7 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Fort Custer Recreation Area offers trail access for equestrians with several multi-use trails designated for horseback riding. The park provides separate areas specifically for horses with a trail that circles the outside edge of the recreation area. Sites are spacious with natural vegetation barriers between campsites, offering privacy for campers with horses. Trails accommodate various experience levels, from beginner to more challenging routes. Most campsites have electric hookups, fire pits, and picnic tables with enough space for horse trailers. The campground maintains modern showers and bathrooms, plus rustic outhouses placed strategically throughout the property for convenience during trail rides.
The horseback riding trails connect to multiple lakes and natural areas throughout the 3,000-acre recreation area. Riders can access miles of scenic paths through wooded terrain and open meadows. The blue trail circles several lakes and provides excellent views for riders. Multiple access points to trails are available directly from the campground loops. Fort Custer remains open year-round, allowing for seasonal riding opportunities across all four seasons. Trailer parking is available near trail access points. The park's extensive trail system accommodates different riding styles, with separate mountain biking trails ensuring riders have dedicated paths. Dogs are permitted in the campground and on trails when leashed, allowing equestrians to bring their canine companions along with their horses.
"The trails are great for hikers, bikers, & equestrians. We’ve had family camp outs there, as well my husband & I alone. It’s all dog friendly too! 🐕🐶"
"Several no wake lakes for kayaking, canoeing and fishing. One lake with swimming beach. Lots of trails for hiking, horses and mountain bikes."
"Sites are in a well wooded area situated on 5 different loops (1 non-electric, 4 electric)."
"This site was fairly level but very close to other sites…wouldn’t recommend it."
from $20 - $480 / night
Check Availability"If you're traveling with kids or enjoy the community of being near your fellow campers this is a great option. If you are looking for a peaceful retreat this may be a bit loud and busy."
"I came here with a few family member to hike and get away from the rat race of life and that's exactly what I got. An awesome 1st time experience. "
from $14 - $80 / night
Check Availability"Come with your own water as they don’t have water hookups at your campsite but there are some nearby. The sites are very spacious and clean. Bath houses are always clean!"
"There is a nice prairie area to walk around in, and an easy to ride pave bike trail. We watched the osprey nest one year for several hours."
from $20 - $90 / night
Check Availability"Overall Rating: 4 for access to the area, very clean facilities, and not too many campers thus time of year.
Price 2024: $35 for water/electric only.""A little close to your neighbors but the way the sites are angled you had plenty of room. Very friendly people. Easy in and out."
"Nice very busy pool and slide, play areas, walking trail, camp store with hot food. Not far from Lake Michigan and places to buy fresh fruit and veggies. Check it out you'll be happy you did."
"This is a great place to camp with young children, as there are many activities around the camp. It is family owned and operated and you can tell- warm and friendly."
"No power motor lake but there is another lake close by that is. We take the canoe with a trolling motor and hit that as well. Pet friendly. They have horse campsites and trails."
"All rustic sites, horses welcomed, vault toilets, and water pumps. Pay for site by money drop in tube so bring your check book. The lake is great for kayaking. Miles of trails to wander and discover."
from $17 / night
Check Availability
GuideEquestrian trails and campgrounds are popular here. Horse rides sold on site. There is a nice hotel that sometimes hosts events actually located in the park. Come tobagginging and ice fishing in the winter and then pamper yourself in the hotel, or visit in the summer and have a beach day or easy hike with the family. Great spot for Pokémon Go because of the available cell service.
TravelerEly Lake Campground is a County campground in Allegan Michigan. All of the sites are rustic. Here are the bullet points:
First the positives: It is a beautiful rustic campground. We stayed on the side with sites 49-73 (specifically site 50) which has larger more secluded sites than the other side of the Lake. The Lake is for non-motorized recreational use so it is mostly used for kayaking and canoeing and fishing. There is about a 1 mile trail that you can walk around the exterior of the Lake, however it is ill defined in some places so just keep your eyes peeled for yellow markers on the trees (which are everywhere so you wont get lost).
This place also attracts a lot of equestrian campers and they have trails specifically for horseback riding. So if you have kids that love horses, you may see some on the weekends.
The negatives: It is a wonderful experience until about 10:30 PM on Friday and Saturday night. This place attracts a rowdy crowd and in the evenings (apparently there is no where else for the locals to have a rager). There is loud music , people yelling, fireworks going off and… not very much sleep. And I am not just talking about a few people with their music on -- it was someone blasting their sub-woofer with electronic dance music until 4:45 AM. It was really disappointing because otherwise the experience was positive. Luckily my kids are all deep sleepers so I was the only one who had to sit up all night.
