Best Equestrian Camping near Stanton, AL

Oak Mountain State Park Campground provides equestrian-focused camping facilities in Pelham, Alabama, approximately 30 miles from Stanton. The campground features full hookup RV sites near the stables with 50-amp service for those traveling with horses. Primitive campsites accommodate tent campers with horses, offering water access and picnic tables at most locations. The park maintains multiple trails suitable for horseback riding throughout its extensive grounds. Minooka Park in Jemison offers another horse-friendly camping option closer to Stanton with RV sites featuring electric hookups and sewer connections. Recently upgraded facilities include new bathhouses with large showers that serve both the general camping areas and those using the extensive trail system with horses.

The trail systems at Oak Mountain State Park connect riders to numerous scenic routes through Alabama woodland terrain. Equestrians appreciate the well-maintained bridle paths that accommodate various skill levels, from beginner trails to more challenging routes. Trailer parking is available near equestrian campsites, allowing convenient access to the trail system. Horse owners should note that Oak Mountain requires horses to remain in designated areas when not on trails. The park's extensive 10,000+ acres provide ample riding opportunities with trails that range from short loops to longer distances. Multiple riders have noted the clean facilities and regular ranger patrols that enhance the camping experience. Both parks maintain year-round access, though trail conditions may vary seasonally, particularly after heavy rainfall.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Stanton, Alabama (4)

    1. Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    97 Reviews
    Hoover, AL
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (205) 620-2520

    "But regular RV campers are allowed at the Equestrian center. We are close to the farm/petting zoo. Also the horses are next to the campground. Very quiet and reasonably priced."

    "It's the largest state park in Alabama."

    2. Chilton County Minooka Park

    4 Reviews
    Calera, AL
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (205) 312-1376

    "Right now there’s about 30-40 spots, spaced out well, and lots of trails! There’s a small lake but it’s only for fishing. Can’t paddle board or canoe here."

    "Lots of trails to hit on the dirt bikes or ATVs. We go for day riding trips once a month or so."

    3. Bama RV Station

    3 Reviews
    Peterson, AL
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (205) 722-7005

    $30 - $35 / night

    4. Backcountry Site — Oak Mountain State Park

    1 Review
    Pelham, AL
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (205) 620-2520

    $6 - $18 / night

    "You’ll never run out of things to do between the endless hiking trails, the museum of wildlife, and the wildlife rescue center. There’s an archery station within the park and a petting farm."

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Stanton, AL

5 Photos of 4 Stanton Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Stanton, AL

104 Reviews of 4 Stanton Campgrounds


  • J
    Aug. 5, 2021

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Stayed at Equestrian Campground

    Very happy at this campground. But there aren't many campers here. I think they are at the main campground. But regular RV campers are allowed at the Equestrian center. We are close to the farm/petting zoo. Also the horses are next to the campground. Very quiet and reasonably priced.

  • C
    Oct. 24, 2020

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Fun for the whole family

    Oak mountain state park has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. There's so much to do; and its always growing. It's the largest state park in Alabama. Theres lakes, waterfalls, nature trails, basket ball court, volley ball, a petting zoo, horses back riding, water sports, dirt bikes trails, BMX course, archery, cabins, primitive camping and rv's , a beach, a wildlife rescue center and so much more. If you're in the area do yourself a favor and check it out.

  • Jeff A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 8, 2021

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Add this place to your list!

    What an amazing campground! Alabama knocked this one out of the park. From the first time you enter the park, which isn’t too far from BHam or the interstate, you’re transported to a different place where things move much more slowly just the way we like it. The campground is a 5 mile ride from the main entrance. A beautiful winding road takes you all the way, deep into the property. If you’re lucky, you will see plenty of wildlife (we saw 7 deer and one rabbit). The campsites are very spacious, we stayed in site A30 which was great! But if you want a view, try A26 which overlooks the lake. There is a general store on property that even has propane. If you’re active, they offer bike and hiking trails, horse riding, kayak and paddle boat rentals, and a couple of beaches. Don’t wait, book your stay here ASAP!

