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Ortonville Equestrian Campground offers rustic camping specifically designed for riders and their horses in the Ortonville Recreation Area. Campsites include picnic tables, fire rings, and designated areas for tethering horses, with vault toilets available for campers. The grounds accommodate both tent and RV camping while providing ample space for horse trailer parking. Sites are well-maintained and equipped with the basic necessities for equestrian campers, though hookups are not available at this horse-specific campground. The recreation area features two lakes near the campground, providing water access during rides. Trail riders note the campground's popularity among the equestrian community, creating opportunities to connect with fellow horse enthusiasts.
The equestrian trail system throughout Ortonville Recreation Area offers miles of scenic riding paths through wooded terrain. These trails connect directly to the campground, allowing riders immediate access without needing to trailer horses to trailheads. Multiple trail loops accommodate various riding abilities and preferences, from shorter routes suitable for beginners to more extended paths for experienced equestrians. Water crossings and natural obstacles provide interesting terrain variations throughout the trail system. Riders can access the surrounding natural areas year-round, though trail conditions vary seasonally with spring often bringing muddy sections after rainfall. The recreation area's trail network integrates with the broader landscape, creating a comprehensive riding experience directly accessible from the horse camp.
"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. "
"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 $22 / night
Check Availability"Large play areas, dog run, basketball court, lots of walking trails, and family friendly."
"The location is pretty great, off the beaten path but, within 30 minutes of major stores and conveniences. "
"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."
"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."
"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 $17 - $90 / night
Check Availability"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."
"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.."
"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."
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.
LegendWhat can I say, I love the Michigan State Parks. I find they are the best, Sleepy Hollow is not different and it has so many things to do. I would advise if you want to camp there on a weekend to make reservations well in advance. We stay here because there are only 2 campgrounds in the Lansing East Lansing Area this being one of them and the other does not have all full hook ups and charges more. When we visit our daughter at Michigan State University this is the place we stay, 20 - 30 minutes into the University depending upon the traffic.
It has large wooded sites only electric but you can fill up the water at the dump station. Each site has a picnic table and Fire ring. Each campsite has a asphalt pad. They sell fire wood at the campground office. Bring what you need or you can go into St. johns to the Kroger or Walmart. they have 2 main camping loops with 2 loops in each of the main loops and a shower restroom in each main loop. The restrooms are very clean and kept up. I love the showers hot water and for me that is hot and great pressure, I could shower all day. Sure beats our shower in the RV.
The State Park is on Ovid Lake and it is a beautiful lake, great for fishing, canoeing, paddle boards, kayak, and swimming. they have a shelter for you if you have a big party.
They also have a group campsite and a picnic area for large groups. d You can also bring your horses go to the Equestrian area and unload and get on the trail.
You can rent canoes, kayaks, paddle boats and paddle boards. They also have a great play ground for the kids and a fishing pier. Bring Bikes or just hike on the trails and head down to the beach.
Travelerquiet campground during the day, short drive to the beach, biking and equestrian trails available. loud around the restroom at night, cleaning crew came through at 10 pm.
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.
TravelerQuietly tucked into Clinton co Michigan. Sleepy is easily accessible. Its close to Lansing. There are shopping centers nearby. Country party store is closer!! Very large lake....Ovid is her name! Offers many species of fish for catching!! There are fishing docks, ONE IS NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE TO NON AMBULATORY PERSONS !!! THIS ONE'S IN THE CAMP AREA! The path is nicely groomed. The bea h is a long way from the parking lot a d there is no beach access from camp. The park is usually a clean family place...but for really young children or elderly persons it may. Ot be your first choice. I live nearby and have camped there zillions of times. I love it and shower bouses in camp are clean! Friendly staff a d they ate SERIOUS about quiet time! Bug spray required !!
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.
GuideI frequent this park if I am camping or not. decent disc gof course and access to Lake Ovid is great, miles of trails to hike/bike/ride horses. Hosts are very friendly and is always a joy to talk with the rangers
ScoutFun backpacking trails best trails close to state capital
fishing ,boating, disc golf, horse and bike trails,
Geocaching available.
GuideThis was our last stop on a trip where we camped in 6 different Michigan State Parks. This may be an older camp or the DNR was trying to save money when it was built. Most electrical posts are designed to accommodate at least 2 adjoining lots, and as many as 4. This in itself is not a concern until you realize the posts are way too far away to reach without an extension. We tried several lots and couldn’t reach any of the outlets. We finally met a couple who saId they had extensions at the office. So, we finally got set up with an extension cord from the camp office and decided to walk to the beach. Our site was adjacent to the path leading to the beach so we figured we could use a little walk. The path led to another path that led to a parking lot for the beach. After crossing the parking lot we still had to cross a large yard/park that finally opened onto the beach on this small lake. It was all very scenic, but we weren’t expecting a major hike to get to the beach. Showers are nice. They also have a neat ice cream vending machine that I had to check out for scientific purposes only. For a Michigan state park we were quite disappointed.
