Best Equestrian Camping in Illinois

There’s a lot more to Illinois than the great city of Chicago. Along with this exciting urban hub there are many natural areas where locals and residents alike enjoy getting outside. With 141 parks it’s no wonder the DNR created the motto, “State Parks, Great Parks” in 2013. This phrase is the title of their initiative to continue improvements on local natural areas with upgraded campgrounds and additional staff to cater to the more than 44 million yearly visitors looking for hiking and camping in Illinois.

People from all over the state – and even outside the country – take the short 1.5-hour drive from Chicago to Starved Rock State Park, where they can hike 13 miles of trails offering elevation gains on wooded pathways along the Illinois River. The 18 canyons serve as great places to spot waterfalls after a rain and families love ending the day with s’mores around the bonfire at the nearby Starved Rock State Park campsites.

Those looking to learn about the state’s heritage while camping in Illinois may head farther south to Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park & Memorial. This 162-acre park is 12 miles southwest of Decatur near Harristown, IL, and features the land where Abraham Lincoln first resided in the state. If you visit be sure to check out the memorials commemorating this important president.

People who want to mountain bike in this Midwestern state will enjoy heading to Palos Park, a forest preserve known for its excellent biking, hiking and equestrian trails that cover over 50 miles of terrain. When it comes to camping in Illinois, this locale offers beautiful facilities at Camp Bullfrog Lake where you can put up a tent next to a lake and hike short or long loops that end up back at your campsite.

If you want to check out the beautiful Lake Michigan drive to Illinois Beach State Park to spend time in the water along the 6.5 miles of sandy shoreline. The park is 4,160 acres offering ample opportunities for hiking, watersports, picnicking, fishing and camping. With The Dyrt, you can be sure to find the best camping in Illinois during your stay in the Prairie State.

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Best Equestrian Sites in Illinois (72)

    1. Rock Cut State Park - Staghorn Campground

    81 Reviews
    Machesney Park, IL
    Website
    +1 (815) 885-3311

    $12 - $50 / night

    "Of all of the campgrounds that I have visited in Illinois, I would say that Rock Cut State Park is the best that I have seen. It boasts as being the largest State Park in Northern Illinois."

    "The park is very large(the largest in northern Illinois) and has multiple campgrounds. I stayed in the Prairie View campground. Trees all around, plenty of shade."

    2. Shawnee Forest Campground

    36 Reviews
    Vienna, IL
    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."

    3. Comlara County Park

    33 Reviews
    Hudson, IL
    Website
    +1 (309) 434-6770

    "Comlara is a beautifully laid out hidden gem in Illinois. Evergreen Lake is the perfect back drop to the campground."

    "Located just northwest of Bloomington, which is located absolutely smack-dab in the middle of the state of Illinois, you’ll discover a nature wonderland over here nearly hidden from plain site."

    4. Moraine View State Recreational Area

    27 Reviews
    Le Roy, IL
    Website
    +1 (309) 724-8032

    $40 - $20 / night

    "I never did all of the trails but spent an afternoon hiking with a friend last summer."

    "It’s also never super convenient to need to pack up just to go to a dump station but as long as your fine walking to the community restrooms, you should be fine."

    5. Giant City State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Makanda, IL
    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."

    6. Gun Creek

    21 Reviews
    Whittington, IL
    Website
    +1 (618) 724-2493

    $18 - $30 / night

    "One of the first campgrounds that you come to at Rend Lake when you get off the highway, this campground has lots of positives and few negatives."

    "The lake had the most amazing sunset! Everyone is super friendly and we recommend the blue jay loop for best views and swimming access to the lake."

    7. Primitive Campground — Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area

    21 Reviews
    Chandlerville, IL
    Website
    +1 (217) 452-7741

    $6 / night

    "Like the quite agricultural Illinois environment but suggest shopping for your needs prior to leaving larger cities as most of the few small towns are limited to a Bar and Dollar store."

    "From our cabin we walked grassy paths to a lovely bridge. Around the pond's perimeter are dispersed sites for tent-camping or possibly day-use."

    8. Sangchris Lake State Park Campground

    19 Reviews
    Rochester, IL
    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."

    9. South Sandusky Campground

    19 Reviews
    Sesser, IL
    Website
    +1 (618) 724-2493

    $16 - $26 / night

    "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."

