Best Equestrian Camping near Livonia, NY

Backbone Horse Campground provides primitive camping for equestrians in the Finger Lakes National Forest. The campground features large campsites with ample room for horses and horse trailers. Toilet facilities are available, but the campground lacks electric hookups, water hookups, and showers. The campground operates year-round, weather permitting, with some trail closures possible during spring melt or adverse conditions. Sites are first-come, first-served with a $10 camping fee collected through an honor system. Non-horse campers are permitted, though the primary purpose of the campground is to serve as a base for equestrians exploring the forest trail system.

Located between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, Backbone Horse Campground connects riders to an extensive network of trails throughout the Finger Lakes National Forest. The campground serves as a central access point for exploring the surrounding woodland terrain. Campers report the area is typically uncrowded, especially on weekdays, providing a peaceful outdoor experience. The campground features clean fire pits and picnic tables at each site. While primarily designed for equestrians, the campground accommodates both tent and RV camping. Darien Lakes State Park, located approximately 70 miles northwest, offers additional camping options with more amenities including electric hookups, water access, and shower facilities, though it lacks dedicated horse facilities. Both locations provide access to hiking trails and outdoor recreation opportunities in the western New York region.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Livonia, New York (2)

    1. Darien Lakes State Park Campground

    20 Reviews
    Darien Center, NY
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (585) 547-9242

    $20 - $29 / night

    "The lake is awesome, and great for all water activities. I really enjoyed stand up paddle boarding as well as fishing with my parents!"

    "I live local to the area and still find a time to setup the tent and enjoy some peace and quiet away from the noise of daily life. There are miles of hiking trails, nice "lakes" to fish and swim in."

    2. Backbone Horse Campground

    4 Reviews
    Hector, NY
    50 miles
    Website

    $15 / night

    "We ended up having to come to this location. It was actually perfect for our small popup, but the horse riders that camp here were not pleased with us."

    "Large camp sites have room for all your horses and horse paraphernalia. Call Finger Lakes National Forest to make sure trails aren’t closed due to weather, spring melt, etc."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Livonia, NY

24 Reviews of 2 Livonia Campgrounds


  • Brenley R.
    May. 29, 2018

    Backbone Horse Campground

    Central Primitive Spot

    We originally came down to the National Forest to stay at the Blueberry Patch Campground but it was full by noon on the Friday before Memorial Day. This was also the first day it was open. We ended up having to come to this location. It was actually perfect for our small popup, but the horse riders that camp here were not pleased with us. This campground is apparently ONLY for horse owners with their horses. After another camper made a passive aggressive comment about us being here without horse, we attempted to find another location. Of course that was not a success the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, so we stayed. No other comment has been made and we aren’t the only ones that don’t have horses. We made the moral decision to leave if the campground filled with horse rider, but it hasn’t even reach half. We were told by locals that the horse riders are upset about the new $10 camping fee and that has deterred them from coming like they usually would. Anyways, both locations are great with a small fee. You’re centrally located to do and see everything from waterfalls, trails, vineyards and so on. It’s primitive, but more than half the price of a state par

  • H
    Oct. 1, 2017

    Backbone Horse Campground

    All year Finger Lakes camping with your horses

    Large camp sites have room for all your horses and horse paraphernalia. Call Finger Lakes National Forest to make sure trails aren’t closed due to weather, spring melt, etc. You need a permit to camp here but the permit and site are free. You can camp without having horses but get ready to smell them.

  • Heather D.
    Aug. 5, 2019

    Backbone Horse Campground

    We had the whole place to ourselves

    This is a great little campground with fairly large sites. We were initially going to stay at Blueberry Patch however our tent was too large for the sites available. We see a posting that there were sites at Backbone that were for people with or without horses. More than half of the camp is designated for horses but only one horse trailer came into the camp the entire time we were there. The fire pits and picnic tables are very nice. Sites are first come first serve. Payment of the low fee is on the honor system and check in / out is very flexible. We seen maybe three people pass through the three days /two nights we were there. A Sheriff's truck did drive through Saturday morning just to patrol.

