Best Equestrian Camping near Dover, DE

We do Lums Pond at least twice a year if we can get reservations.

Sites are big and all were redone in the last few years with concrete pads, 30 amp service and full sewer. There are some equestrian and tent sites as well.

Lots of boating (electric motors only) and kayaking on the pond and a decent amount of hiking. There’s an off leash dog park, equestrian center and boat ramp. Book early because it fills up fast!

Tuckahoe is a hidden gem on Maryland’s mid-Eastern Shore region. With many of your standard amenities and a quiet atmosphere, it was a great spot for my first time camping with my kids.

Our campsite was on the non-electric loop. We had a small creek and trail back up to our campsite. We only had a handful of neighbors and foot traffic at the time was almost nonexistent, so we practically had the park to ourselves.

There is an electric loop with electric hookup, but no water or sewer. Those can be found at the campground entrance. Each loop has a wood shed and clean, well-appointed bathhouse. There are water pumps along the road for refills.

There are 4 basic cabins on each loop and most sites are designed for RV and/or tent use. There are 3 sites that are tent-only on the non-electric loop.

Multiple trails in the area are widespread. Wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring a map! They also have equestrian trails with an equestrian center nearby. The lakefront boasts a picnic area with individual tables and grills, recycled tire playground, and kayak rentals (for a fee). Fishing is allowed, but no swimming (which was a bummer for us, but exploring some of the local creeks helped provide some relief from the summer heat).

Nearby is Atkins Arboretum. Their 5 mile trail system covers around 400 acres. There are woods, “grasslands,” and “wetlands” to explore the various ecosystems of the Eastern Shore. They also had a goat area and garden play area for children. There is a fee through the Visitor’s Center which supports the center, but some of the trails can be accessed via other Tuckahoe trails.

Centrally located, you’re still within easy access to a local town center (Denton), supplies, and dining. I can’t recommend Tuckahoe enough if you just want a quiet spot or you’re new to camping!

We got a site to stay on our way through to OBX. We booked and arrived after hours, which wasn’t an issue as they were like 3% occupied. Sites were pretty level (within 2 inches) and had centrally located bathhouse. We were at the north campground. The winds were nuts and over 50mph. We switched sites to spare our slide side, so caution to look at windy before going. The views of the bridge were amazing. The noise of the coast guard waking up is alarming, but neat. It was trumpets and sounded like a horse race at 7am!

Last family trip of the year and it didn’t disappoint. We stayed in site D25 again just as we did 2 yrs ago. It’s a pull through site as are all sites in loop D. This is pet friendly and has electric and water. Dump station is across from loop D. There are 5 loops with Loop E being tent and cabins/hurts only. That Loop also has island tent sites. We couldn’t walk into that area. Each loop or area has its own bathhouse which appear to all be individual family style bathrooms.

The layout of the sites in loop D is not typical. All sites in this loop are pull through and parallel to the road, so the left drivers side of your camper faces the road and the right side faces your camp area. If you stay in an inside loop site you will be facing the camper on the other side of the loop. For instance D11 and D14 face each other. The distance between sites across the loop isn’t huge or blocked by any foliage but didn’t seem to be an issue for our friends who stayed in D24. If you stay on the outside of the loop you will either face the woods (higher numbered sites) or loop C through the trees ( lower numbered sites). Our site is pretty level as are most sites. This is Delaware which is flat land.

The one issue with most every site are the trees. Most every site has a tree to watch out for. Other loops are all back in sites and many of those have trees to keep an eye on as well. This is a shaded campground. At the end of each loop is a pier on the pond which is large and beautiful. There are playgrounds in each loop and bike rentals at the camp store.

The tent area is walk in but they provide wheelbarrows or carts to haul your stuff. These sites are very private and well spaced off the walk-in path and from each other. The cabins and yurts are also walk-in but again you have the use of carts. Some of the cabins are facing the pond and offer gorgeous views.

