Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Rose City is the way to go. Finding a place to stay in Michigan while traveling with your horse is easy. Find our top-rated horse campsites from other campers like you. Plan the perfect trip in minutes.
Welcome to Old Orchard Park Campground located in beautiful Oscoda, Michigan! We have camping sites for all types and sizes of campers, tents and pop ups!We also have cabins, yurts and group camping areas. For your convenience, camping sites at Old Orchard Park are available by reservation. Campers are now able to make a reservation online by clicking the “reserve now” button below to check site availability and reserve a site. Join us for a outdoor experience to make memories that will last a lifetime!
We invite you to visit or stay in beautiful Old Orchard Campground, which is one of the largest campgrounds in Northeast Michigan. Located within the Huron-Manistee National Forest, along the River Road Scenic Byway, the park which is nearly four miles long, overlooks Foote Pond, which formed after the construction of Foote Dam in 1916, on the AuSable River. The park is open from March 15 thru November 30 each year, with plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities for all three seasons therein. This public recreation facility is part of a Consumers Energy Hydroelectric Dam Project licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is operated under the authority of the Township of Oscoda.
South Branch Trail Campground Group Site is ideal for equestrian camping. The group area impresses with its beautiful scenery and convenient access to horseback riding and hiking along the 240-mile Michigan Shore-to-Shore Horseback Riding and Hiking Trail. Priority will be given to campers with horses, however everyone is welcome. The spacious site holds up to 250 campers and features a day-use horse parking area.
Hike or horseback ride on the Michigan Shore-To-Shore Riding and Hiking Trail. The trail begins in the town of Empire near Lake Michigan, on the west side of Michigan and ends near Oscoda, Michigan on the Lake Huron eastern side of the state. The eastern part of the trail follows the historic AuSable River to its end in AuSable, just south of Oscoda.
Campsites are situated in a stand of oak and pine at an elevation of 880 feet. The campground is adjacent to the South Branch River and is also not too far from the AuSable River. The magnificent Lake Huron is only a short drive east of the campground.
$40 - $100 / night
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into state parks and recreation areas, state boat launches, state forest campgrounds and state trail parking lots. The Michigan Recreation Passport does not cover local, county, municipal, or metropolitan parks or recreation areas. Learn more: https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/rec-pp
Legend
This is so great koa with no road noise. The trees are mature and beautiful. This is a great laid back, family campground. The sites are bigger than other campgrounds in the area.
Legend
A horse campground located directly on trails. Rustic campground with lots of trees. Non horse campers stay in lots 1-8
GuideIt was logged off and is essentially destroyed. I think there's 6 "sites" and an open field for equestrian activities.
Very secluded. Nothing of interest in the nearby area.
Looks to be seldom used.
No cell service. Verizon is the dominant service up here. 0 signal.
LegendWe have a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow and stayed in site 107 for 3 days in mid July. This is a relatively large CG, just under 100 wooded sites, which are reasonably spaced for a private CG. The CG is very clean and well maintained, but rather on the pricy side, even with all of the amenities. The roads and sites are gravel. Our site had a fair bit of slope side to side, which I mentioned to the person that led us to our site. He said they’d look into it. During the week, the CG was only about 1/3 full, but completely filled up on the weekend. AT&T coverage fair, with 2 Bars of service that fluctuated between 5G and LTE, with speeds up to 4.3 MB/s. The CG is pretty heavily wooded, so access to satellite TV and/or Starlink is highly dependent on location. We had marginal views of the southern and northern skies, but we were able to get DISH coverage on all three western satellites at our site and Starlink was able to get speeds up to 6.5 MB/s. Unfortunately, the CG WiFi wasn’t very usable, less than 1 MB/s, even before the CG filled up.
Traveler
I stayed here a few times in September 2022. The weather was really rainy but the lake is pretty and Oscoda has a lot of hiking and places to hang up a hammock and relax. (The campsite is about 10 minutes from town.)
Labor Day weekend was crazy and my neighbors had a really difficult time staying in their designated site - one family next to me really liked to put their trash on a tree within my site. People just seemed a little unfriendly and territorial - it seemed like they didn’t know what to do with a younger solo woman camper. Unrelated, a guy was shouting a song about cocaine around 11pm, drinking with his buddies. Just kind of weird vibes even though there were a million kids. It didn’t really feel like homey, family vibes.
The second time I was there I was told I could not car camp. The lady who was working didn’t seem to care but my last night an older male worker waited at the entrance until I returned and loudly announced my site number and said I wasn’t allowed to car camp (I usually don’t get frustrated with older people when they yell because I assume they may be hard of hearing, but it seemed a little unsafe to announce where I would be sleeping.) I asked if hammock camping was ok and he became gruffer and told me his boss wanted to kick me off the campground - which seemed to imply a possible punishment if I kept asking questions. Ironically, I was asking these questions because I didn’t have a tent but was still trying to comply. I just felt uncomfortable after that and left, spending my last night somewhere else.
