Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Dover is the way to go. Finding a place to stay in Delaware while traveling with your horse has never been easier. With our help, you'll find the best Delaware equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
The newly-renovated campground offers sites with three-point hookups (water, electric and sewer), as well as four horse campsites without hookups. If you prefer a bed to a bedroll, stay in one of our yurts! These round stationary structures with canvas walls feature a single and double bed bunked together, a double bed-sized futon, an outdoor seating area, and outdoor deck. Campgrounds at Cape Henlopen, Killens Pond, Lums Pond and Trap Pond State Park are open year-round. The Cottages at Indian River Marina are also open year-round, and the campground at Delaware Seashore State Park is open year-round, although during the winter months, it is open for self-contained units only. The Division of Parks and Recreation has a Central Reservation Service. Although reservations are not required, we strongly recommend that you make one to ensure that accommodations are available. There is no additional expense to make a reservation. Reservations can be placed for campgrounds, cabins, yurts, the Cottages at Indian River Marina, and Fort Delaware tours, and Killen's Pond Waterpark..
$6 - $42 / night
Tuckahoe Creek, a quiet country stream bordered for most of its length by wooded marshlands, runs through the length of the park. A 60-acre lake offers boating and fishing.
The park has 20 miles of scenic hiking, biking and equestrian trails, flat water canoeing, hunting, picnicking, as well as a recycled tire playground for children.
Activities include day camps, canoe trips, Scales & Tales presentations and displays. Each weekend, Memorial Day through Labor Day, park staff offer a number of free family activities. Check out flyers posted throughout the park or call the park office for more details.
Accessible picnic areas, visitors' center, playgrounds, restrooms, campground facilities, and hunting areas are very popular.
$21 - $70 / night
$18 - $77 / night
Located within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean, Delaware Seashore State Park’s two campgrounds are popular with campers seeking a beach experience. The campgrounds are located on the north and south side of the Indian River Inlet and are connected by a bridge with a separate walking and biking path. Campsites can accommodate a variety of camping units, from tents to large recreational vehicles. Most campsites have 30- and 50-amp electric, and water and sewer hook-ups. Bathhouses and laundry facilities are located in both campgrounds. A camp store on the south side carries convenience items and souvenirs. Amenities and services close to the campgrounds include two restaurants; a full-service marina with a bait and tackle shop, fish and seafood sales, and head boat service; bike and walking trails; and the Indian River Life-Saving Station and gift shop, a must-see. Severe weather may limit availability of some amenities.
Just an hour’s drive south of Dover, Trap Pond State Park is a 3600-acre recreation area that features a freshwater wetland that supports one of the last natural stands of baldcypress trees. The pond was created in the 1700s when it was dammed to provide power for the local sawmills that were harvesting the area’s old-growth timber. Once the trees were gone, the area was used as a drainage for the surrounding farmlands. Finally, in the 1930s, the state acquired the land and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) rehabilitated Trap Pond and surrounding woodland as a nature preserve and recreation space. This created Delaware’s first state park. It has since become a haven for herons, owls, woodpeckers and eagles, and a place where campers and recreationists can enjoy some outdoor time.
The campground at Trap Pond features 142 sites for tent and RV campers. Sites are set in five wooded loops: A, B, and C Loops have back-in sites with full hookups; D Loop has pull-through sites with full hookups; E Loop has primitive, walk-in tent sites. Each site is equipped with picnic tables and fire rings with grills. All camp loops have access to bathhouses with showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, and trash and recycling receptacles; a dump station is available near the campground entrance. The campground also has a picnic pavilion and kids’ playground between A and B Loops. The park also offers several rustic cabins and a couple yurts. Dogs are permitted, but must remain leashed. Campsite rates are $15–$25; cabin and yurt rates are $40–$52; reservations accepted.
The nature center at Trap Pond is a good place to start a visit to the park. Interpretive exhibits and nature programs provide information about the history of the wetlands, as well as its flora and fauna. Once acquainted with the park, it’s time to hit the trails and water to discover more and enjoy the natural setting. More than 10 miles of multi-use trails invite hikers, bikers and horseback riders to explore the woods and wetlands. Paddlers can take to the ponds and explore 2.5 miles of water trails. Boat rentals are available in the park, as well as launches and docks for small watercraft. For anglers, common catches in the ponds include pickerel, crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Visitors can also play at the sports courts or disc golf course, or take in bird-watching for waterfowl, songbirds, and raptors.
