Best Equestrian Camping near Altenburg, MO

Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Altenburg is the way to go. Equestrian camping is the best way to experience nature. Find our top-rated horse campsites from other campers like you. Plan the perfect trip in minutes.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Altenburg, MO (16)

    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground

    1. Giant City State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    165 Photos
    137 Saves
    Makanda, Illinois
    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground

    2. Shawnee Forest Campground

    32 Reviews
    55 Photos
    192 Saves
    Vienna, Illinois

    Located in the Middle of Southern Illinois just Off I-24 it is a great place to stay while you explore all the the Shawnee Forest. From Giant City to Garden of the Gods. The Tunnel Hill bike trail is a half mile away and Cache River is just down the road. We have 60 Full Hook up sites. Large pull through sites up to 120 feet long. We have Shower Houses and Laundry Facilities. Our Campground is Open Year Round.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • RVs

    $40 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Johnson Creek
    Camper-submitted photo from Johnson Creek
    Camper-submitted photo from Johnson Creek

    3. Johnson Creek

    5 Reviews
    3 Photos
    16 Saves
    Ava, Illinois

    Located on a northwest finger of beautiful Kinkaid Lake, Johnson Creek Recreation Area offers a variety of outdoor activities. Here you will find something for everyone in the family, from camping and kayaking to hiking along the lake, biking the scenic roads and horseback riding. Recreation Area Brochure/Map

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    • RVs
    Camper-submitted photo from Randolph County State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Randolph County State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Randolph County State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Randolph County State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Randolph County State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Randolph County State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR
    Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR
    Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR
    Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR
    Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
    Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground

    6. South Sandusky Campground

    18 Reviews
    52 Photos
    101 Saves
    Sesser, Illinois

    Overview

    Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, the perfect place to enjoy a wide variety of activities, events, and nature at its best. Even a short visit to Rend Lake will impress you with the versatility of this magnificent area. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change througout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern illinois.

    Recreation

    Take a leisurely morning stroll, ski or sail lake waters, spend the afternoon viewing inspiring art exhibits and end your day by the warm glow of a campfire under starry night skies. The fields, forests and waters of Rend Lake provide a natural haven for wildlife and an outdoor wonderland for you. Boat, hike, fish, hunt, swim, and explore at your leisure. If you prefer a little less nature, visit one of the resorts around the lake and delight in superb lodging and dining. Just minutes away you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.

    Natural Features

    South Sandusky Campground is situated around Sandusky cove on Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois. With nicely spaced campsites and plenty of activities easily accessible from the campground, South Sandusky is an excellent destination for camping at Rend Lake. Wildlife in the area includes white tailed deer, wild turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year.

    Nearby Attractions

    South Sandusky Beach Rend Lake Visitors Center Rend Lake Project Office

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • RVs

    $18 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Pyramid State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Pyramid State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Pyramid State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Pyramid State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Pyramid State Recreation Area
    Camper-submitted photo from Pyramid State Recreation Area
    • No image available

      8. Devils Backbone Park

      2 Reviews
      12 Saves
      Grand Tower, Illinois
      • Pets
      • Electric Hookups
      • Phone Service
      • RVs
      • Tents
      • Group
      Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
      Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
      Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
      Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
      Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
      Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek

      9. Gun Creek

      20 Reviews
      66 Photos
      90 Saves
      Whittington, Illinois

      Overview

      Congratulations! You've just discovered Rend Lake, the perfect place to enjoy a wide variety of activities, events, and nature at its best. Even a short visit to Rend Lake will impress you with the versatility of this magnificent area. Rend Lake is made up of 20,633 acres of water and 19,523 acres of land. Wildlife in the area includes deer, turkey, fox, raccoon, opossum, waterfowl, and others as seasons change throughout the year. Whether you're looking for high adventure, a peaceful retreat, or something in between, you'll find it here in the heart of Southern Illinois.

      Recreation

      Take a leisurely morning stroll, ski or sail lake waters, spend the afternoon viewing inspiring art exhibits and end your day by the warm glow of a campfire under starry night skies. The fields, forests and waters of Rend Lake provide a natural haven for wildlife and an outdoor wonderland for you. Boat, hike, fish, hunt, swim, and explore at your leisure. If you prefer a little less nature, visit one of the resorts around the lake and delight in superb lodging and dining. Just minutes away you'll find golf, trap and skeet, arts, antiques, museums, wineries, and more.

      Natural Features

      Gun Creek sits along the Eastern banks of Rend Lake in the heart of Southern Illinois.

      Nearby Attractions

      Rend Lake Golf Complex, which includes a 27-hole golf course, restuarant, and lodge.

      • Pets
      • Fires
      • Electric Hookups
      • Phone Service
      • Reservable
      • RVs

      $30 / night

      • No image available
      Showing results 1-10 of 16 campgrounds

      Recent Equestrian Reviews in Altenburg

      144 Reviews of 16 Altenburg Campgrounds


      • J
        Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
        Nov. 8, 2024

        Gun Creek

        Beautiful Sunsets over the Lake

        What a beautiful campground, it’s our second time here. Some spots do have a fairly good slope to them

      • Tabitha R.
        Camper-submitted photo from Johnson Creek
        Oct. 12, 2024

        Johnson Creek

        Nice!