Showers are ok - they’re coin operated and cleaned every few days.
The scenery is pretty but it doesn’t work for me if I can’t car camp and if there’s no cell service to work. As mentioned, weird vibes as a solo female camper too. Adult activities - like a dance party or movies - take place after dark. I can’t imagine how being in a dark forest with strangers would feel safe, let alone fun, when there is alcohol and it seems likely there are other substances too. No really where my interests lie.
But if you have an RV you might have a different experience - or if you’re looking for a party during a holiday weekend. It might also be worth a try if you’re camping as a group.
ScoutThis place is amazing if you just like to get away from everything. Surrounded by Huron and rarely many people there. Tons of privacy and more land to roam than you'll be able to. Highly reccomend for anyone looking to camp without ANY ammentities. Access is 4x4 only winter months.
TravelerThe owners were constantly driving around and correcting people. Rules are okay but they were over the top. They would even stop and just stare at our site while we sat outside.. it was very odd. Also not kept up at all. The playground was old and my 30 lb dog slipped out from under the “dog park” fence because it was so high off the ground where they were allowed to be unleashed, luckily we got her and she’s ok.
Traveler
At the moment they have 50 or 20 amp power, so you will need a 15 or 50 adapter to use 30 amp service. No water at camp sites, but they have a water fill station. Nice quiet and relaxing right on the lake.a small playground for the kids. Any size rv will fit. Shows require tokens if you wish to use them. The staff are pleasant and helpful. Free Wifi cover is limited, cellphone coverage is ok.
ScoutGot lucky enough to snag a week-long stay on a waterfront site(401) the last week of July and thoroughly enjoyed our stay! We had very nice neighbors and had a great week of relaxing.
Pros:
Website booking process was very easy. Sites are reasonably priced around$25-30/night.
The park is very dog-friendly, which we appreciated.
Nice large, woodsy, level lots. Many are waterfront.
Trash pickup if you leave it by your site marker. Nice and quiet during the week.
Delicious hard ice cream served from the store.
Nice walks down"The Point". Beautiful views.
Cons:
Water and electric are poorly located. Need extra hose/cords.
The large store is mostly empty. No souvenir style items.
Trash everywhere..mini booze bottles, wrappers, cigarette butts.
Bathrooms are clean, but very outdated and run down.
Showers run on tokens/quarters and do not have a temperature control.
ScoutThis KOA was well kept and clean. Great bathrooms and showers, pool, playground. the only thing keeping from 5 stars in my opinion is the lack of grass, but I also love all the trees so it’s a toss up.
Traveler
Bathroom was clean, site was large surrounded by tall pine trees. Picnic table was HC accessible. Fire pit ring. I'm a motocamper and suited my needs. No trash, so take what you brought in plus some.
Traveler
This is one of the worst campgrounds I have ever been to. The bathrooms and showers close at 10pm, and the restrooms themselves are nasty, the showers cost $2 (in quarters) for 6 minutes of lukewarm water, the locals are hostile to unfamiliar faces, and to top it off, the rental ATVs and dirt track to ride them on is o ly separated from the campsites by a board fence, so expect to hear all kinds of small engines zipping by at all hours. The RV trailers for rental are all used trailers circa 1995 and "refurbished", which entails a quick coat of interior paint and laminate flooring screwed to the floors with drywall screws. Guests who have rented the RV trailers are instructed to not use the showers in their trailers. Absolutely not worth the money, would rate 0 stars if I could. If you are looking for a camping experience that puts you in the heart of upper Michigan redneck territory, this is the place for you. If you want a good experience, look elsewhere.
ScoutSites not paved and entrance roads not paved!!!
GuideLots of things to do in this area! The large campground is crowded in summer months and you have to buy tokens to take a shower, but the views and access to the River are spectacular.
GuideCamped here in early fall. The area around here is beautiful with lots of sights and trails. This park has a wide variety of individuals and many long term residents but the staff were pretty friendly and the lake is beautiful (especially in the early morning).
RangerThe Luzerne Express Campground is literally all you need in one spot. The whole place is incredibly accommodating. Friendly, helpful staff. There is an array of sites available plus RV’s and Cabins for rent so winter camping here is a blast. The area is a trail riders Mecca. From horseback riding to ATV’s. There are horse pens available at the campground for overnight horse camping as well at a very reasonable rate. Walk right off the campground into the Huron National Forest.
GuideSmall sites but full hookups. Nice activities and mini golf. Bathrooms soso. Easy access to Otsego state park and Hartwick pines state park
GuideIt’s never busy here. I don’t have horses but I’ve seen people stay with horse trailers with their tie outs to the poles that are designed for it. There’s trails in the surrounding areas. Also water pump and vault toilets. Picnic tables and fire rings are provided as well.