    "Well maintained on beautiful Rend Lake in southern Illinois. Reservations accepted on reservation.gov. Walk ins also welcome."

    10. Paul Wolff Campground

    20 Reviews
    Elgin, IL
    Website
    +1 (630) 444-1200

    $12 - $35 / night

    "The staff are super nice and the campground has great social distancing rules in place for the check-in shack and bathrooms."

    "Half of them were in the Prairie and the other half was tucked into wonderfully private spots with burn pits and picnic tables. We hiked the trail and saw a mother deer feeding her 2 babies."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews in Illinois

637 Reviews of 72 Illinois 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.

  • Matt S.
    Sep. 11, 2016

    Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park Campground

    I'm not a fan of Hennepin Canal, you might like it if you want to camp with your horse.

    I will give the staff credit, the park is well maintained and looks very clean. Having said that, this park is right next to the Hennepin Canal, which is full of stagnant water, a breeding ground for millions of mosquitos.

    Honestly, it was difficult to even understand how camping worked at this park. If you are not a local you wouldn't know where the campground is... well, the camps are set on the trails that run parallel to the canal. That is the only thing I could figure out from the message board and some hiking. The entire time I did not see one tent or person camping.

    On the positive side, if you want to ride your horse the trails running along the canal are equestrian trails and allow horses to camp with you. The other positive is there is a cool walking bridge over the canal. These positives are not enough to overcome the fact that you are a juicy meal for the un-numbered mosquitos that live and breed in the canal.

  • Brian O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2024

    Turner Lake South — Chain O' Lakes State Park

    Fine camping in Northern Illinois

    We stayed in the Turner lake south loop, which has nice and private sites. This is in contrast to Honeysuckle hollow which is open and row after row of RV sites. Fox den and Prairie view loops are nice as well with mostly primitive sites. Be aware that the map on www.ExloreMoreIL,com(where you make your reservations) doesn't show where the restrooms are. In the Turner loop, the pit toilets are next to the path to the fishing pier, while the showers and full restrooms are between Turner and Fox den, there is a short path between sites 60& 61. Facilities are clean and well lit. Fire pits are slightly raised steel troughs with a heavy adjustable grill. This is a BIG park, the campgrounds are two miles from the front gate, and it's a drive to the main boat launch at Maple Grove, where you have access to the Fox River and Grass lake. This location has a huge parking lot for boat trailers, a very well stocked general store with fishing supplies, a cafe, boat rentals and good firewood. To get away from the crowd if you're a canoeist or kayaker it's nicer to leave the park and go back in at Oak Point picnic area and boat launch at the northern border. This will put you on the Fox river with developments to the north(including a bar& grill) or to the south which is all nature. I think the distance by boat between the two launches is 4-5 miles, but I'm not sure, Halfway there you'll meet up with the Goldfinch trail which is the shortest loop and the most diverse in term of flora. There are horse/ snowmobile trails, but no equestrian campground. Chain o' Lakes is one of the busiest waterways in Illinois, with motorboats everywhere in the height of the summer season. We canoe, and both times we stayed there it was October, so I can't tell you how crowded, but the vast number of picnic areas must be there for a reason. An odd thing is that you can hear a Steam Train whistle quite often, this is from Richardson's Adventure Farm in Spring Grove. We don't have kids so we went to Stade's Farm& Orchard(which is also large and kid friendly) because they have an orchard and vegetable market. One last thing, the gates close at 10:PM and there are tire shredders, you can leave but you can't get back in… unless you want to walk 2+ miles in the dark:)

  • Matt S.
    Sep. 11, 2016

    Rock Cut State Park - Staghorn Campground

    Rock Cut State Park campground is huge!

    Of all of the campgrounds that I have visited in Illinois, I would say that Rock Cut State Park is the best that I have seen. It boasts as being the largest State Park in Northern Illinois. It has a large lake with almost 40 miles of hiking trails, including equestrian trails and an equestrian campground. There is boating and fishing as well as swimming in the lake.

    The campground staff is very helpful and do a good job at keeping it clean and well maintained even with the large number of visitors. Don't miss my interview with Marsha, one of the friendly staff members at Rock Cut State Park.

