Best Equestrian Camping near Vandalia, MI

Recent Equestrian Reviews near Vandalia, MI

213 Reviews of 7 Vandalia Campgrounds

• 

  Whitley K.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 29, 2022

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Visit in Winter for Tobagganing

  Equestrian 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.

• J

  James K.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 11, 2020

  Ely Lake Campground

  Beautiful rustic sites with loud parties at night

  Ely Lake Campground is a County campground in Allegan Michigan. All of the sites are rustic. Here are the bullet points:

  • There are no bathrooms, just pit toilets. 
  • There is no electricity. 
  • 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.
  • Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table.
  • They don't sell firewood, but you can by some in town on your way in.
  • There is a beach.
  • You can make reservations online ahead of time, or show up and find an empty site (but bring cash or check to pay because its a drop box).
  • They have equestrian trails and sites.

  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.

• 

  Diana M.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 13, 2018

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Perfect for families

  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! 🐕🐶

• B

  Becky N.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 9, 2019

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Trails

  There are trail, beaches, boats, horses... so many things to do

• D

  Daniel S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 5, 2016

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Pokagon State Park

  Pokagon 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.

• 

  Amanda J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2019

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Beautiful Stay

  I have stayed in the Inn and the camp site. I highly recommend it. There are so many activities that people of all ages can enjoy! I Particularly like the horse back riding trails, and in the winter there are toboggan rides!

• E

  Ellen S.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 19, 2018

  Ely Lake Campground

  Great Rustic Campground

  I have been camping here a couple years. It is open year round. 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.

• 

  Janet N.

  Scout

  

  May. 20, 2019

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Something for everyone

  MMichigan 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.

• K

  Karen O.

  Traveler

  

  May. 17, 2019

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Huge and has so much to offer

  Wow! Three lakes, hiking, biking and horse trails, showers, camp host and super quiet this past week while there. Not many campers, but everyone there seemed pleasant and were quiet. Deep sites, electric if you so desire, firepit and tables. I use a tent. Driving from the west through Augusta is a treat...so pretty. Civilization not far at all. Fishing, beach, play areas and an amusement park for mountain bikers! No alcohol. Will return!

• 

  Jessica L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 28, 2016

  Potato Creek State Park Campground

  Activities for all seasons...

  ...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.

• M

  Mary G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 10, 2021

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  So much to do!

  What a beautiful park. So much to do, beach, hike, bike, horse back ride. Campgrounds can be crowded, lots of families, lots of kids. Campground 3 was a little tight for our 38 ft Class A, but certainly doable. Choose your spot wisely. The park staff were very friendly, very helpful. We needed to move spots, and then had issues with the electric. Everyone we dealt with was very accommodating, helpful, friendly.

• 

  Kathleen S.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 22, 2018

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Very large , trees and woods, bring your bikes.

  We visited for just one night on a fall weekday. Campground was not crowded. Our site #315 was spacious with a nice foliage buffer around it. Many nice sites, but also many small, not private at all sites. We enjoyed a hike on one of the nice hiking trails, saw many families enjoying the bicycle trails and paved park roads. There is an Inn and restaurant in the park. We talked about how nice it would be to meetup with non Camping family members at this location. There are horse stables and a winter toboggan run as well

• D

  Diana C.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 25, 2019

  Potato Creek State Park Campground

  A wonderful state campground

  I 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.

• M

  Mary Z.

  Traveler

  

  May. 22, 2018

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Our local go-to campground.

  We have been camping here for 30+ years. It’s our local go-to campground. The sites are large, lots of old growth trees so you don’t feel like you’re in a parking lot. Modern showers and bathrooms are available as well as rustic out houses. The draw for us is the miles of biking and hiking trails and the two lakes for kayaking. There are designated areas for horses as well. You can fish, swim at the beautiful beach, get a snack from the store and kick back at your campsite. We love this place. Great family atmosphere with on site host during peak months. Come out and enjoy this gem.

• 

  Suzi K.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 22, 2020

  Ely Lake Campground

  Words Can't Describe

  This 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!!!

• 

  Shelly S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 29, 2017

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  I REALLY LIKE THIS PARK

  Pokagon State Park is one of the most manicured , well maintained parks I've been to. The Army Corp does some good work but Pokagon has them beat.