        This campground provides large spots, drinking water, vault toliets, dumpsters, picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and contactless check in. I also appreciate the value of these sites. It really is a reasonable rate for forest camping.

      • EThe Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        Jun. 16, 2024

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Great place to camp!

        We stayed 4 days and had a great time. The camp was clean and well maintained. The staff are very friendly and helpful and was more than happy to offer places to visit in the area, places to eat and provide assistance as needed. The trails are paved so we had a nice area to walk (twice around the lake from our site was 3 miles). :) We plan to visit again!

      • Barb N.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
        Apr. 30, 2024

        Gun Creek

        Blue Jay #49 Water site

        Love this state park! Clean, quiet, water views and lots of bike paths to ride.

      • Tonya B.
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        Mar. 18, 2024

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Great Place!

        Stayed here on the way to and from Florida (home in Minnesota). Very nice campground. Well maintained, big sites for our 40ft fifth wheel, great sunrise/sunset views, and the bathrooms are very clean and well lite. The gentleman/host that greeted us at the office upon arrival was polite and helpful. Will definitely stay again!

      • Logan W.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Giant City State Park Campground
        Feb. 23, 2024

        Giant City State Park Campground

        Great trails and well kept campsites

        We stayed at Giant City in February on a very cold weekend. It was still a fantastic trip! The campsites, fire pits and pit toilets were well maintained. The shorter trails in the park were beautiful even in the winter. The Lodge also had excellent food and a very cozy feel. Definitely visit the Lodge!!

      • Logan W.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Pyramid State Recreation Area
        Feb. 4, 2024

        Pyramid State Recreation Area

        Nice campsites and lots of lakes

        We stayed at the campground on the north end of Pyramid. The campsites were close together but we visited in February so we were the only campers. The fire pits were a little run down but the sites were nice and level with a table. No lantern posts. Pit toilets that were decent. The park office is a pretty long drive from the north end campground. The hiking is limited but the campground was peaceful and close to the lakes. Probably covered in bugs in the summer. Overall pretty nice stay

      • T
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        Oct. 29, 2023

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Suburb Camping

        Came to this campsite with my boyfriend and I as well as our two dogs. We were in spot 51, we have a large 8 person tent and need water & electricity so we rent out RV spots instead of the typical tent spots. When we arrived after our 15 hour drive, someone decided to park in our site. Once they moved we were able to start putting up our tent which was on a hill so we were slanted throughout the night. A family rented out the entire rest of the cul-de-sac, which isn’t the parks fault, but they claimed the pavilion and surrounding area. I would call this more of “suburb camping” because there are hardly any trees for privacy, large open fields of grass, and you are 2 minutes from the highway, food, and gas stations. It is only a single bathroom with toilet, sink, and shower instead of any stalls. They provide WiFi that did not work for us, we had better connection with our cellular data. No garbages anywhere in the campsite, thankfully we had our own garbage bags and tossed it in the dumpster before we left. It was fine to crash for one night, but I wouldn’t want to stay here for an extended period of time.

      • kThe Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        Oct. 23, 2023

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Quiet, Peacefull, Friendly

        This was one of the best I have stayed out. I met some nice people, Manager helped me get my electric set up, (user error), Facilities clean and very nice, roads and park well taken care of..

      • Klayton W.
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        Oct. 7, 2023

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Close to home, will be back

        Easy access, very clean facilities and lots to do and see nearby, friendly service. The constant interstate noise is a bit annoying

      • Cassondra P.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        Jun. 18, 2023

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Very clean and well kept - new campground

        This campground is very clean! Large open sites- shade is minimal for most sites but we had a beautiful large site with some shade (site 51). They have new trees planted.

        There is no pool or activities for kids but we went out and explored the area

        Beautiful walking/bike paths around the property

        Hosts were very kind and helpful, we felt very welcomed!

        There is some freeway noise but didn’t bother us at all

        Laundry and bathroom facilities were very clean - was great to do a laundry mid trip!

      • RThe Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Apple Creek Conservation Area
        Jun. 2, 2023

        Apple Creek Conservation Area

        Level spot to camp

        It's a level spot with gravel, so it's a "clean" place in damp weather. No much right there, but Apple Creek is a very short distance north on the gravel road. The creek is a good place to fish and you can launch a kayak the boat ramp. A picnic table and trash can were also on the site.

      • B
        Camper-submitted photo from Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park Campground
        May. 24, 2023

        Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park Campground

        Good Luck

        The stay was pleasant and the lake was very nice but the reservation system and finding a spot was overly complicated for a first timer. Basically people show up and throw a cooler or tent onto a site to claim it and then leave. They have to pay for the spot by 8pm. And people can stay as long as they want as long as they pay for the next day by then. But if they don’t pay they have to leave by 9am the next morning. So you never know when people are actually leaving or a spot was opening up. Every spot was taken when we go in and we heard from the check in lady that someone was leaving so we went and waited watching them pack up to get their spot. We were there for one night and had 5-6 people come to us asking what time we were leaving the next morning. It was crazy. This was also the week before memorial day weekend so that’s probably why. Primitive camping was closed. We were in a truck with a roofnest.

