Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Lowell? Equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. With our help, you'll find the best Michigan equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Fort Custer Campground at Fort Custer State Recreation Area is a 3,033-acre park located between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo. The park features three lakes, the Kalamazoo River, a campground, a swimming beach, boat rentals, more than 25 miles of multi-use trails, paddling and fishing opportunities, second growth forests and remnant areas of prairie. The trail system is popular with mountain bikers, equestrians, hikers and dog sledders. Originally farmland, the area was acquired by the federal government to establish Camp Custer, an induction and military training center for the U.S. Army during WWII. The land was deeded to the State of Michigan under President Nixon's Legacy of Parks in 1971. No alcoholic beverages allowed in park April 1 through Labor Day.
Located just 20 minutes north of Lansing, Sleepy Hollow State Park is an idyllic getaway for anyone needing some time away from the city. The 2,600 acre park is situation on Price Road off US-27 making it easily accessible to people passing through. That being the case, the park still maintains its charm and accommodates campers and visitors every day without issue. The Little Maple river can be found winding in and out of the forested geography, with Lake Ovid situated right in the heart, thanks to the clever placement of a dam. Visitors come from all over to enjoy the scenic landscapes, birdwatching opportunities, and Winter Snowshoeing.
During the Spring, camp rangers host the weekly Sleepy Hollow State Park Nature program, which educates campers about local wildlife and the history of the surrounding regions. This is a great opportunity for families to spend some time together, especially after a long day of hiking and camping.
Surprisingly, it’s during the winter that this park is most frequently attended. In fact, Sleepy Hollow is most recognized for the miles of snowshoeing and cross country skiing trails that run through the land. The trails are well-traveled, however there’s no shortage of privacy to get out and find peace and quiet within the confines of a forest muted by snow.
Camping here is easily accessible. Michigan Residents can utilize their State Park Recreation Passport to get in for free. Otherwise, entrance rates are $11 for residents, and $16 for non-residents. If camping, full-service campsites start at $25/night, while walk-in rustic sites are only $17/night. Furthermore, if camping in a tent doesn’t sound like your thing there are onsite cabins available for rent at $68 per night. If you want electricity and a full-service cabin, Deluxe Cabins can be rented for $101 a night.
$25 - $101 / night
Traveler
Been coming here since I was little, took a 25 year hiatus from camping. Went back there recently and loved it just like when I was a kid!
Traveler
We just camped at the park this weekend, which was the opening weekend after the rebuild of the bath houses and some other improvements. First, we loved how wooded and beautiful the campground was. The spots were nice and secluded, and the whole place was very beautiful. There were a few things that we didn't enjoy. First, it was EXTREMELY buggy. If you weren't covered in Deep Woods bug spray the whole time, you were getting bit. Second, I don't feel that there were enough showers. There were 5 showers in each bathhouse, making 10 showers total for the entire campground. I found myself waiting in a line every time I wanted a shower. Lastly, I wish there was a walking trail that was more accessible from the campground itself.
Traveler
We just got done with a 3 night stay at Sleepy Hallow. The campsite itself was great, nice a roomy while also being wooded. The bugs were pretty intense, but bug spray helped. They are working on the natural gas pipeline nearby, so there was lots of construction noise. Verizon service was basically non existent other than at the beach. The dog beach was small and full of algae.
ScoutThe place is very good. But the entertainment is fulfil when you play your favourite game. My favourite is Super 9 Game which I played in this game. The game is very unique and full of enjoy. Download it enjoy yourself. The game will refresh you. So, Try it now.
ScoutMy husband and I had a wonderful experience the website was well informed; pull in and pick your own site and the site manager will come by and collect your money for night stayed. In fact, we enjoyed it so much we called to ask for another night, without hesitation, and any disruption to our camping they came by later that evening, and collected for an additional night ( just as the website advised), Charlotte is a wonderful town with wonderful events. This fairground camp area very clean and well organized. Well done Eaton county, see you in May 2024. 💯
GuideThis was our second trip to this property (1st was Sept 2021), and it was really nice. We went Aug 25 - 27th (Friday - Sunday). The property has something like 219 campsites, and that weekend every single one of them was full. Noisy during the day with a few large groups and a LOT of kids, but they were quiet at night and it was not a problem. Some of the campsites are very close together and it's hard to determine that from the map or choosing ahead of time. The showers and bathrooms are fine, and I think they're being upgraded this season so I expect them to be quite nice for 2024 and beyond. We took full advantage of the mountain bike trails which are very easily accessed from the campground. We also took a trip into Battle Creek for a quick stop by CVS, so it's close and convenient for lost or forgotten items. No problems with bugs or mosquitos, other than the normal for being a forested property.
On Saturday morning the camp host had coffee and donuts for a $1 donation. And firewood was easily accessible on site.
Would not hesitate to stay here again.
ScoutI took a day hike back about a mile to site “F”. It was pretty private with a day site about 75 feet away so if anyone hiked in to use the day site, you might have to contend with close neighbors. Otherwise, a great spot with water access.