They clean the bathrooms daily from what I can tell, but otherwise the campground is not maintained. There was trash around our site, and when you walk the trail about the lake you will see cigarette packets and beer bottles occasionally. Also along the trail were two massive hornet nests that really should have been removed by park management - but it's clear they don't ever maintain the trail.
If you're willing to overlook some garbage, and if the party people stay away you could have a wonderful camping trip. Allegan County has a beautiful natural resource here, but sadly it seems like it is being squandered, and wont last.
TravelerPokagon State Park has an excellent state park campground. Sites are in a well wooded area situated on 5 different loops (1 non-electric, 4 electric). Many sites are flat (good for tent camping) while others are slightly rolling hills (helps breakup the sites a bit). There is a lot to do in the park including many trails, horse riding (horse stable on site), and lake swimming on a nicely improved beach. Only cons are no full hook up and the fire rings/grills could be improved.
ScoutThis is always my go to campground! All natural camping with plenty of nice people! One word of advise is to bring your own tp though lol they seem to always run out on Sunday mornings lol but are back up and running by mid afternoon. No showers and just outhouses but that's REAL camping right!!!? No power motor lake but there is another lake close by that is. We take the canoe with a trolling motor and hit that as well. Pet friendly. They have horse campsites and trails. Walking trails around the lake that offer nature at it's purest! I have been coming to this lake to camp for over 40 years and I hope I have 40 more years left!!!
TravelerThis is an extremely large campground. About seventy-five percent of the sites are electric. We stayed in Site 255, which was not electric (booked last minute). This site was fairly level but very close to other sites…wouldn’t recommend it. However, Site 269 (next to Site 277) afforded great privacy and was large; among the non-electric sites this was the best I saw. I did not survey the electric sites, but I’m sure the site matters a lot. Non-electric sites are $20.00, plus a $9.00 park entrance fee.
There are numerous walking trails, along with horse and bike trails. Additionally, there are boat rentals, horseback rides, pony rentals, swimming, nature center, and a restaurant at the inn.
This is a family oriented park. Extended family groupings are very common. Nevertheless, people and their children are well behaved.
I would recommend this campground for two days or more. A one day stay will mean you probably won’t see much of this wonderful park. The only reason I gave it a four was that even in mid-September it was packed.
TravelerThe trails are great for hikers, bikers, & equestrians. We’ve had family camp outs there, as well my husband & I alone. It’s all dog friendly too! 🐕🐶
ScoutMMichigan State park with large sites and lots of privacy. $25per night with electric. Several no wake lakes for kayaking, canoeing and fishing. One lake with swimming beach. Lots of trails for hiking, horses and mountain bikes. Roads quiet and could easily ride your road bike to nearby bike paths. I loved the lack of lights in the park at night making for a beautiful night sky.
Guide...although you probably wouldn't want to camp in the Indiana winter. I grew up coming here mostly to sled on the hills! But, there is a lot more to do. It surrounds Worster Lake and there are cabins, RV sites, and tent sites along with horse trails and bike trails. In the winter, there's sledding hills and ice fishing. The campgrounds are pretty standard, nothing special. If you live in the area, it's a fine little getaway.
ScoutI feel this is one of the best state parks in Indiana. Come with your own water as they don’t have water hookups at your campsite but there are some nearby. The sites are very spacious and clean. Bath houses are always clean! Playground areas for the kids throughout the park lots of bike and walking trails. No pools but a beautiful man made lake for swimming and fishing. Lots of wildlife throughout the park. A great nature center is a must to see for the little ones. My family has camped here for many years. There is also a separate campground for horse lovers.
Fort Custer Recreation Area is located on 3,000 acres of diverse terrain west of Three Rivers, Michigan, with elevations ranging from 850 to 950 feet above sea level. The area features interconnected bodies of water including Eagle Lake, Jackson Lake, and Whitford Lake. Winters reach average lows around 17°F while summer temperatures typically peak in the 80s with moderate humidity.
Trail riding season options: Fort Custer Recreation Area offers year-round equestrian access with seasonal considerations. "I've stayed at both sites listed. 161 you do have neighbors pretty close, but we just stayed at 51 and it is extremely secluded!" reports Hannah about Fort Custer Recreation Area.
