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Brittnay B.
Scout
ScoutLuzerne Campground
Defenitly in the woods!
The only campground in all of New York that acquires to house back riders. There are campsites that also come with stalls for your horse!
Equestrian Camping near Esperance, NY
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Arcadian Pastures Equine offers tent and RV camping opportunities near Esperance with dedicated space for horses and riders. The campground includes fire rings, picnic tables, and trash collection services. Access is available via drive-in or walk-in routes, making it suitable for visitors arriving with horse trailers. While the facility doesn't feature dedicated horse corrals, the open layout provides adequate space for portable corrals or highlines that campers bring with them. The grounds accommodate both horses and riders in a natural setting where equestrians can set up their own containment systems. Visitors use The Dyrt to find real feedback on camping near Esperance, New York.
Betty Brook Camp provides horse-friendly dispersed camping along West Kill Road with access to nearby riding trails. The campground sits alongside a stream, creating natural water access for horses while camping. Drinking water is available on site, and pets are allowed, making it suitable for equestrians traveling with dogs and horses. The remote location offers peaceful surroundings for riders seeking trail access in the region. Fire rings are provided at campsites, and the grounds accommodate both tent and RV camping options. While the campground is fairly small and not suitable for large trailers, the natural setting and stream proximity create an appealing option for horse campers looking for a more primitive experience. Some visitors report camping here year-round, with the remote location sometimes offering complete solitude between visitor groups.
Best Equestrian Campgrounds near Esperance (8)
1. North-South Lake Campground
"Our first campground was in New York Aug 8th. Unfortunately, Debbie was socking New York hard. North South Lake Campground in the Catskills was our camping home."
"This is a truly beautiful and scenic campground, easily one of the best places we have visited in New York State."
from $22 - $44 / night
Check Availability2. Arcadian Pastures Equine
from $25 - $150 / night
Check Availability3. Betty Brook Camp
"I live near this campground. I'm about a mile away and I pass it every day. It is rather remote, but it is right along West kill road."
4. Moreau Lake State Park Campground
"This campground is close to the highway between Albany and the Adirondacks. There’s a nice big lake and the Hudson RIver. Many campsites are near the lake."
"Great thing about this park is the hiking trails and lake so you don’t even have to leave to the park to enjoy great outdoor recreation."
from $20 - $75 / night
Check Availability5. Luzerne Campground
"The only campground in all of New York that acquires to house back riders. There are campsites that also come with stalls for your horse!"
"We get our site close to the lake so we can walk down and swim and my husband fishes. The showers are so nice and private and clean. Love that we can rent boats too."
from $22 / night
Check Availability6. Murphy Lake Leanto
"The Murphy Bennett Trails is a technical challenge to hike, or bike in on. And be prepared to go over downfalls. The area is maintained, but windhappens in the old growth forest."
7. Country Campsites
from $55 - $195 / night
Check Availability8. Artisan Hill Farm & Studio
from $20 - $40 / night
Check Availability
Drive Time
- 26 min from Albany, NY
- 1 hr 3 min from Glens Falls, NY
- 1 hr 6 min from Utica, NY
- 1 hr 13 min from Pittsfield, MA
Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Esperance, NY
2 Photos of 8 Esperance Campgrounds
Equestrian Camping Reviews near Esperance, NY
82 Reviews of 8 Esperance Campgrounds
Cynthia K.
LegendNorth-South Lake Campground
New York
We were on a 5 state East Coast camping trip. Our first campground was in New York Aug 8th. Unfortunately, Debbie was socking New York hard. North South Lake Campground in the Catskills was our camping home. Thursday & Friday it was Neverending rain & wind. Saturday was the nice day.
North South Lake has no electricity. The sites are almost all beautiful, tucked in under shady trees. Not a good way to try out our solar panel! Some are by a stream. A few are by the lake. This is a tent campers paradise. New York tent campers are hard core camping during Tropical Storm Debbie!
There are 7 loops. We were in loop 2. Site 85. There are some sites with an incline down to the site. That might give some rvs trouble. It did for us & I had to be driven out of the campground to call 911. Thank you Mary!! It all ended well & we got a different site.
There are bears that visit the campground & one came one of the nights & visited our camping neighbor's site. They showed us a picture- it was a large black bear.
Generators are allowed for 5 hours & they tell you when you can use them.
The bathrooms/showers are state park clean- which means not very.
There is NO cell service & just forget about WiFi. You are unplugged.
This is a hiking park & for this middle aged overweight flatlander they are pretty strenuous. Kaaterskill Falls is an exception - short, easy trail, but the parking fills up quickly. Then they close it! You'll have to take a shuttle to get in.
The trail to the Mountain House Site is also pretty easy, with more of an incline.
There's 2 nice lakes with beaches.
The Catskills are very scenic& we enjoyed our time there!
- Tara L.
TravelerNorth-South Lake Campground
NYS camping.