  • M
    May. 17, 2020

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    First time with my family

    I've been wanting to visit Oak mountain and we booked last minute May 1st-3rd. They were booked completely except for an equestrian pull through site. I had already made plans with my family and another (both first timers with our own young families). I asked about pitching tents on the gravel and they said people do it. We had two tents on complete gravel and had enough tarp and mats that it really didn't bother us. The stables were right in front of our eyes, and we could hear the peacock next door, which was lovely actually. Their horses on their farm were roaming around and it was beautiful! Bathrooms were absolutely perfect and cleaned what seemed twice a day from the cleaning logs. They were maybe 300 feet from us and since the RVs all have hook ups we seemed to be the only ones using them, really. Everything else was basically closed down, but when we went to hike the water fall trail, it seemed so crowded that I wasn't surprised when we saw the ranger show up to send people out of the falls, so we didn't waste our time. I'd go back to enjoy the beach and trails, with a bike definitely!

  • R
    Jul. 1, 2019

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Perfectly adequate for ourneeds

    We needed a one night stopover Campground. Aesthetics are important, so we chose Oak Mountain State Park for its mountain beauty. We thought we’d reserve the campsite (B36) based on its being at the end of the area and near the shower/restroom. Major pros to the campground would be an apparent lot of things to do: what looked like a zip line water skiing place, lots of major inflatable stuff in the beach swimming area, equestrian trails and stalls for horses, hiking trails... and our site was near one of the playgrounds in the campground. The staff in the office and host folks were wonderful and friendly. But, our site was an asphalt pad ( perfectly level) with no grass around it. While the campground is surrounded by forest, There were some trees, and some shade, but not enough space around us to sit back ( on our asphalt) to enjoy them. The shower was perfectly hot and adequate water pressure, but there is one shower in each shower house/restroom, and it was right inside the restroom door with a bend in the wall and one plastic shower curtain. My daughter felt exposed, but there weren’t so many people using the showerhouse to be problematic. The two toilet stalls were also enough for the number of people that needed to use them. (There are other similarly sized showerhouse/restrooms not too far away.) This campground met our needs well, but we weren’t overwhelmed and didn’t rush to book a return overnight after our trip. There are many reasons to love this place ( and the tent camp spaces looked fantastic!!!) but for what we needed I’d have to say it was just perfectly adequate.

  • Mary S.
    Nov. 5, 2018

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Close to Birmingham; close quarters

    This state campground in the Birmingham AL metro area is a quick getaway for city and suburban dwellers. We were looking for continued warm fall weather on a slow trip north; this met the warmth and fall criteria in late October. The proximity to the city made it a good choice for exploring Birmingham.

    Campground as Hotel

    We left in the morning and came back in the evening. Using the campground strictly for accommodations worked out well; it wasn't a place where we would have wanted to hang around the campground all day. The large RVs crammed on sites that weren't very large gave us a closed in feeling. We pulled down the shade in our teardrop to avoid the light pollution from the campers who leave ground lights and other decorative lights on all night. (Do they leave their outdoor holiday lights on all night at home?)

    Tent Only Sites

    • The tent only sites are the best feature of this park. You can pitch your tent among the trees away from the RVs packed together in the rest of the park. 

    • There's no power or water at these sites.  

    • These sites are listed as tent only, but the park office attendant told us there were a few where we could fit our vehicle and teardrop. We declined because we thought we'd be too close to the road although we later saw several that would have been fine

    • Site 42B is the BEST SITE IN THE PARK! You walk down to the site from the parking area, and then there's a great view of the water. I took a photo looking back at the site from the beach area.

    Other Sites

    • All sites not designated tent only have electricity and water. There are some sites with sewer hookup as well as 50 amp power. See site map photo.

    • Loop A's sites are more spread out than sites in Loop B.

    • Loop B: B33 was ok. I recommend sticking to the outside of this loop because there are two roads down the center where you'll have sites on both sides, across the road and behind you. Inside the loop seemed crowded because there were large RVs.

    Restrooms

    Several restrooms are spread throughout the park. They each have a couple toilets and a shower along with hot and cold water in the sinks. Restrooms are clean and a checklist indicates they're inspected 2 or 3 times per day. Everything works fine, but they could use an update inside. If the usage at the end of October is any indication of overall usage, this park is heavily used. It's close to Birmingham which has over a million people, one-fourth of Alabama's population. The state of Alabama should step up and do some renovation.

