Looking for the best horse camping near Mexico? 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 Mexico campsites are perfect for equestrian campers.
The roar of ATVs and off-road motorcycles combines with the peacefulness of rolling hills at Finger Lakes State Park, one of two ATV parks in the state parks system. Built in a former coal mining area, Finger Lakes’ trails and motocross track are popular with users who come for the day, but often fall under the spell of the spacious campground, leafy trees and hilly terrain. The park is also the site of the challenging 2.75-mile Kelley Branch Mountain Bike Trail and a 4.5-mile water trail.
Finger Lakes State Park offers basic and 30-amp and 50-amp electric campsites.
Indian Creek lies on the northern banks of Mark Twain Lake. It is the largest campground on the lake with 215 standard campsites, plus additional non-electric and tent-only sites. The lake is named for the beloved writer and humorist, Mark Twain, who was born just south of the lake in Florida, Missouri.
Boating is convenient with Indian Creek's public boat ramp. Bass fishing and hunting are also popular.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region, in addition to an extensive habitat for wildlife.
While visiting the area, tour the birthplace of the world-famous humorist and writer Mark Twain in the nearby Mark Twain State Park. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is located below the dam.
$30 - $125 / night
Frank Russell Campground, set near the picturesque Mark Twain Lake, has a location near the dam, providing campers with easy access to the lake, river and surrounding attractions. The campground also features an amphitheater with weekly events in the summer. The lake's namesake and legendary author and humorist, Mark Twain, was born in a town beside the lake.
The 32-mile long Joanna Trail is accessible from the campground. Here, horseback riders, mountain bikers and hikers can enjoy the rough and varied terrain that meanders along the northern banks of the lake, across bluffs and over hills. Campfire programs are provided every Saturday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Mark Twain Lake is sourced by the Salt River in northeast Missouri. The Clarence Cannon Dam sits on the eastern edge of the lake, providing flood control and hydroelectricity to the region.
While here, many visitors tour the birthplace of world-famous humorist and author, Mark Twain, in Florida, Missouri. The David C. Berti Shooting Range is below the dam and the M.W. Boudreaux Visitor Center is located on the south end of the Dam.
$30 / night
Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for more information.
Camping is allowed anytime in designated camping areas shown on map. These may or may not have defined campsites. No amenities are provided. Seasonal closures and restrictions may apply. Groups of more than 10 campers require a special use permit. Campers are limited to 14 consecutive days in a 30-day period.
Guide
Heavily forested with a lake. Trails and camping areas in woods are setup for equestrian with good trails for hikers, bikers and horses. Camping at lake is open gravel or grass. Nice fishing lake with docks, boat ramp and vault toilet and the only one provided. Parked lakeside. Quite night with one fishing boat late morning. Get a brochure with park map at entrance as roads pass through park and private property.
Guide
I stayed one night in the RV campsite. There was only one other camper. The grass had been mowed recently so the path around the pond was easily walkable.
Not many of the RV sites had fire rings and, with all of the fresh cut grass, it would have taken a lot of raking to make a spot safe for a fire anyway.
Guide
Basic tent site, potable water was right near our site. Bathrooms were clean. There were some families staying nearby but overall was a quiet stay.
Scout
Nice new concrete sites with fire pit, full hookup. Great trails and fishing lake, with concrete sidewalk and benches around it to make fishing easily accessible.
Scout
so family friendly, very well service, cheap, and most importantly everyone enjoyed time there
GuideGreat spot. Enjoy the sound of owls and silence. Plenty of dead/down trees for firewood. 2 bars w/Verizon.
GuideBeautiful wooded sites, a bit close together and not a ton of privacy but we weren’t bothered by our neighbors at all. The bathrooms are very clean and nice, they have a dish washing sink and good showers. Our site had an electric hook up.
ScoutVery wooded campsites but large and spaced apart nicely. Was very quiet after 10pm. Bathrooms have a shower area and were pretty clean. Raccoons visited nightly so secure your food supply and trash. Boat landing and Beach that is private for campers only. You can't see the Lake from sites and it's a very long walk or drive to the beach. There is an outdoor amphitheater and nice hiking trails. Monroe City about 7 miles away has a Shell station that is 24/7 If you need ice, drinks and minimal groceries. But the town...minus the few bars, shut s down around 9pm. There is a Hardee's there as well. It's a nice drive to get to the campground. Will definitely be back!
LegendI stayed here in June on a Tuesday night. The main pull-in parking area was completely empty. Has a ton of spots, most with their own fire ring. Some have some shade. There were also other more private pull-in spots where I saw only 2 other vehicles. There’s a little pond with wildlife like rabbits and frogs. You get there after about 5 miles on a well maintained, wide gravel road. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay!
TravelerGravel roads to the campsites are well maintained. Campsites are clean and well maintained. Maps are okay, but not the best. You could easily get an RV or camper around the roads. The way I came was a little weird with some awkward turns that might be tricky for a less experienced operator. At&t gets decent service.
GuideI've passed through Missouri numerous times, and their parks are always top notch. Clean and well maintained. As with most "green" places in the spring and summer, the ticks are outrageous. This time was no exception, use spray to keep the buggers off!
This one was easy in/out, plenty of room between campsites. Most sites looked level, but some are a bit wacky. We had a wacky one, and the host was nice, and quick to reposition us to a better spot.
Guide
Campground is on a short gravel road and sites are gravel. Sites are pretty level and WiFi is good. Contactless checkin is a bit confusing from map provided. There are a lot of long term users. Bathhouses are pretty new and adequate but a pretty long walk from the transit sites. I don’t think the baths are cleaned daily.
