The best EQUESTRIAN camping near
Mooresville , NORTH CAROLINA

It was our first time camping as a family and now we wish we could camp every weekend!

We only stayed for 1 night as we were passing through, but we plan to return one day.

Positives are it’s a newer campground, nice and shaded, full hookups (w,e,s), lots were wide, Easy to get in and out of, plenty to do within the park (hiking, fishing, kayak/canoe, etc), has a nice dog park, hosts were very welcoming and kind, VERY clean.

Negatives are unlevel lots (we had to lower ours by over 4” and still weren’t level, but couldn’t adjust anymore), sites aren’t exactly private - but there was a bit of space between sites.

Camped 9/25-9/27 in the family campground. Stayed at site 13. Super clean bathhouse which was very nice. Shower stall with doors instead of just curtains. There is a sink for dish washing in the back of the bathhouse. Dumpster is at the end of the large parking lot. The river is wonderful to listen to as you fall asleep. There is 0% service in the campground. No carriers had service so be aware.

Hiked to the top of Chestnut Knob and that was a very strenuous and beautiful hike. You will have service at the very top of the hill to call/text family and friends. You can start your hike right from the campground which is another bonus so you won’t need to drive to a trailhead.

Note: Bring firewood with you! Once the visitor center is closed there is none available and the campground has been picked clean of all available logs and sticks.

Overall I would definitely come back to camp and hike again. Beautiful state park!

We stayed for 4 nights, our site was incredible, the others not so much.  The loop we were on had a vault toilet with t/p and hand sanitizer, there was a shower/toilet house a few hundred yards up the road, which we usually drove to for hot showers, very clean there.    The campers before us were slobs with kids, there were little bits of plastic packaging all over the site along with their hanging neon night light which they were too lazy to put in the trash, apparently they didn't go through scouting.   Sites here can be a bit close with no trees to screen your neighbor.   If you're an rv'er would you please respect quite hours and not blast your tv until 11pm.  They don't enforce quiet hours.

Lots of trails to choose from. Beautiful views. Lots of history. Visit here often.

Canebrake Horse Camp has 28 sites with parking spurs for horse trailers. Four of these sites are double camp sites. Each site has a picnic table, grill, fire ring, lantern post, tie posts, tack tables, and electrical hookups. Up to two vehicles are allowed at each site.

We were passing through for a trade show and picked the spot as it was 15 min from our event. Great place. Clean, well designed and maintained. The adjacent amusement park is closed due to Covid but i bet it is a blast to stay here when it is open. Wooded perimeter so you feel you are away from the city. Drawbacks: very few- we were invaded by ants but they came and went( could happen anywhere), the roads between the sites we a bit tight- it did not effect us as the park was not full but it could be a problem in peak season.

Took 3 boys camping here. The 1.5 mile hike to the campsite was very much an uphill climb. The primitive outhouse scared them. It was extremely seclusive. Went on up another .5 miles the following morning and looked out over the clouds. Quite a sight! It was an experience they won't forget!

Morrow Mountain State Park is a family camping ground for all ages and has an in ground swimming pool plus a boat launch.  I enjoyed tent camping with my family and fishing on the lake.  There is a large public swimming pool and each camping area has toilet and shower facilities.  You can burn fire wood in pits and there are grills for charcoaling BBQs.  The highlight to a early morning wake up are having deer walking through your camping site.  There was a loud whipperwill sounding off with echoes coming from the hillsides.  It is a first come first serve and there is a small fee collected by a Park Ranger.  

We hit this campground right at the perfect time of year, BEFORE the opening day of off-road vehicle season in April.  When National Forests post on their signs “Land of Many Uses,” I get it; there’s a lot of stuff people like to do in the woods. I have a lot on my list, but OHVing really ain't our thing.

If it is your thing, then by all means come on down, cuz this place is made for it. There are trails for days within these stunning mountains that serve as the foothills for the Appalachians. Horse trail riding is second on the list of activities within the park judging by the number of trails. Sharing these trails with horses isn’t difficult if you’re just hiking, but remember to be kind to those riders since horses can be skittish. Mountain biking is also not to be left off the list, and there are some great trails through here as well, that you don’t have to share with the motorized enthusiast. 

The campground is a quaint, and only $5 per night!  With only 6 sites and what appears to be an over-sized parking lot right next to it, the lot accommodates the OHV trailers. The campsites are rustic, grassy and comfortable, though no privacy in between.  Most sites are a short walk from the parking lot, so you might have to do a little bit of schlepping, but not much. The campground had a couple spigots and the pit toilets were clean.  We also found the campground itself very clean, but it was still early in the year and we were the only campers in the area in early March. The hunt camp is closer to the OHV trails than some other campgrounds in the forest so I suspect during the season this is a popular place to bring the side-by-side. 

There is a small convenience store in Uwharrie, offering sandwiches and made-to-order food, but not much in the way of groceries. Another 10 miles and you’ll be in Troy which has a bigger grocery store, and restaurants.