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Highland State Recreation Area provides extensive horseback riding opportunities near Milford, Michigan. The park features over 12 miles of equestrian trails through wooded terrain, open fields, and around Haven Hill Lake. Sites in the rustic campground accommodate trailers with ample parking space for vehicles with horse trailers. The campground includes toilets and drinking water but no electrical hookups or shower facilities. Camping sites are extra large, providing room for portable corrals or highlines for securing horses overnight. The natural scenery includes fields of flowers and trees, offering an ideal setting for trail riders.
The equestrian trail system connects to the park's extensive network of hiking and mountain biking paths. Riders can access multiple loop options ranging from 2-5 miles in length, offering varied terrain and difficulty levels. A dedicated horse trailer parking area is available at the equestrian trailhead. Day-use equestrian visitors must purchase a recreation passport or daily vehicle permit. The park maintains trails year-round, though spring conditions can be muddy in some sections. Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, located nearby, offers additional horseback riding trails with similar amenities. These recreation areas provide convenient horse camping options within an hour's drive of Detroit, making them popular weekend destinations for equestrians seeking quick getaways in southeast Michigan.
"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 $32 - $37 / 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 $20 - $80 / 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."
from $20 - $186 / 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. "
from $32 - $37 / night
Check Availability"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"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."
"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."
"We used our Starlink Mini and it worked well on a nearly cloudless day with unobstructed access to the sky. I would definitely stay here again."
"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."
from $35 - $40 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $20 / night
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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.
Highland State Recreation Area's equestrian campground sits at an elevation of approximately 1,050 feet amid the rolling terrain of southeast Michigan, where temperatures range from summer highs averaging 84°F to winter lows near 15°F. The campground features extra-large sites specifically designed to accommodate horse trailers, portable corrals, and highline setups. Most visitors bring their own water troughs as communal horse watering stations aren't available near all camping sites.
Mountain biking trails: Multiple interconnected trail systems offer routes for all skill levels near Bishop Lake Campground in Brighton Recreation Area. "There are electric on each site along with fire rings and picnic tables. Some good spots have some shade to stay out of the sun," notes Mike B., making this a good base camp for bikers.
Fishing spots: Multiple lakes within a 10-mile radius of Milford offer bass, pike and panfish opportunities. At Seven Lakes State Park Campground, Holly S. mentions, "The campground has a private lake that's good for swimming and fishing. Plenty of hiking/biking trails easily accessed from the campground."
Kayaking launch points: Several no-wake lakes provide calm paddling experiences for beginners and families. "The lake is nice but you have to walk a trail to get to it from the campground or drive. Nice walking trails. Our favorite was the lake for kayaking," explains Debra B. about Bishop Lake.
Privacy between sites: Campers consistently praise the natural buffers at Pontiac Lake Recreation Area. "The spots are all pretty private due to trees and vegetation," notes Sam H. This separation creates more solitude than typically found at state parks.
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds in the area maintain above-average bathroom cleanliness. "The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean with hot water," reports Sam H. about Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, while another camper mentions "Bathrooms, picnic tables, fire pit, the standard accommodations."
Natural scenery: The mix of woodlands, wetlands and fields creates diverse habitats for wildlife watching. At Highland State Recreation Area, Brett B. describes it as "This rustic campground is obviously well-tended and has an almost magical feel to it. It's private, quiet, and full of wildlife."
Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds require advance booking, especially during summer weekends when horse events occur. The DNR reservation system opens 6 months ahead for all state parks.
Bug conditions: Mosquitoes can be intense, particularly in wooded sites near water. A camper at Brighton Recreation Area warns, "There are TONS of mosquitos," while another mentions, "We stayed at lot M18 of the rustic site, Murray Lake. The site was large and had a picnic table and fire pit."
Site variations: Campgrounds offer dramatically different experiences based on loop selection. 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., highlighting the importance of researching specific sites.
Beach access: Sand Lake at Seven Lakes State Park offers swimming options with gradual entry points for younger children. "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," reports Andy B.
Playgrounds available: Several campgrounds have recently updated play equipment. At Addison Oaks County Park, Wendy K. notes, "They have kids activities on the weekends, a lake for swimming, great playgrounds and everything is really clean."
Educational programs: Rangers conduct weekend nature programs from Memorial Day through Labor Day at most state parks. "We had a blast at Jump Island!" adds Jillian E., referencing one of the special summer activities available.
Extension cord needs: Electric hookups aren't always conveniently located relative to RV parking pads. At Waterloo Sugarloaf campground, a visitor warns, "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."
Paved sites: Several campgrounds offer concrete or asphalt pads that stay level regardless of weather conditions. Ron E. notes about Addison Oaks County Park, "Cement pads, water, and electric. Loop C is spacious with some trees."
Dump station accessibility: Most state parks have single-lane dump stations that can back up during peak checkout times. Plan to use facilities early or late to avoid waiting in line on Sundays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Milford, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Milford, 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 Milford, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 equestrian camping locations near Milford, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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