Cross-country trail combinations: Connect horse trails with other recreational routes for extended riding experiences. "There are 500+ sites, but all nicely separated and shaded. There's an inn, restaurant, cabins, boat rentals, horseback riding, bike trails, beach, toboggan run, etc. Tons of picnic areas and pavilions; would be a great spot for a family reunion," notes Amy K. about Pokagon State Park Campground.
Winter riding opportunities: Several campgrounds maintain accessible trails during winter months with proper snow management. "We camped and rode (again) at Fort Custer. We've been here 2x before (once in a cabin and once in tents) and this has now officially become a favorite," says Joel K. from Fort Custer Recreation Area.
Private equestrian sites: Many riders appreciate the secluded camping options away from general campgrounds. "Lived in Michigan for most of my life and frequently visited and camped here as a youth. This is primarily a primitive campground with porto-pottys. Usually pretty clean. Located in the Allegan forest. Very quiet and nice that it has a lake for swimming in the summer," says Becky J. about Ely Lake Campground.
Lake proximity for horse cooling: Several campgrounds offer water access points for horses after long rides. "We have been blown away by the efforts put into Indiana's state parks and Potato Creek is no exception. Well kept, beautiful grounds and trails. Restrooms are a bit dated, but clean and functioning," notes Christy Y. from Potato Creek State Park Campground.
Varied terrain difficulty levels: Trail systems accommodate different horse experience levels with marked routes. "Our site was on the far end of a loop. This meant a longer walk to the restrooms and showers. On the other hand, we were right across from an access trail to the blue hiking trail," states Art S. from Fort Custer Recreation Area.
Water access limitations: Not all equestrian sites have immediate water hookups for horses. "Ely Lake Campground is a County campground in Allegan Michigan. All of the sites are rustic... There is a hand pump for water, although I would recommend bringing your own drinking water because the water from the hand pump is very discolored," explains James K. from Ely Lake Campground.
Campsite sizes vary significantly: Some sites accommodate multiple horse trailers while others are better for single rigs. "This KOA has blueberry fields everywhere on the property. For a period of time in summer and early fall, you can pick your own blueberries in the morning to have in your breakfast pancakes! The campground is nice with camping sites that are level and roomy," states Cindy B. about Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday.
Seasonal closure of specific trails: Certain trail sections close during wet seasons to prevent damage. "This place also attracts a lot of equestrian campers and they have trails specifically for horseback riding. So if you have kids that love horses, you may see some on the weekends," notes James K. from Ely Lake Campground.
Horse introduction programs: Some campgrounds offer supervised riding experiences for children. "They have vault toilets and pitcher pumps for water. There is a dumpster available in the busier parts of the season but this campground is open year round. No playground. Just the beach and the trails," explains TheSydliks from Ely Lake Campground.
Combined recreation options: Plan activities that combine horse riding with other outdoor recreation. "I've not camped at this park, only hiked it. I've probably hiked it two dozen times at least and it's got nice trails for the part of Indiana that it's in. Most of them are relatively flat with some trails, like number two, having some hills and stairs in them," says Kaley A. about Potato Creek State Park Campground.
Novice-friendly trail sections: Identify appropriate routes for beginning riders within the equestrian camping area. "Michigan State park with large sites and lots of privacy. $25 per night with electric. Several no wake lakes for kayaking, canoeing and fishing. One lake with swimming beach. Lots of trails for hiking, horses and mountain bikes," notes Janet N. from Chain O' Lakes State Park Campground.
Trailer positioning requirements: Place RVs strategically for optimal horse monitoring and access. "Sites have electrical service only. Must use the dump station," advises VB S. from Fort Custer Recreation Area.
Electric hookup extensions needed: Some equestrian sites require additional connection equipment. "My wife and I come here every year since purchasing our travel trailer. We recommend securing a spot in the back sites 230-287 for larger lots and quieter atmosphere," recommends Frank M. from Potato Creek State Park Campground.
Seasonal site availability limitations: Reserve equestrian campsites well in advance during peak riding seasons. "This is our 'home base' campground. It's familiar. We've been coming here for decades. Comfortable, and quiet(for the most part). Caveat: no electric, no running water, no sewer/septic, no dump, no fill... Can run your generator(inverter type is best)," explains TheSydliks from Ely Lake Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Three Rivers, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Three Rivers, MI is Fort Custer Recreation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 44 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Three Rivers, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Three Rivers, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
