The Dyrt can help you find the perfect horse camping site near Ocean Pines. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. These scenic and easy-to-reach Maryland campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
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.
Assateague Island National Seashore is a 37-mile long barrier island on the Atlantic Coast of Maryland and Virginia. Famed for its wild horses, this barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand, altered daily by powerful wind and waves. Assateague Island, dedicated as a National Seashore on September 1, 1965, lays claim to a long and rich history. Today's visitors can explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests, and coastal bays. Only a couple of miles wide at its broadest point, the island's terrain offers shelter to the famed wild horses as well as sika deer, ghost crabs, and migrating birds such as the great blue heron and snowy egret. Favorite recreational activites include fishing, surfing, beachcombing, swimming, and sunbathing. The Over-Sand Vehicle (OSV) Zone at Assateague Island contains miles of unspoiled beaches managed by the National Park Service to accommodate OSV enthusiasts and other beach goers. The Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park, and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge work together to manage and protect this unique, diverse strip of land. For more information visit the Assateague Island National Seashore website .
Activities are abundant on the island, with both crabbing and clamming as well as a long stretch of beach for swimming, kayaking and fishing.
Assateague Island, famed for its wild horses, lies off the Delmarva Peninsula on the Atlantic Coast. This barrier island is a constantly shifting ribbon of sand, altered daily by powerful wind and waves. The Assateague Island National Seashore, Assateague State Park, and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge each manage and protect this unique, diverse strip of land. For more information visit the Assateague Island National Seashore website .
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge offers a 14,000-acre wildlife preserve located at the southern end of Assateague Island. To the north, Assateague State Park features two miles of pristine ocean beaches. Ocean City, Maryland is only about 10 miles away with a 2.5 mile long boardwalk filled with shops, restaurants, and a wide variety of entertainment options. The historic town of Berlin is about 10 miles west of Assateague, offering many shops and restaurants.
Cancellations/Modifications: Customers can modify/cancel reservations starting 18 days after the reservation was made. Customers cancelling a reservation will be charged a $10.00 service fee. Customers wishing to modify a reservation can do so online or over the phone with Recreation.gov and may be subject to a $10.00 service fee. Late Cancellations: Customers who cancel a reservation the day before or the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first nights use fee. Cancellations for a 1-night stay will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to the additional service fee. Early Departures: Customers wishing to early depart before 11am can receive a refund for that night and subsequent nights provided they are off the campsite completely by 11am. Customers wishing to early depart after 11am can receive a refund for subsequent days, but will not get a refund for the current night. ANY early departure requires that you stop at the Ranger Station to check out with the rangers or no refunds will be given. (See Need to Know)
$50 - $80 / night
Oceanside Drive-in: Tents, trailers and recreational vehicles (no hookups). Sites have a picnic table and a fire ring. Sites are $30 per night. Oceanside Walk-in: Tent-only sites, located 100-200 feet from centralized parking areas. Sites have a picnic table and a fire ring. Sites are $30 per night. Walk-in sites are closed from November 16 through March 14.
$30 / night
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
Located along the beautiful Sinepuxent Bay just five miles from Ocean City, Sun Outdoors Frontier Town (formerly Frontier Town Campround) offers an award-winning camping experience that the whole family will love! Choose from nearly 600 campsites and enjoy all the amenities we have right on site!
Relax on the Lazy River winding through the Water Park while the kids race down the waterslides. Play 18 holes of Miniature Golf amongst a peaceful setting of waterfalls and shade trees. Take a step back in time at the Western Experience, featuring our classic Wild West Shows and Native American Village. And keep in mind, we have plenty of camper-only deals! If you stay with us during peak season, you’ll receive FREE access to the Water Park and Western Theme Park.
Prefer things a bit more leisurely? Head bayside to the 200-foot-long fishing pier. Go for a kayak tour or fishing charter. Take part in our planned activities. Visit the arcade and gift shop. Stroll along the nature trails. We even havetwo dog parks for your furry family members to enjoy! And if you forget something or need a meal away from the campfire, our fully-stocked camp store, full-service restaurant and bar, and ice cream parlor are sure to fix you right up.
$4200 / night
$18 - $77 / night
$35 - $159 / night
A primitive camping area is available for overnight stays. Anglers can bottom fish for sea trout, croaker, spot, flounder or bluefish. Crabbing is also possible.
