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Nine connecting lakes will be the center of your adventures at Chain O’Lakes. This is lake country and a small boater’s paradise. Paddle through the chain of serene kettle lakes, hike the 23 miles of forested trails, fish the electric-motors-only lakes, stay overnight in a forested hillside family cabin, visit the park's historic one-room Stanley Schoolhouse, or explore the Nature Center. Other facilities available for visitors to enjoy include Chain O' Lakes Campground, beach and picnic shelters.
$20 - $25 / night
Fort Custer Campground at Fort Custer State Recreation Area is a 3,033-acre park located between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. The park features three lakes, the Kalamazoo River, a campground, a swimming beach, boat rentals, more than 25 miles of multi-use trails, paddling and fishing opportunities, second growth forests and remnant areas of prairie. The trail system is popular with mountain bikers, equestrians, hikers and dog sledders. Originally farmland, the area was acquired by the federal government to establish Camp Custer, an induction and military training center for the U.S. Army during WWII. The land was deeded to the State of Michigan under President Nixon's Legacy of Parks in 1971. No alcoholic beverages allowed in park April 1 through Labor Day.
Legend
Little four site camping area on the shore of Rivir Lake (not a typo). It can be accessed either by parking and walking in on the wide, well tended trail (#4 on maps) or by boating. The nearest boat launch is Miller lake, a mile west. Sites 3 & 4 are right on the lake with the best access, Sites 1& 2 are across the trail which is along a raised berm with a bridge over the passage to Mud Lake. I'd give this a higher review, but most people wouldn't appreciate the primitiveness of the sites. It's distance from most amenities could be a turn off, but also could be perfect for others
LegendLittle four site camping area on the shore of Rivir Lake (not a typo). It can be accessed either by parking and walking in on the wide, well tended trail (#4 on maps) of by boating. The nearest boat launch is Miller lake, a mile west. Sites 3 & 4 are right on the lake with the best access, Sites 1 & 2 are across the trail which is along a raised berm with a bridge over the passage to Mud Lake.
I'd give this a higher review, but most people wouldn't appreciate the primitiveness of the sites. It's distance from most amenities could be a turn off, but also could be perfect for others
LegendWe were a bit surprised that despite having a paid reservation , we still had to pay a $20 Day usage fee to enter the park, but no matter. This is a sprawling and sometimes confusing campground to find your way in. But the sites are generally shady if a bit close together. There are five facilities with showers and running water and six pit toilets. drinking water is accessible throughout the park.
The majority of sites have six person tables, though some, especially in the new 385-416 loop have little four person tables. These are also the least shaded.
Campground and facilities are clean and well maintained.
The General Store is one of the most impressively well stocked I have ever seen. Equipment, toys, tools, food souvenirs, you name it. Good dry firewood is $6.50 a bundle in the store, $7 on the honor system after hours. It burns fast, so you might want to buy more than you think. The store is open until 9:00 Friday & Saturday, but only 2;PM on Sunday and never on Monday. Keep that in mind if you're doing a 3-day weekend as we did. When checking out, look up to see the beautiful wooden canoe with wildlife inlaid wood.
Fire pits are mostly round iron with non-adjustable swing-away grills. Booking is through Indiana DNR/ Reserve America so you can see photos of the site you pick.
This was our second experience with an Indiana state park, and like our first (Pokagon, in the winter) we were impressed with the clear marking of the hiking trails (and canoe trail for that matter) there was a map and guidepost at every junction.
There's a beach, concession stand and boat rentals on Sand lake, the Park's largest. Lastly, there's a fish cleaning shed with running water outside the campground entrance that anyone in the park can use, something I wish more parks would provide.
Traveler
We just camped at the park this weekend, which was the opening weekend after the rebuild of the bath houses and some other improvements. First, we loved how wooded and beautiful the campground was. The spots were nice and secluded, and the whole place was very beautiful. There were a few things that we didn't enjoy. First, it was EXTREMELY buggy. If you weren't covered in Deep Woods bug spray the whole time, you were getting bit. Second, I don't feel that there were enough showers. There were 5 showers in each bathhouse, making 10 showers total for the entire campground. I found myself waiting in a line every time I wanted a shower. Lastly, I wish there was a walking trail that was more accessible from the campground itself.
