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Best Equestrian Camping near Mount Vernon, KY

63 Reviews

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park features fully equipped equestrian camping facilities that cater to horse owners. The campground includes a dedicated horse camping area with level pull-through sites and full hookups. Unlike the regular camping areas with their notably sloped terrain, the equestrian sites provide a level surface ideal for larger rigs and horse trailers. The campground connects to an extensive network of riding trails that wind through the forested terrain. Multiple reviews confirm the equestrian sites are significantly more accessible than the standard campground, which often presents leveling challenges for RVs and campers. Water hookups, electric service, and sewer connections are available at the horse camping sites, allowing for extended stays while exploring the park's trail system.

Located within a 15,000-acre recreation area, the bridle trails at Pennyrile Forest offer varied terrain for riders of all experience levels. Trail access begins directly from the equestrian camping area, eliminating the need to trailer horses to trailheads. The park maintains well-marked trails through hardwood forests and along lake shorelines. Horse owners can enjoy day-long rides without covering the same ground twice. The park operates seasonally from April 1 to October 31, with peak horse camping occurring during spring and fall when temperatures are moderate. Sites in the equestrian camping area must be reserved in advance, particularly during weekend periods when the campground frequently reaches capacity. Potable water for horses is accessible at various points throughout the campground.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Mount Vernon, Kentucky (5)

    1. Harmonie State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    New Harmony, IN
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (812) 682-4821

    $20 - $23 / night

    "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."

    2. Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

    19 Reviews
    Dawson Springs, KY
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (270) 797-3421

    $12 - $40 / night

    "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."

    3. Lake Mauzy East

    3 Reviews
    Morganfield, KY
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (270) 389-3580

    "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."

    4. Union County Fair

    1 Review
    Morganfield, KY
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (270) 333-4107

    5. Camp Cadiz Campground

    6 Reviews
    Karbers Ridge, IL
    49 miles
    Website

    "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."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Mount Vernon, KY

63 Reviews of 5 Mount Vernon Campgrounds

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2017

    Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

    Going down

    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. There is also a site for the Pennyrile Trail which is a 75 mile driving loop connecting several Kentucky parks.

    The park is multi-leveled with the views and some cool rock formations. The beach has some confusing parking signs, but we figured it off. It was busy and had some loud visitors with loud vehicles and loud vehicles. Not surprising considering the neighborhood it is located in.

    The campground has some interesting sites all along the roadway. The campground and horse campground are connected. Several of the sites can be challenging due to not being level or being shallow, but they are workable.

    I'm not sure if biking would be great due to the hills but it would be challenging. Hiking and backpacking definitely and of course swimming and horseback riding( on your own horse)

  • Myron C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 15, 2019

    Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

    Campground with a Lot of Activities but Doesn't Feel like a Gated Community

    Pennyrile Forest State Park was a pleasant surprise, especially compared to the many state parks I visited in my earlier years in North Carolina. However, when you reserve your site make sure you ask about the specific site’s terrain. Site 48, where I was, was sloped with no grass and had just been repaired. There were a lot of grassy sites, and they were much better. 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. There is a camp store, although it is small and limited, but they do sell firewood. Not only does this state park have a putt putt course, but it also has an 18-hole golf course complete with pro shop. The thing I enjoyed best about his state park is the waterfront. There is a large sandy beach and a place to rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats. Also at the beach are picnic tables, grills, a playground, and concessions. From the beach area, you can hike the lake trail, but it is moderate. There is a good view of the lake from the trail, and if you walk to the left before crossing the wooden bridge, you can see a very small waterfall. Even though you have to drive a little from the campground to get to it, there is a swimming pool and a lodge. Other activities include tennis courts and basketball. Staying at the campground, other than the sloping site, was a pleasant experience. It was not crowded and the bathrooms have hot showers, but I would suggest paying the extra$15.00 to get one of the equestrian sites.

  • Kacie E.
    Aug. 22, 2018

    Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

    Beautiful and Spacious

    First of all, the drive to Dawson Springs is GORGEOUS. Rolling hills, farmland, trees, really gets you in the mood! Upon arrival, the camp store worker was very friendly, gave us a campground map and hiking map and answered all of our questions. We stayed in the regular campground but they also have a campground for people with horses/horse trailers, as the park has horse trails to go on as well! We didn’t swim in the lake, but it did look beautiful and looked to be a nice place to swim and kayak and paddle boat (which they have for rental as well). The hiking trails are gorgeous and vary in length and intensity. The spot that we were at had plenty of room to spread out and relax. One side had the picnic table and fire pit, and the other side was a grassy area with trees where we hung our hammock. It was stunning! We will definitely be back!

  • J K.
    Nov. 1, 2019

    Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

    tons of water activities

    Great place to visit. Is beautiful with a lot of walking trails 10 things to do. In summer for swimming and rental boats paddle boats and some battery powered boats.I was there for a fall photography contest it was a little too soon and theirwas very little color. You can camp in tents or campers you can ride horses or enjoy the lake and many miles of walking trails. They also have hotel rooms and cabins if you care to spend multiple nights the beautiful Park and I highly recommend it to anybody that enjoys outdoor Beauty.This year 2019 makes the fifth year tha I've gone to Pennyroyal for the fall photography contest I've also been there a few springs for the spring photography contest. These photos are not the best cuz I took them from the restaurant through a window screen so you can kind of see it in the in the images I'll try to upload better ones later.

  • Art S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 17, 2021

    Camp Cadiz Campground

    Dusty, rustic camping at the edge of Shawnee

    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.

  • Randy Jessica M.
    Sep. 5, 2019

    Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

    NEEDS UPGRADED

    we went there for the night as we was driving through. they had a girl in there by herself and it was her first day and she didn't not know how to do stuff in there and all he sites are off and not even. so you have to go and stay where the horses are cause that area is even.

  • O
    Aug. 26, 2018

    Harmonie State Park Campground

    Nice state park

    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.

  • Cynthia K.
    Apr. 27, 2022

    Harmonie State Park Campground

    Out of the way

    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.

  • B
    Jul. 1, 2020

    Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

    Wow

    If you want a campground that has it all, Pennyrile State Park is where you want to be!

    It has a GORGEOUS white sand beach with breathtaking blue water. Crazy to see that in KY!

    Explore their caves, kayaking, canoeing, basketball and so much more! They even offer a wrangler campground if you want to bring the horses.

    A little pricier than others, but worth it.

Guide to Mount Vernon

Horse camping in Kentucky offers a unique experience for equestrians looking to explore the beautiful landscapes while enjoying the company of their horses. With well-equipped campgrounds and a variety of activities, it's a great way to connect with nature.

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

  • The Union County Fair provides horse camping options, ensuring that equestrians have access to essential facilities like water hookups and sanitary dumps.

Tips for equestrian camping near Mount Vernon, Kentucky

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • The scenic trails at Harmonie State Park Campground offer excellent opportunities for horseback riding, allowing campers to explore the natural beauty of the area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Mount Vernon, KY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Mount Vernon, KY is Harmonie State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 34 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Mount Vernon, KY?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Mount Vernon, KY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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