Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore? Finding a place to stay in Indiana while traveling with your horse is easy. With our help, you'll find the best Indiana equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Guide
We arrived late, and the friendly park security directed us to the campground.
The vault toilets were acceptably clean. Spots were close to the river. The campground has cabins, trails for hiking and horseback riding.
As other reviews have stated….the mosquitoes are prolific and abundant! We left early.
GuideWe visited this park twice (once in Sept 2020 and again in June 2021). Both times we stayed in the cabin campground and both times had very good experiences. Each time we went mid-week so there was hardly anyone else there, and that was great. The cabins are small but perfectly fine for our group with two bunk beds, a small loft, and a small table inside. They have electricity so charging phones and devices is not a problem. Cabins 4 and 5 are up this small driveway and are slightly separated and I would recommend those if you can. We never had to go to "town" so not sure how far it is to any stores.
Each time we rented a canoe and did a paddle/float trip on the river that ended at the canoe rental location. Would not hesitate to stay here again.
Legend
We wanted to explore the “RV Capital of the World” and Notre Dame University while passing through. This park fit the bill. Arrived Thursday with the campground maybe 25% full. By Friday night it was full! Great spacing between sites and offers miles of hiking and biking trails. Verizon signal essentially nonexistent, but air TV reception not bad. Fresh water fill and dump stations were the best we’ve seen anywhere.
TravelerOur first time here with our pop-up. It's a beautiful park. So much nature to explore, so we'll have to come back again. Note that my four star rating is based on five stars being perfection, so I would still definitely recommend it.
Our site was purposely located close to a bathhouse, but was not too close to have any bothersome noises. The bathhouse was a bit dated, but pretty clean. Individual stall showers with inner and outer curtains. Curtains could have been a bit longer, because the inner one allowed lots of spray into the outer "dry" part of the stall.
Great playground on the east side of the first loop. Kids seem to play there for hours and enjoy riding bikes around the loops. Very well manicured grounds, including paths from the sites to the bathhouse.
Nice little store that had a little bit of everything attendants were friendly. Firewood available. Cheaper outside the park, but don't mind supporting the park. Was open till 9PM even on Sunday.
Beach was small, but seems adequate for the number of people there. Could use a little sand cleaning, but not bad. Swimming area roped off to keep boats out. Bathrooms have showers.
Already planning our next visit!
GuideWe love Potato Creek! The paved bike trails are amazing. The sites are large and private. There are great and there is a good selection between shaded and sunny. With a selection of fun things to do (bike and boat rentals, hiking trails, a wonderful nature center, playgrounds) our family never runs out of things to do here.
GuideQuiet and peaceful. Camp host are very nice couple. Everyone was very friendly. Fishing, kayaking on the lake.
ScoutThis is my very first time and camping and I loved it they had very natural and they had very nice night and they had very nice areas for tents
LegendThis is a North Central State Park in Indiana. Not one of the better units, but it has some charms. The mosquitos get bad in the summer, so come prepared. We camped the end of May& they were just getting going. Spring& late fall would be a good time to visit.
None of the campsites have a view of the river. Only 112 campsites in the electric side. There's a primitive tent campground by the river, with a few sites. There's also a horsemans campground, which we didn't look at. This is a well established campground& has nice shade trees in all the sites.
Get water before setting up at the water station after the small gatehouse. There's 2 sides at the dump station. In the campground there's 2 comfort stations. Station A looked like it had been totally rehabbed in the last 5 years. Everything looked nice& the showers could be turned to your preferred temperature. Cleaner than the last state park we were at for sure!
Handicap accessible sites are 109/110/111/112. There are 2 pit toilets in the campground, though I don't know why. The modern bathrooms are right across the road. Stay away from sites 73/75& 105/106. Right by the pits, with a sidewalk between them. The sites are typical state park. No privacy for most. There's gravel for your camper pad. Not dirt.
The best sites are site 1- right on the main drag, but the most private site in the place. If you enjoy watching the rigs come in& leave, this is your site! Vegetation separates you from site 2. Site 58 is the only pull through in the campground. Site 63 is also a pretty good site. All sites are not too far from the bathrooms.
For the playground, sites 2,3,4,6,&7 have direct access to a playground& you can watch your children from your site. All the interior sites by comfort station B have direct access to the playground from your site & you can watch your children from your site. Avoid if you dislike the sound of children playing.
We stayed in site 102, which is right across from bathroom A. All the outer sites are pretty good. Our site ponded water after a rain, but soaked in fast.
There's some trails that can be accessed from the campground- Trails 1,3,4&5.
All in all an average park. Nothing really special except for the river. Fishing was poor according to my husband.
ScoutGood for basic family or friend camping! We have stayed here loads of times over the years and we’ve always had fun. The only downsides are you are very close to the other campsites so it’s pretty noisy and bright!
ScoutWe took the family several times during the summer we had a ball there is so much to do
GuideThis campground was nice enough. Clean bathrooms and convenient access to trails from the campground. However, the mosquitos are absolutely terrible due to the campgrounds proximity to the Tippacanoe River. Yeah, I know there will be bugs when camping but the amount of mosquitos at the park was like nothing I have ever experienced. I would not go back unless it was in the late fall/winter.
GuideAmazing place. So much space. Great bathrooms and amenities. So much nature. Loved our stay here.
ScoutWill definitely camp here again. Perfect spot for spring or fall camping I can definitely see why some of the reviews complained of mosquitoes in the summer. Lots of woods with sitting water behind them. Beautiful and saw some pretty birds!