    Site Taxes are HIGH

    Be prepared for a significant jump to the cost when taxes are applied. Our campsite fee was a reasonable $22.65/night which included a 15% senior discount. Regular price is $26.65. Taxes and a $4.50 one-time fee were added for a grand total of $85.62 for 3 nights. If you're counting, that's 20+% in taxes.

    Things To Do In The Park: boating, fishing, swimming, hiking. You can purchase a detailed hiking map for $1. If you aren't from the area and want to take in some Birmingham history, there are options.

    • Red Mountain Park has hiking trails along with old iron ore mines. There's an adventure park with zip lining, climbing, etc.

    • The base of Vulcan, Alabama's entry in the 1904 World's Fair, is the best place to see Birmingham. The museum next to the statue was well done; it provides a history of this steel city.

    • The park across from the 16th Street Baptist Church (site of the bombing on 9/15/1963 that killed 4 young girls) is a window into the sad part of Birmingham's history. There's also a civil rights museum nearby.

    • The craft breweries (Good People and Avondale) were good. And great barbecue at Saw. Pizza was good at Post Office Pies but they need to put more basil on a pizza advertised as a white basil pizza, not 5 little scraps.

  • J
    Jul. 28, 2021

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Equestrian Campground

    We stayed at the equestrian campground at Oak Mountain. It was very nice and quiet. Once you go through the gate take your first left and keep driving. We only stayed 2 nights and didn't get to see everything they have at the park. We want to go back!

  • Ethan K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 1, 2017

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Great camping close to Birmingham

    Oak Mountain is a great camping spot for people that want to have a quick escape from the city of Birmingham. It is located only about 20-40 min outside downtown. Oak Mountain has several of options of things to do away from just camping and hiking (which of course are also great to do here). The roads offer a great opportunity for a nice long bike ride. There is a huge lake which is perfect for swimming and family picnics, especially on a hot and humid Alabama summer day. We had a fantastic time camping at Oak Mountain and will definitely be back!

  • Johnnie  J.
    May. 30, 2019

    Oak Mountain State Park Campground

    Beautiful Park - Plenty to do!

    *It's been a while since my last visit, but since I camp there every year, several times each summer, I figured I'd go ahead and do a quick review anyway.

    Every summer for the past few years I've traveled to Oak mountain, typically going several times each summer (July and August) to run the Southeastern trail series. Although there are numerous back country camp sites, I've always stayed at the campground due to its convenient location, and always stay at the same campsite (B6) each visit. The campground is divided into two sections (A & B) and each campsite has parking right at the site itself.

    Although the first few tent sites on the B-side are located right off the road, they're set back far enough that they feel pretty secluded with plenty of trees to give a slight sense of privacy. These first few sites have no electrical hookup or water, but are located a short walking distance from the front bathhouse (bathroom and shower). The bathhouse directly across from my site is rarely busy, and the single shower is clean with plenty of hot water.

    Each site has a cinderblock retaining wall, a picnic table, and a steel fire ring with a flip-top cooking grate. If you're tent camping, the pad is dirt with a layer of pea-gravel, so a sleeping pad is a must. Firewood is easy to find in the surrounding woods if there hasn't been a lot of people thru the area. Otherwise, wood is available at the store at the entrance to the campground. The campground is easily accessible from the parks back gate entrance, which is only a short driving distance to pretty much anything you could need (restaurants, gas, groceries, etc).  There's even a small beach area at the back of the campground exclusive to campground guests. The staff is always friendly and reserving a campsite online is easy.

    One of the great things about Oak Mountain State Park is that there's plenty to do aside from the camping; hiking, mountain biking, horse stables, a BMX track, an archery range, canoeing, paddle boats/ paddle boarding, several lakeside beaches with playgrounds, a wakeboarding course, a wildlife rehabilitation center, and a treetop nature boardwalk which features several enclosures where you can view birds of prey up close. Also, if you're into trail running or mountain biking, there are several race series held at the park each year.

    All in all, I love this park and already have my reservations made again for this summer!