  One of the differences is that it doesn't seem like I hardly ever see any of the Corp workers , but at Pokagon the staff was right there doing their thing, registering, guiding, informing, mowing and maintaining.

  The campgrounds are well laid out with several different areas to choose from. There were several youth groups at the group campground but you could not hear them from the other campground. The sites are well spaced and provide privacy if you want it plus room for extra tents or shelters. The facilities are maintained and clean.

  There is an extensive trail system to enjoy that connects with the nearby nature preserve. There are horse tours and a very nice Inn for the less "natural" crowd.

• 

  T S.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 19, 2021

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Extensive Campground

  This 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.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 8, 2019

  Potato Creek State Park Campground

  Campground=4 stars; check-in=2 stars

  Campground= 4 stars; check-in= 2 stars. Very large campground with close to 300 sites plus a horse camp and about 20 cabins. We picked this park solely because it was convenient to our next destination, so we were not concerned with amenities. We did not make a reservation because I really do not want to pay the extra fee if it is not necessary. Upon arrival, we paid the $9 entrance fee ($7 for Indiana residents) and drove the 3 miles to the campground office. Somewhat surprised to find both staffed at 6 pm on a Thursday after Labor Day. We were told to drive around and pick several desired sites as they could not tell us which ones still had people due to arrive that night who had reserved. Huh?? So, we drove around two of the five loops and picked half a dozen sites that would be suitable. But that’s where the fun began- not! There seemed to be some computer glitch in that every site we asked about showed as not available, even though more than half the sites were empty. Eventually, we were told to just go to one of the sites we picked and set up and that a security guard would come and collect our money. Eventually, at just before 9 pm, the security guard did come and told us the glitch had been fixed and asked that we come to the office and register. The glitch was not fixed! But we paid our fee and were able to stay the night and the staff was very apologetic. 

  There is no differentiation between RV and tent sites (the only one that is separate is the horse camp). The E Loop seemed to be the most crowded, mostly with RVs. The sites in the D Loop were spaced a decent amount of distance apart but other than that, there was no real privacy between them. This was not a problem because the loop had many empty sites and we were able to easily find one that had an empty one on either side of us. There are paths to the beach accessible from the D and E loops but note the beach is only open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There is no longer a dog beach at Potato Creek. There is a general store(open until 8 pm) and bike rentals which, if we were going to stay longer, we might have taken advantage of. There are boat rentals in season. Several trails and playgrounds so I imagine that in the summer, this is a nice family campground (even the name is Family campground). 

  The mosquitos were vicious, likely worse due to the amount of rain the area has had this year. Bathrooms were very clean and there was hot water, a nice luxury but you have to be careful not to bump your head on the shelf over the sink when washing your face. Didn’t use them but there were also showers. 

  The check-in process notwithstanding, our stay was fine for the night.

• N

  Nilsa S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 16, 2018

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Lots to do

  We visited Pokagon for a long weekend with friends. We took over sites 502, 504, 506 and 508. One thing that was clear - the sites vary in size. Sites 504 and 506 are on the smaller side; 502 was moderate and 508 was enormous. We found the bathrooms to be clean and easy to use. Was shocked to find showers just turned on (no timers). The lake is not self-contained within the park - there are houses across the way and various access points. Within the park, the lake provides a small swimming area and much larger areas for boating. Lots of motor boats and wave runners; kayaks and canoes were limited to the shoreline areas. The beach is a nice size and wasn't terribly busy. There's also a playground and snack shack on the beach. There is horseback riding for the 52-inch and taller crowd ... anyone smaller is limited to a short donkey ride. There is a natural spring near the 500 loop where you can drink fresh (and cold!) water. There are plenty of options for hiking, biking and riding horses - all with separately marked trails. There's an amphitheater for outdoor productions and the Inn also has planned events. The park says only one vehicle per site, but we noticed many sites with multiple vehicles that stayed that way overnight. Overall, it's a nice park. The only downside is the variations in size of campsites and the risk you might end up on a small site without prior knowledge of what they look like.

