Top Horse Camping near Shelbyville, IN

Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Shelbyville. If you're an equestrian lover who prefers nature-based adventure, yet still wants comfort, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. These scenic and easy-to-reach Indiana campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Shelbyville, IN (12)

Showing results 1-10 of 12 campgrounds

Recent Equestrian Reviews In Shelbyville

123 Reviews of 12 Shelbyville Campgrounds


  • Camper-submitted photo from Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
    July 12, 2024

    Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Spacious Camping

    We really liked the set up of this campsite. The fire rings were spread apart amidst a green hill. There was some shade available around the edges. Plenty of room to spread out from your neighbors; it wasn’t too busy when we were there (a Thursday). Camp accesses two trailheads directly. There were two bathrooms, a place for garbage, and potable water. Screech owls and active birds made it an exciting evening.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    July 3, 2024

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Secluded in the woods

    Beautiful secluded site that is pretty far off of the road, but not too far. There was no traffic or other people in site. I have a promaster conversion and had no trouble making it to this site, however the road was gravel and steep at times. I have lived in Indiana for ever and have made many trips this way, but I never knew sites like this existed.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Yellowwood State Forest
    June 27, 2024

    Yellowwood State Forest

    Just did a drive thru

     This is a State Forest campground near Nashville, Indiana. Primitive camping. Pit toilets only. This is by Yellowwood Lake, so boating & fishing opportunities. 

    All these sites are first come, first serve. No reservations. 

    There's a Forest Office with area information & a small display. 

    There's several trails of varying length. 

    Believe it or not- gold panning is a thing here! You need a permit.

    They rent boats at the Forest Office. Electric motor only.

     There's several camping loops. There's a horse camp also. 

    The boat ramp is near the horse camp loop.

     We didn't go down the Red Pine Loop, but did check out White Oak/Redbud& Black Gum.

     Hickory loop is right off the road & the sites are visible from the road. They looked nicely spaced.

    White oak loop had several nice sites. Redbud is close to a building they call a camp store. It may have been many years ago, but not open now.

     Several picnic spots by the lake. The best site in Redbud would be 39. Large site with some shade. I would also say 38, but site 37 is directly behind it. This is the camp host spot, so occupied. These sites are near the pit toilets.

    The best spot in Black Gum would be site 75. Large site at the end of the loop & right by the lake.

     If you go back to Hwy 46 where the road split on your way in, follow the sign to the dam. Just a large earthen dam, but there's trail heads here. There's the Scarce O' Fat Trail which has been mentioned on the Facebook Indiana Hiking page.

    $13 per night regular camping.$16 per night for horseman's.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    June 6, 2024

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Real dispersed camping

    For those of you who don't understand disperse camping this is the perfect site for a tent to camp without anything but what you bring in and take out understand what dispersed camping is and then there won't be any complaints about can't get a camper in or whatever I always see the complaints this is dispersed camping at its best

  • Camper-submitted photo from Yellowwood State Forest
    April 29, 2024

    Yellowwood State Forest

    Great Camping & Fishing Combo

    Lots of primitive campsites here. Many have short trails from them to the lake edge, making for some great night fishing with a cozy fire to return to.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    December 7, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Great!

    Solo camped here with my dogs. First time I’ve ever been camping but this spot was really cool. Clean. Secluded and peaceful, though every night at around 5pm I would hear rustling in the leaves, I assumed it was a pack of cayotes and they would leave once I started banging on stuff and primally yelling. Very spooky! Awesome spot, though albeit I don’t have anything to compare it to. But I’m glad I found it!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    November 5, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    This is dispersed at its best!

    Free camp ground. Very private. Decent sized space to park for 2-3 vehicles. Trails, plenty of dry wood, away from the roads, no running water or electricity, decent amount of spaces we came in at night and counted about 9 very far spread out camp sights. Good ground to pitch a tent to. There was other camp grounds bigger than the one we stayed at and had several people at them with a big bonfire going but what’s great is when we found our spot we couldn’t see their fire or even hear them! One thing to note is that some of the camp sites are tucked back into the trees a little and can be hard to spot. At night we thought one was open but there was actually someone there and just couldn’t see them from the road so we had to back out and go to the next site (sorry whoever that was lol). It is also a ways off the beaten path for through car camping but honestly if we were ever coming back through this way I would make the hour detour to stop here again!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Versailles State Park Campground
    October 15, 2023

