We’ve been in some campgrounds that were named “Lake this” or “Lake that” but the lake was only nearby and not really part of the property. It’s certainly not that way at Horseshoe Lakes. There are several small lakes and ponds on the property and, therefore, lots of opportunities to camp near the water. Fishing is clearly the big draw here.

The campground has many seasonal residents. At another Thousand Trails we noted the “full campground but not many people” phenomenon. However, there are many full time folks in residence here. They have fixed up their sites with everything from decks to flower pots. These folks display a lot of ownership of the campground, even to the extent that when the grass crew doesn’t do a suitable job they bring out their own lawn equipment and do it to suit them. These folks all know each other, so there’s a bit of a clannish feel to it all but if one makes the effort most of them will respond in a a friendly way. (I say “most” because of one minor incident that I won’t detail here.) In spite of there being several seasonals here, there are plenty of nice campsites available, although, as usual, most of the really nice spots are already taken.

The facilities are typical Thousand Trails: an Activity Center plus a building just for adults, a pool (not as big as others we’ve seen), and a mini-golf course. Aside from the fishing, there are lots of nice places to walk or bike. The facilities are somewhat worn and the roads are mainly gravel. The main office is on a loop by itself near the entrance and rather removed from the rest of the facility.

There are few activities during the week, but a variety of things happen on the weekend, including breakfast being served one morning and an ice cream social one afternoon. There’s not a lot to see real close, but we spent one great afternoon driving the back roads to the east seeing the covered bridges. We also spent a bit of time in Terre Haute which is about 20 miles to the south. Jackie will do a separate post about those adventures.

We give this campground a thumbs up mainly for the pleasant, peaceful feel of the place.