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Best Equestrian Camping near Gary, IN

19 Reviews

Kankakee River State Park Equestrian Campground offers designated areas for equestrians located near Bourbonnais, Illinois, approximately 60 miles from Gary, Indiana. The campground provides water access, toilet facilities, and showers for riders. Trail access connects directly to the park's extensive trail system suitable for horseback riding, with multiple routes following the Kankakee River. The campground maintains standard amenities including drinking water, sanitary dump stations, and trash collection services. Shower facilities remain accessible throughout the camping season, while the sites spread out to provide adequate space for vehicles and horse trailers.

Trails within Kankakee River State Park follow the river corridor and connect to wider recreational areas. The park encompasses both wooded areas and riverfront terrain suitable for various riding experiences. Campsites in the Potowatomi section offer more amenities including electric hookups and picnic tables, though this area does not specifically cater to horses. The spacious site layout provides privacy with vegetation between camping spots. Campground hosts typically assist with check-in procedures and provide information about trail conditions. Reservations are recommended during peak seasons as availability becomes limited, especially on weekends. The park enforces standard quiet hours after 10 pm, though enforcement varies depending on occupancy levels.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Gary, Indiana (3)

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Gary, IN

19 Reviews of 3 Gary Campgrounds

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 26, 2023

    Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

    Simple state park along the river

    Potowatami 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.

  • Emma H.
    Sep. 24, 2025

    Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

    Great for our 2 person campout!

    My fiancé and I stayed in the Hickory Loop spot 3. We are very new campers, so we just have a very basic tent setup. When we checked in with the host, there were bundles of firewood for $8 (either cash or cash app). The spots are not huge, and not super private (you have next door and across the street neighbors), but we didn’t mind that! There were two outlets available, and a small rectangular fire pit with a grate on top. There are a few water pumps and vault toilets within walking distance, but we were pretty close to the shower house, which had stalls for toilets and showers. The showers were pretty great for a camp ground!

    It rained a ton during our trip so we didn’t explore much, but would definitely recommend for a simple camping trip where you want flushable toilets, showers, and some electricity.

  • Yang L.
    Jul. 19, 2022

    Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

    Privacy, Vegetation and Bike Trail

    Spacious 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.

  • Jacqueline F.
    Jul. 20, 2021

    Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

    Lush area with lots of privacy

    I 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!

  • phillip L.
    Jul. 27, 2016

    Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

    Great

    The campsites are very spread out and you will have a very private quiet campsite. This site is near a small cemetery that has tombstones that are hundreds of years old. I got to stay at site 14 at Davis creek. Potowatomi Campground and Chippewa Campground are not opened for the entire 2016. The sites are really limited around here so I recommend reserving weeks earlier or just come early. The site costed me about 8 dollars to reserve which was really cheap. The restrooms were really dirty and had a lot of insects flying around. There is no running water at the site so bring plenty. We did not have to collect firewood because there is a man walking around with a wheel barrow selling it which was really convenient. There is a short hike that crosses a bridge and it goes along the river

  • Shannon H.
    May. 19, 2021

    Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

    Great to be back! Land is beautiful

    We had four sites on Osage loop for tent camping.  Two were very small (14&15), and little grass for tent setup, fine for RV or trailer campers.  They were private with brush between sites.  16&17 were amazing for tents!!  Open, tall trees for our tight rope and hammocks and shade. Grass for tents  16&17 Osage loop also open to 9&10 on Hickory loop.  With a lot of space between so no site setup is on top of each other.  Wish we knew more about individual site layout.  Grills were new.  Bathrooms inclu vault were cleanest I’ve seen.  Bike path/hike path is long and wide and very nice.  We had kids under age 8.  River is fast, tried to fish.  Stars were out.  Had rain Saturday but we all just hang out and manage just fine.  Overall, where the loops get close on the map, the sites back up with good space without ground brush - if you’re trying to string together a few sites for a group where you can pass through - also fine for strangers.  Biggest spaces.  Can add that 13, 6, 5, ,4  Osage are good RV but not good tent.

  • debe K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 16, 2021

    Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park

    Nice campground/IL state park

    Nice 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!!

  • Iryna R.
    Oct. 6, 2024

    Leisure Lake Resort

    Ugh..

    We’ve been staying at this resort for several months now, and wanted to share some feedback based on our experience.

    The pool only opened mid-summer.

    Water quality has been very bad. On one occasion, our pet had stomach issues after drinking tap water, which was concerning. The water is so unclean that our shower develops yellow stains within a day, and we’ve had to install a five-stage filtration system just to make it usable.

    We’ve also noticed that rules aren’t enforced consistently, and it sometimes feels like certain guests are treated unfairly. For example, while we were told that personal kiddie pools aren’t allowed, we’ve counted at least six others set up around the park.

    Package delivery is only permitted under special circumstances, and only if pre-approved by staff.

    Had an incident where a staff member criticized my swimsuit at the pool, despite it being modest and similar to what others were wearing. I wore this swimsuit to many pools for many years. Additionally, the beach area is often closed even during posted open hours, and pool hours or updates aren’t clearly communicated—you have to inquire to get any information.

    The storm shelter is typically locked, making it inaccessible in emergencies, which is a major concern.

    We’ve also had to fix the swing set at the playground ourselves multiple times, as it’s been broken for a while. Many of the park’s facilities and amenities are showing their age and could benefit from updates and maintenance.

    That said, there are aspects we’ve truly enjoyed, and they’re the main reasons we’ve continued our stay: the spacious layout of the RV park, a nice lake, beach, pool, gym, and a dog park.

Guide to Gary

Horse camping in Indiana offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors 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 essential amenities

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

Most campgrounds have horse-focused activities

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Gary, IN?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Gary, IN is Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 16 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Gary, IN?

TheDyrt.com has all 3 equestrian camping locations near Gary, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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