    Versailles State Park Campground

    Nice clean campground

    We enjoyed the stay at site 77. The description of the site did say it had a slight slope so were aware. We tent camped which means our tent was on a slope. Next time we’ll pick a more level site. Bathrooms were clean, just your run of the mill park bathroom with some spider webs. We hiked a pretty easy trail and loved the walk. We saw several sites that we’d love to try when we return. So we’d definitely go back.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Johnson County Park
    August 17, 2023

    Johnson County Park

    NO TENT Sites According To The Rules

    The Rules sheet that is included in some of the pictures indicates that no tent camping is allowed.  Someone should update the icons on the page for this site.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    July 2, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    Peaceful and Secluded

    If you are looking for solitude and peace in the forest, you will find it here! I went to the 2nd or 3rd site past the coordinates provided. It was very clean, flat, and had a nice fire pit. The sites are far enough apart that I truly felt like I had the woods all to myself! It stormed all night...that was a little scary, but the misty trees in the morning were magnificent!

  • Camper-submitted photo from Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping
    June 17, 2023

    Berry Ridge Road - Dispersed Camping

    It's pretty nice

    There are a couple walking trails around, as well each site is fairly far apart. It's really quite only seen a handful of cars drive by and I've stayed here for 2 nights, would highly recommend.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Versailles State Park Campground
    May 29, 2023

    Versailles State Park Campground

    Site 196

    Whole site is on a slope except for a small area near the woods. 35' pull behind felt really to big for this one. Would avoid if rain expected. Secluded site with woods nearly completely surrounding.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Whitewater Memorial State Park Campground
    March 4, 2023

    Whitewater Memorial State Park Campground

    Great for Tent Camping

    Short hike to the lake. Great beach area and shower facilities. Pet friendly, horse trails, camp store. Liberty is a short drive and has all essentials plus J’s Dairy Inn 🤤

  • Camper-submitted photo from Yellowwood State Forest
    September 18, 2022

    Yellowwood State Forest

    nashville indiana

    this is a nice campground in a very touristy area. we arrived on a thursday and stayed through sunday. it got more and more crowded friday & saturday but quiet hours were observed and it was a relaxing stay at the end of a long trip. it says big rig friendly, i disagree, we have a 20’ trailer and it was tight. the lake is beautiful, no swimming kinda sucked. hiking was great.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
    August 26, 2022

    Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Open field, clean vault toilets, not much shade

    If you’re a solar person, this is your spot! It’s a giant open field with vault toilets. It says horse camp, but anyone can stay here. If you’re looking for shade or here in the summer months, you may try elsewhere as there is not much shade to be had.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
    August 7, 2022

    Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Free w Easy parking but no water

    Quiet with sparse campers. People who were there were nice and we felt safe. Free. Easy to find but slow going w rig on winding narrow roads. No water hook ups had to drive to Hardin 3 miles over and pay $5 for their shower and water for our horses

  • Camper-submitted photo from Whitewater Memorial State Park Campground
    July 9, 2022

    Whitewater Memorial State Park Campground

    Holiday weekend

    This campground is in a state park just north of Brookville lake. In fact you can access Brookville lake from the park. The campground is clean. Standard sized campsites. I believe most of the campsites are electric of which there are 330 individual sites. The restrooms and showers were clean. However, I believe there were only two bathroom/shower houses on the property. Not a whole Lotta area for Bank fishing so if you went fishing it was usually crowded. You could rent canoes or boats at $10 per hour. I spent a lot of my time on the hiking trails of which there are several. They are well marked and well traveled.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Westwood Park
    June 18, 2022

    Westwood Park

    Beautiful park

    Westwood is a beautiful well manicured park. The restrooms are very clean. The campsites are, I would say, normal size maybe a little cramped. Enough to park two cars in each site. It’s a small campground with around 33-38 camp sites and it’s first come first serve. No reservations. The lake is nice. Lots of small bass. If you have a boat, trolling motors only. Bank fishing is limited from what I walked but plenty of places you can fish. There is a 10 mile hiking / biking trail all the way around the lake. There are horse riding trails too. I will visit again.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
    June 4, 2022

    Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Good plan B campsite

    Our original campsite wasn’t what we thought it would be so we found this place and it’s a very good and safe secondary campground. It’s very open, can park anywhere and pitch tents or RV’s wherever you’d like. 2 trail heads, one on each end that connect to all other trails of 15+ miles if wanted.

