Kankakee River State Park Equestrian Campground offers camping options for horseback riders with designated sites for horses and trailers. The campground provides basic amenities including drinking water, toilet facilities, showers, and waste disposal options. Sites accommodate both horses and camping equipment with adequate space for trailer parking. The campground enforces standard pet policies that extend to horse management requirements. The spacious sites with lush vegetation between them create privacy while still allowing room for horses.
Located along the Kankakee River, the equestrian trails connect to the larger state park trail system with multiple route options for riders. The main campground area provides access to crushed gravel bike paths that horses can use during designated hours. Horse owners should bring their own feed and equipment as no on-site supply vendors exist in the immediate area. The shower facilities remain clean and well-maintained even during busy periods. Sites are well-spaced to accommodate horses without crowding neighboring campers. The park maintains a balanced approach to vegetation management, allowing enough clearance for horse activities while preserving natural screening between sites.
"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."
"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."
$14 - $50 / night
"There was a horse camp available as well as youth tenting and cabins to rent. This is a great State Park with more things to offer in addition to the ones mentioned above."
"Trails and the river close by. Bathrooms are phenomenal!! Enjoy!"
$37 / night
"Quiet, family orientated, fishing lake, miniature golf, activities"
RangerGreat place for a weekend camping trip of kayaking and some hiking.
Pro's
Con's
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.
LegendPotowatami 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.
TravelerThis campground is a great place for families and pets.
We camped in the electric part of the park. During our stay we enjoyed the hiking opportunities for us and our dogs.
There were children involved in bike riding and playing at the playground every day and activities like the park Challenge to explore the park in a guided way, looking for local animals and skeletal remains.
Yu can also fish, canoe, Kayak or tube on the Tippecanoe River.
The Comfort Buildings were well lit and clean. They were also well stocked.
There was a horse camp available as well as youth tenting and cabins to rent.
This is a great State Park with more things to offer in addition to the ones mentioned above. We will definitely be back.Check it out for yourself soon!
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.
TravelerI’ve been to many state parks but this is one of my favorites. Big lots, friendly staff. Trails and the river close by. Bathrooms are phenomenal!! Enjoy!
TravelerMy 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.
GuideGreat campground. Our site had plenty of space for our tent and other gear. Close walking distance to several bathrooms/bath houses. Did not check out any trails or other options there. Did participate in a star gazing event being held that weekend and it is still something my husband and I talk about regularly. I have AT&T service and could not use my phone at all, my husband has Verizon and had no problems with cell service.
ScoutThis small 10 campsite area of The Tippecanoe River State Park only has 1 water spigot & 4 vault toilets (2 men's & 2 women's) for the more adventurous campers. The main reason I like it there is that you're camping directly on the river. On one of the sites you can actually get out of your tent & throw a rock into the river.
Prior to this year (2018) this non-electric smaller area of the park WAS known as "The Canoe Camp", stipulating you must have a canoe or some kind of boat to camp here.
Now, this area is "The River Tent Area". Anyone with a tent can camp here now. I have camped there 3 times this year & had a few things happen. (All in one trip)
In the camping brochure it plainly states "No swimming" in 2 separate paragraghs. I had picked THAT weekend because there was free fishing for Indiana residents & my friend wanted to take her 2 young boys fishing & camping. We caught nothing. Probably due to the people belly flopping in the river a mere 20 ft. away.
Our day FAR from over. Some other campers that night decided to play flashlight games in ALL 10 campsites. It's not too easy getting 2 small boy's to bed while there are scary shadows being cast on all 4 sides of our tent.
The park rangers DO come around & check on things 👍 but I was getting ice in the main campground after the fishing incident & my friend,who had never camped there before, didn't feel it was her place to say anything. The reservations were in my name. Plus we packed & left 1st thing in the morning after the flashlight ordeal. ((back to work) I did call the office & inform that evening at home.
I'm worried that opening that area up to anybody with a tent wasn't a very good idea.