There is a primitive group camp area complete with bathhouse, screened in pavilion, open air pavilion, numerous picnic tables, horseshoe and volleyball courts and sits at the point so the views of the pond are plentiful.

There is a disc golf course within walking distance and the weekend we were there a competition was happening. There is a day use area with boat rentals and lots of trails for hikers or horses to use.

The town of Laurel nearby has a few stores. I found This and That Country Store which was so cute. The owner was super nice. The beach areas of Delaware are not too far away if you want a beach day.

This has become one of our favorite campgrounds in DE.

I understand why it is so difficult to get a reservation at Lums Pond.  I don't know if it's the host campers or the management, but they're definitely doing something right.  

I have to say, Jim, the host camper by us was fantastic.  As it was our first trip after a long winter, I managed to forget to put the anode back in our water heater.  I went over and sheepishly asked him if I could borrow a 1 1/2" socket.  He not only lent us a socket, but asked if I needed help, and if I had teflon tape (which I did) and was willing to lend a hand.

The site was fairly level, side-to-side, so I really only needed to level front to back.  That was a bonus.

Our daughter really enjoyed the playground (which was excellent, by my standards). The only complaint I have is that the kiddie swings seem to be modeled after the seasickness machine that they had on Mythbusters (https://archive.org/details/MythBusters..Season.3..480p576P..DVDripHDTV..X265HEVC..O69..FIXED/Mythbusters+-+S03E26+-+Seasickness+-+Kill+or+Cure.mkv).  I could only go on the swing with her for a little bit before I started to turn green.  Other than that?  She fought us about leaving the playground, and really would have been content if that was all we did.

I took her older cousins to  the fishing pier, and we didn't even get a nibble, but I think it was too cold for panfish that close to shore.

The trails were well marked, and the day we took a hike, we ended up on the equestrian trail that runs all the way around the pond.  It was a long, but easy hike.

The bath house was absolutely immaculate, and the design made even my public-bathroom-phobic sister-in-law comfortable and at ease.

All in all, it was a fantastic trip, and I hope to go back soon.

General: 129 sites with water and electricity, eight tent sites, one island site, two yurts, and eight cabins. 

Site Quality: All are level and sand/grass. There are many trees and reasonable separation between sites (although you can easily see your neighbors). A large picnic table and fire ring complete the site. Our site had a water view and was peaceful. 

Bath/Shower house: Bathhouses are located in the A and C loops plus additional ones by the tent camping area. All seemed to be reasonably clean and were cleaned on a rolling basis, starting at 10 am for the A loop. The shower had immediate hot water, but you only get about 30 seconds of water before you have to push the button again. A little clunky but a good way to save water. 

Activities/Amenities: So much to do! Bike rentals are free (donations accepted), there are several hiking/biking/horse trails, disc golf, and canoe/kayak/peddle boat rentals (in season). 45-minute Pontoon boat tours are available on weekends Memorial Day– Labor Day. There are several boat docks if you bring your own boat. There is a small camper store/office that closed shortly after our arrival. There is a single washer/dryer in Loop C. I was mystified that you could only use liquid detergent (I use laundry sheets). Because there is only one for the entire campground, I wouldn’t count on doing laundry. If you have kiddos, try and get a site in Loop A – there is a nice and educational play area (plus a game I’d never heard of– Gaga ball). There is an additional playground in the day-use area, plus a volleyball net. There is also a nature center. Recycling and dumpsters between Loops A and B and another between Loops C and D. 

We camped here several years ago but in the off-season, and wanted to kayak among the bald cypress trees (I highly recommend this). Glad we came back!

This State park campground is very well maintained. The staff is friendly. Quiet, clean area and had no problem navigating in our 40’ 5th wheel. Great place to stay and check out “Lower, slower Delaware.”