Guide to Stanton

Oak Mountain State Park spans over 10,000 acres near Stanton, Alabama, providing equestrian enthusiasts with dedicated trail riding opportunities. Equine camping facilities in the region accommodate both recreational riders and those traveling to competitions. Several parks in the area maintain designated horse trails with varying terrain difficulty.

What to do

Mountain biking and trail running: Oak Mountain State Park offers extensive multi-use trails beyond just horseback riding. "This place has everything, mtn bike, gravel bike, trail running, road running, road biking, golf, equestrian, sailing and fishing. It has wifi throughout and almost everywhere in the park has cell reception," notes Soren B. about Oak Mountain State Park Campground.

Fishing from dedicated docks: Minooka Park has recently enhanced its fishing infrastructure. A visitor mentions, "Brand new docks to fish from! They're putting in a sports area but isn't done yet," according to Patty D. at Chilton County Minooka Park.

Visit the wildlife education center: Beyond the trails, Oak Mountain includes wildlife educational opportunities. "You'll never run out of things to do between the endless hiking trails, the museum of wildlife, and the wildlife rescue center. There's an archery station within the park and a petting farm," shares Cat about the Backcountry Site at Oak Mountain State Park.

What campers like

Renovated facilities: Recent updates have dramatically improved camper experiences at Oak Mountain. "They put a massive amount of money into updating this place. This is the #1 best state park campground I have ever been at. Some of the non-5star reviews are people before the updates or people that really should just be at a KOA resort," reports Soren B.

Clean bathhouses: Campers consistently mention the cleanliness of facilities. "So clean. Shower house and bathrooms clean and big. Gorgeous views. Lots of things to do in the park," notes maureen L. about Oak Mountain State Park Campground.

Dirt bike and ATV trails: Motorized recreation options complement equestrian trails at Minooka Park. Chris B. explains, "Minooka is a really fun place. They just added several tv hookups and have an almost new bath house with large showers. The playground is also small but nice. Lots of trails to hit on the dirt bikes or ATVs."

What you should know

Reservation timing: Planning ahead is essential for securing preferred sites. "Senior discount. Reserved 363 days prior to arriving. Very friendly check in staff," mentions Napunani about their Oak Mountain experience.

Campsite locations vary significantly: Not all sites provide the same experience. "Campground was great. Our site on the lake was beautiful and had ducks came right up to our site. Clean and staff were friendly," shares maureen L.

Backcountry options available: For those seeking more seclusion than standard equestrian campgrounds provide, Bama RV Station offers alternatives. "Literally right off the interstate at Tuscaloosa. Much lower noise level than I expected. Definitely a parking lot, without trees. We are in site 9, pretty level gravel site, electric and water hookup only," reports Cat R.

Tips for camping with families

Check out the petting farm: Family-friendly animal encounters enhance the camping experience. "There's an archery station within the park and a petting farm. The campground is easily navigated with multiple bathhouses per campground so you'll always have one nearby," recommends Cat.

Consider primitive camping sections: More flexible options exist for families. Denise K. shares, "We were able to get into the primitive section without any reservations which is always wonderful. Sites are beautiful and the lake near our site was a nice place for a dip."

Explore backcountry sites with older children: For families with hiking capability, backcountry options provide a different experience. "My campground was great for true car campers. The campsite was only a few strides from my car and there was a water spigot 5 steps away," notes Elyssa M. about Oak Mountain State Park Campground.

Tips from RVers

Dump station locations: RVers should note facility limitations. "2 dump stations are available, 2 dog parks. 30 dollars a night. Mostly long term parking. No firepits or picnic tables. Check in by phone, no office," explains Cat R. about Bama RV Station.

Navigation challenges: Some campgrounds have complex layouts. "Poor signage upon entering Park. We stopped at the first building on the right, as it was marked RANGER OFFICE with a large, rig-friendly parking area, but it was not a check-in for campers," warns Napunani about Oak Mountain.

Economy camping options: Budget-conscious travelers have alternatives. Ronnie H. notes, "Economy camping option in the economy storage area. Numbers posted for assistance as well as campground office in with the self storage office."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Stanton, AL?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Stanton, AL is Oak Mountain State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 97 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Stanton, AL?

TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Stanton, AL, with real photos and reviews from campers.