TravelerStayed. For 6 days. Staff was awesome. Sites were neat. Park was clean. Lots do do for kids. Loved it here. Definitely coming back.
RangerWhile it was pricey at $65 night, we had a very spacious full hookup site within easy walking distance of pool. Shower house was very nice and modern, with 4 shower stalls. Full coin laundry was helpful too! They had kids activities over the 4thof July weekend, and our kid loved it. The KOA is about a 5 min drive to Otsego Lake and the state park, where there's a nice beach and easy lake access. There's also a newly paved bike trail right by the lake for you to log some miles on. Nearby towns of Gaylord and Boyne provided us with plenty to do, and only a couple hours to get to Sleeping Bear sand dunes. We thought this place was worth the expense- big, flat, level sites with fire pit and full hook up. Nice pine trees and plenty of space for kids to play. Did not like the additional fee for kid to get wrist band for jump pillow and mini gold, but did it anyways.
RangerLove this park, right down the street from our family cabin and you get the best views of the Au Sauble river for miles around. Right in the heart of Mio, and if you're in the area be sure to check out "the bakery" (Amish bakery that is unbelievably delicious)
GuideVery quiet campground and sites are well spaced.
TravelerBeautiful wooded sights. Fishing ,boat ramp, beach, wagon rides, hearts, cabins great place
TravelerI have been coming to this campground for many years. I bring my whole family! Very family and pet friendly. It has a playground and a small beach. There are many options to stay here! Highly recommend
TravelerLarge sites, amazing hosts, does charge for a band for kids to do activities like jumping pad etc. this includes a bike rental and golf but was an added charge. Area is beautiful but campground doesn’t have fishing - limited hiking paths good for families with kids
ScoutFirst off, old orchard is on property that is owned by Consumers Powers Energy. They allow certain numbers of reservable sites and are slowly opening up more land to create more camping sites and standing Yurts. I love old orchard. We had our camper on one site for three months but had to pay for 3 weeks at a time. Our site was very large and it was very quiet on the fill hookup did of the park. Most of the staff is helpful and some even will teach the RV newbies how to care for their camper.
The area around the park has several areas of interest including Lumbermans monument, iargo springs, and downtown Oscoda on lake Huron. It is on the banks of the Ausable river. Kayaking, boating, pontooning, fishing-all beautiful. There is just North of the park an off shoot road that goes to Champagne Hill where people have large homemade slip and slide mats to slide down the steep sand dunes into the water. People bring their pontoons, boats and watercraft and all meet up at different locations and have a great time. The campground has a small beach but it has not been allowed to be fully developed due to consumers energy wanting a natural rustic feel to the park. Yes it is hard to get in, on a first come first serve basis, but that is because it is a great place to stay.... I give this place 5 stars. I love it there
RangerThis campground is not my favorite, although my husband did not mind staying there. One of the reasons it is not my favorite is because the bathrooms were disgusting. I do not think that they were cleaned the entire four days we were there. They were super-hot and dirty. Another reason I did not care for the campground is because while we were there, my cousin’s dog was taken to doggy jail! We went on a kayaking trip down the Au Sable river and were gone a couple of hours. My cousin has a big dog that was tied to the tree. The dog had water, but must have knocked it over. The weather was not hot, it was in the low 70’s. My uncle’s site was right next door and he was watching the dog. My uncle was preparing dinner and went into the camper to grab what he needed to grill hamburgers and hot dogs. While he was making hamburger patties someone must have walked by and saw that the dog’s water was empty (because the dog knocked it over), that person went to the park attendant and they called animal control. My uncle came out of the camper and the dog was gone. My uncle said he was in the camper for about 20 mins making patties and getting food ready to grill outside. Apparently, it is not actually animal control that came to get him, it was a person down the street that takes the animals to his home on the weekend when animal control is not open. My uncle came out of the camper and the dog was gone. My uncle was frantic and walked around the entire campground and then went to the front desk. The lady was so rude to my uncle. My uncle is a very nice and funny man and he was just beside himself! My cousin came back from the kayaking trip and my uncle told him what happened. My cousin went to the man’s house that took the dog and had to pay $80 to get him out! It was quite the ordeal. My uncle felt bad because he wasn’t out there the entire time with the dog, but he wasn’t gone that long and it wasn’t that hot outside. My uncle would have seen that the water was empty and would have refilled it. The sites are HUGE and there are some trees, but I would not camp here again. That situation left a bad taste in my mouth and the bathrooms not being cleaned during our stay put me over the edge.
Horse camping in Michigan offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a great choice for riders and their horses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Rose City, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Rose City, MI is Oscoda County Park with a 4-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Rose City, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Rose City, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
