Hell Creek Ranch & Campground offers horse enthusiasts direct access to the Pinckney State trails directly from the property. The campground features both rustic and developed sites, including 30-amp electric hookups and full-service concrete pad sites for RVs. While no dedicated horse corrals appear in the facility listings, the campground maintains stables on the premises through Heavenly Horse Stables, which provides trail rides and riding lessons for campers. The grounds include a swimming pool, playground, and basketball court for family members not participating in equestrian activities. Clean shower facilities and reasonably priced campsites make this a practical base for riders exploring the area. Direct connections to the Waterloo-Pinckney trail system enable extended riding opportunities without trailering horses between locations.
The Waterloo Recreation Area, located near the Hell Creek property, expands riding possibilities with additional trail networks. Equestrians planning multi-day rides can utilize both campgrounds to access different sections of the extensive trail system. Waterloo accommodates various camping styles including tent sites, RV spots with electric hookups, and rustic cabins. Though many campsites at Waterloo are relatively close together without much privacy, the surrounding recreational area offers extensive riding opportunities. Horse owners frequently mention the excellent trail connections as the primary reason for choosing these campgrounds. Reservations are recommended, particularly for weekend stays during peak season from May through October. Daily trail rides connect campers to scenic routes through woodland areas and near several lakes within the recreation area.
$17 - $90 / night
"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."
"Lots of trails within reach and a horse riding stable if that is your thing. Heard lots of wolves, saw lots of tracks but no animals. I’d like to go back in the spring and hike around some more!"
"It is usually easy to get multiple sites next to each other with reservations.
There is a decent sandy beach here with a playground and volleyball net."
"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"
$20 - $35 / night
"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."
$35 / night
"Since Van Buren State park is an easy 20 minutes away from home for me, i visit there often. it is clean and quiet, they dont get too busy and loud."
"It’s a small campground with one side as equestrian and the other side not. All sites had electric and water, no full hookup. There were only drop toilets and no showers."
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.
ScoutSince Van Buren State park is an easy 20 minutes away from home for me, i visit there often. it is clean and quiet, they dont get too busy and loud. the horse camp is nice with some new pens to keep your horse instead of them having to be tied up. They keep the restrooms clean, but no flush toilets, which dont bother me. My only complaint about Van Buren State park is that there are no shower facilities.
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
LegendWe stayed one night on our way to IN. We’ve never been here before and wanted to check it off our list. It’s a small campground with one side as equestrian and the other side not. All sites had electric and water, no full hookup. There were only drop toilets and no showers. They were clean but I don’t think I’d want to do more than a weekend there. It had a nice playground for kids and plenty of trails to hike or go horseback riding. They also had a dog park and small wildflower garden. The check in cabin had ice and wood for sale but no store. Our site was really nice. The pads were recently paved and had a huge bumper at the end. The fire ring was nice and the site had plenty of space for tents.
TravelerWe stayed during the week for one night. Campground was clean and quiet, had electric hookups at most sites. Host was very friendly. They also have a camp area for horses. Only criticism is you have to drive to another area of the park for an RV dump.
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.
TravelerCampground is small but well maintained. Hiking is great. Probably better for people with horses. Electric did not work at all sites. Pit toilets did not seem sufficient for all camp sites.
GuideHad the pleasure of visiting first weekend in February, on the coldest weekend of the year! Nice little cabin set in about 800’ from where you park. It has a table, wood stove, and 4 sets of bunks in a back room. Lots of trails within reach and a horse riding stable if that is your thing. Heard lots of wolves, saw lots of tracks but no animals. I’d like to go back in the spring and hike around some more! Pro tip for cold nights is to block the back room and sleep in the main area-
Waterloo Recreation Area offers 11 different campgrounds across 20,000 acres in southeast Michigan, approximately 25 miles northwest of Blissfield. The area features over 47 miles of trails connecting campsites to scenic woodland areas and lakes. Winter temperatures typically range from 15-35°F while summer averages 65-85°F with moderate humidity.
