Sycamore State Park Campground offers the most extensive horse trails for camping near Vandalia, Ohio. The park accommodates equestrian visitors with designated areas for horse camping, though it lacks dedicated horse corrals. Electric hookups are available for those camping with horse trailers, and water access points are conveniently located throughout the grounds. The trails are suitable for riders of all experience levels, with some sections featuring challenging hills while others provide more leisurely routes. Picnic tables and fire rings come standard at each site, allowing riders to relax after a day on the trails. Many camping spots can accommodate both horses and their trailers, though reservations are recommended during peak season. The park's great variety of activities makes it popular with equestrians seeking more than just riding opportunities.
The bridle trails at Sycamore State Park connect to a broader network of riding paths throughout the region. Trail markers guide riders through varying terrain, from wooded areas to open fields. Horsemen's Camp at Whitewater Memorial State Park, located within driving distance, provides another option with electric hookups and water access specifically designed for equestrian campers. Both locations maintain toilet facilities accessible to the camping areas. Manure disposal areas are designated at specific points throughout the parks to maintain trail and campground cleanliness. During summer months, water troughs are available at strategic points along the trails. The park system requires negative Coggins tests for all horses, and weed-free hay is recommended to protect the natural environment. All i know is there are great horse trails that accommodate riders seeking both short excursions and full-day adventures.
$29 - $160 / night
"A well manicured campground just outside Dayton, easy to get to, back in pavement site with 30A electric, picnic table and fire pit. Plenty of potable water spigots around, just not at the site."
"I did not spend enough time here to give a thorough review, but what I will say is that this site is nice if you need a campsite for a couple nights while passing through Ohio."
$23 - $200 / night
"This park has such a variety of things to do. there’s a great disc golf course, really nice trails to hike with challenging hills and nice areas with shelters for grilling and parties and such."
$15 - $28 / night
"This meant with two little ones we wouldn't have to constantly remind them to socially distance or put on masks. We were alone but had plenty of park supports."
"There's a great backpacking trail that's challenging and an easy middle meeting place for friends/family from Columbus and Cincinnati that can meet in Dayton Metroparks/Five Rivers - Germantown and take"
$25 - $55 / night
"I may be biased, with it being close to home, but they have a lot for the kids to do. Beach, volleyball net, playground. Plenty of water locations. For me the bathrooms are unusable."
"This park is know for the lake that is kayak and canoe friendly since it doesn’t allow any kind of boat with a motor. It also features a beach , 2 playgrounds and several hiking trails."
$27 - $100 / night
"The park is about 3000 acres with a beautiful sailing / fishing lake. There is a beautiful lodge and golf course, archery range, and plenty of hiking paths and equestrian paths."
"This camp ground is pretty standard for Ohio State Parks. It does have a cool new sleeping option. Yurts! We enjoyed our time in the yurt. "
$29 - $160 / night
"Autumn is the best time to camp in Ohio. Lots of small bathrooms. Lake access. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was due to the fact there was no quick reentry."
"Cowan Lake State Park is near Wilmington, Ohio and they have been making a lot of improvements to the park. It is a great location between Cincinnati and Columbus with easy access from the highway. "
"Tent/RV sites were level and had lots of Shade and trees for Hammocks. 1.7 mile paved walking trail is great for walking, running and biking. A short 18 hole Disc Golf course is close by."
"The location is located on the lake with access to put in a kayak or canoe. The bathrooms are clean, with private combined shower/dressing stalls."
$20 - $33 / night
"I came here and stayed in my tent (family had their horse trailer with camper) for a night during the chilly nights of October. I wish all campsites were like these - very, very spread out! "
"Short hike to the lake. Great beach area and shower facilities. Pet friendly, horse trails, camp store. Liberty is a short drive and has all essentials plus J’s Dairy Inn 🤤"
$17 - $29 / night
GuideAutumn is the best time to camp in Ohio. Lots of small bathrooms. Lake access. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was due to the fact there was no quick reentry. Had to wait for rvs in front of me to register.
LegendThis is part of the Dayton Metro Parks (Five Rivers Metro Parks) and it is at the Twin Creek metro park. This is an old boy scout camp (Camp Hook) back in the day.
During these COVID-19 times we wanted a place to park that wasn't the traditional Ohio State Parks camp site. We didn't want to share a common bathroom/bath house or playground area. We picked this as the Twin Creek camp site only has 3 camp sites within the park. Even then they are out of side from each other. You can somewhat hear the other two camp sites (rarely). This meant with two little ones we wouldn't have to constantly remind them to socially distance or put on masks. We were alone but had plenty of park supports. We had two great park volunteers/security stop by to make sure we had everything we need.