North South lake is one of the larger public camp grounds in New York. The sites are well spaced out. Great for families. The lake is huge.
Avoid holidays to avoid the crowds.
- MMaybe I.
GuideNorth-South Lake Campground
scenic campground
This is a truly beautiful and scenic campground, easily one of the best places we have visited in New York State. The campsites are well laid out, the surroundings are stunning, and the entire campground is very clean and well maintained. We visited in October, and it was pleasantly uncrowded, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The peaceful atmosphere and beautiful fall scenery made for a perfect camping trip. I'm not sure how busy it gets during the peak summer season, but our autumn visit was fantastic. We had a wonderful time and will definitely be coming back.
- n
nina M.ScoutNorth-South Lake Campground
Beautiful grounds but…
Gorgeous campgrounds, friendly staff, and spectacular facilities. Loved that trailheads are walking distance from the sites. But we felt very close to campers next to us, not a lot of shrubbery between sites to feel somewhat private. Fire pits are very nice but more catered to cooking instead of being able to sit around in a circle. Also, we picked a site hoping we’d have a nice view of the lake but it’s hard to see from the site and a good walk away. Overall, beautiful grounds but I’d take less facilities to have a more “woodsy” vibe but that’s just my preference!
- Lena L.Guide
North-South Lake Campground
Family friendly
Had a great time at this campground- surrounded by many returning campers which gave the whole experience a good community vibe. Ice cream truck comes around each evening in the summer. Sites are tucked away in the trees for privacy. We set up our 6 person tent and two hammocks comfortably. Long walk to the beach from our site but enjoyable anyway. Nice little hiking trails nearby.
- RRosie R.
RangerNorth-South Lake Campground
Love this place
The sites are spacious and private and there are lake side sites available too. Perfect for groups!! We were able to maximize our lake experience by bringing an inflatable kayak. I was able to explore many different parts of the lake and do a decent amount of fishing. There were a few hiking trails walking distance of the campground that were fun to explore. We will def come back!!
- HHarry H.Ranger
Moreau Lake State Park Campground
South of the ADKs
This campground is close to the highway between Albany and the Adirondacks. There’s a nice big lake and the Hudson RIver. Many campsites are near the lake. The sites are shady and close together, but still feel fairly private. We enjoyed the hiking trails and beach while camping, then went further north for the full ADK experience.
C O.RangerMt. Kenyon Campground - CLOSED
Good central location to visit the ADK
Although the campground was right off the road, it's still in a forest with big pine trees and mossy boulders. It was easy to access from 87. Given the proximity to the road, there is road noise, so that doesn't allow for that super outdoorsy experience you might desire. At night though it would get very dark and quiet - there weren't a lot of campers there during our stay. The camphost lives in a home onsite and was mostly helpful. Be sure to mention the 5 nights for 4 deal on their website upfront, otherwise she won't reimburse. Upon working with her to extend our stay, she said people were scheduled to come into our spot. We moved and no one arrived, so that was a bit annoying.
To get to the sites, we had to take it a bit slow because there are some low hanging trees and a turn, but made it fine. Our first site, 22, was a back-in, 30 amp, full hook-up. It was a long site with plenty of room for our RV and SUV. We had to back it up to the very end to find the flattest option to level. With the way they have their sites set up, you need a 50 ft hose for water. This site was close to the showerhouse but next to a longterm trailer with crap everywhere and we weren't super thrilled that was our view from our windows in our living area. Our second site, 50, was also a back-in, 30 amp, full hookup. It was very pretty but hard to level. The site slopes up, so the backend was high. We tried about every way to sit our rig in there to level, but we ended up driving our front tires up on some leveling blocks and went up with the jacks as much as we safely could. We didn't get a perfect level, but we decided it was ok since we only had 2 days left. We had to wiggle our SUV in kind of sideways, but it worked.
There were some "residents" there in tents, which was interesting and a couple longterm trailers (with the typical cluttered lots you see at campgrounds that offer longterm stays). The campground is clean and the shower houses were faithfully cleaned everyday around 11a. Showerhouses were dated, but had super hot water for showers.
A few miles further down the road is the town of Lake Luzerne. We visited their small grocery which had the basics and we ate at one of the restaurants which had a view of the water (Upriver Cafe). The campground was in a perfect location to visit Lake George and surrounding area (Six Flags, outlet shops, putt-putt, restaurants etc). If you're wanting to explore even more you're only 1.5 hrs to Lake Placid and the Green Mountain National Forest.
Work was difficult with my husband dependent on AT&T. The Weboost got Verizon working fine, but AT&T was spotty. We had some issues with our RV that we were trying to get fixed locally which extended our stay, otherwise we would have left earlier due to this. The camphost told us that they had invested in some sort of mini Verizon tower for their personal use, so that was what was helping the Verizon signal. The campground offers wifi at the office/pool/rec room area, but when the "residents" come down, it brings it to a snails pace. My husband would go down there in the morning to work and had to go to Starbucks in Lake George at times when all the kids at camp decided to be on their devices at the same time.