This is a beautiful marina. I think it is maintained by Delaware State Parks. There is plenty to do there like fishing charters, crabbing, fishing and bird watching. There is also parking for the public beach. There is a camp ground next to the marina too. A great place to spend the day

Park Name-Delaware Seashore State Park

Date of Stay-June 2018

Site-237

This is one of favorite local parks! The location (in between Dewey/Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach/Ocean City, Maryland) is PERFECT. You have close access to miles and miles of touristy beaches and uninhabited beaches. From the campground you can walk less than a 1/4 of a mile to get to the beach.

Even though this park is run by The State of Delaware or a subsidiary agency the park is well maintained, the sites are level. All of the RV sites are full hook up and level. If you have a larger vehicle make sure you bring your “A” game when it comes to parking and pulling out as the interior roads are a little bit tight.

Even though they don’t have the staffing levels of a KOA…there was always someone “official” around who could answer questions or help out if needed.

If you are able…try to book a site on the newer side (sites 400-480)…the sites are WIDE and DEEP

I am a Delawarean at heart, and number one on my list of favorite Delaware parks is Trap Pond. The tent and RV sites are clean, but not so much that it feels unnatural. The cypress trees are truly a sight to behold, and the pond itself is breathtaking to paddle through. The staff are incredibly kind, lighthearted, and cheery. Make no mistake—you absolutely should come visit this amazing state park!

My family loves this campground. I have been going there as a very young child to now as a grandmother. When we think of Delaware we think of this park. The bath houses are clean and we can walk to the beach. My favorite thing is at night when the rt.1 bridge lights up blue. Love that bridge. You are close to rehobeth broadwalk or ocean city. The fishing is great also. I can't say enough about this park. My favorite by far.

This is an absolutely excellent park at the Delaware Shore. We had beautiful walks down by the Indian River Inlet and through the park itself. Beach Access is so easy, my 80 year old grandmother who came camping with us made it over with no problem.

The sites are a little close together, but it's not noticeable. Everyone was so friendly including the staff that it was a pleasure to visit. When our dog got out of her harness on the beach, everyone jump ed in to help out.

The park is extremely dog friendly, and I highly recommend bringing your furry friends along.

This state park is quite large and offers a wide variety of amenities for both overnight guests and day use visitors. The park is quite large and right along the Delaware Route 1 corridor connecting multiple beaches. There are facilities on both sides of Route 1 and most of the park is well signed. The Indian River Bay is great for crabbing as long as the current is moving!

There are hundreds of campsites here, literally. Most have hookups and there are a view designated tent sites (although tents can camp at most sites). The facilities/amenities are quite nice but the campground is a parking lot. There's a ton of concrete and little to no shade, not pleasant in mid-summer unless you're camping in an RV running the AC.

Keeping with Delaware State Park regulations, day use visitors are required to pack out all trash but their are dumpsters available for overnight guests. Be advised that there is a two night minimum on weekends and some holidays.

While the staff are friendly and the facilities are nice, I probably won't camp here again in the summer.

Ranger Review: Grand Trunk Hangout Hammock Stand

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing Grand Trunk's Hangout Hammock Stand.

https://www.grandtrunk.com/collections/hammocking-accessories/products/hangout-hammock-stand

We decided to purchase this to use camping but also in our own background (we don't have any trees at home). So Delaware Seashore State Park was a great place to give it a whirl given the lack of trees at the campground.

First off, this thing is built VERY WELL! It breaks down into 6 pieces and comes with a beefy carrying case. Although the strap on the case is a bit silly as it's too heavy to actually carry over the shoulder with the strap. It goes together and break downs super easy, it literally takes less than 5 minutes to assemble and disassemble. Once it's put together, use the "trunk straps" (included) slap your hammock to the attachment points and relax!

The stand weighs 32 pounds and is finished with a nice black finish. I was a little skeptical of how sturdy it would be once I was swinging in the hammock, but fear not...the stand doesn't budge! Even though it breaks down, it is still quite large when in pieces and might be challenging to transport if you drive a small vehicle with limited space. But if you're headed to a campground with limited to no trees be sure to bring this along!

This is a state campground on both sides of Indian River inlet. The south side is more set up for tent camping and the north side is newer and more rv oriented. 