    Very quiet, open, and spaced out and it has restrooms. I would recommend bringing a fire pit though otherwise you have to use designated fire areas.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Yellowwood State Forest
    May 24, 2022

    Yellowwood State Forest

    Peaceful and Secluded

    I’m writhing this review on a Tuesday and the Maintenence Crews are in full swing. The campground is sparsely populated as expected for a weekday. The spots are nice and grassy, secluded, and some that may be used for multiple or large family camp outs. They have john boats and kayaks for rent on the weekends along with a camp store. The Forest office and camp store are both closed during the week. 2bars of 5G for AT&T users. Nice picnic 6’ table and fire ring at every site.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
    May 23, 2022

    Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    Perfect

    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.

  • Camper-submitted photo from Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest
    May 11, 2022

    Blackwell Campground — Hoosier National Forest

    VERY QUIET

    Beautiful surroundings, and lots of trails to hike.

    Came in late on a Saturday and found a nice level spot to park for the night.

    We have an RTT on top of our truck so being level is what we look for.

    Very quiet and peaceful.  

    Would recommend. You do not have to have horses to stay here.



Guide to Shelbyville

Camping near Shelbyville, Indiana, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. From serene lakeside spots to bustling campgrounds, there's something for everyone.

What to do

  • Hiking: Explore the trails at Clifty Falls State Park Campground. One visitor mentioned, "The trails were really great! It was hot, but the wooded hiking trails helped keep us comfortable."
  • Fishing and Boating: At Paynetown Campground, you can enjoy fishing and kayaking. A camper shared, "Starve Hollow Lake SRA has full hookups at half the campground and electric water access on the other half."
  • Wildlife Watching: The Hueston Woods State Park Campground is known for its lush greenery and wildlife. One reviewer noted, "This place is off the beaten path...so serene and beautiful."

What campers like

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the restrooms and showers. A visitor at Hardin Ridge remarked, "Restrooms are clean. Well maintained facility."
  • Spacious Sites: Many campgrounds offer well-spaced sites. A camper at Buffalo Ridge Campground said, "The woods surrounding the Buffalo Ridge campground is very peaceful."
  • Friendly Staff: Campers often mention the helpfulness of the staff. One visitor at Starve Hollow State Rec Area stated, "Very friendly staff. Clean facilities."

What you should know

  • Noise Levels: Some campgrounds can get noisy, especially on weekends. A reviewer at Paynetown Campground noted, "This is known in Indiana as a party park. It's VERY noisy & busy on a summer weekend."
  • Site Conditions: Not all sites are level. A camper at Clifty Falls State Park Campground mentioned, "Limited level campground with full and electric hookups."
  • Reservations Recommended: Many popular sites fill up quickly, especially during peak seasons. A visitor at Hueston Woods State Park Campground advised, "Book early for weekends which are almost non-existent during the summer."

Tips for camping with families

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for campgrounds with amenities for kids. One parent at Taylor Ridge Campground said, "We had a blast. Rode horses, hiked, geocached, lots to do."
  • Plan Activities: Bring along games and outdoor activities to keep kids entertained. A camper at Summit Lake State Park Campground mentioned, "There is also a beach area for swimming."
  • Pack Snacks: Keep snacks handy for hikes and outdoor activities. A visitor at White River Campground noted, "Setup was quick and easy on the large, level concrete pad."

Tips from RVers

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A camper at Buffalo Ridge Campground advised, "Be sure to check pad size. Several sites have 20' or so."
  • Look for Full Hookups: Choose campgrounds with full hookups for convenience. A visitor at Starve Hollow State Rec Area said, "Electric sites near the lake with several waterfront sites."
  • Arrive Early: Get to the campground early to secure a good spot. A reviewer at Paynetown Campground mentioned, "We had site 137 which was a good site due to the fact we had no one on the left."

Camping near Shelbyville, Indiana, has its perks and quirks. With a little planning, you can enjoy a great outdoor experience!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Shelbyville, IN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Shelbyville, IN is Johnson County Park with a 3.4-star rating from 8 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Shelbyville, IN?

    TheDyrt.com has all 12 equestrian camping locations near Shelbyville, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.