$21 - $150 / night
Open for camping 365 days a year at a cost of $25 per night per site. Online reservations only and credit card is required. Blackbird State Forest, located on the border of New Castle and Kent Counties, is Delaware's northernmost state forest. It is only a 30-minute commute from Wilmington and Newark. The ten tracts of Blackbird State Forest are open year-round at no cost to the public for nature walks, hiking, jogging, and horseback riding. The forest features a 1/2-mile, wheelchair-accessible wildlife and nature interpretation trail on the Tybout Tract as well as the Blackbird Education Center on the Meadows Tract.
$25 / night
Traveler
This place has been great to us Even though we are tent camping in the middle of winter we have still made it work it has great warm bathrooms that are very clean and sanitary they clean them everyday faithfully we have hot showers we have laundry facilities it's on the border of a beautiful water they have a camp store that could provide everything that you could need every site has barbecue/hot fire pits just a very comfortable; very hospitable everyone's very friendly very willing to help you out everybody's giving and it's just been a very good experience and I would recommend this place for anybody.
Legend
General: There are two units to this state park campground - one north of the Charles W. Cullen Memorial Bridge and one on the south side. We stayed on the south side, so this review focuses on this part of the park. The south side has over 300 campsites, some with hookups and some without. I don’t know what the difference is between the designated tent sites and the sites with no hookups. Regardless of which type of site you choose, there is NO privacy/separation between sites, however, we were there on a Monday the week after Memorial Day and while the sites with the hookups were completely full, there were plenty of empty non-hookup sites.
Site Quality: All of the non-hookup sites are sand/grass/gravel and completely level; the hookup sites have paved camper pads (and are also level). As mentioned above, there is zero privacy/separation between sites, but this is the price you pay for easy and close beach access!
Bath/Shower house: Reasonably clean, especially being so close to the ocean. No garbage receptacle which was slightly annoying. The utility hooks are outside of the showers compromising some privacy. I didn’t use the shower so I cannot comment further.
Activities/Amenities: This is a popular fishing spot on the inlet. There is direct access to the beach under the bridge where there are restaurants, concessions, and other activities at the Big Chill Beach Club. There is also a pedestrian walkway on the bridge which was kind of cool. The playground is large and modern. There is a camper store, but it was not open when we were there. The dumpsters are a bit of a walk depending on where your site is located. Our site was almost directly under the bridge (and also a power pole!) but this was cool, especially at night when the bridge was lit up.
I’m glad we were not there on a weekend OR in the hookup sites; we had no neighbors directly on either side of us so it felt more private, but I would imagine that on weekends when all sites are completely full, it would be a different story!
Scout
super pretty. shower up in the dark but was super easy to navigate with a map. people super friendly.
TravelerGood site space.. no check in before time. We were there Halloween so all sites full. Great biking(mountain and gravel). All in..would stay again
Guide
I love this campground very much. I called the office book my reservation, the representative put me in Acorn loop.
When I arrived by the late evening, there are only two camper in a huge site. Then I drove to Butterfly loop, this site have much more peoples, some camper tell me, the Ranger will coming soon; finally the ranger help me move my site into the Butterfly loop. From my experience, better book campsite by yourself online, then you have an idea this site how many occupancy.
Guide
We were looking to explore Maryland's Eastern Shore and picked Tuckaho because they had electric sites available. We were so pleased with our stay. The campground is well maintained and the sites are great. We have a small travel trailer and our site was pretty level and nicely private. We backed up to a hiking trail which was nice. There's lots to do here. There's a disc golf course and the camp store has discs available to use. We've never played before but had a blast learning, now we're hooked. We also enjoyed kayaking on the lake. If you enjoy birding this park is great, we saw so many cool birds. There's an arboretum and horse riding trails. We will definitely be going back!
Guide
Had a nice time camping for two nights. If you like small breweries, about 20 minutes away is Stewarts Brewpub. They have been around since the 1990s!
GuideWe took our travel trailer down for a long weekend at the end of the season. It was pretty full, but didn't feel crowded. There are a few (seasonal) restaurants with in a few minutes walk/drive.
There is an unmarked speed bump on the way in, so go SLOOW.