• 

  Art S.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 28, 2019

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Ranger Review of Midland X-Talker Radio at Fort Custer State Rec Area

  Campground Review: 

  After finding our original campground full, we were directed over to Fort Custer. We found a campsite that was large with vegetation separating us from neighbors. I didn't expect to find something this interesting as an alternate to original plans but it worked out nicely.

  There are a couple hundred sites and most of them were full. 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. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. It was overcast upon arrival only to have the sun shine down the next day. We soon found out that there was enough clearing in the treetops to give our camp full sun for most of the day. If you camp here, I suggest one of the other sites that would give you a break from the sunny heat.

  We hiked on a multi-use trail that the ranger suggested. The blue trail goes around a couple lakes and was wonderful. We did miss a sign or two and ended up turning our 4 mile trip into a 6.5 mile one but there are plenty of spots to rest and enjoy the time. We passed other hikers and bikers and even some people trying their luck at fishing. There are quite a few mountain bike trails on the other side of the recreation area. A horse trail circles around the outside edge. 

  Product Review: 

  As a Dyrt Ranger I sometimes get products to evaluate. This trip I tested out the Midland X-Talker two way radio - T77VP5. The kit we used came bundled into a zippered case that is perfect for keeping everything organized. We charged it up before our trip and even tried it out in a school building. 

  We read reviews that said it might not work well in buildings and thought we should see. I gave them to two high schoolers and asked them to run throughout the place testing them as they went. They came back happy and excited and wanted to keep using them.

  The real test came out in the woods. The belt clip snaps on easily and this stayed connected to my pack strap for our entire hike. The X-Talker fits nicely in the hand and the buttons are perfectly placed. Another feature I wanted to try was the weather radio. It scans channels automatically to find a weather channel in range. You just need to listen to the report as it cycles through the days. We had some rain and storms moving in so this proved useful in helping us sneak out of camp really early to avoid the downpour that was looming.

  The Midland X-Talker T77VP5 radios worked wonderfully and will certainly see more use on future adventures.

• S

  Sue B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2020

  Pokagon State Park Campground

  Great stay

  We are heading to Colorado from Michigan so this was just a stopover, one night. Very much like this park and will be back when we have more time to enjoy it. Spacious sites, good shade.

• L

  Lisa P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 19, 2020

  Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday

  Our Favorite

  We camp here every year with our family since it is perfectly halfway between us, in Michigan, and my family in Chicago. The kids love the activities and the pool and my family who are not necessarily "outdoorsy" love that they can sleep in an air conditioned cabin with cable! This is an amazing campground!

• E

  Elisabeth D.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 15, 2018

  Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday

  Great Family Visit

  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. If you want to explore, there are six Lake Michigan beaches within 15 minutes, and it's located between South Haven, MI and Saint Joseph, MI.

• 

  Bryce J.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 10, 2019

  Fort Custer Recreation Area

  Surprisingly nice beach area.

  Fort Custer is a hidden gem in Michigan. Nobody thinks to go camping near Battle Creek, but they really should reconsider!

  Never over-crowded, tons of trails, and very nice paddle board, kayak, and canoe rentals! The lake at the state park is outlined by trails and features a small island to paddle around!

• 

  Olivia S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 20, 2020

  Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday

  We’ve stayed many times...

  This is one our top options when camping with tents, pop-up camper, or even cabins when we come to visit South Haven. The spots are great, a little sandy because it is Michigan. Good showers and clean bathrooms. This KOA has always been a reliable camp spot. The South Haven beaches are just a short twenty minute drive away!

  Don’t forget to get Sherman’s while you’re there!

• 

  Jill T.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2021

  Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday

  AWESOME

  So far this is the nicest KOA ever. Beautifully landscaped sites are very, very nice. Many sites with cement patios and grills. There's cabins and yurts too. 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. We were here twice this year!

• R

  Rodney D.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 21, 2020

  Covert/South Haven KOA Holiday

  Great place!

  We spent 5 days here in June. The campground is clean, the wi-fi is great. The pool and playground area is nicely laid out. We ordered food from the store and they brought it right to our site. A tornado passed within a mile or so of the campground and the employees were out within minutes to make sure everyone was o.k. The beaches of Lake Michigan are within 15 minutes or so. Be sure to visit the "shoe tree". We will definitely be back!!!