Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Raleigh. If you're an equestrian lover who prefers nature-based adventure, yet still wants comfort, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Camping with your horse in Raleigh just got easier. At The Dyrt, you can find top-rated spots for horse camping, as reviewed by campers.
This recreation area is part of B. Everett Jordan Lake
Sites are meant for tent/pop-up camping only. No RV or Trailer is accessible.
Located in Wake County 10 miles northwest of downtown Raleigh, William B. Umstead State Park is a cherished retreat from bustling urban life. The park features an extensive network of hiking and multiuse trails, as well as three manmade lakes and their tributaries that are perfect for fishing. Both park entrances offer picnic shelters, and Crabtree Creek offers camping areas. Group camps and the historic Maple Hill Lodge let visitors experience a rustic overnight experience without typical modern camping amenities.
Please note: Campground closes for the N.C. State Fair in October.
Limited camping access is available during the month of October and certain event weekends. Call immediately prior to trip departure to inquire about availability. (919) 612-6767.
Avoid the commute, relax and enjoy the North Carolina State Fairgrounds' campgrounds. With 100 full-service sites and an additional 200 sites on the grounds, we are equipped for all your RV camping needs. Rental cost for a 24-hour period is $30. The campground is closed to the public for the month of October for the N.C. State Fair. Spaces are first come, first served with no advance reservations taken. Check in upon arrival by calling 919-612-6767.
$35 / night
$30 / night
$10 / night
The Owl Creek Horse Camp provides primitive overnight campsites for trail riders on a first come, first serve basis. The Owl Creek Trail System is approximately 26 miles and suitable for equestrian riding.
$5 / night
Scout
Plenty of places to tent camp or RV camp! Places to fish things for kids to play on and of course places to shower after! One of my family’s favorite places to camp!
Traveler
The sites are level, not much shade. Garbage cans everywhere. Convenient to get into and out of with full hookup. There are no amenities at all but security drives around. Felt safe. Across from stadium. Price is worth the value.
GuideIt’s ok. Semi secluded and has necessary hookups. Quit packed for what it is. I would not stay here for weeks. Just a stop and go kinda deal. But price is very good.
Traveler
This was our very first full-time RV park. We loved being in the park and it easily accommodated our 39ft. Class A. Back-in site but with plenty of room to do so. Each site has water and electric hook-up. Sewer however is a dump station. The sites are big with a picnic table, fire pit and lantern hook. Plenty to do here with the lake at your fingertips. Great first experience.
TravelerThe campground is very cramped and the owner is very unfriendly and was unwilling to work with me after I asked not to park my fifth wheel under a hickory tree that was rubbing the top of my recently recoated roof. She refused. Roughly 7weeks into my 13 week stay a large storm rolled through and a hickory nut busted the top of my ac unit on my roof and the nut broke the blades of my fan off. She refused to acknowledge the damage. I tried to compromise with taking the price of the service of the monthly payment. The owner refused then stated she was going to need the next month payment or she would have my fifth towed. She is very unreasonable and very rude
TravelerLoop C site 19 is a great location. It’s flat with a few good locations off the gravel for tents. Good trees for hammocks are present. There’s no other site within a couple hundred yards to the east. East access to the lake shore and plenty of woods for kids to play in. The bathhouse is a short walk away.
GuideGreat place. Plenty of shade and view of Lake Jordan. Restrooms were clean.
GuideI have stayed there twice over the past couple years. The only changes to this Campground are the Prices !! ..which keep going up (to $35 day now). For this, you get a parking space with full hookups.. that's it, no Amenities whatsoever!
It's pretty much a "Camper Trap", because there are so few options in the North Carolina Piedmont. Spaces are tight, a lot of the people there are long-term workers, that totally ignore any "Dust" decorum, speeding through the area as if they were on public streets!
ScoutLevel campground with full hookups. Worked great to explore Raleigh.
LegendLocated just 30 miles west of Raleigh, Jordan Lake provides 7 different access points throughout this amazing natural preserve. And while I’m not a kitesurfer or windsurfer, I’m positive that this campground was named for the pretty amazing headwinds that are enjoyed coming off Falls Lake, which Crosswinds Campground @ Jordan Lake SRA sits on. Take my word for it though, this outdoor nature preserve is truly a slice of heaven carved out in some of North Carolina’s finest camping countryside. If you find yourself in the hustle and bustle of nearby Raleigh and looking to get away from the crowds and pavement in exchange for some nicely shaded nature, hiking trails and humble peace & quiet that only God's green nature can offer, then make your way here to Crosswinds Campground, where this heavily wooded forest paradise will embrace you with its inclines, switchbacks and snakelike, swerving road circuits.
All of the basics are provided in spades – from picnic table, fold-up fire ring / BBQ grill, bear-proof garbage hanger and a nice pebble-strewn and long-leaf pine shadowed patch of well-maintained nature that offers pristine shade from an unrelenting bit of summer Tar Heel sunshine. While there’s a suitable amount of brush between campsites, surprisingly, it’s the steep inclines and declines between each site that makes one feel that they are truly in the center of their own private wilderness. The on-site bathroom & shower facilities are just slightly north of passable and only a smidge better than you’d expect from a state-run campground, and so this campground gets its only mediocre marks on this front. But that said, there’s plenty of hiking trails to explore and the on-site rangers are incredibly helpful and positive folks that want to ensure you have a great time, but the best amenity on this property is the access to Lake Jordan itself, where there is a perfectly sectioned off swimming area – complete with life safety vests resting on hooks near the shore - as well as boat launching areas for those that want to fish or simply drop a kayak or canoe in the water and take enjoy a lakeside cruise.