      • Paul B.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        May. 7, 2023

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Full Hookup Value

        There are numerous state park campgrounds in the area, but we stayed here for the full Hookups and available wifi. Just of I-24, was a plus as well. We did hear traffic noise from the interstate, but it was tolerable. Showers were clean. With a discount from this app, we saved $16 off our stay. Close by are dining options and a dollar general.

      • Barb N.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
        May. 5, 2023

        Gun Creek

        Amazing Lake Views!! Bring a fishing pole.

        Excellent park but many sights aren’t flat. Not all have water, septic. Clean facilities. Self checkin. Golf onsite, clubhouse with food.

      • T
        Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR
        Apr. 18, 2023

        Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR

        Early April Nice Weather

        We spent 5 nights on Site A5 at Crab Orchard Campground. All sites are FC/FS. Full hookups are in Loop B & it was full. Overall the campground was full but not very many people around. Appears many locals take spots on the weekends & then hold onto them during the week. The 2 nearest to us we saw on Sunday (Easter) and the only 1 more time during the 5 days. Someone in one of the sites by the late (A9, A11 or A13 I think) said they saw snakes but we never saw any and our dogs would have noticed.

        Showers and restrooms are nice. Ones in Loop A are no new (Loop Bs are new) but still nice. Lots of hot water.

        Lots of trails (within 10-30 minute drive). Fishing was good (especially catfish and crappie). Went into Carbondale a few times. Also went South to Alto Pass but wineries all closed on Tuesday; locals told us they are open more hours during summer.

      • Barb N.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Gun Creek
        Apr. 5, 2023

        Gun Creek

        Lots of space by a Lake

        RV or tent, book online at Recreation.Gov not all spots are level. Electric on most but not all have water. Campfire area and picnic table provided. Bathhouse is clean and park areas are all clean, dump station on site. We will be back and book closer to the lake in a level site.

      • Matthew H.
        Camper-submitted photo from Randolph County State Recreation Area
        Jan. 2, 2023

        Randolph County State Recreation Area

        Best sites are walk in only

        Best sites are first come first serve other half are reservable. 50amp water fill available with frost free. And dump station at front. $18 a night. Tight spots and harsh back up angles. Only 3 paved spots

      • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
        Dec. 23, 2022

        South Sandusky Campground

        One of Our Favs

        This campground(CG) is super easy to find. We arrived at the CG at about 1:45 PM, which was early as this CGs check-in is 5:00 PM. The gate office was open and after a very quick check-in, we proceed to one of the few FHUs(50/30/20 AMP), back in site 135. This site slopes downhill we so moved our rig onto the pad towards the back as far as possible to level. The water pressure was poor so we filled our fresh water tank and used our internal water pump. We got 2 bars on Verizon and T-Mobile and quite a few OTA channels. Satellite is iffy due to the number of mature trees in all CG areas. We’ve been to this CG many times but normally stay in the non-full hookup sites closer to the lake. There are five CG/loops within South Sandusky plus a walk-in tent area. We have stayed mostly in the first loop, Dogwood, as you enter, but the others are nice as well with some sites having water and electricity. The only FHUs are in Dogwood and most will take larger rigs. All campsites are reservable but reserved campsites are not marked on the post when you arrive(see the sign pic we posted). A comp host comes by after you set up and tag your post. There is a lot to do here. There are miles of paved bicycle trails, a marina, fishing, and a 27-hole golf course a couple of miles away.

      • RThe Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Shawnee Forest Campground
        Nov. 20, 2022

        Shawnee Forest Campground

        Plain and Average

        Easy in/out, reasonable rates, but pretty plain. Used to be a golf course, so few spots have any trees that could provide shade as of 2022. Host was nice, matter of fact and all business.

        Stayed here twice, once on the way out to Yellowstone, and once on the way back. The nearby town is small and kind of dumpy.

        Was fine for a one night stay. Giving it an average, 3 star rating.

      • G
        Camper-submitted photo from South Sandusky Campground
        Oct. 5, 2022

        South Sandusky Campground

        COE does it again

        Another great COE Park and this one offers some full hook up sites. ATT & Verizon both came in good. Water & electric (30 amp) were convient & functioned perfectly. Not all sites are very level. We got a great water view site, but lacked afternoon shade. A large park with well spaced site. Well worth the money, especially with the geezer pass.

      • TJ G.
        Camper-submitted photo from Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR
        Jul. 24, 2022

        Crab Orchard Lake Crab Orchard NWR

        Cheap beautiful campground

        Cheap campground that is clean and quiet. The back in site we had overlooked the lake. For the price, you can’t beat the view. If I return to the area, I would stay here again



      Frequently Asked Questions

      • Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Altenburg, MO?

        According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Altenburg, MO is Giant City State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 24 reviews.

      • What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Altenburg, MO?

        TheDyrt.com has all 16 equestrian camping locations near Altenburg, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.