ScoutGreat secluded campground, peaceful. Great bath houses, always super clean.
Some engineering genious put the bath houses furthest from the people that need them most. Tent campers….keep your shoes handy, its a hike. Meanwhile Mr and Mrs 12 slideout supernova with 5 bathrooms and a washer/dryer get the closest spot to a quick potty/shower break.
GuideOur second time staying here. Spacious campsites in the D loop with half-circle drive in. Clean bath houses and facilities.
Decent walking trails around the lake. Lots of water activities in you're into that.
Camp store has the basics plus a few extras. Firewood for sale at reasonable price.
LegendNice smaller campground with large spacious sites. Very level and spaced apart from neighbor is you pick the right spots. We were in 17 which looked out to open space and woods. If it rains, some sites are flooded. Not much going on for activities in March. Near an Ape Adventure park, hike around lake, and any shopping or restaurants you might want are close by. It rained heavy so we didn’t get out much but walk around camp loop is nice and flat.
RangerWe go here when we want to just chill. It's a good place to do that. Site are nice and large and it's an enjoyable place to just go, burn wood and listen to nature. Fairly quiet when we were there!
TravelerSpent 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.
TravelerThis place is simply amazing. Nothing negative about it, just go and experience for yourself
ScoutWe've been here a couple of times. Sites are paved and mostly level. Full hookups on all sites.
Campground is separate from everything else I. The park - good and bad. Clean bathrooms
ScoutThis was our first visit to this park and we really loved it. We stayed in a tent site which included a fire ring and picnic table, and we had two tents and plenty of space for everything. While we were there, I believe all of the cabins were full and some other tent sites reserved, but the grounds were still very quiet and peaceful. The bathrooms and showers were modern and very clean and looked to be only a brief, flat walk from most of the sites/cabins in the loop. The loops were smaller than I expected, but that wasn't a bad thing. There is also a large sink on one side of the bathhouse which was nice for cleaning up after cooking. AT&T phone service was slow but available. While in the area, we also visited WorkHorse Farm for a tour, First Fruits Orchard for PYO blueberries, and Denton Station antique mall.
LegendWe had a great experience at Trap Pond. Price was reasonable. D Loop sites were a good size. Comes with a fire ring and picnic table. Site wasn't super level, so just bring enough leveling blocks if you're in a camper. D14 specifically is the last site on the row with an unobstructed view of the pond- we loved it. All sites in D loop had great tree coverage. It was also right near the showers, which were clean & warm, just what was needed. Tent sites are more secluded and are walk-in; our buddies tent camped the same weekend. There was a dock within walking distance of our site. Canoes were available for rent & I highly recommend canoeing water trails through the beautiful Cypress trees. No sewer connects, but there are 2 dump stations and we didn't wait long at the dump station heading out on a Sunday in July. Camp store has all the necessities, yet still simple. Free concerts at the nature center every Saturday in the summer. Nice walking/hiking trails around the grounds also. Dog friendly was a plus!! Lots of dogs were on leads at campsites including ours.
GuideWe love this campground. We’ve stayed twice in the electric loop and both times had a quiet stay. The campsites are typically spacious and spaced out well. Bathrooms are clean. There is so much to do right in this area as well. Lots of hiking. We highly recommend the nearby arboretum and don’t miss the opportunity to see the aviary at the park office. The ranger was so nice there and went in to each enclosure to handle and show us owls, eagles, and falcons. A highlight of the trip!
GuideWe stayed here on our way down to South Carolina so we didn’t get to spend too much time exploring but we got a little taste of this beach-side campground.
It was located inland next to a bridge on the South side of the Indian River inlet. I understand there is a Northside of the campground too, on the other side of the inlet. We pulled in at night and didn’t have trouble finding our site, it’s very flat with no trees so you have good visibility. We had an electric hook up, picnic table, and there was a shared dump station on the grounds. The lot was sandy and level, easy to level. Unfortunately, there was a big rainstorm that night so some of the sites were flooded, tent campers were rained out.
The bath houses were okay, hard to keep clean especially after the rain we got, but they were also very smelly inside and out. The bridge was also stinky. Pretty sure the smells were amplified by the hot, humid air, not sure if it’s like that all of the time.
The beach is super close! We went to take our dog for a walk and, though the tide was in, it was shallow enough for me to walk out a bit. It was dark so I can’t comment on cleanliness but we heard from locals it’s a nice beach.
