Best Equestrian Camping near Hoosier National Forest

I had been planning a trip to Youngs Creek for over a month and was happy to finally get there. YC horse camp is well laid out and fairly spacious, apparently only for the random hikers and hunters. I stayed at here for a couple of days, planning on a longer visit, and wasn't dissatisfied. It sports a good-sized pavilion and well-maintained his and hers vault toilets. The camp sites were generous in size with gravel parking, fairly level pads, picnic tables, and a fire ring. The only downside, besides the lack of horses, was an access road to adjacent to the camping area that is well used through the evening.
I'll be making a return in the spring to watch for the return of the equestrians.

Brown County has always been the jewel of Indiana State Parks for Trail Riders. The campground is large, with spaces to accommodate larger rigs. Most of the sites also have electric hook-up, although water spigots are few and far between. Arrangements for the horses are Hit or Miss depending on what site you stay on. Some of the sites are well shaded, but others are out in the open in full sun. The shower house is in good condition, except that it has no ventilation, so the floors remain wet. The campground is notorious for flooding in heavy rains. We have had as much as 4 in of water draining through our campsite. Some of the tie up areas for the horses are muddy holes that never get enough sunlight to dry out completely. Also be aware that the road leading to the Horseman's camp crosses a creek several times, and in rainy weather there may be water over the road. The camping area for regular campers is beautiful and well maintained, but it seems that Park management is not interested in attracting horse campers. Many of the wooden fences in the camp, as well as tie posts and picnic tables are in poor repair.

We arrived near dusk on a Friday. The entrance is clearly marked and road is gravel but well maintained. The site is open space with soft, well maintained grass and no muddy areas. There are no marked sites but there is plenty of room for all types of campers. And there all types of campers there. Of 20 or so campers I saw horse trailers, couple of large RVs, teardrops, tent camping and vehicle camping. There are plenty of fire circles. The vault toilets are super clean and you don’t have to waste time flushing. Bonus - Cell phone reception was good! This is a horse camp where you’re welcome to stay without horses… so for etiquette’s sake please leave the spots with corrals and hitch rails for the horse campers! All in all this was a perfect location, extremely well maintained, not crowded with all types of campers peacefully coexisting.

The park is well kept and organized. There are a ton of sites to visit and see. If you like hiking or mountain biking this is for you! Horse people love it also. The campground is near the trail to the old abandoned bridge which is well worth the hike. The fire tower has a commanding view. If you are not enjoying this park, not much else in Indiana will make you happy. Extra points: experienced cavers will enjoy the number of caves. These are by permit only however and novice non cavers should take a proper class and go with experts. There are multiple show caves in the area you can get a basic tour of also.