Stokes State Forest offers horse-friendly camping across multiple campground areas near New Windsor, New York. The forest maintains trails suitable for horseback riding with access to the Appalachian Trail system. Campsites accommodate various camping styles including tents, RVs, and cabins, with spacious sites that provide room for horse trailers. While specific horse corrals are not mentioned in the reviews, the forest's extensive trail network makes it popular with equestrians. Sites feature fire rings, picnic tables, and lantern hooks, with some including tent platforms. The campground's natural setting along streams and lakes creates a peaceful environment for both riders and horses.
Trail access from Stokes State Forest connects riders to over 63 miles of marked trails within the park boundaries, including 12 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Horseback riding is listed among the available activities, alongside hiking, fishing, and kayaking. The forest's location provides convenient access to additional riding opportunities in neighboring High Point State Park and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Campers note the campground's proximity to trailheads makes it easy to begin rides directly from camp. Water sources throughout the forest benefit both campers and horses, with streams, brooks, and lakes accessible from many sites. The park's extensive size allows for longer trail rides without leaving forest boundaries.
"We stayed at the campsite at Lake Ocquittunk Area. Campsite was very spacious and had a platform where we were able to fit two tents. There was plenty of space on the site for more tents."
"* Water and dumpsters are within walking distance, or if you are not up to walking you can just take a short drive to fill up and dispose of your trash
- There are outhouses scattered around, or if"
from $7 - $55 / night
"We stayed at site #T007 is was a short walk from the car to the site, but so worth it for many reasons."
"The caping set up was nice and I enjoyed the proximity to available hikes in the area. The ‘lake’ however, was kind of a disappointment."
TravelerWe’re here for the Rock, Ribs, and Ridges festival and what a great experience! Make sure to bring a 50’ power cord as the hook ups are grouped together on telephone poles rather than at each individual site. As far as I know camping is only available during select events.
GuideWe stayed at a tent platform site in Shotwell camping area. The platforms could use a little maintenance as there were a few tie down hooks that were missing or corroded. The campsites are close around this loop that includes lean-tos, but not so close that you are bothered by your neighbors normal sounds. The bathroom is close and clean. There is a bear box at each campsite which gave peace of mind. Firewood is available for sale at the park office. The staff there is very welcoming. Great Jersey getaway with gorgeous hiking trails.
GuideThere are four campgrounds that are all pretty different, we stayed at Shotwell across from the pond. For the most part, each campsite has its own porta potty or it shared with a couple other sites. At the entrance of the campground, there is a bathhouse with running water, bathrooms, and potable water. We stayed in one of the RV areas across the pond. It was peaceful to hear the frogs chirping at night, but definitely didn’t think about how many more bugs the pond would bring, probably wouldn’t stay at that specific spot again even though it’s really pretty. Most of the campsites were very rocky, but you can find some that have a little bit of grass. We came on a Friday night. Everyone was up pretty late, but was not crazy loud. The rest of the weekend it seemed like everyone’s simmered down. The campground was full of mostly families. If you wanted to shower, you would have to head to the group campsite not too far but you need to drive. We don’t typically expect to have a campgrounds with a ton of amenities. Potable water and a toilet is really all we need. Overall, it was a great time gorgeous park. Also took a few pictures of the cabins in Shotwell. I wouldn’t personally rent one, but I guess if your winter camping it has a little fireplace and will keep you dry and somewhat warm.
TravelerStokes is my go-to state park for unplugging and enjoying time with my family. We brought our son (23 months at time of visit) on his first camping trip this past September. He loved every minute of it.
Site T07 in Lake Ocquittunk is gorgeous and one of the few relatively secluded sites in the campground. You need to carry your gear down a narrow, rocky path that's a little steep near the road, but it's manageable. There's also a graded path into the site adjacent to a neighboring site, but you should check with those campers if they are ok with you cutting through to use it. (We opted not to disturb our neighbors and take the slope.)
I thought I would be able to launch my kayak from site 7 since it's waterfront, but there are a lot of huge rocks in the water that prevent you from getting out into the lake. We had to find a different launch spot. That was probably the biggest disappointment for us.