Kankakee River State Park Equestrian Campground provides dedicated facilities for horse enthusiasts approximately 15 miles from Lake Village, Indiana. The campground sits within the larger 4,000-acre state park bordering the Kankakee River with terrain varying from wooded areas to open grassland. Seasonal considerations affect trail conditions, with spring often bringing muddy sections while fall offers firmer footing and colorful woodland scenery.
Trail riding along the river: The equestrian trails connect to a network of paths that follow the Kankakee River with multiple difficulty levels. At Tippecanoe River State Park, campers appreciate the natural setting: "This is the place to go for a quiet simple camping trip. There is no pool or camp store and cell service is limited so it is a great place to get away from it all" according to Dawn K.
Explore limestone formations: Riders can access unique geological features throughout the park system. Kankakee River State Park offers interesting terrain as noted by Andrea F.: "There are some rock cliffs that are suspended over the Kankakee river and also over a creek that feeds it. These are great for climbing and scaling. Additionally, there are Indian caves through the creek where you can still find arrowheads."
Fire tower views: When taking a break from riding, the observation tower at Tippecanoe River State Park provides panoramic views. Nicole B. mentions, "fire tower climb was beautiful. A nice little place to relax."
Well-maintained shower facilities: Despite heavy use, the equestrian campground maintains functional amenities. Emma H. from Potowatomi Campground notes, "The showers were pretty great for a camp ground!" This is particularly important after long days of riding.
Privacy between sites: Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park offers good site spacing. According to Shannon H., "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."
Seasonal riding opportunities: The park system accommodates equestrian activities year-round with varying conditions. Andrea F. notes that Kankakee River State Park is "great during all times of the year," making it suitable for different seasonal riding goals.
Water quality concerns: When planning equestrian camping trips near Lake Village, Indiana, bring additional water for horses. At Leisure Lake Resort, one camper reported, "Water quality has been very bad. On one occasion, our pet had stomach issues after drinking tap water, which was concerning."
Noise regulations vary: Quiet hours may not be consistently enforced. Ray S. from Kankakee River State Park mentions, "The only complaint is the noise level after 10pm. The quite time was not strictly enforced. It could be we are there on a Saturday night."
Seasonal insect activity: Mosquitoes can affect both horses and riders during summer months. At Tippecanoe River State Park, Rob H. simply states it's the "Worst place for mosquitoes," suggesting spring or fall visits might be preferable for equestrian activities.
Playground access from specific sites: When camping with children and horses, certain sites offer better supervision options. At Tippecanoe River State Park Campground, Cynthia K. advises, "For the playground, sites 2,3,4,6,&7 have direct access to a playground& you can watch your children from your site."
Nature center opportunities: Children can participate in educational programs while adults tend to horses. Linda N. recounts at Kankakee River State Park, "We did have a really awesome time at the main office/nature center, where my kiddos got to feed and hold a variety of reptiles!"
River safety considerations: When taking breaks from riding, remember swimming restrictions. Linda N. notes at Kankakee, "The river was nice to visit and we were able to take the kids to some knee deep water to play (swimming is NOT allowed in the river)."
Site selection for trailers: Choose appropriate sites when bringing horse trailers. At Kankakee River State Park Equestrian Campground, sites accommodate both camping equipment and horse trailers, but sizes vary considerably.
Electric hookup locations: For RVers combining equestrian camping with power needs, Phillip L. notes about Davis Creek, "The campsites are very spread out and you will have a very private quiet campsite. The site costed me about 8 dollars to reserve which was really cheap."
Accessibility considerations: Some sites provide better access for larger rigs with horse trailers. Cynthia K. mentions at Tippecanoe River, "Site 58 is the only pull through in the campground," which can be crucial information when maneuvering larger equestrian setups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lake Village, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lake Village, IN is Potowatomi Campground — Kankakee River State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lake Village, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Lake Village, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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