16 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Ortonville Equestrian Campground offers rustic camping specifically designed for horse owners within the Ortonville Recreation Area. The campground includes vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings, with ample space for horse trailers. Sites accommodate both tents and RVs, though the facilities remain basic with no electric hookups or showers. The campground connects directly to an extensive trail system popular among equestrians, with staging areas available for those preparing for rides. Trails wind through wooded terrain and past two lakes, providing scenic riding opportunities. The equestrian campground remains quite popular despite its rustic nature, making reservations advisable during peak seasons.
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area features horse-friendly camping with access to world-class equestrian trails. The recreation area maintains two separate camping loops with wooded, private sites that offer an "up north feel" despite being close to metropolitan areas. Both tent and RV campers can access the equestrian trails, though reaching the lake requires either a 1.8-mile hike through the woods or a short drive. The park includes a remote control airplane field and shooting range in addition to its extensive trail system. Horse owners appreciate the spacious sites that accommodate trailers and the trail connectivity that allows for varied riding experiences. The campground's location provides a convenient base for day rides while offering enough seclusion to create a genuine outdoor experience away from urban settings.
"Great hiking and world class mountain bike trails. Nice big lake. Only drawback is you must drive to the lake or hike 1.8 miles through the woods on a trail to get there. No camp store."
"An extensive horse back riding trail system and MTB trails are easily accessible."
from $20 - $80 / night
Check Availability"The park has a beautiful 2.5 mile trail around the lake that makes this campground great. We brought our own kayaks but they do rent boats. We saw deer and rabbit."
"Always a great local retreat away from our hectic daily life. Don’t have to travel far to find some nature. Most sites generously sized, hookups available, clean restrooms."
"Great time to unplug and just enjoy our surroundings and begin to learn our own creativity!"
"This is one of our family's favorite close to home sites. Extra large camp sites, lots of room for the kids to run around. Extensive trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding."
from $20 - $186 / night
Check Availability"Addison Oaks is a campground that features hiking and mountain biking trails, campground, cabins, disc golf course, and a lake for boating."
"The grounds are huge with bike/hike trails, a lake and a disc golf course. Mountain biking seems to be very popular there are dirt trails off the paved hiking loop."
"Campground Review: Bishop Lake is a great campground located in the middle of the Brighton Rec Area. The upper and lower campgrounds are both modern, with every site including electric."
"Great family place with paved and dirt biking/hiking trails. Very nice beach with grass and sand. There are 2 areas of inflatables, one of them is for the little kids 48 in. and under."
from $32 - $37 / night
Check Availability"There are over 20 sites, about half of which are located lake side (not directly on the lake, but there are little paths that lead you there and you can somewhat see the water from these sites.)"
"Wish there was a few additional water filling points and that the dumpsters were all located near the camp entrance/exit. But really nothing to complain about. "
from $32 - $37 / night
Check Availability"Friendly staff, clean park, close to supermarkets and other food locations. RV repair and sales nearby. I got lucky and woke up to a horse and dog competition at no extra cost to me."
"Nice campgrounds easy to get around and my children loved it"
"The campground here is actually a quite popular equestrian campground. There is a campground and a staging area. Rustic vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"This is another great scout ing campground with cabins, rustic camping, tent sites, lakes, horses to ride, this is one HUGE camp ground for scouts to enjoy and learn.."
"As an added plus a horse barn (Heavenly Horse Stables) right on property offering riding lessons, trail rides and meet and greets with their houses and other barn animals, my daughter wanted to move here"
"Direct connections to the Waterloo Pinckney trail system. Near Hell, Michigan and Chelsea, Michigan. Large pool in season. Priced reasonably."
from $20 - $35 / night
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LegendThe campground here is actually a quite popular equestrian campground. There is a campground and a staging area. Rustic vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. The campground itself isn’t really much to write home about (unless you have horses that is). The lakes and launches are however very nice and there are some great trail systems through the area.
GuideVery nice sites. Wooded and up north feel. Great hiking and world class mountain bike trails. Nice big lake. Only drawback is you must drive to the lake or hike 1.8 miles through the woods on a trail to get there. No camp store. Equestrian trails and I hear they have a remote control airplane field and shooting range.
TravelerFriendly staff, clean park, close to supermarkets and other food locations. RV repair and sales nearby. I got lucky and woke up to a horse and dog competition at no extra cost to me.