Scout$10 for clean drinking water they provide the the dump hoses. Always clean and well kept
ScoutHuge beautiful campground. Lots of privacy. Needs extra access to the Kalamazoo River for kayakers. Make a campground near the beach. Gas is too expensive to be driving two and a quarter miles one way to the beach. The dump station needed a serious update.
ScoutAnother great camping experience, site 210 has an amazing trail that leads directly to the showers at one end and at the other path went directly to running water, plus only a couple of yards from a great walking trail.
GuideWalk-in site F was literally the perfect campsite. Fully secluded (except a few curious hikers who stopped in around lunchtime), easy 1 mile walk from parking lot, can kayak right up to it on the calm lake, hammock posts, picnic table, fire pit, gorgeous night sky views. A+ and 10/10
TravelerNice sites, very well organized for privacy. Trees and shrubs dividing sites. The lake is a couple miles away from campground, only 20 miles per hour if I recall. No alcohol permitted
TravelerBeen coming here since 1969 when I was 4 yrs. old. Nothing changed, just good ole wilderness camping! Try to up there a couple times a year. Love it.
ScoutDrive to a place where you are truly, disconnected from society. No cell phone service, no internet, no electricity, and no showers. But who needs any of that when you're camping.
ScoutWith plenty of space between each campsite, easy-to-locate bathrooms/water, and firewood available to purchase at the front office plus over 25 miles of hiking/mountain biking trails, plus more than one body of water to fish/swim in. It really is an ideal place to camp!!
ScoutThere is a river to explore and we always get a riverfront site. Rivers are just fun for fishing, throwing stones, canoeing. There is a campstore, Firepits, large trees, they do hayrides for kids, too. We enjoyed a reasonable trailride on horses thru a shallow part of the river. Very easy for inexperienced riders and kids. It is close to a town to get take out food if it rains. There are some larger vacation lodges to rent that ars nestled away in the woods, and a bunkhouse with rentals. My husband liked the golf course that came with renting spot. Seen lots of wildlife. Very relaxing time in our pop up not too far from Grand Rapids.
ScoutThis is a fairgrounds RV and tent park. Very peaceful when there are no ongoing events. Large bath house with Showers. No office in park, so find a space and park. The manager will stop by to collect your $20. Confidently located a mile outside of Charlotte, with all the conviences of restraunts, walmart, Meijer etc.
ScoutWe camp here several times a year. Love the staff, lakes, and trails!!!
TravelerGreat campgrounds very friendly staff bathrooms are extremely clean great time nice beach
TravelerGreat place to camp, our first trip there was the weekend after the 4th of July. Wish we would have came here yrs ago! Great sites, all divided by trees for some privacy. Will go back
Guide
We stayed here for only 1 night on a weekend and the place was packed. However, most of the campsites are spaced out enough that it isn’t a big deal. The pool is big, has a playground, a nice store on site with food, games, and camping equipment. The best part about it was the on site horseback rides!
GuideThe campground was great, and clean. The park was nice and so we’re all the kid activities! The pool is very nice and the store is stocked nicely. Some of the seasonal kids got a little wild, but the owners were quick to respond!
ScoutAbsolutely no place to pay for camping permit was yelled at by a handicapped guy over there who told me I had to pay them $20 for camping and there’s no place to give them this money, they just want to harass people and provide them with no outlet to actually show up in camp. twenty dollars way too expensive for the way that you treat people there
RangerI can see why this place is so popular with the camper crowd. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just cramped, a bit noisy, and there's alot of traffic. Alot.
I was only taking my son for a night to try his hand at tenting and some hiking. The hiking was nice but not as challenging as some of the other places I've been.
I prefer rustic, somewhat challenging, and a semblance of solitude. You won't get any of that here. But if you're a family, especially with younger kids or older folks, who want a safe place to get outdoors, this is the place. The restrooms, showers, playground, and easy groomed trails will be great for you.
If you're like me, you'll likely be looking north.
ScoutJust bought our first camper this past summer and decided to take it to Ft. Custer to try it out! We absolutely loved this place. There are plenty of hiking trails and the fishing was great. Will definitely be back again!!!
ScoutBoating, trails, camping, beach. Had a great time.
GuideSites are super secluded, a lot are deep with tons of open woods behind them which is beautiful. There’s a huge dog run area that we took advantage of.
The day use beach area was great, and you can swim and kayak in the water.
However there was a couple of issues. One was we had a good down pour for about half hour. That rain flooded a large amount of sites with a few inches of water which was honestly really bad. Another issue was the mosquitoes are real bad. They post signs about it. Last issue was the dump station. I think because of the flooding, the septic tank was almost full which made dumping a little bit of an issue but I could get it done.
Honestly the property is beautiful other than those few issues
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lowell, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lowell, MI is Fort Custer Recreation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 41 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lowell, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Lowell, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