We were very close to Dewey Beach and stopped at Nalu for a drink. I loved the tiki bar theme and everyone was so nice, we even made a few new friends.
TravelerJust wow. We made an impromptu visit and camping trip. The walk-in tent sites are BEAUTIFUL!! It’s really great to be able to set up camp and be in nature without the sound of someone charging their phone or blowing up their mattress in the site next to you. All the wall in tent sites on loop E are HUGE!! You can easily fit two tents plus all the glamping extras! The bathrooms are short walk away and are lovely. Clean and big with free showers. The wheelbarrows provided are great for the drop off of equipment. The first night it rained (literal buckets). The site was under 3 inches of water within a half hour!! Once the rain stopped though the puddles were gone just as fast! The hiking is always beautiful and easy to access. The flat trails are wide and loop across to the national park side. The camp store is also a huge plus! They have everything you need for emergency’s and then some! The bikes, ice, and firewood are easy to access. The only complaint is that although there is boating a place to cool off was missed greatly. A pool or splash pad would make a great addition to an almost perfect campground! An added note, during the storm a branch from a tree became loose and we went to the check in to let them know. They gave us expedited care. The checked out the tree and decided for our safety we needed to change sites. They were able to give us a new site right away and even offered to help move us!! Customer camper care is definitely number 1!
TravelerThe amenities are good and nearby nice, but expensive restaurant within walking distance. You can go out on a fishing boat in the ocean on the north side of the inlet. There are virtually no trees here and none in tent camping areas. Bring your own shade.
TravelerPeaceful state park. Clean facilities and lots of room to spread out.
RangerThis campground was wonderful for our family of 5 with 6. 4 and 2 year old boys. The setting is wooded with great shade and a very peaceful pond backdrop. We stayed in loop A, and found that A and B loops are the place to be if you have young children- the playground is awesome and is sandwiched between them. The loops get progressively quieter as you go towards E. All sites are great, but the best ones are definitely the ones closest to the pond. We really enjoyed the pontoon boat ride- this is definitely not a typical pond! The cypress trees are stunning and the history there alone is definitely worth the price of admission, not to mention the otherworldly narrow passages through cypress swaps and all kinds of wildlife on display. The trail around the campground goes through nice pine forests and crosses the swampland and pond. It is smooth stone dust, great for foot travel or any kind of biking. The sites are not huge but spaced well. Important to note- this pond is NOT for swimming. Very shallow and lots of trees just under the surface. If you are kid free or have older kids, they have kayaks for rent and I would highly recommend taking a paddle across the pond and deep into the water trails through the cypress forest. Magical. The camp store is fantastic. The sites are dirt/grass and not full hookup, but they have two dumpstations on the way out. Our site was nice because it had trail access and only one neighbor. Be forewarned that there are ticks here, the tiny dangerous kind.... we found some on us, so just check thoroughly. Overall a great place!
LegendWe stayed here in March and loved it! The little office had a few items for sale but the woman who works there is so nice. We talked with her for awhile. There was a small lending library next to the store/office and wood was for sale too. There are sites that aren’t level but ours was okay. Nearby is St. Michael’s, MD. We went to the Eastern Shore Brewing Company where dogs are allowed indoors and then went next door to the Lyon Rum Windon Distilling Company. Also next to those is St. Michael’s winery tasting room. Something for everyone! There is an arboretum near he campground that was interesting too. Lake Tuckahoe is available to put your own canoe or kayak in or go fishing. There was a trail from the campground to the lake that was gravel. Eastern shore of t huh Chesapeake Bay offers lots of great scenery and things to do.
TravelerQuiet & relaxing weekend. The park is small and beautiful and clean. Sites are of decent size and the fire ring had a cooking grate. Very little traffic.
GuideCamp store is well stocked with essentials and extras (fishing licenses are not sold but can be purchased online). Facilities are clean. Showers have water saver flow. Sites with water benefit from a water filter attachment at the source. Park has playgrounds for kids. Boat rental and other services can be seasonal so best to check in advance.
GuideThe 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!
Horse camping in Delaware offers a unique opportunity to explore the scenic landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With several well-reviewed campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Dover, DE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Dover, DE is Lums Pond State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 46 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Dover, DE?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Dover, DE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