ScoutWhat started as a little get away turned into not wanting to leave! A swimming pool and playground with basketball court to keep my kids entertained and clean facilities convinced me I had made the right choice. As an added plus a horse barn (Heavenly Horse Stables) right on property offering riding lessons, trail rides and meet and greets with their houses and other barn animals, my daughter wanted to move here. Other perks to this campground: Openings to Pinckney State trails right on property and all sorts of lakes, parks and small town downtown areas for food and shopping nearby, H.C.R.C. was a hidden gem.
LegendThis is a typical fairground campground with open grassy areas for campsites surrounded by barns and tracks. The fairgrounds is located just off I-94 which makes for easy entrance and exit to the campground, but, means there is lots of road noise. Close by are plenty of stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. In fact, there is a gap in the fence that runs around the fairgrounds allowing you to walk to a Walmart, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and more.
We arrived without a reservation and the women in the office was very helpful providing a map with all available sites during our stay and letting us choose which one we wanted. One of the first things you notice is that a number of people are here long-term so we went to the back area hoping it would be quieter and less crowded. A number of the campsites are “buddy” sites meaning your patio opens to your neighbors so be careful which one you pick. This is pretty undesirable when the neighbor is a total stranger so we chose a site where we didn’t have anyone next to us.
They offer 50 amp full hook-up sites, 50 amp/water, and 30 amp/water sites with pull-thru and back-in options. There is a dump station located in the middle of the park which is easy to get to. The roads are wide and a lack of trees makes this campground accessible for any size RV. The sites are level but some lack grassy making the patio pretty dusty or muddy. Unfortunately, where we were was pretty muddy just after a light rain. This campground works best for RV’s and not tents. For tenters there is a designated section that is set in a corner of the park with large trees for shade but not much privacy between you and others. A water spigot is in the tent area and there was one picnic table. The camp office sells firewood but we only saw two fire pits in the whole park. Be aware that noise from the interstate and nearby train tracks may make for a restless night. Bathrooms are centrally located in the campground and were old and tired but relatively clean. On-site laundry is available.
Apparently, management is having some issues with campers not obeying some of the rules. One of the sad things about this campground is that campers have to be reminded to clean up after their dogs. Apparently, it is such an issue that we got a letter stating that if you don’t pick up your dogs poop you would be asked to leave. How sad is that? There is free WiFi which worked pretty well. Upon checking in, we had to sign a piece of paper stating that we would not download copyrighted material or stream movies or we would be asked to leave.
My favorite aspect of this campground is that they had a community garden that you were welcome to pick from. We got tomatoes, Swiss chard, peppers, broccoli, and more. Overall, this campground was fine for the few nights we were here and close to the attractions we wanted to visit. We never felt unsafe even though it was close to major cities. We chose this campground because we wanted to go to Ann Arbor and Dearborn and it was a very convenient location.
Pros:
· Good location if you want to visit Ann Arbor and Dearborn
· Close to interstate for easy access
· Long, level sites that will fit any RV
· Community garden you can pick from vegetables
· Stores and restaurants are nearby (some within walking distance)
Cons:
· Lots of road noise from I-94
· No trees for shade or privacy
· Would not recommend for tent camping
· Many campers are long-term
· “Buddy” campsites with patios facing each other
GuideThis is another great scout ing campground with cabins, rustic camping, tent sites, lakes, horses to ride, this is one HUGE camp ground for scouts to enjoy and learn..
ScoutA very quiet campground. The sites are spread out and only 2 vehicles per site are allowed. The East campground is more open and had 3 small cabins that can be rented. The West camping is more wooded and isolated. An extensive horse back riding trail system and MTB trails are easily accessible.
TravelerThis was our first time staying here. Great private campground with rustic, elec, water/elec (30 amp), and concrete pad sites. Very clean campground with nice shower house. Owners are very friendly. Direct connections to the Waterloo Pinckney trail system. Near Hell, Michigan and Chelsea, Michigan. Large pool in season. Priced reasonably.
ScoutThis is a fabulous campground! There are over 20 sites, about half of which are located lake side (not directly on the lake, but there are little paths that lead you there and you can somewhat see the water from these sites.) There is a boat launch on one end of campground and the amazing beach on the other. The water is clear and warm (perfect lake for swimming) and there is both sand and grassy areas on the fairly large beach. The beach also offers picnic tables and benches. The only negative aspect I can see about this campground is that the sites are right on top of each other, so if you have a loud group or a generator next to you, it is noisy. But most campgrounds have sites set real close together, so you will find this pretty much everywhere. Def camp here! About an hours drive from a Pictured Rocks National Park. There are no showers or running water. Camp hosts were very nice, helpful, & welcoming.
