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Ortonville Equestrian Campground in the Ortonville Recreation Area provides primitive camping for horse owners near Rochester, Michigan. The campground includes toilets and picnic tables in a natural setting that permits alcohol but does not allow pets. While the facility lacks electric hookups, shower facilities, or water at individual sites, riders appreciate access to drinking water and waste disposal areas. The campground features dedicated equestrian sites with space for trailers and direct access to trails. Overnight spots accommodate both tents and RVs on a first-come basis as reservations are not available.
The equestrian trail system connects to broader recreational paths throughout the 5,400-acre Ortonville Recreation Area. Trails wind through heavily wooded terrain with varied elevation changes suitable for riders of different experience levels. Water access points along the routes provide natural drinking opportunities for horses during longer rides. Most equestrian campers visit during the warmer months, though the recreation area remains open year-round. Daily trail rides connect campers to scenic overlooks and natural features within the park. Riders should bring their own feed and portable water containers as on-site amenities are limited. The campground's location approximately 20 miles from Rochester provides convenient access for local horse enthusiasts seeking weekend trail experiences.
"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."
"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"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."
"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."
"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. "
"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.."
"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"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."
"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. "
"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."
"Nice campgrounds easy to get around and my children loved it"
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.
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.
TravelerThis was our first time camping. 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. Our spot #18 I felt was spacious and not to close to the people next to us and trees behind us. We had privacy and it was quiet. The people we did talk to were all very friendly. We heard the showers were decent but we used our own. I would stay again.
Equestrian camping near Rochester, Michigan offers riders access to trail systems throughout the 5,400-acre Ortonville Recreation Area. The area features rolling terrain with mixed woodland and meadow landscapes at elevations ranging from 900-1,100 feet. Summer temperatures typically average 75-85°F during peak riding season from May through September, with trails that remain accessible during spring and fall months when conditions permit.
Trail riding at Ortonville: The recreation area features dedicated equestrian trails with varied terrain. As noted by Kate K., "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... The lakes and launches are however very nice and there are some great trail systems through the area."
Explore Highland trails: Highland State Recreation Area offers additional riding options within 30 minutes of Rochester. "Extensive trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Lovely little no wake lake perfect for swimming, fishing or paddling," shares Jennifer H. The park maintains multi-use trails that connect to scenic overlooks.
Visit equestrian facilities: Some private facilities near Rochester allow day use for riders. Walker L. describes a nearby option: "This is one HUGE camp ground for scouts to enjoy and learn," which occasionally hosts equestrian events for visitors beyond scout groups.
Large camping areas: Pontiac Lake Recreation Area provides spacious sites for horse trailers. Mary H. reports, "Park offers lots of private sites! We stayed in site 118 and could not see neighboring sites! The site was very spacious and offered picnic table, fire ring, paved pad, and electrical hook up."
Natural setting: Campers appreciate the undeveloped areas surrounding equestrian sites. Brett B. describes a nearby campground as having "an almost magical feel to it. It's private, quiet, and full of wildlife. There are two paved sites for handicapped accessibility, running water, a dumpster, and two outhouses."
Trail access: Direct connections to riding paths rank high with equestrians. As Christie V. notes about a nearby option, "Very 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."
Seasonal considerations: Many equestrian facilities have limited services outside summer months. At Wayne County Fairgrounds RV Park, Mike M. discovered, "I arrived for a 2 week stay in the area on 11/12. I discovered this campground was closed for the season."
Reservation requirements: Most equestrian sites operate on a first-come basis during weekdays but fill quickly on weekends. Ron E. describes one nearby option as a "Nice quick weekend retreat campground. Cement pads, water, and electric."
Facility limitations: Equestrian campgrounds typically offer basic amenities. Sarah P. notes, "If you are like me and like more rustic camping, this is not the place for you. The sites are very close together and you can see all of your neighbors."
Kid-friendly activities: Addison Oaks County Park offers family programs near equestrian trails. According to Wendy K., "Tons of trails for hiking and biking. They have kids activities on the weekends, a lake for swimming, great playgrounds and everything is really clean."
Water access options: Several campgrounds near equestrian sites feature swimming opportunities. Karen C. shares, "We brought our own kayaks but they do rent boats. We saw deer and rabbit. Our spot #18 I felt was spacious and not to close to the people next to us and trees behind us."
Bug preparation: Insect protection is essential for family comfort. 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 selection: Seven Lakes State Park Campground provides options for RVers visiting equestrian areas. Holly S. advises, "The sites are decently sized with most being easily gotten into with an RV. Plenty of hiking/biking trails easily accessed from the campground."
Leveling considerations: Prepare for uneven terrain at some campgrounds. Edward C. notes, "Sites tend to slope towards Sand Lake so have leveling blocks if that's important to you."
Hookup access: Many sites require extra equipment. Mary H. points out, "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."
Service availability: Covenant Hills Camp offers full hookups when visiting equestrian areas. ANDREW H. confirms, "Large sites, all full hookup. Plenty of onsight activities on the weekend. Large play areas, dog run, basketball court, lots of walking trails, and family friendly."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Rochester, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Rochester, 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 Rochester, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Rochester, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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