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Best Equestrian Camping near Upper Sandusky, OH

141 Reviews

Van Buren State Park Campground features separate camping areas for horse owners, including a dedicated equestrian section with newly installed pens where horses can be kept instead of being tied up. The campground provides electric hookups at most sites and maintains clean facilities throughout the property. Pit toilets serve the campground area, though shower facilities are not available. Horse trails connect directly to camping areas, allowing riders convenient access to the park's extensive trail system. The campground layout includes two distinct loops of flat, shaded sites that accommodate both tent and RV campers. The park maintains its grounds well with hosts regularly patrolling the area and rangers making daily rounds through the camping sections. Horse owners must reserve sites in advance either online or by phone as walk-in camping is not permitted.

Trail riders can access multiple pathways throughout Van Buren State Park, with routes designated specifically for equestrian use. The trail system provides varied terrain through wooded areas and open fields, giving horses and riders diverse riding experiences. Water access points are available along certain trails, though riders should note that potable water at the campground can be difficult to access at times. The park's equestrian camping area remains relatively quiet even during peak seasons, making it ideal for horses that may be sensitive to noise and activity. Clean-up facilities for horse waste are provided, though campers should bring their own feed storage containers. The campground's pet-friendly policy extends to other animals beyond horses, creating a welcoming atmosphere for all animal enthusiasts. The RV dump station is located in a separate section of the park, requiring a short drive from the main camping area.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Upper Sandusky, Ohio (6)

    1. Delaware State Park Campground

    37 Reviews
    Radnor, OH
    31 miles
    Website

    "This state park spans over 2,000 acres and is just north of the cute Ohio town of Delaware. "

    "Delaware State Park is a gem in the Ohio state park system. What is amazing to us is how few people seem to know it exists!"

    2. Alum Creek State Park Campground

    80 Reviews
    Lewis Center, OH
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (740) 548-4039

    "Happened to be next to the park host. No choice of where to locate my large tent.  Showers/bathrooms were OK--older facilities.  "

    "There are tons of trails to check out all throughout the park. Kayaking on the northern side of the lake would be recommended. It gets too busy with larger boats in the main area of the lake."

    3. Van Buren State Park Campground

    12 Reviews
    Van Buren, OH
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (419) 832-7662

    "Since Van Buren State park is an easy 20 minutes away from home for me, i visit there often. it is clean and quiet, they dont get too busy and loud."

    "It’s a small campground with one side as equestrian and the other side not. All sites had electric and water, no full hookup. There were only drop toilets and no showers."

    4. Pleasant Hill Lake Park Campground

    10 Reviews
    Perrysville, OH
    50 miles
    Website
    +1 (419) 938-7884

    $27 / night

    "Didn’t see much of the park on Friday,  but Saturday we went exploring and saw the marina, beach, horse camp area, and walked some of the bridle trails."

    "Positives: Lots are spacious

    • Lots of activities: WhoaZone, boating, fishing, horseback riding, near Mohican Adventures for rafting, hiking
    • Quiet and with friendly staff and seasonal campers
    • Large"

    5. Malabar Farm State Park Campground

    2 Reviews
    Lucas, OH
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (419) 892-2784

    "Not your typical going hiking kinda campground (there are trails but they are not “major”) you come here to step away from city life and tour a working farm. Ohio countryside at its best."

    "Lots of hiking trails and a few sites boasting the filming locations for scenes from the movie Shawshank Redemption."

    6. Ashland Fairgrounds

    1 Review
    Ashland, OH
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (419) 289-0466

    $20 - $35 / night

    "Bathrooms are open and close by. No showers. Very clean and quiet. There were 4 others staying here. All were nice. If you arrive after hours grab an envelope and drop payment in an envelope."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Upper Sandusky, OH

141 Reviews of 6 Upper Sandusky Campgrounds

  • Vicki H.
    Oct. 1, 2018

    Alum Creek State Park Campground

    Would be 5 star except for this

    Alum Creek is just beautiful, nice sites, most of them are at least partially shaded, lots of woods, hiking trails, the lake, it is what I think of when I think of State Park campground camping in Ohio. There are a couple problems. 1. Only ONE little dump station. This is a big campground, so if you're leaving Sunday, you better get up at the crack of dawn to get to the station, otherwise be prepared to wait in a long long line of RV's. We by-passed the long line and stopped at a different State Park campground on the way home and paid 10.00 to use their dump station. 2. They never answer their phone at the campground office. I mean NEVER. If you have a question you will just have to deal with the reserveamerica people who really know nothing other than what they read on the campground website. So basically you know as much as they do. It's maddening. We will go back, but it's a 2 hour drive so it won't be anytime soon.

  • Mary S.
    Jul. 16, 2020

    Alum Creek State Park Campground

    Alum Creek State Park

    This is a huge campground! I tent camped by myself--felt very safe.  Happened to be next to the park host. No choice of where to locate my large tent.  Showers/bathrooms were OK--older facilities.  Wish this park had a laundry facility--another Ohio park I recently stayed at had a fairly new shower facility that included a laundry facility!  Did not appreciate the waste management company emptying the dumpsters at 4:00 AM!!!  There is a huge, lakeside beach that was just packed with people (no social distancing) and there was trash everywhere--not enough dumpsters.  Near to shopping (Polaris), if you are interested.  Will try to get a lakeside site next time.