Oakland County offers several horse campgrounds near Birmingham, Michigan, situated within state and county recreation areas. Most equestrian sites in this region feature vault toilets and access to woodland trails that wind through rolling terrain. Camping areas typically connect directly to designated horse trails that range from 3-10 miles in length, with elevation changes between 800-1,000 feet.
Kayaking at Brighton Recreation Area: The park's multiple lakes provide calm waters for paddling. "The lake you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, row boats or paddle boats," notes Melissa M., who adds that there are "a lot of trails for biking and hiking."
Mountain biking at Addison Oaks County Park: This park maintains well-marked trail systems for cyclists. "Addison Oaks is a campground that features hiking and mountain biking trails, campground, cabins, disc golf course, and a lake for boating. The trails are well maintained and heavily trafficked," says Kate K.
Swimming at Bishop Lake: The beach area offers summer water recreation with additional paid activities. "The beach is nice but you have to walk a trail to get to it from the campground or drive," according to Debra B., while another camper mentions that "Jump Island" costs "$15 for a 45 minute jump session."
Secluded sites at Pontiac Lake Recreation Area: The wooded sites provide privacy despite being close to urban areas. "Camp site was nice with blacktop pad and once parked felt very secluded and could barely see site past truck in parking spot," says Daniel, who appreciates that it's "great for getting away and seeing the night sky."
Clean facilities at Highland State Recreation Area: The well-maintained grounds create a comfortable camping experience. "This rustic campground is obviously well-tended and has an almost magical feel to it. It's private, quiet, and full of wildlife," Brett B. notes about the primitive camping area.
Trail connectivity at Seven Lakes State Park: The extensive trail network allows for varied outdoor activities. "Seven Lakes has a great hike that takes you all around the lake, as well as smaller loops. You can find challenging hikes or an easy path," explains Maggie M., who recommends bringing "plenty of bug netting/spray/gear" in summer.
Bug protection is essential: Many campgrounds in the area have significant insect populations, especially near water. "There are tons of mosquitoes and ticks, so make sure you bring bug spray," warns Kristina J. about Pontiac Lake, while Ryan F. shares that at Brighton Recreation's rustic sites, "everyone had screen houses set up" due to mosquito activity.
Distance to water access: At several parks, camping areas aren't adjacent to swimming areas. "The beach and water was a 5.3 mile drive and wasn't alot of things for kids to do but ride bikes and play in woods," mentions Daniel about Pontiac Lake Recreation Area. Similarly, Renee R. notes that "Only drawback is the distance from the lake. The lake is not within walking distance, you would need to drive."
Site leveling considerations: Some rustic areas require equipment for comfortable camping. Ryan F. reports at Brighton Recreation Area's Murray Lake sites, "Our site wasn't level, so we were rolling around a bit. If I went there again I'd try to find a spot towards the end of the loop by the exit."
Beach amenities at Highland State Recreation Area: The swimming areas provide activity options for children. "There's a quiet lake perfect for unwinding after a long day or to get a nice rinse off," says Adrienne C., who also mentions seeing "a group of probably 70 wild turkeys on the trail!"
Playground access: Several parks feature play areas near camping sites. At Addison Oaks, Wendy K. reports there are "great playgrounds and everything is really clean," along with "kids activities on the weekends, a lake for swimming."
Spacious sites for groups: Some campgrounds accommodate larger family gatherings. At Oakland County Addison Oaks, Jennifer O. recalls, "We stayed in one of the group sites and it was beautiful. Less tree cover than we would have liked, you're basically in a giant grassy field, but it was perfect for a large group."
Electrical access considerations: Hookups at some sites require planning for proper connection. Mary H. advises about Pontiac Lake: "If you are hoping to hook up to electrical, bring extension cords; some hook ups are exceptionally far away from the designated RV parking pad."
Level pads at Bishop Lake Campground: The site surfaces accommodate larger vehicles with specific amenities. "Had a nice stay here. The campground was full but quiet. The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean with hot water," according to Sam H., who appreciates the "nice fire pit. Water hookup and dump on site."
Accessibility at Highland: The park offers designated handicapped sites. Brett B. notes that "There are two paved sites for handicapped accessibility, running water, a dumpster, and two outhouses."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Birmingham, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Birmingham, MI is Pontiac Lake Recreation Area with a 4.4-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Birmingham, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 16 equestrian camping locations near Birmingham, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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