Insider’s tips? Here's a bundle: (1) Be sure to get down to the lake from wherever your campsite is just after sunset and bring a couple of folding chairs and a telescope (pre-planning here is needed!) to catch a glimpse of one of the most amazing star-studded night skies you’ve ever seen in your life!; (2) While IMHO there are no bad sites per se here, certainly there are some that are better than others, amongst which, I would highly recommend those that are closer to the tree fall lines as well as those that place you closest to either lakeside or lake view. With 3 loops to choose from (A, B & C), I recommend the following sites: Loop A - #18-19; #21-22; and #44-47; Loop B - #33, #36, #37, #39, #40,#43; Loop C - #19, #21, #23, #24, #26, #32, #34, #36, #40, #42; (3) If you have a boat, you may want to consider calling ahead of time, while you are reserving your campsite and reserve a boat slip - we just thought that they would be readily available, but as it turns out, there's quite a few daytime boaters that don't camp here and are simply looking for a slip to occupy for the day, so plan ahead!; (4) SUPER INSIDER SECRET: there's a little pathway next to site #32 that will lead you to a hidden beachhead where all the cool kids hang out and party; (5) The showers are pretty annoying in that they are regulated by body movement - so as a hack, we applied duct tape and VOILA! the hot water stayed on the whole time! (but remove when you are done or the water won't stop running!); and (6) When you grow tired or anxious after digging through what remains of your Cordova cooler and / or want to sample some local fare, be prepared to drive a short distance (20 minutes or so) back to Apex, where I would recommend The Peak on Salem that serves up some pretty mean Caribbean conch & shrimp fritters as well as some very nice seafood entrees like NC clam bucatini or sweet tea ginger whiskey braised beef short rib.
Happy Camping!
Guide
Stayed here for a quick overnight during the NC RV Show. Easy setup and check in. They let us in a couple hours early which was great. Bathroom facilities were a little questionable at times. We had toilets that constantly weren’t flushed and one that even spilled all over the floor and my feet. Hot water but the toilets just left me a little meh.
The lake is great, roped off area for swimming with a great little sandy beach area next to a playground and toilets.
TravelerEasy in and easy out. Diagonal spots, evenly spaced, not too crowded.
ScoutNice area and nice facilities
GuideConveniently located to the fairgrounds and stadium, as well as some museums. 15 minutes from the airport. Wifi slow but Verizon was good. Water and power provided. Extra for black tank dump. Security was super polite. Giant thunderstorm rolled through so had entertainment with my camping. Be advised - there are quite regular trains passing nearby.
ScoutLocation is everything and you are smack dab in the middle of it. Good WiFi, great cellular. Excellent ranger Sgt. Teasley. Busy workdays around campground...construction. Noise could be issue for some. After 5pm...great camp. Some trees...get on if can. Lots of fine dust converted from gravel roadway...it's insidious. Can literally do anything you want from this location. Cost could be a little cheaper (30 bucks/night). Water, electric, sewer, and WiFi provided.
TravelerWe stayed for 12 days in the section with full hookups and found the campground pretty quiet. The lots were close, but you didn't feel crowded. Some shade from oak trees. All spaces are back-in. Our site was level.
Staff was friendly, responsive and helpful. First-come rentals. Some construction adjacent to the site which had morning noise M-F.
Biggest issue is that the grass doesn't seem to be maintained and dusty.
ScoutYes it’s a fairground but with full hookups and an overall nice stay. The staff were great even though we didn’t arrive until after 11 PM.
ScoutThe actual address is 801 Youth Center Drive. One camping location is up in the woods behind the horse complex. The other is on the actual fairgrounds property along Youth Center Drive. These are less desirable unless you are doing an event on the fairgrounds and want to be closer.
TravelerAttitude is believing Dude
Traveler
Avoid site 6! There’s so many tree roots, it’s an awful tripping hazard around a fire pit with kids! There are only three spaces out sites, 18,19,21. These sites are 10x10 designate for your tent, and picnic table and fire ring. Some are very very close together. The trails are good, the bathrooms are clean and maintained. Firewood can be purchased for $6/bundle. Be aware this is right next to the airport, you will hear planes all day and most all night landing and taking off.
ScoutWe live down the road from this park. I noticed it came up when I was looking for camping options in the area for my RV. While it says the park offers RV spots on the Dyrt website, the park actually doesn’t.
GuideThis campground is adjacent to the NC State Fairgrounds. Sites are spacious and full hook ups. Gravel roadways and grass/gravel sites. Most sites appear to be fairly level; we did have to use blocks on one side. There are no amenities so you must be fully self-contained. There seem to be quite a few long-term campers. Campground is quiet and security staff very friendly. Equestrian facility is next door. Sites are first come first serve; no reservations.
ScoutSuper friendly, accepting to come in at 11 pm after after work. Wish we can stay longer then 14 days but good for when needed.
RangerGreat place. Very clean, quite. Sites 32, 34, & 36 loop C are the best right on the water. There's an unofficial trail near site 32 that leads to a beach like area that people like to hang out at and dock boats. Although convenient for site 32 it also makes it less private.
GuideThe sites are private and large, bathrooms are clean and nice. We stayed in B loop, and beach access is close. Only downside is noise from the highway but it dies down around 10pm.
ScoutWe come here almost every year, and I love it!!!
TravelerBeautiful little park nestled into the woods! Our site (17) was on the opposite side of the real lake access and right across from the annual spots so we never really had too much privacy but most of the neighbors were very curteous and friendly. The 40s sites seem to be the best spots to get for a view or access to Lake activities. There are 3 parks which kiddo had a great time making friends at. The bathhouses were very clean-if a little spidery for me (eek!), and both in pretty convenient locations for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Raleigh, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Raleigh, NC is Crosswinds Campground — Jordan Lake State Recreation Area with a 4.5-star rating from 30 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Raleigh, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Raleigh, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
