2 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Hayes Canyon Campground offers equestrian facilities in southeastern Illinois near the Kentucky border. The campground provides horse corrals, making it suitable for visitors traveling with horses. Sites accommodate tents, RVs, and cabins with amenities including water and electric hookups, showers, and toilet facilities. The campground maintains picnic tables and fire rings at each site, and firewood is available for purchase on-site. Trail riders noted the campground serves as a good base for exploring the surrounding trails. The grounds remain open year-round and received positive reviews from equestrian campers.
Located near the Shawnee National Forest, Hayes Canyon connects riders to several trail systems throughout the region. The campground's proximity to natural areas provides horse owners with multiple riding options and trail experiences. Trail access directly from the campground eliminates the need for additional transportation once settled. Facilities include designated areas for horse trailers with adequate space for turning and parking. Water sources for horses are available throughout the property. While High Knob Campgrounds also appears in the region's listings, reviews indicate it caters exclusively to equestrians with no tent camping permitted. When planning equestrian camping trips in this area, reservation requirements should be confirmed in advance as availability may be limited during peak riding seasons.
"The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay."
"Lake mauzy is very quiet. No hookups but if you want to boondocks this is a great place."
"It is located back in the hills, far off the highway. Very little cell phone signal. Very relaxing and enjoyable."
"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."
Available this weekend
from $20 - $40 / night
"On a gravel road, in the back country like most everything else on this side of Illinois , fill your gas tank up and your food locker or you will be driving back out a ways to refill. "
"It's super quiet despite the gravel road nearby. The vault restroom is kept very clean. It has easy access to the River to River trail, and I love the CCC stonework."
"deffinitly caters to equestrians, my only complaint is the shower houses. The potty area is clean but showers are usually kinda gross."
"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."
"Pennyrile Forest State Park off Ky69 outside Dawson Springs, Ky. A newer trail Pennyrile Nature Trail is 13.5 mile long hiking trail, from Dawson Springs to the park."
"When I talked to the campground host, he was very pleasant and explained that you do not have to have a horse to camp in the equestrian sites. Those sites are level pull-through sites."
Available this weekend
from $20 - $45 / night
"Was looking for a quiet area, and not some drive-through campsite, this fit the bill."
"Lots of places to walk. Great views of the small lake."
"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. "
"There are horses on the property, and it’s very cheap for tent camping. The staff was amazing. She showed us around with her 4x4 the whole property, the horses, and the pony or a donkey."
from $30 / night
"A luxurious crowded but nice campsites older stalls cabins available great trails and maps available store and cowboy church. Permanent sites available"
from $15 - $32 / night
GuideQuiet clean campground, 8 sites, one water spigot, pit toilets, hiking and biking, 9 miles to Garden of the Gods. Campground is right next to road. Local traffic is minimal, most sites will accommodate 30ft trailer or motor home.
GuideNice quiet wooded campground. We were only here 1 night, but it was very enjoyable. Very large campground with shaded & sunny spots, mostly level, showers & bathrooms were clean, but no locks on the doors in women's & no doors in the men's, only curtains. Double lane dump station well laid out & good water pressure. We were here 2nd week in September on a Friday so it was not crowded, but I suspect during the summer it would be. The mosquitoes were bad so be prepared. All in all we would stay again.
ScoutVery family oriented place to camp and adventure with the kiddos
GuideWe were on our hike in Shawnee National Forest, and we found this campground. And it was an amazing experience. It has a beautiful view of the sunset, and there are ponds. There are horses on the property, and it’s very cheap for tent camping. The staff was amazing. She showed us around with her 4x4 the whole property, the horses, and the pony or a donkey. The showers were pretty decent and cleaned
I would recommend this place for everyone
ScoutTook a road trip in are RV over the summer last year and stumbled across this place they had it all water hookup waste hook up and were very reasonable on price definitely recommend
ScoutThe campground is very clean! The campground host is nice. We will be happy to stay here again! They offer full hookups and have several spots.
GuideThis is our Favorite campground in Evansville we have stayed here multiple times when in town to visit our son. Level pull through FHU clean nice afternoon shade. The sites are nearby but feels more roomy than it is. We stay here everytime we can.
TravelerThis is an amazing spot for free camping! The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets—everything you need for a comfortable stay. Despite its remote feel, Walmart is just a 12-minute drive away for any last-minute supplies. We would have loved to stay longer, but incoming storms cut our trip short. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a peaceful and scenic getaway! No electricity or showers!
