Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Peru? Equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
This recreation area is part of Salamonie Lake
Guide
Small campground. 13$. No reservations, but sites seem readily available, even on weekends in the summer. Spacious sites. Fairly wooded. Firewood only available Mon - Friday 8-3.
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.
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.
GuideThis is only meant as a fair ground and place for events. People that are participating in local events may bring RV here but not for public use.
GuideAs far as Indiana parks goes, this is a hidden gem. We have camped here many times. Even the trails we frequent always seem new because each season offers a different kind of beauty.
Traveler
Nice level lots, beach, playgrounds, 15 miles of hiking/walking. Gorgeous lake sunrise/sunsets. Lots of eagle sightings! Plenty of deer. Leaves are beautiful in fall
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.
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!
Scout
This is one of the best parks we have been to in Indiana. We Volunteer all over our the USA at State Parks and National Forest. So we know what to look for. Friendly people to answer questions plenty to do. And affordable.
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 !
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.
GuideNice lake shower house kinda far away, very clean .
GuideCheap , 13$ self pay . No electric or showers but do have bathroom. Very secluded luv it here
Guide
The beach was clean and fun. Not very busy when we were there, which was nice. We stayed on Campsite 208. Nice size campsite, which good shade. The campsite did have a bigger than expected slope, but nothing horrible. Some campsite s looked amazing and others looked to be in major need of some TLC. Most of the campsites were in need of a fresh layer of gravel for their parking pads. The restrooms were clean, and the hot water was plentiful for my shower. It would have been nice if there were pet station placed around the campground to make it easy for dog walkers to rid themselves of their full poop bags and to provide folks a place to get poop bags if they forgot to bring some. Overall a great weekend.
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.
LegendTypical state run campground. Some sites are very close together, while some offer a little more room. Sites 221- 243, 202-204 offer lake views. I say VIEWS, not access.
Sites 228& 232 have sites with good access to the lake. Scattered throughout the park are sites with 50amp service. Fill up on water at the water filling station before going to your site.
Modern restrooms that look like they've been updated in the last 10 years. The showers were great! No push button for the water. You can adjust the temp as well, which you often don't get. There was soap at the sink. Cleaning was iffy when we were there.
They also have the nicest pit toilets I've ever seen ANYWHERE! They didn't even smell.
Double dump station. Stay away from campsites 101& 102- these are right by the dump station.
One thing we didn't like was the lack of DNR presence. Occasionally, during the day they drove by. They didn't prevent people from parking anywhere they wanted. We had a bad camping neighbor on Sat night who had a party until 4am. No one broke it up.
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.
ScoutPrimitive exactly what a person needs
ScoutHave stayed at this park twice and will go back again! Lots of sites with shade and sun. Well kept-up bath/shower facilities. QUIET!
TravelerGreat sites available
GuideIf you can get a lake view site enjoy. Some spot are far away from the shower houses but you can drive to them. Nice marina with a great store and boat rentals
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!
RangerCame here a lot as a kid. Keep meaning to go back. Lots of pretty trails and canoeing opportunities. Last time I camped was near memorial day, and somehow it felt like the four of us had the whole park to ourselves. I can still smell the pine.
TravelerThe campground facilities are great, the hiking is excellent, and tubing on the river was wonderful. I highly recommend the fire watch tower if you hike through. Only real drawback is the neighbors are very close with few trees between sites
GuideA lot of the campsites were closed due to flooding but we managed to have a site that was untouched. During a walk, we stumbled down to the reservoir. The view was incredible and eye opening to my daughter who has never seen the effects of flooding. The site was awesome and we enjoyed our weekend stay.
Horse camping in Indiana offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a great choice for riders and their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Peru, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Peru, IN is Tippecanoe River State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 29 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Peru, IN?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Peru, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