GuideWe pulled in at the end of a long day, hoping only for a place to sleep, and were happily able to secure a quiet spot for the night. The camp host was helpful and friendly. The bathrooms and showers were clean. We camped in a van. Other campsites contained small RVs and tents. Probably not a good location for larger RVs. This looks to be a good place for families to fish, ride mountain bikes, and enjoy the ATV trails.
ScoutWe are homeless and we got a campsite for two week here and I got a special needs child. And my boy were up at the water and all I did was call then over to me and I get 3 cops at my site. When cross from me the people at that site start there car off and on all night and dog parks from 6 am to 8 am. But I get told if I am loud I get kick out. Thank you for the welcoming feel
GuideI was traveling to California and it was a good spot but only one campground per parking lot. Wasn’t really busy. I camped in the gravel lot by my car under the stars. Nothing special about the place. 2 bar LTE Verizon.
LegendThis was a good stopover site on our journey. The campground reps were kind and great to work with. The registration online was seamless. We submitted an inquiry online, they replied within a day with the invoice to confirm our site and sent us confirmation details via email. Checkin was simple. The lots felt a bit tight but no big deal since it was just a stopover. It appeared there may be permanent residents who stay so if you’re looking for that, it might be an option based on the setups and work trucks parked at a few. Everyone was friendly, quiet and seemed to keep to themselves. Nice pond onsite that you can fish. We didn’t explore the grounds much but apparently we could’ve walked and seen the horses by the resort. The only thing I didn’t love was the gravel road all the way in. Our truck and camper was covered with gravel dust. So if you had anything exposed, it’ll get a bit dusty. But again overall a nice stopover and the employees were great to work with.
RangerGreat place to camp and fish. Quite clean campground
ScoutQuiet peaceful place for our overnight stop, would like to have extended stay to enjoy all the amenities. Friendly staff, very clean facilities, wonderful natural location.
LegendThis is a Good Sam campground.
Good for an overnight stay. Came in late, called number & lady gave us instructions to find site. Beautiful campground.
ScoutThere are homeless people living there in tents and late night parties with fireworks and people being rude. This happened 4 of the 11 nights I have camped there and will not go back after leaving at 4am due to people on drugs freaking out on each other.
GuideThis was a 1 night stay while getting to the east coast. Most impressed by how perfectly level our paved parking pad was. We didn’t have to level the rv or even unhook it from the truck. Very few campers as some sections were closed, peaceful & quiet evening. Shady site with picnic table and fire ring. Restrooms were clean-ish (we are camping, right?), they could use a fresh coat of paint and soap dispensers. Showers were fine. Used their dump station and filled the water tank as we exited the park. Would recommend & would stay there again
TravelerPeaceful campsites. They have added the sites in 300’s and 500’s this year. The 100’s and 200’s have been established for 3 years or so. Staff is excellent and do everything to help make sure you’re stay is enjoyable. Our site is a newer one so it’s got some final touches to be done but when I mentioned it they came right out to help. Super friendly! I will update this as we venture out to see the see entire resort soon.
ScoutEven though it rained like crazy. Me and my husband loved this spot, especially with 3 perfect trees close enough to put our hammocks up! Will definitely be coming back to this spot. Down the road a walk away. There is a trail that leads right to the water where we were able to have a swim and not have to leave the campground.
RangerI think these campgrounds are definitely under rated. This one is well maintained and clean. The sites are all paved and most are well spaced.
My only concern is the photos of the sites are a bit deceiving. I thought my site, #6, was dead level. While it was level side to side, it had about 6" of slope front to back. Not a problem for me but some campers may find it a bit much. At $20/night ($10 for seniors) with electricity it's a bargain.
There is access to the lake from the campground, there is no beach. We spent on night during the week in mid May and there were only 5 campers in the whole park. We had the place to ourselves. We will spend more time our next time through to explore.
ScoutThe distance from the hiway is a big plus! This is a beautiful State Park. Serene, in April. The birds and frogs are amazing!!!! Site is paved, needed just slight levelling. We will return, love it!
GuideWhen I first pulled in I kept going back further only to realize the spots were located right by the road side. I wish there would have been signs pointing them out more. It looks like I wasn’t the only one to continue on as there were tire tracks already and then turn arounds. It’s quiet and peaceful! The service is okay I have ATT and had 1-2 bars most of the time. It rained and got muddy but the road was dry rocks which was a great place for my dogs to walk without getting my car all dirty. All in all it was a good place. I was the only one there.
RangerWe camped during Covid so the swimming beach and playgrounds were closed but everything else was great! Nice big lots, everyone has full shade. Each loop has a big bathroom with massive showers. One of our showers even had a handheld nozzle! And each loop has their own dumpster.
This campground is out in the boonies so you'll want to stock up before you pull in. Here's a rundown:
25 min from Walgreens
45 min from Walmart
40 min from laundromat
2 hours from Target and CVS
The trails are wide and there are multiple water access points to get to the shoreline This is a reserve only now so be sure to pick your spot before you show up. I haven't seen an attendant though I did see a couple kids cleaning the bathrooms. There is a paid wifi option that's$20/week but I just used Sprint roaming as a hotspot for my laptop and it was perfect. So try the free route first. The photos for each spot are accurate on recreation.gov=)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Mexico, MO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Mexico, MO is Finger Lakes State Park Campground with a 3.6-star rating from 22 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Mexico, MO?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Mexico, MO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
