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Sleepy Hollow State Park Campground offers horseback riding trails among its many recreational options. The park features miles of designated equestrian paths where riders can explore the natural surroundings. Campground amenities include electric hookups, drinking water, showers, and toilets. Horse trails at Sleepy Hollow accommodate riders of various skill levels, with DNR staff regularly patrolling the area to ensure safety. Sites are secluded and private with trees providing good separation between camping spots. The park operates with strict enforcement of quiet hours and general regulations.
The equestrian trails connect to a comprehensive network throughout the 2,600-acre park, allowing for extended riding experiences. Lake Ovid sits at the center of the park, providing water access and fishing opportunities after a day on horseback. The beach area is separated from the main campground, requiring either a short drive or a longer walk to access. Riders should note that while the park allows horses on designated trails, the campground itself does not offer dedicated horse corrals or specialized equine facilities. Trail conditions vary seasonally, and riders report the paths are well-maintained for horseback use. During peak seasons, advance reservations are essential as the campground fills quickly, particularly on weekends and holidays.
"Trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Basketball court and playground. Beach area for swimming and a pier for fishing. Sites were nice size."
"What 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. "
from $25 - $101 / night
Check Availability"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"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. "
"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."
"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
Check Availability"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"Confidently located a mile outside of Charlotte, with all the conviences of restraunts, walmart, Meijer etc."
"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. "
"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."
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.
LegendThere is plenty to keep you occupied at this campground. Full disc golf course. Trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Basketball court and playground. Beach area for swimming and a pier for fishing. Sites were nice size. Some sites are pull through and many of the pads looked like they were fairly new. It was a little bit of a walk to the lake and disc golf area but not too bad. There is also a parking lot at the lake so you can always drive there as well. There is no camp store so you’ll have to drive to either Laingsburg or Ovid if you need anything.
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.
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 !!
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.
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.
Sleepy Hollow State Park sits 15 miles east of Lansing on 2,600 acres of mixed woodland and wetland habitat at an elevation of 826 feet. Lake Ovid's 410-acre reservoir anchors the park's center. Summer temperatures average 70-85°F during day, dropping to 55-65°F at night with moderate humidity levels typical of Michigan's lower peninsula.
Fishing opportunities: Lake Ovid offers fishing for largemouth bass and bluegill. At Sleepy Hollow State Park Campground, "Fishing is good here for some largemouth bass, and huge blueguils. Lots of traffic being so close to City, but good day excursion," according to Michael P.
Hiking trails: The park connects to extensive trail networks for day hiking. Jacob B. notes that Sleepy Hollow has the "best hiking trails within 1 hour drive of the state capital" with options for "fishing, boating, disc golf, horse and bike trails, geocaching available."
Kayaking and paddling: Several lakes in the region provide water recreation options. At Seven Lakes State Park Campground, one visitor mentioned, "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."
Privacy between sites: Campsites at many parks offer good separation. At Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, Sarah P. says, "This campground is my FAVORITE in Oakland County. The sites aren't super far away from each other but there are trees between sites so from most of the sites you can't really see your neighbors."
Clean facilities: Most parks maintain good bathrooms and showers. Nathan V. observed at Sleepy Hollow that "Bathrooms are well spaced between the campsites, and have showers along with some vending machines outside of them. Spigots are scattered throughout and are very accessible."
Lake access and beaches: Many campgrounds feature swimming areas. At Bishop Lake Campground, Beth G. shared that "You can also just swim at the lake- nice area with shade trees beach and nice lake water. We brought a cooler and ordered ice cream from concessions."
Electricity considerations: Power hookups vary in accessibility at sites. Nick W. noted at Sleepy Hollow, "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."
Beach access logistics: Swimming areas may require travel from campsites. According to Stephanie C., at Sleepy Hollow "There is a beach and playground, but it is quite the walk from the campground. Plan to drive or bike ride if you have trouble walking long distances."
Seasonal conditions: Weather affects the camping experience. Mike W. observed, "We go to sleepy hollow about every other year. Normally we go closer to the fall and it is a great park. This time, however, we could tell that the staff does not keep up on it as much. The firepit was surrounded by water."
Playground access: Parks offer recreational facilities for children. Melissa M. says Brighton Recreation Area "has water activities you can pay extra for if you would like to do that... A lot of trails for biking and hiking."
Event weekends: Some parks host special activities. Stephanie noted that at Sleepy Hollow "Every year they put together an awesome Halloween trick or treat weekend, but be sure to book the day of six months before because otherwise you will not get a site."
Mosquito preparation: Bring protective gear for insects, especially near wetlands. Ryan F. warns about Brighton Recreation's Murray Lake area: "When we rolled in the first thing we noticed was that everyone had screen houses set up... I've since purchased a thermacell backpacker and some bug net hats."
Leveling challenges: Be prepared for uneven terrain. Amy D. from Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern shared, "The camp sites were nice, there was a nice swimming area in crystal clear water and a beautiful bathhouse. It had a more modern layout that could accommodate many campers."
Extension cord needs: Electric hookups may require additional equipment. Nathan V. recommends, "Be sure to bring at least 100 feet of extension chord if you want electricity, because the power ports are not as accessible from some areas."
Site selection for equestrian camping near Laingsburg: Those seeking horse-friendly camping should research options thoroughly. While Sleepy Hollow allows horses on trails, Amy D. notes camping realities: "We stayed during very hot weather at the beginning of July 2020... Our site backed up to trees and I can't recall seeing our neighbors to the left or right."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Laingsburg, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Laingsburg, MI is Sleepy Hollow State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Laingsburg, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 equestrian camping locations near Laingsburg, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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