Pool is not heated, so not many people were using it. They charge $2 per garbage bag to be put in their dumpster. They sell a few necessities in their office and firewood. They have laundry with 1 working residential washer $1 and 1 residential dryer $.75 and 1 industrial sized dryer $1. We did a couple loads with no issue. They are outside in a patio area.
Bring the bug spray. The mosquitos were as big as birds and tenacious!
Guide to Esperance
The Esperance region sits on the edge of the Catskill Mountains at approximately 1,000 feet elevation, featuring a mix of rolling hills and small stream valleys. Camping options range from established campgrounds with equestrian facilities to remote dispersed sites along waterways. The area experiences distinct seasonal changes with summer highs reaching the 80s and winter temperatures frequently below freezing.
What to do
Trail riding opportunities: North-South Lake Campground connects to the Catskill Escarpment trail system, providing miles of scenic terrain. "Awesome access to the Catskill Escaprment trail from here," notes Maribeth W., though she cautions the area can get "always packed, but always beautiful."
Swimming in natural lakes: North-South Lake Campground offers multiple swimming areas across its two connected lakes. "I go there almost every year to go swimming with my family and friends and it's always a good time," shares Lizz H., highlighting the recreational water access beyond just horse-friendly amenities.
Fishing and paddling: The waters near Luzerne Campground provide various fishing opportunities for anglers. Robert L. confirms the "nice sites, great fishing" available, while the campground also offers boat rentals for water exploration without bringing your own equipment.
What campers like
Private sites with lake views: Campers appreciate the natural spacing between sites at Moreau Lake State Park Campground. Nancy W. notes, "Campsites are spacious, shady, and had good separation between the neighboring sites which we enjoyed," making it ideal for those seeking some privacy while horse camping.
Clean facilities: The maintenance of bathroom and shower buildings receives consistent praise from visitors. "The showers are so nice and private and clean," reports Antoinette W. about Luzerne Campground, where her family has returned for nearly 15 years, appreciating the consistent upkeep.
Stream-side camping: Dispersed camping along water features offers a different experience from established equestrian facilities. Robert B. describes Betty Brook Camp: "You camp on the stream. There is a couple of spots," highlighting the natural water access different from more developed equestrian campgrounds.
What you should know
Seasonal considerations: The camping season varies significantly between sites, with most operating between May and October. North-South Lake Campground specifically runs "May 19 to October 22," according to park information, aligning with optimal riding weather in the region.
Reservation requirements: Many established campgrounds require advance bookings, especially during peak summer months. "Reserve very early for waterfront," advises Rachel G. about North-South Lake Campground, indicating the competition for prime sites.
Remote location awareness: Some camping areas have limited services despite being accessible. Peter notes about Betty Brook Camp: "It is rather remote, but it is right along West kill road. There's a stream alongside it, a fire pit, and a town about 8 mi away. It's a small town, with just a gas station store."
Tips for camping with families
Beginner-friendly trails: Several campgrounds offer hiking and riding trails suitable for various skill levels. Jessica W. recommends, "A lot of the hiking nearby is also relatively easy and includes the newly opened (as of 2016) viewing platform for Kaasterskill falls, which is minutes down the road from the campground."
Educational opportunities: Murphy Lake Leanto offers a learning experience in wilderness skills and navigation. Tony F. describes, "This leanto is worth the effort it takes to get there... The Murphy Bennett Trails is a technical challenge to hike, or bike in on... passing by two other bodies of water, Bennett and Middle Lakes."
Playground access: Families benefit from dedicated recreation areas at certain campgrounds. Nancy W. observes at Moreau Lake State Park Campground, "There is also a nice playground for kids to enjoy," providing an alternative activity when not riding or hiking.
Tips from RVers
Site selection for large rigs: Not all horse-friendly campgrounds accommodate larger trailers and RVs. Peter cautions about Betty Brook Camp: "I would not recommend this for large trailers. The site is fairly small," suggesting equestrians with larger rigs research alternatives.
Access challenges: Some campground roads present challenges for navigating with horse trailers. Nancy W. notes about Moreau Lake State Park Campground, "The road to our campsite was paved and in good shape but there were a few tight spots because of the trees that make it tricky for a big rig (Loop A seems to be the best for big-rigs)."
Hookup availability: Electric and water connections vary significantly between campgrounds. Robert L. mentions that Moreau Lake has "superb facilities as far as state run campsites go," though he notes it draws "large crowds of downstate tourists" during peak season due to these amenities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian
campsite near Esperance, NY?
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Esperance, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Esperance, NY is North-South Lake Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 44 reviews.
What is the best site to find
equestrian camping near
Esperance, NY?
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Esperance, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Esperance, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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