  • Angie B.
    May. 19, 2018

    Van Buren State Park Campground

    Quiet

    Since Van Buren State park is an easy 20 minutes away from home for me, i visit there often. it is clean and quiet, they dont get too busy and loud. the horse camp is nice with some new pens to keep your horse instead of them having to be tied up. They keep the restrooms clean, but no flush toilets, which dont bother me. My only complaint about Van Buren State park is that there are no shower facilities.

  • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 22, 2017

    Delaware State Park Campground

    Nice Ohio State Park

    This state park spans over 2,000 acres and is just north of the cute Ohio town of Delaware. We stayed here for two nights while visiting friends in the area but wished we would have stayed to enjoy all that the park had to offer. The campground was really nice and quiet when we stayed there which was during the week and in the spring and not very crowded. We can imagine that this park is pretty full in the summer with all their amenities and close proximity to major Ohio cities. 

    The 'pod' layout of the campground made for large campsites (some sites are over 90 feet in length and well suited for large RV’s) with good separation between sites. There are 212 sites that have 50 amp electric. The campground also has yurts for rent (May through October) that are furnished with beds, table and chairs, a cooler, ceiling fan, outdoor charcoal grill and a picnic table with canopy. This is a great option for those wanting to stay in something more than a tent but don’t have an RV.

    There is no sewer or water at individual sites but there is a dump station and water fill station near the park entrance. Roads and campsites are paved with grassy patios that feature picnic tables and fire pits. The park does not provide wifi but our Verizon hotspot and 4G phone worked well. There are centrally located bath/shower houses with coin-operated laundry facilities.  

    The park is open year-round and great for outdoor activities; especially, those that are water-related. There are numerous boat launches, fully equipped marina, and swimming area. We launched our kayaks and had a great time paddling around the lake.  Be aware that there is no horsepower limits for boats on the lake and weekends are very popular for anglers in high-powered bass boats. The northern portion of the lake is a “no wake zone” which makes for a more pleasant paddling environment.  If you don’t have a boat, boat rentals are available at the marina. 

    For those wanting to hike there are plenty of hiking/biking trails for you to get out and explore the park.  Many of the trails link together so you can decide how long you want to hike. The Lakeview Trail was perfect for us as our dog loved jumping in the water during our hike. Other amenities in the park include a nature center, 18-hole disk golf, hunting, archery, volleyball, horse shoe pits, picnic areas, and an 800-foot designated swimming area.  At the camp store/office you can rent bikes as well as other sporting equipment.

    If you decide to venture out of the park you are only about 40 miles from downtown Columbus and less than 20 miles to the world-renowned Columbus Zoo (which is definitely worth a visit). The nearby town of Delaware is really nice with downtown shopping, restaurants, a historic theater and brewery (Stass Brewing Company has great Belgian-style beer with a fun atmosphere).  

    Would definitely camp here again if we were in the area.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 17, 2021

    Delaware State Park Campground

    Where’s the crowd?

    Delaware State Park is a gem in the Ohio state park system. What is amazing to us is how few people seem to know it exists! this state park is only 15 to 20 minutes away from Alum Creek State Park and yet there are virtually no crowds at all. The park is very large and the campground is adjacent to Delaware Lake, a reservoir a few miles north of the small town of Delaware. The lake offers boating with unlimited horsepower but it seems most of the boats on the lake were either fishing boats or kayaks. There is a very nice swimming beach, a beautiful marina with a full service store and two very good disc golf courses. There is also a youth fishing pond for the youngsters and plenty of hiking trails throughout the park. The campsites all have asphalt pads and are quite spacious; all are electric only as far as we could tell. The biggest con is also this park’s greatest pro and that is the campground requires a long drive to get to it - but that makes it feel more “out there.” The town of Delaware has a very vibrant downtown with lots of quality local restaurants and bars plus grocery stores and fuel to keep you well stocked for your camping trip. Highly recommended!

  • Shelly S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 9, 2019

    Malabar Farm State Park Campground

    Rustic

    I found Malabar Farm in Lucas, OH on my way home from Mom’s house. Never heard of it before and I have been this way for over 20 years now. Louis Bromfield was a conservationist and among many other things (including winning a Pulitzer) he was in the forefront of organic and self-sustaining gardening. This place is amazing! ( and would be an excellent home schoolers camping trip!) Not your typical going hiking kinda campground (there are trails but they are not “major”) you come here to step away from city life and tour a working farm. Ohio countryside at its best. Primitive camping with a gravel parking pad and water, fire ring, picnic table and hitching post. No reservations, this is a first come campground. There’s also a small rentable cabin open year round. Definitely worth a visit and very family oriented events. ( your teenager will roll their eyes at you but probably secretly enjoy the visit)

  • Renée C.
    Mar. 10, 2020

    Alum Creek State Park Campground

    Lots of trails!