The nice thing about the Dayton metro parks is that each night in the front county camp sites they include a bundle of fire wood. This is not the small sad bundle that you often buy at gas stations or other markets. This is a huge bundle. It is dry and cut in an easy to use manner. It is also kept in a little box so it is dry even if you do have weather while camping. If you wish to add an additional bundle of firewood the price is very reasonable at $10.00. I do this every time I camp there to support their campsites/metro parks. I have yet to use up their firewood in the box when I camp for a whole weekend. It is also nice that we don't have to put it in our cars so less clean up after camping. It also helps with the whole burn local fire wood so you are not transporting bugs. Or you don't have to cross your fingers and hope someone close by sells firewood.
The nice thing about their site is the additional tables made it easy for us to socially distance. When I camp at local state parks and we only have one table it can be tricky to keep coolers, food, and people separated. We also were able to have kids do craft at one of the tables while we were preparing meals. This camp site is listed as a 10 person camp site. There is no water on site so make sure you bring all the water that you will need.
We also were able to hike the easy trails around the camp site. No need to put the kids in the car unless we wanted to. Which we still did:)
We drove into town and discovered a covered bridge that I had missed on an earlier camping trip. (Germantown). This town also has the Florentine which is one of the oldest inns in Ohio. It was closed while we were in town but it is well worth a stop. The town also has a community pool as well that you can buy a day pool pass.
The campsite does have two spots that would be neat for a wedding. You can reserve an amphitheater.
The campsites during peak season are $20 during week days and $28 for weekends. I still find this to be one of the best values for camping in Ohio. Especially, when you consider the level of privacy that you have on these sites. The vault toilets are one of the best as they are always clean. We have hand sanitizer and toilet paper. We didn't have to share our vault toilet with any other family units.
All of these small touches really made COVID-19 camping with kids much easier. We look forward to being back at this camp site in the fall.
Here is the website to make a reservation https://www.metroparks.org/rentals-permits/reserve-a-campsite/?id=786190&api=facilities&type=camp
LegendCowan Lake State Park is near Wilmington, Ohio and they have been making a lot of improvements to the park. It is a great location between Cincinnati and Columbus with easy access from the highway. This is good if you want to meet with friends somewhat in between. It isn't too close to the highway so you don't hear the road noise as it is a few miles away but it is an easy drive to the park.
They have been revamping the Nature Center to make it more accessible to folks as they have recently added a ramp. The Nature Center actually has two buildings side by side used for different purposes. Then behind the Nature Center they have a location where several birds are located in cages. Then next to where the birds are kept you will notice a new paw print trail that is a short but informative hike.
The commissary has great pizza and ice cream. We also bought our firewood and ice from them as well. We didn't need to leave the park. We had a few trails to pick from and picked two of the shorter ones for members in our group.
The cabins have been revamped as well. They are all close to each other so if you wanted to have a family reunion or a get together this would be a great spot to do so. At the end of the main road it will lead you to the lake. You can use the dock to put your boat out (kayak and certain motor boats). Folks are fishing at the lake or simply enjoying the beauty of the lake.
The beach is simple but that is part of the charm. It is clean and we were able to swim on the hot days that we had while camping.
ScoutTHIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO JUST GET AWAY FROM EVERYTHING AND RELAX. IT IS BEAUTIFUL TERRAIN TO RIDE ATV'S, HORSES, YOU CAN HIKE, FLY KITES, BRING THE KIDS POWER WHEELS OR BIKES YOU CAN EXPLORE THE CREEK OR JUST SIT IN THE SHADE OR NEXT TO THE FIRE AND TAKE IT ALL IN. ITS STILL ONLY 10-15 MINS FROM TOWN IF YOU FORGOT SOME SUPPLIES.
GuideHueston Wood, a real gem. The park is about 3000 acres with a beautiful sailing / fishing lake. There is a beautiful lodge and golf course, archery range, and plenty of hiking paths and equestrian paths.
The biggest issue for us was the description of the site at C36 was nothing like the description. We approached the staff in the office and they expressed no concern in helping us. One camping family left due to the office staff's attitude.
Ok, now for the positive! We met one of the volunteers, Gary, who was able to find us a site to hold our 34 foot motorhome. He made our July 4th weekend, couldn't have been more accomodating.
Sites have 30A electric and there is plenty of potable water available around the campground, just not at the site. Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. At the A and B loop there was plenty of space around the site to spread out.
The dump station is fairly new and can accommodate 2 RV's. Though most site are grass, some have gravel, but the A loop sites are full hookup and concrete or paved (but not all flat). When setting reservation and with an RV over 20ft, shoot for A or B loop.
The grounds are just beautiful, hiking trails great but not all marked well. A place we will return.