  • Kari M.
    Sep. 30, 2016

    Darien Lakes State Park Campground

    Loved the lake, super relaxing!

    This is a great place to come and relax with your family and friends. The lake is awesome, and great for all water activities. I really enjoyed stand up paddle boarding as well as fishing with my parents! My brothers really enjoyed riding their bikes on a small trail that was located nearby. The campground and surrounding areas is pretty big, with lots of trees and shaded area. The shade definitely saved us because it was very hot outside! I would also recommend bring bug spray, because the mosquitos ate me alive. My family forgot to bring spray, so needless to say we all had quite a few nasty bites. There are also a lot of other amenities and fun things that the park has to offer. There is a small basketball court, and you can also take horseback riding lessons. My family didn't venture off too much from our campsite, but definitely enjoyed the lake and making a fire at night and eating dinner and smores for dessert. There are also some picnic areas that you can use- we didn't have a table in our campsite, but my family did bring their own table which we used. They do have some great walking trails, which my mom and I used for our morning walks. The path was great, well marked and maintained and shaded the whole time. I would love to come back and stay here again, and maybe venture out and do more next time. Someone told us there was a theme park close by, and also a golfing range and mini golf nearby.

  • Jeremy H.
    Jul. 11, 2016

    Darien Lakes State Park Campground

    Quiet Escape

    This park is a nicely kept, clean and quiet gem. I live local to the area and still find a time to setup the tent and enjoy some peace and quiet away from the noise of daily life. There are miles of hiking trails, nice "lakes" to fish and swim in. There is a fairly new Frisbee golf course as well. This campground would be a good alternative to paying the high prices to stay at the theme park down the road.

  • RaD_Travels
    Oct. 1, 2022

    Darien Lakes State Park Campground

    Clean/Quiet Campground

    9/25-9/29/22- The park was nearly empty, perhaps 6 or 8 other campers widely spread out. It was immaculate and the sites well spaced apart. All site have a picnic table and fire pit. Ours had both 30A and 50A power, was pretty level left/right but about 6” high in front before we leveled our 34’ fifth wheel. The park has drinking water faucets at a variety of places throughout, but site#15 has a faucet directly next to it, so we had water available too. Both AT&T 4G and Verizon 5G had 3 bars reception. The dump station was clean and convenient. It looked like a great place for kids that included at least one (probably more) playground.

  • B
    Jul. 1, 2019

    Darien Lakes State Park Campground

    Great sites, be prepared for fireworks on weekends

    I didn’t see a review mentioning that the park has a fireworks and laser light show from 10-11:30PM every Friday and Saturday. The show is right next to the campground. We had just gotten our two kids down to sleep when it started and of course everyone was back up again until Midnight. Other than that the campground was great, well maintained, and there are security trucks enforcing quiet hours, no one around us made a peep after 10, and we saw the guards snuff out a couple partys quickly and quietly. There was a HUGE line for the dump station on Sunday morning, definitely worth the couple extra bucks for full hookup so you can bypass that.

  • Dawn T.
    May. 30, 2018

    Darien Lakes State Park Campground

    close to Niagara

    We stayed at this campground when we went to Niagara falls. It's a small campground but has clean bath houses an a relaxing atmosphere. Not much to do but fish or walk trails but that's how we like it. Nice park to go to after a long day at the falls. Just relax by the fire.

  • Amanda K.
    Jul. 1, 2022

    Darien Lakes State Park Campground

    Decent local state park campground

    We visited in the fall as the leaves were changing color. Very pretty.

    HIGHLIGHTS: 

    Lake Swimming area 

    Large field to fly kites

    NEARBY ATTRACTIONS: Darien Lakes Theme Park


Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Livonia, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Livonia, NY is Darien Lakes State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 20 reviews.