Best Equestrian Camping near Mount Vernon, IN

Ranger Review: Primus at Harmonie State Park

I recently visited Harmonie State Park near New Harmony, In. https://indianastateparks.reserveamerica.com/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=IN&parkId=570048 Just a heads up when camping in Indiana there is a fee to visit the State Parks. I always carry cash for that , laundry and in some states bathroom use. So, the number one thing that stuck out to me about this campground was the shade. For the most part it’s level (floodplain...I saw no standing water) And all the sites are nicely shaded (we are talking full growth) and good size. The sites are electric only, no water, no sewer. There are centrally located water hydrants and a dump station on the way out of the campground. The campground wasn’t very full when we visited, but there is a plethora of activities to enjoy. An Olympic size pool which back in the day my kids woulda loved. Hiking paths (very wide), one right by the campground and a connector trail to the mountain bike trail area. There’s also a bike section on the paved roads. You could spend a comfortable week here and not be bored.

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I get to occasionally try out outdoor products while camping and this trip I brought along some Primus “kitchen gear” https://primus.us/ . Primus is known for its camping stoves , the kitchen accessories are pretty sweet too. I have the Trailsporks , a long spoon , a spatula for grilling , campfire plates and a campfire knife. These are very sturdy made accessories and pack in my kit without taking up a lot of space. There are a lot of options on the site to fit your packing needs too, from family fireside to fastpacking . I’m building my fireside kitchen kit .

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.

This is a small state park in an out of the way part of the state. Located in Southwest Indiana, about 40 miles from Evansville. 

This is a typical Indiana State Park. Some sites are pretty close together, some are spacious. There's electricity, but water is shared. Some sites have 50 amp, so when you're looking to reserve, check that out. IMO, the best site is site 39. It's at the end of the row, with somewhat secluded. It's a walk to the bathroom, but worth it. Site 22 is also a good site at the end of a row & has a trail from the site to the small pond. 

Be sure to watch for the grade also. Some of the sites had a noticeable incline. 

Bathrooms are pretty dismal. They smelled bad too. They need to start replacing these old, worn out comfort stations with something from this century! The nature center is in the campground & is pretty small. We enjoyed it though.

The camp store is in the park office& is ridiculous. Bring everything you need, cause you won't find it there!

8 trails the longest is 2.5 miles, the shortest.25 miles. There's also mountain bike trails & a 4 mile horse trail.

High Knob is a Horse campground in Shawnee National Forest near Garden of the Gods off Il1. The entire area has extensive trails through some awesome, hilly, rocky, cliffy areas. There are some excellent things to see. The trail traverses some of the River to River trail that meanders through the area. There used to be an annual ride through “One Horse Gap” I don’t know if it’s still a thing. 

The campground has options in addition to sleeping in your rig, cabins, travel trailers and a “hotel” . There’s also stalls and tie outs in the area you park in. A good staging area for Shawnee NF treks with several trailheads to pick from. Groups can set up in here and either stage or use it as base camp. Quiet , depending on who you are camping with, all amenities available on site too. (showers, laundry, store)

We enjoyed the trails though we went no where near as far as the horse people do. (There is so much to see, we have been going to Shawnee NF for over 20 years but I still find something or somewhere new almost every visit.)

This small, rustic camp is at the edge of Shawnee and only had a few campers staying multiple nights with us. Then the turkey hunting season came upon us and the sites filled.

We had site choices that ended up being along the gravel forest road that goes by camp. This put us away from other dogs but caused other issues. Every vehicle that went by generated dust which then coated everything in our camp. If you come here, we suggest taking the site that is furthest from the road (it's right next to the small forest road that heads off to the hiking trails. They had shade as well as sun and no dust. 

The sites are large but there isn't any foliage between them. Luckily the dogs were in camps further away from our dog so she was able to relax. The water pump got frequent use and the twin vault toilets were plenty for the campground. 

The hiking trails that headed out from the camp were wonderful. We even hiked down the forest road and found a hidden cemetery tucked away. The river to river trail heads out from camp too - we saw a group of backpackers leave their cars and head off for the night. Garden of the Gods area is a short drive away for more hiking options.

Choose your time wisely. Camp filled up with hunters who started generators at 3 in the morning to get ready to head out for turkey. Once we realized what was going on, we put our dog's bright shirt on. Everyone was wonderful and we had some interesting conversations. It was also morel mushroom time so some people were hunting for them.

Harmonie State Park is a nice campground. It has 200 sites, electric only, 5 bath houses and 2 pit toilets. There are also 11 cabins. They have a nature center in the middle of the campground that is open Thursday-Sunday in the summer. There are 3 playgrounds through out the campground. They have various events through the summer season with a big Halloween event in the fall. Most campsites are big and spacious, with several loops that allow campers to face one another. It is located back in the hills, far off the highway. Very little cell phone signal. Very relaxing and enjoyable. Olympic size pool open during summer-has water slide, diving boards, separate baby pool with shade awning, and concessions.

The state park is located on the Wabash River and has a boat ramp. They also have a youth tent area that is primitive, and day use horse trails.

Everything was well kept and clean. Multiple bath/shower houses on each loop. Push button showers. Takes about a minute to get water hot, but good after that. Dated, but clean and functional. The lights stay on 24/7 so bugs are in the shower house.

Multiple walking trails and bike trails. Nice shelter houses and picnic areas. Multiple playgrounds. Nature center in the campground. Many events scheduled for summer. New Harmony (town) is close by and a must stop. Nature walks, lots of unique history you will find nowhere else, quaint shopping, coffee shops, wine bar, dining, etc...

The pool has been filled in at the park. Very disappointing.

I was demolished by mosquitos and was covered in deet. Tried picaridin too. If you get the biters off you, the gnats were all over me too. Not sure if just time of year or maybe always this way (did rain multiple times).

Couldn't use mountain bike trails and most hike trails as it was too wet.

Suggest calling before making reservations because many of electric sites are not level, at all. Ask which would be best.