Trail riding from campgrounds: Hell Creek Ranch & Campground provides direct access to the Pinckney State trail system without needing to trailer horses between locations. "Direct connections to the Waterloo Pinckney trail system. Near Hell, Michigan and Chelsea, Michigan," notes Jason F. The connections allow for extended riding without relocating your horse.
Swimming at local lakes: Brighton Recreation Area offers water activities beyond standard horse trails. "The lake you can rent kayaks, paddle boards, row boats or paddle boats," reports Melissa M. These water options provide cooling alternatives during hot summer rides.
Winter activities: Some horse campgrounds near Blissfield remain accessible year-round for cold-weather trail riding. Van Buren State Park offers winter activities when trail riding conditions aren't ideal. "I came cross country skiing here in early January and it was absolutely amazing. It is cold but the terrain is simple for first time skiers," shares Kevin T.
Equestrian-friendly facilities: Local horse facilities near campsites eliminate the need to trailer between riding locations. At Bishop Lake Campground, "There is a decent sandy beach here with a playground and volleyball net. Also in the park are some small dirt trails for hiking and biking," explains Mike B., describing amenities beyond horse facilities.
Clean facilities: Sanitary conditions rank high among equestrian campers' priorities. "Seriously clean and quiet! Wow... what a nice little getaway in Hell, Michigan area! The big pool and bathrooms were immaculate, with surrounding patio furniture sanitized nightly," Lisa D. reports about Hell Creek Ranch.
Multiple accommodation options: Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern campground provides varied camping experiences. "This was a campground that we stayed at on our way to the northern part of the state. The camp sites were nice, there was a nice swimming area in crystal clear water and a beautiful bathhouse," notes Kevin C., highlighting the clean facilities.
Site spacing varies: Campground density affects privacy between equestrian sites. "This campground was what we needed for squirrel hunting, however, it is very open and not very private. It is another one of those 'parking lot campgrounds' where you can see all of your neighbors at all times," Sarah P. warns about Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern.
Insects can be intense: Bug preparation is essential during warm months. "This place is super close to where we are living so I'll probably schedule it next spring and come prepared. The last problem was drunk campers hooting and hollering all night but that isn't the camping areas fault," Ryan F. mentions about Brighton Recreation Area.
Seasonal operation: Confirm operating dates before planning equestrian camping trips. "I arrived for a 2 week stay in the area on 11/12. I discovered this campground was closed for the season," Mike M. notes about Wayne County Fairgrounds RV Park, which operates April through October.
Playgrounds near campsites: Family-friendly amenities keep children entertained between trail rides. "Nice flat campsites near the beach area. It has a very nice play area for the children and clean bathrooms," Debra B. comments about Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern.
Water activities for non-riders: Families with mixed interest in horseback riding can find alternative activities. "Such a cool place to enjoy with the kids, we had a blast at Jump Island!" Jillian E. enthusiastically shares about Bishop Lake Campground, referring to the inflatable water park.
Animal interactions beyond trail riding: Children who aren't ready for trail riding can still enjoy equestrian experiences. "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," Ashley S. explains about Hell Creek Ranch.
Hookup availability: Electric and water access varies between equestrian campgrounds. "Campground is small but well maintained. Hiking is great. Probably better for people with horses. Electric did not work at all sites," Alysha W. cautions about Van Buren State Park.
Site leveling challenges: Prepare leveling equipment for uneven terrain at rustic 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," Ryan F. advises about Brighton Recreation Area's rustic sites.
Seasonal road conditions: Access to horse campgrounds can be challenging during wet periods. "First of all, if it's rainy or muddy, you might want to think twice about entering the rustic camping area. We have a 4Runner, so it was no problem but a few little cars did slide around and have trouble on the hill by our site," Ryan F. mentions about Brighton Recreation Area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Blissfield, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Blissfield, MI is Bishop Lake Campground — Brighton Recreation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 30 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Blissfield, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Blissfield, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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