The sites are close together and pretty wide open, but this isn't unusual this close to the beach. Literally a couple hundred yards walk to tje beach. Nearly new bath houses, and shore fishing along the inlet. The south side probably has the better beach facility, but your car pass gets you into any Delaware State Park facility free. We went down to Fenwick Island to meet up with friends. An easy 5 min drive. Full hook ups, clean and well maintained, super friendly staff.

There are two areas of camping at the Delaware Seashore State Park. The north and south side which is divided by the Indian River Inlet. The south side has the guarded beach, concessions and a new restaurant called "The Big Chill Beach Club". The north side camping area has a marina, restaurant called "Hammerheads Dockside". The beach is unguarded and also allow your pups with you on the beach. My camping experience is from the North side only, we have never camped on the south side. The sites are level, spacious. 30 and 50 amp. Bathhouses are always clean. camp hosts and staff that we have encountered have always been profession and kind. Highly recommend however, if you plan on a "in season" visit you will need to make reservations far in advance.

Delaware Seashore SP

This was our 2nd trip to this campground. We were with 2 other couples. Two of us stayed north side in RVs and one couple stayed on south side in a tent. This trip had a lot of wind. It was almost hard to sit outside. The weather was sunny but cooler than we’d hoped. Our site faced the inlet and bridge which was beautiful but again with the wind we couldn’t sit outside much. There are no trees, or very few, to block wind or sun. The other couple camped next to us and when we sat outside their RV, our RV blocked some of the wind. These two sites were spacious and gave us a lot of room to spread out and set up corn hole. No campfires are permitted at individual sites. The bathhouse was clean. We walked our dog to the dog beach area on the north side and down to the marina where there is a restaurant. The south side area has access to the beach for swimming and a restaurant with amazing views. Fishing is allowed with a license and you can fish right in the inlet across the campground road from the RV site. You can also fish at the north side dog beach. The campground was at full capacity and getting a reservation on the north side requires a year lead time if you want a site with a view and several months lead time for other sites. There is no last minute reserving at this campground. Locally you can choose between several beaches and small towns with boardwalks, restaurants, and entertainment

My first time visiting TPSP. The site is gorgeous throughout. The camp store is small but has everything that you need. Personnel were warm and friendly, very helpful for a first timer... spent some time chatting with them. I stayed at a tent site. The tent sites are walk in only but parking is not very far. The site provided hand trucks and wheelbarrows for you to car your items into your site. I had brought my own wagon which was helpful in keeping some of my gear off the ground during a rain storm. The site I stayed at was clean, level and well appointed; a t bar for hanging trash or a shower pack. Fire pit with grill. The tent sites are far enough from each other that you are not disturbed by neighbors, lots of trees between sites. There are water pumps every few yards, some are a Bit tricky to get working but I did not have an issue. The campground has trash and recycling bins so you do not have to carry out. I checked out some of the drive in and RV sites. They are large and well maintained, good for camper or tent camping, although fewer trees separate you from adjacent spots, so if you’re interested in more privacy opt for a tent site. The weekend I stayed we had torrential rain for about six hours but my site did not flood. Be sure to bring a large enough footprint to account for rain however, as I needed to really clean my tent and fly when I got home due to splash back of mud and leaves. Thee bathhouse was clean and the playground looked pretty good as well. Hoping that for my return trip the new bathhouse bear the tent sites is completed. If you’re not keen on using port a Johns or hiking to the bathhouse near the camper sites I suggest bringing a travel composting toilet. I hiked the full Bob Trail which is breathtaking. Easy level hike that winds all around the park and connects to the campground. I also rented a kayak for about three hours and was able to travel the full pond and connecting Terrapin Trail and back. The recreation area(where you rent boats and kayaks) has a nice picnic area and playground. I have camped at Henlopen State Park in the past and can say that TPSP is my new favorite in delaware. I enjoyed my time so much that I am already booked to return in late September and again in early November.