Scout
They have good hiking trails, nice refreshing waters, good food options at certain places
GuideOur site was 21 inches unloved from front to back and 7 inches down on the passenger side! With poison oak all over the back of our site so bring a lot of leveling block and no kids! Other that that it was a decent park with lots of activities but a very hard campsite to navigate and a busy weekend forget about dumping lol your gonna be there a while. Also no Verizon signal but our friend had T-Mobile and he was ok signal.
GuideThis was our second trip to this property (1st was Sept 2021), and it was really nice. We went Aug 25 - 27th (Friday - Sunday). The property has something like 219 campsites, and that weekend every single one of them was full. Noisy during the day with a few large groups and a LOT of kids, but they were quiet at night and it was not a problem. Some of the campsites are very close together and it's hard to determine that from the map or choosing ahead of time. The showers and bathrooms are fine, and I think they're being upgraded this season so I expect them to be quite nice for 2024 and beyond. We took full advantage of the mountain bike trails which are very easily accessed from the campground. We also took a trip into Battle Creek for a quick stop by CVS, so it's close and convenient for lost or forgotten items. No problems with bugs or mosquitos, other than the normal for being a forested property.
On Saturday morning the camp host had coffee and donuts for a $1 donation. And firewood was easily accessible on site.
Would not hesitate to stay here again.
ScoutHuge beautiful campground. Lots of privacy. Needs extra access to the Kalamazoo River for kayakers. Make a campground near the beach. Gas is too expensive to be driving two and a quarter miles one way to the beach. The dump station needed a serious update.
ScoutAnother great camping experience, site 210 has an amazing trail that leads directly to the showers at one end and at the other path went directly to running water, plus only a couple of yards from a great walking trail.
TravelerNice sites, very well organized for privacy. Trees and shrubs dividing sites. The lake is a couple miles away from campground, only 20 miles per hour if I recall. No alcohol permitted
LegendThis state park was established in 1925, so almost 100 years old. The campground must be the original layout. There's a maze like quality to it. The roads are narrow & you may be driving off the road for a big rig.
Some sites are level, some aren't. Some can accommodate larger rigs, most can't. Check the site descriptions carefully & to be doubly sure, call the office & ask.
There's water stations that look very old. They have wooden, shingled roofs. There's 2 dump stations located in loops 3 & 4. IN THE CAMPGROUND! NEXT TO CAMPSITES!!!!
There's 5 loops to the main campground.
100 loop is small & closer to the lake than the other loops. It's the loop we chose this time.
The sites are on the small side. There's 3 campsites that are close to the lake. 115, which is a larger site. 117 & 119 which have clear views of the lake. 117 is more a tent or popup site & is small. 119 is the best of the bunch. A large pad & a large site. There's no privacy bushes. These sites have a view of the lake with trees & brush & are on a ridge overlooking the lake. They aren't ON the lake.
On either side of 117 & 119 are 2 trails that lead to the lake. There's benches & a dock to tie up your boat.
The rest of the sites are a mixed bag. Some are level, some have an incline. If you have a big rig, be aware that the road to the 100 campsites branches into one way. Leading into the campsites, the road is narrow & has a ravine on one side!
200 Loop is non electric
300 Loop is the biggest loop & seems like the best bet for larger rigs. As stated above, some sites are better than others. There's a uniformity here that's missing from the other loops.
Stay away from sites 393& 395!!! These sites are literally right on top of the dump station! As always watch for pit toilets near the sites.
400 loop is a smaller loop next to the 200 loop. There's only one shower house for both loops. Avoid site 444 & probably site 454. These sites are VERY close to the dump station.
500 loop is also smaller& has some nice sites tucked by themselves in the trees. There seems to be more privacy brush on this loop with SOME sites.
512 is close to the shower house. 511 & 513 were somewhat secluded.
If you have a boat you want to tie up at the dock, go for the 100 loop. If you can't get it, be aware there's no parking near the trails to the lake. You can park by the bathhouse & walk.