TravelerI've stayed here in the past and Cowan Lake does not disappoint. The B site campground is all non-electric tent camping, and far enough away from the larger RV pads that it's a quiet little campsite! Also, these sites are super close to the bathrooms on the beach, which were very clean during our stay. I was incredibly impressed, because the beach gets pretty busy during the day. The beach itself was clean (for a lakeside beach- there are geese, it's Ohio) and the lake was gorgeous! I will say, the only MILD annoyance is that some of the other campers would drive to the parking lot in front of our campsite and park there into the evening hours to fish or head down to the docks. I'm an early riser, so the headlights and car doors slamming were mildly annoying after about 10p. Not enough to make me choose a different campsite, but worth noting. We rented a tandem kayak and explored the lake, and the equipment was all in good condition. The Commisary is pretty limited but they do have a small kitchen and ice cream, as well as the basics like firewood and ice, as well as the boat rentals. Overall, one of my favorite lakeside campgrounds!
GuideI came here and stayed in my tent (family had their horse trailer with camper) for a night during the chilly nights of October. I wish all campsites were like these - very, very spread out!
Totally makes sense given that you have large horse trailers/campers and also horses at each site, but even then, they were very spread out and had lots of great space to actually enjoy nature.
In terms of trails, there was a starting access point at the horse campground for horseback riding trails that also led to the horse barn, but if you are wanting to hike, you have to drive, unfortunately. Another flaw is that the bathrooms in the horse campground aren't modern and they're pit toilets. Even with the cooler weather, they still wreaked and were not pleasant to use.
GuideMy wife and I had a great time visiting Hueston Woods and visiting the Raptor Center. Located north of Cincinnati along Ohio’s border with Indiana.
We stayed here with our pop up camper and felt right at home. The bathrooms and shower houses could use some updates and there were no full hook up sites when we went but our site was nice and quiet.
Our dog, loved the miniature golf and visiting Acton Lake.
ScoutShort hike to the lake. Great beach area and shower facilities. Pet friendly, horse trails, camp store. Liberty is a short drive and has all essentials plus J’s Dairy Inn 🤤
Equestrian camping options near Vandalia, Ohio extend beyond Sycamore State Park with trails connecting to a regional network. The area sits in southwestern Ohio's Miami Valley region, which features varied terrain including rolling hills, forests, and water features across an elevation range of 700-1000 feet. Fall camping offers optimal trail conditions with average temperatures between 50-70°F during September and October.
Kayaking at Twin Creek: At Dayton Metro Parks (Five Rivers Metroparks), water activities provide an alternative to horseback riding. "We also used the near by river to filter some additional water for our return trip which was nice," reports one backpacker who enjoyed the water access.
Disc golf near campsites: The parks offer recreational options beyond riding trails. One camper at Sycamore State Park Campground notes, "This park has such a variety of things to do. There's a great disc golf course, really nice trails to hike with challenging hills and nice areas with shelters for grilling and parties and such."
Wildlife observation and fishing: Local parks maintain diverse ecosystems. "The park is great for hunting and has a few good spots to fish," mentions a Sycamore State Park visitor. This provides options for campers wanting variety during their equestrian-focused trips.
Secluded sites with ample space: Horse campers appreciate the roominess at Horsemen's Camp — Whitewater Memorial State Park. A visitor describes, "I wish all campsites were like these - very, very spread out! Totally makes sense given that you have large horse trailers/campers and also horses at each site."
Accessible water sources: Multiple locations provide reliable water access for horses and humans. At Whitewater Memorial State Park Campground, "New pit toilets were very clean and potable water station are located throughout campgrounds," which serves both equestrian and standard campers.
Educational trail elements: Trails often include informational features. One camper reported about a nearby park: "I loved the informational boxes and tags that they had on the trees or plants. This is helpful if you have little ones with you or if you are like me and just like to learn about the animals/plants on the trail."
Weather preparation required: The Ohio climate demands adaptable gear. Temperatures can fluctuate significantly, and rain can make trails challenging. "During these COVID-19 times we wanted a place to park that wasn't the traditional Ohio State Parks camp site. We didn't want to share a common bathroom/bath house or playground area," noted one camper who chose more isolated sites.
Wildlife awareness essential: Local wildlife may become acclimated to campers. As one visitor to Buck Creek State Park Campground observed, "At dusk an overly friendly 'masked trash panda' encroached seeking to share my delectable and perfectly toasted s'more...having to be chased off."
Trail maintenance varies seasonally: Trail conditions can change throughout the year. "The hiking trails are often over grown and not very challenging," notes a Sycamore State Park visitor, suggesting spring and early summer may require more caution when on horseback due to vegetation growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Vandalia, OH?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Vandalia, OH is Buck Creek State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Vandalia, OH?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Vandalia, OH, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