The really great aspect of Delaware Seashore State Park is your close proximity to the water. The park is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian River, and Indian River Bay. The park has two separate campgrounds divided by the Indian River Inlet. We stayed at the southern campground but both are similar with regards to the hook-ups, sites, and proximity to the water. Both campgrounds are wide open with no shade. Pads are paved but patios and area between sites is sandy with a little bit of grass. If you don’t like sand, this is not the place for you. 

We were there in April so it wasn’t very crowded and temperatures were cool so we didn’t mind the lack of shade. Some campsites are open year-round and can accommodate various camping units from tents to 45’ RVs offering back-ins and pull thrus. Roads are fairly narrow and paved campsites barely fit big rigs as we had just a few feet to spare but were able to park the car in the sand/grass so it was not a problem. Most campsites have 30- and 50-amp electric, and water and sewer hook-ups. There are also no hook-up and tent sites. There are bathhouses with free showers scattered throughout the park and laundry facilities. Since we were there in the off-season only one bathhouse was open. There are no fire pits at your site but two community fire pits are located on the outskirts of the campground. Our over the air antenna picked up a dozen or so television channels and we had no problem getting cell or internet service with our Verizon phone. 

Full hook-up sites range from $30-$55/night depending on if you are a resident and what day of the week you are there. No hook-up sites are available from $25-$50/night and tent sites range from $20-$35/night. We inquired about a senior discount and received it after a phone call to them. The south campground is about a half mile from the ocean access where there are two full-service restaurants(which were both closed when we were there). The beach is wide and great for walking on and dogs are permitted during certain times of the year. If you like to fish this is a great place for surf fishing in the Atlantic and bank fishing in the Inlet River. If you have personal watercraft, there is access to the marsh and bay directly from the park. 

Near the north campground is a full-service marina with a bait and tackle shop, fish and seafood sales, and a short hiking trail. Just up the road is the Indian River Life Saving Station with a visitor center, museum and gift shop. Continue on up to the road and you will pass through the small town of Dewey Beach. Keep going another mile or so and you enter Rehoboth Beach where you will find everything you need(and don’t need). Rehoboth Beach is a typical beach town with everything from t-shirts to taffy and a mile-long boardwalk. If you are a beer lover there are plenty of breweries to choose from ranging from the smaller craft breweries like the Dewey Beer Company to the larger producer Dogfish Head..

The only thing about this site specifically is the trail was close by so you’d occasionally see people walking by but not enough that it didn’t still feel secluded. Nice hikes in the area, great weekend!

super pretty. shower up in the dark but was super easy to navigate with a map. people super friendly.

Only 8 sites in the campground, very spaced apart. Each site has lots of room, very much enjoyed our stay and will return! No running water- only port a potties but they were clean

This is a good free state forest with maybe 10 (or less) designated tent-camping sites, and designated areas for deer hunting. Each campsite features a picnic table or two, and a fire pit, plus one bundle of firewood. The ground is dirt covered with woodchips and sometimes evergreen needles -- pretty easy to sleep in a tent. There are a couple portapotties in the camping area, which are a few feet from one campsite, or a few blocks from another. There is one water pump. And there are plenty of hiking trails in the state forest, complete with mushrooms, and deer-hunting-stands.

RV camping is not encouraged. Horseriding is encouraged. And you may regret not brining mosquito repellent. The blood-suckers are relentless.

My only beef is that it's a legitimate campground, which means, neighbors. But the neighbors aren't unreasonably close, so it's actually pretty good.

My family had a great time here. The camp sites are spaced out a good amount so each site has good privacy. There are multiple port a potties here but some sites are a bit far from them. Each site has a fire pit, a grill, and two tables with a decent amount of space for tents. I would highly recommend this campground and will be returning.

Spent a weekend in BO1, spacious campsite, grill, picnic table, firepit, parking for 2-3 cars plus overflow parking. Firewood was easy to get and was plenty of it. I was only one in the forest ATM but saw some hikers occasionally throughout the day walking by.