CBTEA is a private, waterfront campground resort. Lot owners may build permanent camping additions, room enclosure and even cottages. The Association is governed by Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, and Covenants and managed by five directors.
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!
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
Scout
Me and a friend came in on motorcycles and stayed in the primitive tent sites and had a great time. Stayed a few weeks before Halloween and there were plenty of festive activities going on.
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.
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.
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.
Guide
If you can make it their Halloween season is awesome. It usually lasts every weekend through October. Lots of activities for the kids.
Guide
I grew up here and the beach camping is awesome if you have a self contained vehicle that is 4x4. A permit is required but it's for 12 months. Beware if the wind is out of the west the bugs are vicious.
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!
TravelerLots of trails. Pretty busy with Hunters during the season. Roosters here
TravelerThis place is simply amazing. Nothing negative about it, just go and experience for yourself
GuideAssateague National Seashore on the Maryland side offers an incredible experience.
Along with soft sand, balmy breezes and coastal views, wild horses wander the park at will.
We chose a campsite that did not require hiking onto the sand to reach. This made setting up camp much easier as no carrying was involved. We were early enough in the seasons that the mosquitoes hadn't kicked in yet, so it was an enjoyable stay.
The restroom facilities are primitive. with a dump toilet, and exterior showers with warmish water. To turn on the shower water, one has to hold down a line to get it to run.
There was a good mix of tents and a variation of camper trailers on both the oceanside and bayside camp areas. The camper trailers are boondocking as no hookups are offered at this campground.
I find the restrooms on the bayside to be better, but in the warmer months, be prepared for lots of mosquitoes in that area.
The horses do their rounds in the morning for breakfast and in the evenings for dinner. DO NOT FEED THE HORSES ! They are rather aggressive and persistent. KEEP ALL FOOD LOCKED UP IN YOUR CAR! They are Houdini's and have no trouble opening up any types of coolers with either their mouths or their hooves. There is a storage cubby below the picnic table - use it.
The best way to shoo them away from your campsite is to bring a metal water bottle with small rocks in it. Shake it at them and they know to move along. It's what the rangers use to get them to move.
To reserve use recreation.gov
TravelerWe stayed in water view 13 and it was a the perfect site. A little far for the kiddo to be at the park but the view was great, the Wi-Fi worked well, and the pull through site was perfect for our camper (not the best at backing up).
GuideBeautiful spot on the beach. Wild ponies visit your site. They’ll get into everything so make sure you have everything put up and away lol. The beach is a short walk from your site. Beaches are clean and beautiful. Bathrooms are quite nice with great showers and hot water. Short drive to OC beach and boardwalk.
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 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.
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!
Scout
Stayed at Tom's Cove for 2 nights, the rates are perfect for us, they have electric and water on sites. All around lovely experience for tent camping.
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.
ScoutYou can't literally walk a couple of hundred yards over the sand dunes to the ocean. There are pit toilets and outdoor showers available nearby.
Guide
I was fortunate to have gorgeous weather in November. I stayed in campsite B31 Bayside and it was nice. The B loop does not allow generators, so it is definitely more peaceful. Next time I’ll plan ahead and reserve either a Bayside spot on the water side or an Oceanside spot.
The check in is very straightforward and the rangers are super helpful and kind. The rules are definitely enforced here and I appreciate that very much as it makes the experience much more pleasant.
The wild horses are amazing, but please heed the warnings about how brazen they can be if you leave food out. They WILL raid your site.
I took advantage of the beach off road access and it was incredible-highly recommend it if you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle.
GuideAlthough this is not my favorite type of camping it may be yours. Easy level sights on asphalt parking lot.Nothing separates you from others and there is no room for privacy. The bathhouses in the front are slightly cleaner and the ones toward the back are used more frequently and all could use attention-cleaning. Bike paths are easy to access and well maintained outside of the park. Ocean City, Lewes etc are a short distance.
Horse camping in Maryland offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With several well-reviewed locations, equestrians can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride through beautiful landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Ocean Pines, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Ocean Pines, MD is Delaware Seashore State Park Campground with a 4-star rating from 55 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Ocean Pines, MD?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 equestrian camping locations near Ocean Pines, MD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