LegendI stayed here on a whim on my way to a funeral. I just needed a place to rest for the night. This was a peaceful place and clean. Just needs to be updated.
Equestrian camping opportunities near Morganfield, Kentucky provide access to extensive trail systems throughout the Ohio River Valley region. The area maintains multiple horse-friendly campgrounds with specialized amenities within a 60-mile radius. Winter temperatures average 30-45°F with summer highs reaching 85-90°F, making spring and fall the most comfortable seasons for trail riding in the region.
Trail riding at multiple difficulty levels: Lake Mauzy East connects to several riding paths with water views. According to camper Richy R., "This is an amazing spot for camping! The tent pads are right by the water, offering stunning lake views. Each site comes equipped with a fire ring, picnic table, and access to toilets."
Explore historic New Harmony: Harmonie State Park Campground offers proximity to a historic town with unique architecture. As Jamie B. notes, "New Harmony is a great place to vacation with family. The state park is gorgeous. The small town had several antique shops and local owned restaurants."
Fishing opportunities: Multiple water access points provide fishing across the region. Camper Tammy shares about Lake Mauzy East: "Lake mauzy is very quiet. No hookups but if you want to boondocks this is a great place."
Affordable options: Free camping exists at several locations within driving distance. As Adrianne observed at Lake Mauzy East, "Absolutely beautiful! Been traveling 150 days, 23 states plus DC, ...THE most pretty state! We lucked out and got an amazing spot... well they're all great!"
Peaceful settings away from crowds: Camp Cadiz Campground provides a quieter alternative to busier parks. According to Jeremy G., "Motorcycle camping across America and I wanted to see grades of the gods. What I didn't want was to camp on top of someone else... Cadiz was spacious, quiet, and the other campers wanted to camp not party."
Hiking trail access: Multiple sites offer direct trail connections. Chelsea D. notes about Camp Cadiz: "I love this campground. It's super quiet despite the gravel road nearby. The vault restroom is kept very clean. It has easy access to the River to River trail, and I love the CCC stonework."
Equestrian-only restrictions: Some campgrounds limit access to horse owners. At High Knob Campgrounds, Travis R. warns, "They do not accept tents, this is strictly a horse camp, they will rudly tell you so if you call."
Water access varies seasonally: Drought conditions may affect water availability at some sites. Ryan P. shares about Camp Cadiz: "This camp ground is only about 10 min from Garden Of The Gods. It's down a gravel road a bit but nothing too hard to find. The spaces are wide open and big for multiple tents."
Cabin quality differences: Accommodation standards vary widely between facilities. When staying at Bear Branch Campground, Alicia B. found, "Under new ownership buy many cabins from $40 a night on up nice shower houses electric sewer and water at a lot of sites great trails well marked maps available."
Swimming options: Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park offers multiple water recreation areas. John R. notes, "Swimming beach very nice, quiet campground, clean facilities, nice size lake with canoe, paddle board rentals, great kid environment."
Playground accessibility: Several campgrounds maintain playground facilities. Olivia S. shares about Harmonie State Park: "Harmonie State Park is a nice campground. It has 200 sites, electric only, 5 bath houses and 2 pit toilets. There are 3 playgrounds through out the campground."
Weekend activity planning: Special events occur regularly at various parks. Nichole M. recommends, "We stayed the weekend before Halloween. We missed reserving the weekend they have the campground trick or treating, which was the weekend before, but this was just as fun. They had a trunk or treat in the pool parking lot."
Site leveling challenges: Many sites require significant leveling equipment. John R. cautions about Pennyrile Forest: "Sites are very sloped. Worst I've ever seen. Major drawback to this campground. Camp site sizes are small and difficult to navigate."
Water and electric access: Hookup availability varies significantly between sites. At Hayes Canyon Campground, Alicia B. found "A luxurious crowded but nice campsites older stalls cabins available great trails and maps available store and cowboy church. Permanent sites available."
Dump station locations: Not all equestrian campgrounds offer sewer connections. Dana W. notes about Little Lusk Trail Lodge: "Little Lusk is the most Spacious and beautiful equestrian campground in southern IL. Campsites are spacious and can accommodate very large rigs. High lines behind sites. Some sites are full hookup."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Morganfield, KY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Morganfield, KY is Lake Mauzy East with a 4.8-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Morganfield, KY?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Morganfield, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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