Ortonville Equestrian Campground in Ortonville Recreation Area provides rustic camping designed specifically for horse owners. The campground features basic vault toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings to accommodate equestrians and their animals. Trailer parking is available at both the campground and a separate staging area, allowing riders convenient access to the trail system. No horse corrals are provided on-site, so campers must bring their own portable containment systems or use highlines for their horses. The campground connects directly to the extensive trail network throughout the recreation area, making it popular among equestrians seeking primitive camping options. The rustic nature of the facilities appeals to riders looking for a true outdoor experience with minimal amenities.
Two lakes within Ortonville Recreation Area provide water access points along the trail system where horses can drink. The trail network features diverse terrain suitable for various riding skill levels, from beginner-friendly flat sections to more challenging wooded paths. Most trails are natural surface with good footing for horses, though some areas become muddy after rainfall. No reservations are required for the equestrian camping area, operating on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the year. Riders appreciate the secluded feeling of the campground despite its proximity to metropolitan areas. The recreation area maintains separate trails for equestrians, mountain bikers, and hikers, minimizing potential user conflicts. Trailheads are well-marked with adequate space for trailer parking, making day-use an option for those not wishing to camp overnight.
"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."
"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."
$22 / night
"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."
"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.."
"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."
"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 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."
$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."
"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. "
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.
TravelerThis was our first camping experience in Michigan, so we weren’t exactly prepared. My rating takes this into consideration.
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.
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. These sites were higher and some of them were private. I’d examine the map carefully because some of the sites were horrendously open and basically on the road. Maybe good for a vehicle with a rooftop tent or a trailer of some sort, but it would have been annoying for us. Site M22 was big and far enough away from other campers, but again not level. Probably a good location for a group of hammock campers.
All that aside, the biggest problem was mosquito activity. The camping area sits on an inaccessible lake with a marsh area.
When we rolled in the first thing we noticed was that everyone had screen houses set up.
We didn’t have anything but our tent and a hammock with a big net so everyone got bitten up while cooking and hanging out by the fire. It was pretty miserable. Yes, I realize this is mostly our fault.
I’ve since purchased a thermacell backpacker and some bug net hats and stuff. I’m looking into constructing an ultralight screen house that can be suspended from trees.
The last problem was drunk campers hooting and hollering all night but that isn’t the camping areas fault.
This place is super close to where we are living so I’ll probably schedule it next spring and come prepared. There are lots of nearby lakes and recreational trails so it’s a fun place to be with family.
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.
Ortonville Equestrian Campground caters specifically to riders with horses in Ortonville Recreation Area. The campground connects directly to an extensive trail network throughout the recreation area. Located approximately 12 miles from Lakeville, Michigan, this horse-focused facility typically sees moderate usage during summer weekends and remains less crowded on weekdays. The surrounding terrain features a mix of open fields and wooded areas with elevation changes providing natural trail challenges.
Trail riding access: Direct trail connections from Pontiac Lake Recreation Area provide extensive riding opportunities. "Extensive mountain biking trails and the lake is open to boating, kayaking, and other water sports. Park offers lots of private sites!" according to Mary H.
Fishing in nearby lakes: Two main lakes at Highland State Recreation Area offer good fishing options. Brett B. notes it's a "rustic campground obviously well-tended and has an almost magical feel to it. It's private, quiet, and full of wildlife."
Mountain biking trails: Many trails accommodate multiple users with varying difficulty levels. "Hiking and biking trails, campground, cabins, disc golf course, and a lake for boating. The trails are well maintained and heavily trafficked," reports Kate K. about Oakland County Addison Oaks.
Private campsites: Many campers appreciate the secluded nature of sites at Addison Oaks County Park. Karen C. mentioned, "Our spot #18 I felt was spacious and not too close to the people next to us and trees behind us. We had privacy and it was quiet."
Clean facilities: Restrooms and shower buildings at most locations receive positive reviews. About Bishop Lake Campground, Mike B. noted, "The bathrooms are clean and the showers were warm."
Natural surroundings: The area offers abundant wildlife viewing opportunities. At Highland State Recreation Area, Adrienne C. observed, "We ran up on a group of probably 70 wild turkeys on the trail!"
Bug preparedness: Insects can be prevalent in warmer months. At Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, Kristina J. warns, "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."
Site spacing varies: Some campgrounds have more densely packed sites than others. At Seven Lakes State Park Campground, Kelsey P. observes, "The campground is horribly set up. The entire thing is wide open and there is little to no space between sites. No trees either to break up space between neighbors."
Water access considerations: Not all camping areas have immediate water access. Renee R. points out about Pontiac Lake, "Only drawback is the distance from the lake. The lake is not within walking distance, you would need to drive."
Activity planning: Many recreation areas offer structured activities for children. At Addison Oaks County Park, Tim & Nancy C. shared, "It was a Boo Fest weekend. Lots of socially distanced activities for the kids and a scavenger hunt (finding clues on signs in park to solve a mystery)."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lakeville, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lakeville, MI is Addison Oaks County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lakeville, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Lakeville, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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