15 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Highland State Recreation Area offers extensive horseback riding trails that wind through wooded areas and open fields, making it a popular destination for equestrians near Wixom. The recreation area features spacious rustic campsites that accommodate horse trailers and provide enough room for portable corrals or highlines. Riders particularly appreciate the extra-large sites that allow for comfortable horse camping setups without feeling crowded. While the campground does not offer permanent horse corrals, the extensive trail system more than compensates for the basic accommodations. Sites include fire rings and picnic tables, with vault toilets and water spigots available throughout the camping area. The natural scenery provides an up-north feel despite being close to metropolitan Detroit.
Trail riders can access over 12 miles of designated equestrian paths directly from the Highland campground. The trail system connects to nearby Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, which offers additional riding opportunities through varied terrain including wooded hills, open meadows, and alongside small lakes. Both recreation areas maintain well-marked bridle trails that are regularly maintained for safe riding conditions. Many sections of trail are wide enough for side-by-side riding, and natural water sources are available at several points along the routes for horses to drink. Seasonal trail conditions can vary significantly with spring often bringing muddy sections, while fall offers spectacular color viewing opportunities. Riders should bring their own portable corrals or tie-lines as no permanent horse containment facilities exist at either campground. Most equestrians report minimal encounters with other trail users, creating a peaceful riding experience.
"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"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"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. "
"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."
from $20 - $35 / night
Check Availability"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"
"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."
"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."
"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."
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.
ScoutThis is a fabulous campground! 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.) There is a boat launch on one end of campground and the amazing beach on the other. The water is clear and warm (perfect lake for swimming) and there is both sand and grassy areas on the fairly large beach. The beach also offers picnic tables and benches. The only negative aspect I can see about this campground is that the sites are right on top of each other, so if you have a loud group or a generator next to you, it is noisy. But most campgrounds have sites set real close together, so you will find this pretty much everywhere. Def camp here! About an hours drive from a Pictured Rocks National Park. There are no showers or running water. Camp hosts were very nice, helpful, & welcoming.
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area sits between 850 and 950 feet above sea level in southeastern Michigan, providing campers with terrain that's more varied than much of the surrounding area. The region experiences average summer highs around 82°F with winter lows dipping to 16°F. Woodland terrain dominates most campsites, with pine and hardwood forests creating natural buffers between camping areas.
Trail riding options beyond Highland: Pontiac Lake Recreation Area connects to Highland's trail system, offering expanded riding terrain. "The trail system connects to nearby Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, which offers additional riding opportunities through varied terrain including wooded hills, open meadows, and alongside small lakes," notes Christie V. from Pontiac Lake Recreation Area.
Waterfront activities: Several campgrounds have lakes suitable for swimming and non-motorized boating. "This campground has a great close in SE Mi location but still feels secluded. The camp area itself is sparse and small, but clean. It's a good park setting however, with nice beaches and great fishing," reports Marcy D. about Highland State Recreation Area.
Mountain biking trails: The region offers extensive mountain biking routes that crisscross through multiple recreation areas. "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," advises Kristina J., who still gave Pontiac Lake a 4-star rating despite the bugs.
Privacy between sites: Many campers appreciate the natural separation between camping spots. "The campground is full but quiet. The bathrooms and showers were nice and clean with hot water. Site 71 wasn't the most private but still nice. The spots are all pretty private due to trees and vegetation," shares Sam H. from Pontiac Lake Recreation Area.
Year-round access: Unlike some seasonal destinations, several campgrounds remain open throughout winter. "This rustic campground is obviously well-tended and has 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," notes Brett B. about Highland State Recreation Area.
Up-north feel close to home: Campers consistently mention the northern Michigan atmosphere despite proximity to Detroit. "The sites are very private and spacious in the primitive camping area. The natural scenery is STUNNING with fields of flowers and trees. We ran up on a group of probably 70 wild turkeys on the trail!" shares Adrienne C. from Highland State Recreation Area.
Bug protection essential: Mosquitoes and ticks are common throughout the area, particularly in warmer months. "We have been visited bishop lake family campground since I was a little girl. My mom brought us here every summer to have the time of our lives! She came here every summer with HER mom before that!" mentions Kayla Q. from Bishop Lake Campground.
Equestrian camping limitations: While Highland offers excellent horse trails, there are no permanent corrals. Most experienced equestrian campers bring portable corral systems or use highlines. Some campgrounds don't allow horses at all.
Seasonal considerations: Spring often brings muddy conditions on trails while fall provides optimal scenery. "The campground restrooms and showers were clean. Our campsite had a view of the lake, but no shade. The beach was nice but you have to walk a trail to get to it from the campground or drive. Nice walking trails," shares Debra B. about Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern.
Playgrounds and swimming: Multiple campgrounds offer family-friendly amenities. "It 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," shares Karen C. about Addison Oaks County Park.
Educational programs: Check schedules for ranger-led activities, especially during summer weekends. Most programs are free with camping registration.
Space for outdoor games: Some campgrounds provide extra-large sites ideal for family activities. "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. Lovely little no wake lake perfect for swimming, fishing or paddling," explains Jennifer H. about Highland Recreation Area.
Site selection considerations: Many campgrounds have varying levels of shade and privacy. "We stayed at site M18 of the rustic site, Murray Lake. The site was large and had a picnic table and fire pit. There are TONS of mosquitos. Gas and convenience is not far away," explains Rebecca M. from Brighton Recreation Area.
Hookup variability: Electric service ranges from none to 50-amp depending on the campground. "Our site had 'private' access and our boys just played in the water for three days. Clean bathrooms and showers. Trees and covered areas were skimpy - trees were still young," notes Andy B. about Waterloo Sugarloaf Modern.
Level sites: Many campsites require leveling equipment. "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. (hook up in this specific site was considerably far away)," explains Mary H. about Pontiac Lake Recreation Area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Wixom, MI?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Wixom, MI is Pontiac Lake Recreation Area with a 4.4-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Wixom, MI?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 equestrian camping locations near Wixom, MI, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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