The shower & restrooms are atrocious!!! Worst looking buildings since Spring Mill SP! Dirty & need an entire overhaul. In fact, raze the buildings & build new ones! They're "cleaned" once a day. Suuuuuure they are. There was actual poop on the door of one of the women's toilet stalls the whole time I was there. Mold & spiders& dirt in the corners. Looks like the last upgrade was in the 50s.
ScoutWith plenty of space between each campsite, easy-to-locate bathrooms/water, and firewood available to purchase at the front office plus over 25 miles of hiking/mountain biking trails, plus more than one body of water to fish/swim in. It really is an ideal place to camp!!
GuideLovely little quiet campground and spacious park with plenty to do for 1-2 days. Staff is non-intrusive, and the site has plenty of room to camp about and roam. Find your own little quiet corner and unplug for a few days. It's better than Ohio's only National Park!
Note: the DNR trail maps are inaccurate but well worth your time, so research your trials well or you'll get a bit lost. Trail signs are also very confusing. Bring plenty of water as posted 'mile' hikes quickly turn in 5 mile hikes. I recommend walking the 'Wetlands' trail around dusk.
ScoutFirst time taking out my 1988 pop up and it was a blast. Our site was HUGE! Plenty of space to play bags with good canopy coverage and have many guests at our fire and a short drive to the kayak launch. Kayaking the 13 lakes can easily last from morning to sundown. All in all it was a great weekend with the family!
ScoutWe camp here several times a year. Love the staff, lakes, and trails!!!
TravelerGreat campgrounds very friendly staff bathrooms are extremely clean great time nice beach
TravelerGreat place to camp, our first trip there was the weekend after the 4th of July. Wish we would have came here yrs ago! Great sites, all divided by trees for some privacy. Will go back
ScoutI've gone camping here multiple times and each time has been a fantastic trip. Can't recommend enough.
RangerI can see why this place is so popular with the camper crowd. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just cramped, a bit noisy, and there's alot of traffic. Alot.
I was only taking my son for a night to try his hand at tenting and some hiking. The hiking was nice but not as challenging as some of the other places I've been.
I prefer rustic, somewhat challenging, and a semblance of solitude. You won't get any of that here. But if you're a family, especially with younger kids or older folks, who want a safe place to get outdoors, this is the place. The restrooms, showers, playground, and easy groomed trails will be great for you.
If you're like me, you'll likely be looking north.
GuideEquestrian trails and campgrounds are popular here. Horse rides sold on site. There is a nice hotel that sometimes hosts events actually located in the park. Come tobagginging and ice fishing in the winter and then pamper yourself in the hotel, or visit in the summer and have a beach day or easy hike with the family. Great spot for Pokémon Go because of the available cell service.
GuideThis is only meant as a fair ground and place for events. People that are participating in local events may bring RV here but not for public use.
GuideMy family and I go to Chain O Lakes for short hikes, kayaking and camping. We come here out of convenience, since we live twenty minutes away. The campground is decent. There are no backpacking spots. There are a handful of paddle up camping spots that are very hard to reserve. The beach is often overcrowded with local partiers, drinking and smoking, and leaving trash everywhere. After peak hours these people clear out and usually aren't actually camping there. Overall, a great place for families hiking with small children or those who camp just to relax.
GuideIt was my first time camping with my bf's family and we had a blast! We booked several sites and the sites that we got had a good amount of trees caving in so it was nicely shaded. There was a nice dock for fishing and the bathrooms were clean. We found a cave as well so some of us went to explore it!
ScoutJust bought our first camper this past summer and decided to take it to Ft. Custer to try it out! We absolutely loved this place. There are plenty of hiking trails and the fishing was great. Will definitely be back again!!!
ScoutHorseback riding, swimming at the beach, fishing on the dock. Took my children and their friends they looked it
TravelerEnormous park, very clean and grassy. The staff was very helpful and friendly. We stayed there for 1 night only. The bathrooms are nice and clean, also has a nice shower.
TravelerBeautiful would go back every weekend if I could live it there
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Orland, IN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Orland, IN is Pokagon State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 46 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Orland, IN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