Ortonville Equestrian Campground provides rustic accommodations for trail riders within Ortonville Recreation Area, located 20 miles northeast of Grand Blanc, Michigan. The campground features picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets with direct access to the trail network. Trail conditions vary throughout the seasons with 15 miles of dedicated equestrian pathways connecting to two lakes within the 5,400-acre recreation area. Horse camping facilities include trailer parking and designated areas for tethering horses.
Horseback trail riding: The Ortonville Recreation Area trail system offers miles of scenic routes for equestrians. "The lakes and launches are very nice and there are some great trail systems through the area. Riders can access the surrounding natural areas year-round, though trail conditions vary seasonally," notes Kate K.
Mountain biking and hiking: Pontiac Lake Recreation Area provides extensive trail networks. "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," writes Christie V. The recreation area also features an equestrian trail system separate from the mountain biking paths.
Swimming and fishing: Seven Lakes State Park offers water recreation options on multiple lakes. "Sand Lake was our spot and the water was breath taking - it's a small pond really, but great for kayaking. Crystal clear, clean water, a good public beach. Our site had 'private' access and our boys just played in the water for three days," shares Andy B.
Private campsites: Many campers appreciate the secluded feel of sites at Highland State Recreation Area. "The sites are very private and spacious in the primitive camping area. The natural scenery is STUNNING with fields of flowers and trees. We ran up on a group of probably 70 wild turkeys on the trail," reports Adrienne C.
Family activities: Covenant Hills Camp offers numerous recreational options. "Lots of things to do - climbing wall, zip line, swimming, fishing a lot of pike. Wooded lots, very friendly," explains C.P. The campground provides both traditional campsites and cabin accommodations.
Equestrian accommodations: Horse owners value the dedicated facilities at Ortonville Equestrian Campground. The campground includes staging areas with trailer parking and designated spaces for horse tethering. Vault toilets serve the basic needs of campers while the natural setting appeals to riders seeking direct trail access.
Seasonal conditions: Trails around equestrian camping areas near Grand Blanc can become muddy after rainfall. Spring often brings challenging riding conditions while summer and fall generally offer drier trails. Water crossings throughout the trail systems may become impassable during wet periods.
Bug preparation: Bishop Lake Campground and surrounding areas experience significant insect activity. "There are tons of mosquitoes and ticks, so make sure you bring bug spray. Also make sure that all food and garbage is secure at night, the raccoons have no fear," advises Kristina J.
Campsite privacy varies: Site selection impacts your camping experience in this region. "Very nice sites. Wooded and up north feel. Great hiking and world class mountain bike trails," says Christie V. about Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, while another camper notes of Bishop Lake: "The campground is nice with good access to bikes, trails, water, beach. Unfortunately the sites are on top of each other and very loud."
Beach activities: Seven Lakes State Park offers family-friendly swimming. "The campground has a private lake that's good for swimming and fishing. The sites are decently sized with most being easily gotten into with an RV. Plenty of hiking/biking trails easily accessed from the campground," explains Holly S.
Kid-friendly programming: Seasonal activities enhance family camping experiences. "Lots of onsight activities on the weekend. Large play areas, dog run, basketball court, lots of walking trails, and family friendly," notes ANDREW H. about Covenant Hills Camp.
Trail exploration with children: Highland State Recreation Area provides accessible nature experiences. "Extra large camp sites, lots of room for the kids to run around. Extensive trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Lovely little no wake lake perfect for swimming, fishing or paddling," shares Jennifer H.
Site selection: Choose level spots at Seven Lakes State Park. "Sites tend to slope towards Sand Lake so have leveling blocks if that's important to you," advises Edward C. The park accommodates RVs with designated pads, though some sites require additional equipment for proper leveling.
Hook-up locations: Be prepared with extension cords at Pontiac Lake Recreation Area. "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," suggests Mary H.
Campsite access: Consider your equipment size when selecting horse camping locations. The Ortonville Equestrian Campground accommodates standard horse trailers but has limitations for larger rigs. Pontiac Lake Recreation Area offers more accommodating sites for those with larger trailers, noting that "Park is clean. Beach is a 1.8 mile hike from the East loop in the campground but is well worth the walk."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Grand Blanc, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Grand Blanc, MI is Seven Lakes State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Grand Blanc, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 16 equestrian camping locations near Grand Blanc, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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