend visiting in the fall after Labor Day, October when leaves are changing is my favorite time for this campground. Clean restrooms, showers and a small store at the entrance for bait, firewood or forgotten items make this a great place to spend a few days.

    Website: https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/Parks/Pages/WolfCreek.aspx

  • A
    Aug. 12, 2018

    Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area

    Shad cap sites

    Biggest draw back is no electricity in equestrian sites. There’s is water and toilets trails aren’t marked real well but very wide nicely maintained to.

  • A
    Aug. 12, 2018

    Wolf Creek State Park Campground

    Clean park

    Lots of equestrian parking and camping flush toilets neat trails very swell nice better if s en during the fall. Fishing and boatibg here as well.

  • M
    Aug. 2, 2019

    Wolf Creek State Park Campground

    Wonderful State Campground

    This is a wonderful campground with drive in availability, equestrian camp and reservable sites!  The have great camp hosts Dave and Sharon on the reservable side that will help out in anyway and are so friendly!  This campground also has boat access and a beach and hiking trails.   It is built into the woods so most lots are very shady and all are very level.

  • J
    Oct. 27, 2018

    Dam West Spillway

    Lots of trees, shades, great campsites, friendly hosts and clean facilities

    This campground qualifies for the senior pass for reduced rates. It is directly on Carlyle Lake, ,the largest lake in Illinois. It has activities for children on the weekends. The campsites have sewer and water on some sites, as well as other sites with electricity available. There are a lot of mature trees in the campground that provides plenty of shade int he summer. Many of the sites are blacktopped and large RV's will fit on the sites. There is a beach very near the campground that is within walking distance. There are also pools located near to the campground that can be used by the public.

  • B
    Jul. 8, 2025

    Wolf Creek State Park Campground

    Bad Management Ready To Ruin Your Holiday

    This park is beautiful, clean and the people were friendly. My issue is with the site supervisor and superintendent. On July 4th 2025 we were given the option of moving our entire campsite or being kicked out of the park. JULY 4TH! We booked our campsite in the last week of April, paid in full. We were the second party to book any spot in the entire campground! We chose our spot specifically for the access to the water and seclusion from the rest of the sites. Come to find out(a day after we set up camp) we booked in "horse camp" which apparently requires you to have horses. It never stated this on the website or rental confirmation we received. Nobody reached out to us in the three months we held the booking to confirm if we had horses. There was no on-site check in that could have saved us the trouble. No, instead we had to take 4 hours out of our holiday to pack all of our stuff and move into overflow camping or be forced to leave. Because of their mistake. Absolutely ruined our holiday with zero remorse or understanding. The icing on the cake was as we were leaving horse camp we noticed multiple other camp sites where people had not brought horses. They stated this happens all the time. If site management had two braincells to rub together they would fix their website instead of consistently ruining peoples trips and holidays. And then these people had the audacity to say they weren't going to charge us for the campsite they moved us to?!?! In reality, we should be receiving a full refund for the campsite we did pay for and free passes for the rest of the year. There is a second state campground on the other side of the lake I would suggest before coming to this place.

  • J
    Oct. 14, 2019

    Stephen A. Forbes State Recreation Area

    Good separation

    Most of the sites are large and a good distance from the next one. Shower house is alright. The store/restaurant has been closed for a year or two now because of the Illinois budget. There's a dollar store in Farina and a grocery store in Kinmundy; both towns are less than 10 miles away. The lake is big enough for ski boats but nice for kayaks also. Swim beach is not well maintained due to the budget but also doesn't cost anything since they can't pay anyone to man the gate, but it's not horrible.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 22, 2019

    Dam West Spillway

    Lakeside camping

    Ranger Review Primus LiTech Trek Kettle at Dam West Campground

    Campground Review

    What a great campground on the shore of Carlyle Lake! Right next to the marina and with many sites right on the lake, you can’t go wrong here. Sites looked a bit more level on the inside of the loop than the lakeside sites, but I guess that’s the price you pay for real estate. My site was not the most level, but only steps from the beach with a few trees that might work for hammocking. The site was really clean and had plenty of space, with a nice paved parking pad, fire pit, picnic table, and electric hook up (all sites have electric!). Across the drive was a nice amphitheater and playground and a basic bathroom. The fairly clean shower house for the whole campground is up near the entrance (it also has a laundry room, but I did not check it out). The campground host for this summer is super nice and is likely to visit for a bit as he buzzes around on his scooter. There is a bike path that goes right past the campground that was busy all weekend with bikers, runners, and walkers, and takes you from the shower house to the marina in just a short walk.

    Gear Review

    Primus LiTech Trek Kettle As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I get new gear to review. On this camping trip I tested out Primus LiTech Trek Kettle. I have to say, this may be my new favorite cooking pot. It is the perfect size for one person(which works well as I frequently camp solo). I used it to heat up some frozen chili for dinner and then used it again in the morning to heat water for oatmeal. Here’s what I liked: The kettle holds just a bit more than a liter of water(or chili), which is about all you need to make coffee, heat large single servings of food, or just about anything It’s non-stick, so clean-up is a breeze and doesn’t retain odors The handles fold out and are easy to grip, and fold around the pot for easy out of the way storage Its super light weight(perfect for backpacking) Even though it was taller than wide, water heated up in it very quickly My little fuel canister fits inside perfectly with almost no rattling Primus included a nice carrying bag that fits the pot and has a small bit of room to spare Here’s what baffled me: The lid doubles as a tiny nonstick frying pan. But it is big enough for maybe one egg. It is so small that I am not exactly sure what you could make in it. I understand the desire to make the lid“usable”, but maybe a regular lid with a colander built in would have been more useful. The lid is not a great fit, and when packing up for storage, it kept sliding off. Despite the weird frying pan lid, I am really happy with the LiTech Kettle. It meets all of my needs in a lightweight package. It is easy to clean up, packs small, has good handles, and is a great addition to my camp cooking arsenal.

  • Aaron B.
    Sep. 6, 2024

    Sangchris Lake State Park Campground

    Lakeside Relaxation

    These walk in sites check all the boxes.  At the western part of the RV loop, is a peninsula of primitive tent camping spots to choose from.  About half the sites were filled by the second day we were there.  We settled on 62, which is spacious and provides access to the path from the front and behind where you can walk into site 64 as well.  A parking area with a single spot for each camp site is well marked and by two vault toilets.  Park staff and host were great.  A decent fishing spot is just in front of site 64.  $8 for IL residents is hard to beat, if you don't need an RV spot with electric.  A water source is also by the parking spots.  The weekend we were there the weather had cooled some and a great breeze was coming off the lake.  Springfield being so close is a bonus.

    The only negative is like any spot and how previous people leave the camp looking before you are there.  Some garbage in the fire pit and random spots are par for the course in any state park.  Pick up the trash and dump it in the dumpster by the parking lot.  Leave the site better than you found it is our motto.


Guide to Vandalia

Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds, equestrians can find suitable amenities and activities tailored to their needs.

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

Tips for equestrian camping near Vandalia, Illinois

  • When visiting Wolf Creek State Park Campground, be prepared for close camping proximity, which can enhance the social aspect of your trip with fellow horse campers.
  • At Sangchris Lake State Park Campground, take advantage of the spacious sites and nearby trails for enjoyable rides through scenic landscapes.
  • The Dam West Spillway provides a peaceful environment with ample space for horses to roam, making it an ideal spot for a relaxing getaway.

Equestrian campgrounds include unique features

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Vandalia, IL is Ramsey Lake State Recreation Area with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Vandalia, IL, with real photos and reviews from campers.