    There are tons of trails to check out all throughout the park. Kayaking on the northern side of the lake would be recommended. It gets too busy with larger boats in the main area of the lake. Check out the mountain biking trails & horse trails. Lots of great fishing. Be careful around the old homesteads and dumping sites.

  • Marshall P.
    Apr. 14, 2021

    Delaware State Park Campground

    A nice State Park and I like the layout

    This is another of our favorite Ohio State Parks.  The campground is setup in a nice layout with each of the separate sections having a spoke and wheel layout with a bathhouse in the middle.  Sites are roomy and we like the wooded feel.

    The dog part was quite muddy and actually closed while we were there and we were a bit disappointed by that but there was plenty of space to walk the pups.

    Located near the town of Delaware, you aren’t too far off the beaten path and we even had decent service with Verizon.

    I also noticed that the6 had a nice storm shelter on the property that was well marked and easy to get to from any of the campground areas.

  • s
    Jul. 18, 2016

    Alum Creek State Park Campground

    Much more here than you realize

    Less than 30 minutes north of Columbus and you are in a rustic area with LOTS to offer. Besides the camping there is a sail boat dock and horse riding trails. The lake is big enough to spend hours on! It is rarely crowed here. Makes for a great community!

Guide to Upper Sandusky

Van Buren State Park offers separate equestrian camping areas with specific amenities for horse owners. The park features two distinct camping loops situated on flat terrain with ample shade coverage. Electric sites accommodate both tent and RV campers throughout the property. The campground maintains pit toilets rather than flush facilities, with no shower amenities available on-site.

What to do

Trail riding and hiking: Van Buren State Park provides extensive trail systems for both riders and hikers. "I love getting out of town and visiting Van Buren State Park, and I have lots of good memories. It gets 4 stars because I now live in Montana and Montana camping outshines Ohio, but I can't bash on Van Buren State Park at all," writes Lindsay B.

Water recreation: Delaware State Park offers multiple water activities with boat rentals available at the marina. "The northern portion of the lake is a 'no wake zone' which makes for a more pleasant paddling environment. If you don't have a boat, boat rentals are available at the marina," notes Nancy W.

Winter activities: Equestrian campgrounds near Upper Sandusky, Ohio transform during winter months. "I came cross country skiing here in early January and it was absolutely amazing. It is cold but the terrain is simple for first time skiers," writes Kevin T. about Van Buren State Park.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Alum Creek State Park offers secluded camping spots. "The camp sites are spacious and private, surrounded by trees and brush. Beautiful walking trails," explains Catherine.

Clean facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms at horse-friendly campgrounds. "The bathrooms and restrooms are the best I've seen at a campground," states Maddy B. about Delaware State Park.

Wildlife viewing: Pleasant Hill Lake Park provides natural encounters close to camp. "The lightning bugs even put on a nightly show," mentions Andrea F., highlighting the park's natural setting.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: Most equestrian campgrounds require advance booking. "We stayed during the week for one night. Campground was clean and quiet, had electric hookups at most sites. Host was very friendly," notes Nicole G. about Van Buren State Park.

Limited amenities at some parks: Facilities vary between campgrounds. "Not your typical going hiking kinda campground (there are trails but they are not 'major') you come here to step away from city life and tour a working farm. Ohio countryside at its best," explains Shelly S. about Malabar Farm State Park.

Seasonal considerations: Weather impacts campground conditions. "Be careful with rainy weather, some sites have flooded in poor weather," warns Katelyn P. about Alum Creek State Park.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Find sites near recreational facilities. "Kids loved having the playground so close to the camper," shares Scott F. about Van Buren State Park, where children can easily access play areas.

Beach options: Delaware State Park offers swimming areas for kids. "We did not swim due to it being in the 60s and rainy during most of our stay but we did go look at the beach it was very clean and appears well cared for," writes Ashley R.

Safety features: Some parks provide emergency shelters. "I also noticed that they had a nice storm shelter on the property that was well marked and easy to get to from any of the campground areas," notes Marshall P. about Delaware State Park.

Tips from RVers

Hookup variations: Check available connections before booking. "There are 212 sites that have 50 amp electric. The campground also has yurts for rent (May through October) that are furnished with beds, table and chairs, a cooler, ceiling fan, outdoor charcoal grill and a picnic table with canopy," advises Nancy W.

Site recommendations: At Pleasant Hill, "We stayed mostly in area E and the new F side of the campground. The new F sites have concrete pads and plenty of space. Only lacking in mature trees to offer shade," explains Michelle H.

Dump station locations: Plan for waste disposal needs. "Only criticism is you have to drive to another area of the park for an RV dump," cautions Nicole G. about Van Buren State Park's facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Upper Sandusky, OH?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Upper Sandusky, OH is Delaware State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 37 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Upper Sandusky, OH?

TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Upper Sandusky, OH, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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