LegendWe've camped here several times in the last 28 years, but not in a while. We decided it was time to go back! Love Potato Creek!
We stayed in site 96, which isn't the best site if it's hot. Not a lot of shade. It's hard to pick a "best" site. Loop A- sites 25, 39,41& 42. Loop B- sites 94, 98,& 104. Loop C- site 72. Loop D2- site 165. These are all good sites. Check the site description when you make your reservation. It should tell you if it's in full sun. Always be aware of the pit toilets & dumpsters. The sites aren't right on top of each other, but some have more room than others.
Each loop has a comfort station. Bathrooms & showers are surface clean. Typical state park clean. I shared my shower with a spider one night. Lots of webs & hair in the women's side.
There's a single playground that's more central to loops A B & C. There's a water fill up area for use before getting to the campground. The dump station is old, but usable. There's also a horseman's campground, Youth tent group camp& cabins for rent.
GuideI took my son for a quick trip, but the camp grounds were full, so we made a day of hiking, biking and fishing…of course we had a picnic, too. The trail head near the fishing dock was the perfect place to park. It allowed hiking one way and biking the other. The trails were very well maintained, wide and shaded for a hot midsummer day. The picnic areas were clean and spread out all over the park, as well as the restrooms. The fishing dock was crowded, but being a clear summer day, it’s to be expected. We just made our way around the bank and dropped a line. The water was beautiful! Folks were kayaking, canoeing and paddle boating all over. The staff were very pleasant and helpful, too. All in all, a great visit. Will definitely be back to pop a tent now that we know the area!
ScoutThe site #63 was great, however you couldn’t stay outside without being eaten alive ! We went for the trails but the mosquitoes kept us inside. But nearby there’s a small town with a great canoe rental ! We did love that and no mosquitoes on moving water !
TravelerThe park itself is rather large, and the camping area is pretty expansive as well. Bathrooms are cleanish…but they start getting a little wild as the weekend wears on. Perpetual mud and slop from the showers, but functional. The sites are roomy enough but they are a little close together. Some sites are shaded, some are open…hard to tell when booking. Not many trees to set up a hammock on site. General store was well stocked and the staff across the board were very helpful.
ScoutFriendly staff, very beautiful drive underneath the canopy to the campsites, variety of sites to choose from. Our site (64) was both pretty spacious and right on the tree line, had a fire pit, grill and electric. Size of sites seemed to differ as well as sizes of the grills. Some sites were also more secluded than others. Overall was a nice place to visit, just beware of how many mosquitoes there are. Obviously we’re in nature and a wooded area so bugs are normal, however we were shocked to see how many mosquitoes were swarming our vehicle before we even stepped out. Lots and lots of bug spray being reapplied seemed to do the trick for me, but my boyfriend still got bit excessively. Definitely bring an extra can of bug spray if you’re staying here! That was the biggest drawback for us but park rangers also came around several times throughout our stay spraying mosquito repellent out of trucks to keep them at bay so that definitely helped. I also read that Tippecanoe river is known to have local river otters, however after getting there it was clear that this was more rare to sight otters here and that there weren’t very many (easily accessible) places to view the river. There was a boat launch/otter picnic area, but all the other access points to the river seemed to be through hiking trails, same as the fire tower and we just weren’t up for it with all of the mosquitoes unfortunately. That being said, we were visiting in a pretty humid time, the bugs could’ve just been really bad while we were there, hopefully others reading will have better luck! If bugs aren’t a bother for you, this is definitely a good campground to connect with nature, many different trails and lots of birds to watch.
TravelerWell maintained and beautiful state park. Sites were perfect. Good service from the rangers at the gate. Thanks!
TravelerNice big sites. Well wooded and shaded. Park offers hiking, canoeing,kayaking, and a nature center.
GuideWe had a great weekend camping at this State Park. From the front gate person to the camp host, everyone was very friendly and helpful. We were on campsite 13 in the electric campground. The site was clean and well maintained. There was a picnic table, fire pit, and a very level pad. The bathrooms were a short walk from our site and were very clean. The sites are well spaced apart so you don't feel like you are on top of one another. We hiked on Trail 4. It was well maintained and well marked. There is a camp host selling firewood and ice. We had a great fire at night. All in all an excellent campground. We will definitely visit again.
ScoutNice layout and easy access to camp amenities made this weekend trip away from home a relaxing one. Though early in the season, the campground was busy. Beautiful state park scenery.
GuideThe campground is huge, but we have never felt crowded. There is a nice prairie area to walk around in, and an easy to ride pave bike trail. We watched the osprey nest one year for several hours. We have not yet had a kayak out on the lake, but the lake is big. The bathrooms have always been clean, and the campground hosts friendly. The sites vary in size and slope, so research and prepare for anything. But all of the sites are manageable. South Bend is close by if you want to adventure in.
GuideSolid campground with space between the sights. Great for families, has a general store with essentials, and lots of activities. A little pricy.
ScoutCampground has improved over the years. Trees planted are providing better shade lots.
TravelerReally nicely maintained facilities and campsites. Decently busy family campground. Lots of children running around biking skating etc... Very safe feeling! :-)
TravelerIts within an hour to home. Always a good time here. Always clean. Sites are spaced good. Close to out door range and not to far from Fort Knox paintball. This place is my goto for a quick getaway!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is Potato Creek State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 47 reviews.