Still, I love site 7 and it's absolutely worth the privacy and the views every morning.
GuideStokes State Forest is a beautiful park with a lot of different trails to check out, though some of them are difficult to access due to parking. The camping areas are split between two different entrances. If you’re in Lake Ocquitunk, like I was, you don’t enter at the main entrance, you have to go past the main entrance about another mile on rt. 15 N. and enter by the YMCA. All the other camping areas are near the main entrance by the forest office. The campsites themselves are a little too close together in some spots with little coverage or privacy. There is a day parking area which is only accessible going through the main entrance by the forest office— if you visit during the week park entrance is free, but on the weekend fees can be a bit steep. I wasn’t super happy with my campsite as I wasn’t able to physically have my car on the site like I thought. I had to park in a small lot above my campsite and carry my belongings down a short slope to the site. I like to car-camp so this was a bit of a let down having my car separate from my actual campsite.
The bathrooms were nice and had flush toilets, but the showers were out of service during my time. Bathrooms are extremely spaced out so you will have to walk a far distance unless you strategically choose a site next to one. I drove through the other campsite and only saw 1 set of bathrooms that had toilets and showers per campground, not including the outhouses I saw for those in the small cabins.
ScoutI used to camp there every weekend. Even during the cold in the fall. I love it!
GuideI have been here twice and each time has been great. Big spacious sites with alot of privacy. Hikes are great around here. Bathrooms are clean.
If you want pictures you can actually go onto Google maps streetview and see every single campsite.
ScoutI set up a hammock and a 1 person tent .. there’s room for a camper but sparse
RangerRented a cabin in November (#009) and again in December (#008) of 2021. I favored Cabin 8, the kitchen and bathroom were separated from the main room.
The cabins are reasonably priced and well-appointed, if a bit rustic. The interior features are just what you'd expect for getting away for the weekend. THe main room has a bunk bed and two twins, a table with benches, two Adirondack chairs, a wood stove set into a fireplace (some cabins still feature a fireplace only, but these two did not), hot/cold water, electric stove with oven, refrigerator, toilet, bathroom sink, mirror, plenty of hooks to hang jackets and coats, storage cabinets in the kitchen area, overhead lighting, wall outlets, and screened windows.
The doors feature deadbolt locks - so be sure to always take the key or set the lock to be unlocked all the time.
The mattresses are vinyl covered, so you can wipe them down with your own sanitizing wipes. There was hand sanitizer in each cabin as well.
Outside is a picnic table, fire ring, and grill. There are hooks near the door to hang a lantern.
The park office is not nearby, about 2(?) miles away. They sell wood, and there are a few road stands near the campground, but that wood is wet. You'll need to find some birch to get your fire going if, like me, you didn't buy wood on the way (plenty of signs for wood as you approach the park office) and the office was closed upon arrival. I bought wood from a house across the street from the entrance to the cabins and it was damp, but in November, I wasn't complaining, it took awhile but I got a nice blaze going. You need that wood stove to heat up the cabin. Turning on the oven is a help, but not a good solution. The wood stove definitely heats the room up nicely. I went through two bundles of wood in one night, and could have used more in the morning. (There's plenty of fallen wood around but it was damp/raining both times I visited). The second time I took six bundles of wood and used them all from Friday to Sunday morning, and 7 would've have been better.
The trails nearby are varied, read the maps (especially NY NJ Trail Conference Maps) to get an idea of difficulty/elevation. We went in November when there was a light rain that turned into a thunderstorm with hail and sleet! It was certainly an adventure. The area was incredibly peaceful in December with many cabin reservations abandoned due to rain in the forecast. It did rain, but was still a great trip. The photos of the tent sites were taken in December.
Stokes State Forest offers equestrian camping across four distinct campgrounds near New Windsor, New York. The forest spans over 16,000 acres of mountainous terrain in Sussex County, with elevations reaching 1,653 feet at Sunrise Mountain. Winter temperatures can drop below freezing with significant snowfall, while summer conditions remain moderate with daytime temperatures typically in the 70s and 80s.