  • J K.
    Aug. 10, 2019

    Randolph County State Recreation Area

    Nice quaint campground

    This is a great little campground with a fishing lake. Sites are gravel but well maintained. Sites are fairly close with most shaded. Getting around is a little right for bigger rigs but still doable as long as you’re careful. Make sure you fill up at the dump station before you get to the campground because there’s no easy way to turn around if you miss it. It’s approximately a mile before the campground on your left. Be aware that there are no showers though, only bathrooms. Fifty-one Class BE campsites, 95 Class C campsites, an equestrian site with eight stalls for horses, and four Class D (primitive) campsites are available throughout the area. A group camp area has its own shelter, stone fireplace, electricity and tables. Some campsites at Randolph County SRA can be reserved online through Reserve America at www.reserveamerica.com Randolph County State Recreation Area is a mecca for outdoor recreational activities. Fishing, hiking, picnicking, boating, hunting and camping are just a few of the choices on the 1,101 acres at the site. Located five miles northeast of Chester, Randolph County SRA lies in the rolling hill country of southern Illinois. Offering a cool retreat from hot summer days, well shaded picnic areas, hiking trails and scenic forest stands await park visitors.

    Park Information:

    West Central Illinois

    4301 S. Lake Drive Chester IL 62233

    618-826-2706

    N: 37.968 W: -89.802 History In 1958, land was purchased and plans started to build a dam and spillway for a 65-acre lake. The lake was completed in 1961, and since that time, recreational facilities have been added to provide picnic shelters, toilets, a boat ramp and a concession stand at Randolph County SRA..

    Directions All access to Randolph County SRA is from the west entrance off Palestine Rd. Coming from the North on Route 3, visitors will turn east on Shawneetown Trail south of the town of Ellis Grove. At Palestine, turn south on Palestine Road and proceed two miles, then turn left at the entrance sign. Coming from the north on Route 150, turn west on Shawneetown Trail and proceed to Palestine, then turn south on Palestine Road and proceed to the entrance sign and turn left into the area. Coming from the south from Chester, head north on Palestine Road to the entrance sign and turn right into the area.

  • J
    Jun. 8, 2021

    Rock Cut State Park - Staghorn Campground

    Very nice campground

    Rock Cut St. Park is in the middle of an urban area, but you would not know it. The park is very large(the largest in northern Illinois) and has multiple campgrounds. I stayed in the Prairie View campground. Trees all around, plenty of shade. There is a central bathhouse with flush toilets and 3 showers. There is also a pit toilets throughout the park. Sites have electrical hookup, but water is from a hydrant or there is a dump station and water supply near the campground entrance. There are bike trails, hiking, and equestrian trails. You can swim in the lake at the east end of the park. Paddle boats, canoes and kayaks for rent as well as two boat ramps on the big lake in the middle of the park. The Plum Grove campground is more open between sites and sites are closer. Staghorn, White Oak, and Prairie View are father apart and have more under growth between sites. Hickory hills campgrounds is all tent sites and most are on the lake. Also there are AOA sites.

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 18, 2022

    Hennepin Canal Lock 21 Campground

    Camp along the Hennepin Canal

    This small campground has separate space for equestrian campers and those without horses. There are picnic tables, vault toilets and water. The campsites are all on grassy areas with trees at the edges. This gives you some shade depending on the time of day. The grassy sites were a bit unexpected. We saw tire marks showing that people drove into the grass to set up camp. Some of the sites were completely separate from anyone else by the camp road. You were entirely visible to anyone else in the park but it was empty during our stay. 

    The Hennepin Canal Trail goes right through camp. On a previous visit I rode my bike along the crushed gravel trail. With a few connecting roads, I traveled from a Chicago suburb to the Mississippi River. While I didn’t see any horses then we did see a couple riding on the trail today. 

    This is a good spot for an overnight rest but there isn’t much more to the amenities than the campsites.

  • 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.

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 20, 2021

    Weinberg-King State Fish and Wildlife Area

    Great for equestrian and hiking but not much shade in the other loop

    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.


Guide to Illinois

Horse camping in Illinois offers a unique opportunity to explore the state's beautiful landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With various campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the trails.

Equestrian campgrounds include these options

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

  • Sangchris Lake State Park Campground provides well-maintained facilities for equestrian campers, including water access.
  • The South Sandusky Campground offers spacious sites with electric hookups, making it convenient for horse camping.
  • Gun Creek features amenities that cater to horse campers, ensuring a comfortable stay while enjoying the great outdoors.