Best Equestrian Camping near Smyrna, DE

Blackbird State Forest Campground near Smyrna offers horse-friendly camping with spacious sites that accommodate trailers and tents. The forest maintains 8 primitive campsites with fire pits, picnic tables, and woodchip-covered ground suitable for tent camping. Each site comes with one bundle of firewood. Portable toilets are available throughout the camping area, with some sites located closer to these facilities than others. The campsites are well-spaced, providing good privacy between neighboring sites. Trails throughout the forest are open to horseback riding, though no dedicated horse corrals or stalls are provided.

The extensive trail network in Blackbird State Forest connects riders to various parts of the 5,600-acre woodland. Riders frequently encounter deer stands and mushroom-filled forests along the routes. Water access is limited to a single pump in the camping area, so equestrians should plan accordingly for their horses' hydration needs. The forest is actively managed for multiple recreational uses, including hiking and hunting during designated seasons. Mosquitoes can be particularly intense during summer months, making repellent essential gear for both riders and horses. While the campground officially welcomes horses, riders must bring their own portable corrals or use tie-outs, as no permanent equine facilities exist. The sites provide sufficient space for both camping equipment and horse containment, with overflow parking available for multiple vehicles and trailers.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Smyrna, Delaware (5)

    1. Lums Pond State Park Campground

    48 Reviews
    Kirkwood, DE
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (302) 368-6989

    $22 - $40 / night

    "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."

    "Great place to stay and check out “Lower, slower Delaware.”"

    2. Blackbird State Forest Campground - CLOSED TIL FURTHER NOTICE

    6 Reviews
    Townsend, DE
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (302) 653-6505

    $25 / night

    "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."

    "I was only one in the forest ATM but saw some hikers occasionally throughout the day walking by."

    3. Tuckahoe State Park Campground

    30 Reviews
    Ridgely, MD
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (410) 820-1668

    $21 - $70 / night

    "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."

    "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."

    4. Martinak State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Denton, MD
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 432-2267

    $18 - $77 / night

    "Park is that the Electric loop (B) has all of the sites on the outside of the drive loop so you are not looking across the road at other campers."

    "Just off highway, nice wooded area, access to a good boat ramp."

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Smyrna, DE

1 Photos of 5 Smyrna Campgrounds


Equestrian Camping Reviews near Smyrna, DE

110 Reviews of 5 Smyrna Campgrounds


  • Wendy W.
    Jul. 4, 2020

    Tuckahoe State Park Campground

    Perfect First Family Camping Trip

    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!

  • Ellen B.
    May. 23, 2019

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Great place in the back yard

    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!

  • Jason E.
    Oct. 14, 2019

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Nice, spacious campground in DE

    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.”

  • M
    Apr. 4, 2022

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Will be back again [when we can get a reservation]

    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.

  • Laure D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 31, 2024

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Snall campground, big sites

    Nice 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.

  • V
    Sep. 16, 2024

    Tuckahoe State Park Campground

    A Gem of a State Park

    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!

  • Melissa C.
    Mar. 2, 2017

    Tuckahoe State Park Campground

    Really nice to kayak

    Tuckahoe State Park is tucked away onto the Eastern Shore of Maryland, close to the Chesapeake Bay. It features every kind of camping you can imagine. RVs, tents, youth group, etc. while I was only there for one chilly April night, my partner and I were looking forward to kayaking along the lake and creek. I was new to the sport and it was windy so the lake was a bit scary to kayak but the creek was perfect. With all the vegetation growing back, it felt like you were in Florida. There were interpretive signs all along the creek to teach about the birds, amphibians, and even beavers one might see. One of the downsides to the campground was that the bathrooms were small and far away from the campsites. That is, if we went to the right ones. Could have been user error.

  • Laure D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 7, 2021

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Small and Nice

    This was our first time here and it’s only an hour from home. I was hopeful for another nice DE state park and I wasn’t disappointed. All DE parks are nicely laid out. There were shaded spots and sunny spots. Bathhouse was clean. The camp loop is a nice walk but there are also trails. They were pretty muddy when we were there. Site 35 was quite spacious as were many of them. Sites do sit close to the road but are spacious side to side. There is a large field in the center and woods surrounding the loop. Site 33 was close to our back side but site 37 was far from us. There is one cross road with sites and those were closer together. Sites on pond side were more spread apart than the opposite side. The one tent area was behind and slightly surrounding an RV site which was weird. The other tent areas were separate from RV sites. I would recommend this campground.

  • MickandKarla W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 24, 2021

    Lums Pond State Park Campground

    Quaint State Park

    Our GPS wanted to take us to the main park entrance on Howell School Rd versus Red Lion Rd to the campground entrance on the other side of the pond. The gate and store were not open so we went directly to back-in site 26 with FHUs. Our reservation sheet and vehicle pass were on the post when we arrived. Back-in was okay with having to swing our F-450 and 39’ 5th wheel into the grass between sites across the street. Utilities were smartly placed at the middle of the pad. We had 2 to 3 bars on Verizon and 2 bars on AT&T. However, we had trouble with AT&T maintaining internet on our Weingard Connect. The CG is in two loops. Sites 1-30 make up the first loop and that is where most of the larger rigs camped. A rough estimate(double check site size online) is that sites 12- 18 will take larger rigs up to around 45’ but you’ll need to park your tow vehicle or toad angled in front of your rig. Our site was long enough for our 39’ fifth wheel but we had to park our truck at an angle as well. The second loop does have larger sites but is mainly suited for small rigs to include a tent area. Both loops have a large grass field in the middle that the sites back up to, which is great for playing outside games and without many trees so you could use satellite from almost all the sites. From a spaciousness point of view, the best site in the CG is 17, but it is near the walking trail. The shower house also contains a small laundry with 3 washers and 4 dryers that are reasonably priced, although one washer was out of service at the time. However, there was not a change machine. You could purchase firewood from one of the on duty camp hosts. A short drive from the campground to another Lum’s Pond State Park area there’s a really cool dog park where you can walk the dogs off leash down trails and with open play areas along the pond. One of the best features of this off-leash area is how secluded it is away from the main road. Supposedly this is known as a haunted campground, although we didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. If in the area, we would stay here again.


Guide to Smyrna

Delaware offers a unique experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with several well-reviewed spots that cater to equestrian needs and provide access to beautiful trails and natural scenery.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • At Blackbird State Forest Campground, you can enjoy spacious campsites and access to trails frequented by horseback riders, making it a great spot for equestrian adventures.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like stables and trails

  • Lums Pond State Park Campground features horse camping options along with electric hookups and drinking water, ensuring a comfortable stay for both you and your horse.

Tips for equestrian camping near Smyrna, Delaware

  • When visiting Blackbird State Forest Campground, be prepared for occasional hikers and horseback riders on the main trails, which adds to the vibrant atmosphere of the area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Smyrna, DE?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Smyrna, DE is Lums Pond State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 48 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Smyrna, DE?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Smyrna, DE, with real photos and reviews from campers.