Sleepy Hollow State Park Campground near Laingsburg accommodates horses with approximately 10 miles of equestrian trails throughout the park. The main camping area offers electric hookups, drinking water, and sites that can accommodate both riders and their horses, though the park does not provide dedicated horse corrals. Campground reviews specifically mention the equestrian trails as being well-maintained and scenic. The park allows alcohol, has fire rings at each site, and offers both tent and RV camping options with sanitary dump stations available. Horse owners must manage their own animals as no specialized equestrian facilities exist in the main campground area. DNR officials enforce quiet hours strictly, which helps maintain a peaceful environment for both humans and horses.
Located approximately 20 miles from Owosso, Sleepy Hollow's trail system connects to Lake Ovid and traverses through woodlands that provide varied terrain for riders of all experience levels. Riders should bring their own portable corrals or high-lines as the park does not provide permanent equestrian infrastructure. Trailer parking is available near the designated equestrian staging areas rather than at individual campsites. The equestrian trails remain open from April through November, though wet conditions can temporarily close sections after heavy rainfall. Horse camping requires standard Michigan Recreation Passport entry, plus regular camping fees. Riders frequently note the well-marked horse trails and spacious parking areas for trailers as particular advantages. Water access for horses exists at specific points along the trail system, but campers should verify seasonal availability during dry periods.
$25 - $101 / night
"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. "
"Quietly 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!"
"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. "
$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."
$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."
"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. "
"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."
$20 - $35 / night
"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."
"This was our first camping experience in Michigan, so we weren’t exactly prepared. My rating takes this into consideration."
"Large campsite with trees, lit path to the bathroom, and easy access to hiking trails and raft/boat launch."
"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.
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.
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.
Sleepy Hollow State Park offers dedicated facilities for horse owners near Owosso, Michigan. Located at lower elevations around 850-900 feet, the park experiences seasonal temperature variations with summer highs averaging 80-85°F and winter lows frequently dropping below freezing. The surrounding terrain consists primarily of rolling hills with mixed hardwood forests and open meadows that provide varied trail experiences for riders throughout the equestrian season.
Fishing opportunities: Visitors to Bishop Lake Campground can enjoy multiple fishing spots with a range of catch. "Large sites, very laid back relaxing," notes James H., who found the fishing productive during multiple visits.
Hiking trail systems: The trail network at Seven Lakes State Park Campground offers routes suitable for various skill levels. "Seven Lakes has a great hike that takes you all around the lake, as well as smaller loops. You can find challenging hikes or an easy path," explains Maggie M., who particularly enjoyed the sunrise views.
Swimming and water recreation: The beach areas provide summer cooling options with varying amenities. According to Ricky C., Sleepy Hollow offers a "nice beach but you have to walk a short distance to get there," while other parks feature more elaborate water features.
Private campsites: Pontiac Lake Recreation Area receives praise for its site layout and natural screening. "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," explains Sarah P.
Clean facilities: Maintenance standards vary across parks with some offering superior amenities. "The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean with hot water," reports Christina A. after staying at Brighton Recreation Area, noting the family-friendly atmosphere with "lots of kids on bikes."
Wildlife viewing: The natural setting provides opportunities to observe local fauna. At Highland State Recreation Area, Adrienne C. encountered "a group of probably 70 wild turkeys on the trail" and noted the "natural scenery is STUNNING with fields of flowers and trees."
Seasonal mosquito activity: Bug protection is essential during warmer months. "There are TONS of mosquitos," warns Rebecca M. about Brighton Recreation Area's Murray Lake rustic site, recommending visitors bring adequate bug spray.
Water access considerations: Beach proximity varies significantly between campgrounds and specific sites. At Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern, Kevin C. found "a nice swimming area in crystal clear water and a beautiful bathhouse," though noted mosquitoes were "pretty bad" during their evening stay.
Electrical hookup limitations: Power connection challenges affect some RV sites. At Sleepy Hollow, "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," advises Nathan V.
Youth activities: Look for campgrounds with designated recreation areas. "The park is very large, so it is always good to have a vehicle able to drive to the trails and beach," recommends Nathan V. about Sleepy Hollow State Park, noting its "decent sized" sites can "fit probably 3 four person tents per site."
Shade considerations: Tree cover varies significantly between campgrounds and individual sites. Amy D. explains that at Sleepy Hollow, "Our site backed up to trees and I can't recall seeing our neighbors to the left or right. Because we didn't get any shade from the nearby trees we had to run the ac."
Playground access: Hell Creek Ranch Campground offers dedicated play areas for children. "A swimming pool and playground with basketball court to keep my kids entertained and clean facilities convinced me I had made the right choice," reports Ashley S., who also appreciated the on-property horse barn offering riding lessons.
Site leveling needs: Terrain varies across campgrounds requiring preparation. Ryan F. advises about Brighton Recreation Area's Lake Murray rustic sites: "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."
Extension cord requirements: Power access points may not align with parking pads at multiple parks. Mary H. confirms at Pontiac Lake: "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."
Parking pad types: Surface materials differ between campgrounds affecting setup. At Waterloo Sugarloaf, Jonah H. notes, "The campground has some nice full-grown trees, but isn't extremely wooded... The trees offer shade, but are spaced out enough that a group can pull their campers around for privacy."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Owosso, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Owosso, 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 Owosso, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 equestrian camping locations near Owosso, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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