Trail riding access: Stokes State Forest provides direct trail access from camping areas to extensive riding paths. "Due to cooler temps there were really no bugs to complain about while camping. Overall we had a great time and will definitely be coming back for a more extended stay," notes Josh S. of the Lake Ocquittunk Area.
Fishing opportunities: Lakes and streams throughout the forest offer fishing spots accessible from the equestrian camping areas. "The caping set up was nice and I enjoyed the proximity to available hikes in the area. The 'lake' however, was kind of a disappointment. It was much smaller then I expected and a rather underwhelming," mentions Ethan K. about Ocquittunk.
Winter camping: The forest remains open year-round with cabins available during colder months. "Rented a cabin in November (#009) and again in December (#008) of 2021. I favored Cabin 8, the kitchen and bathroom were separated from the main room," shares W L. at Stokes State Forest.
Private campsites: Many sites offer seclusion while maintaining proximity to amenities. "If you are looking for more secluded campsites try to get 13 or 14 as they seem to sick back more. Sites 8-11 are adjacent to the road and in peak times probably have a fair about of foot and vehicle traffic," advises Josh S.
Waterfront locations: Several sites feature direct access to water sources. "We stayed at site #T007 is was a short walk from the car to the site, but so worth it for many reasons. The site itself is huge and we were able to position our tent facing the lake, it was beautiful!" describes Kara L. from Lake Ocquittunk.
Clean facilities: The campgrounds maintain well-kept restrooms and shower facilities. "The bathrooms are clean and nicely placed. The sites had a fire ring with a cooking grate and a picnic table and were well spaced out from other sites. The views of the lake are nice, very peaceful," notes Catherine S.
Site surfaces: Many campsites have rocky terrain that might affect tent setup. "Most of the campsites were very rocky, but you can find some that have a little bit of grass. We came on a Friday night. Everyone was up pretty late, but was not crazy loud," explains Adeline M. from Stokes State Forest.
Wildlife precautions: The area has bears, ticks, and rattlesnakes requiring proper safety measures. "Remember, this is bear country so proper food storage is a must. Bear lockers are not provided. The area also has ticks and rattlesnakes," cautions Trip Over Life.
Campground differences: Each of the four campgrounds offers distinct amenities and settings. "There are four campgrounds that are all pretty different, we stayed at Shotwell across from the pond. For the most part, each campsite has its own porta potty or it shared with a couple other sites," reports Adeline M.
Cabin accommodations: Family-friendly cabins provide kitchen facilities and sleeping areas. "Sussex county is beautiful. Stokes is such a peaceful campground! We stay in the cabins. It's great to have the small kitchen when camping with the family. A must see campground," recommends Amy B.
Platform tent sites: Several areas offer tent platforms ideal for family camping setups. "Campsite was very spacious and had a platform where we were able to fit two tents. There was plenty of space on the site for more tents. Site came with bear proof bin for garbage and fire ring," states E. M. V.
Weather considerations: Prepare for variable conditions even during summer months. "We went in November when there was a light rain that turned into a thunderstorm with hail and sleet! It was certainly an adventure," shares W L.
Limited hookups: Most RV sites lack full hookups, requiring self-containment. "I set up a hammock and a 1 person tent. There's room for a camper but sparse," notes Ray C. about camping at Ocquittunk.
Site sizing: RV sites vary in size and levelness throughout the forest. "This park feels very PA to us with rolling hills, bald-top mountains to climb (some with fire towers), and lots of water to explore. Modern but simple amenities including showers and firewood for purchase. Individual sites were generously sized, shady, and relatively private thanks to the vegetation," describes Harry H.
Off-season availability: RV camping options remain available during less crowded seasons. "The area was incredibly peaceful in December with many cabin reservations abandoned due to rain in the forecast. It did rain, but was still a great trip," relates W L.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near New Windsor, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near New Windsor, NY is Stokes State Forest with a 4.4-star rating from 28 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near New Windsor, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 equestrian camping locations near New Windsor, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
