Best Equestrian Camping near Belleville, PA

Some reviewers have confused nearby State Parks with the actual State Forest, resulting in inaccurate information. Despite their proximity, Caledonia and Pine Grove Furnace State Parks are NOT considered State Forest land, and have completely different amenities, availability, and regulations.

Michaux State Forest sites fall in to 4 categories:

1. Designated motorized sites, which require a free online permit and are open April 2 until the 3rd Sunday after Thanksgiving

2. Designated motorized parking lot sites, which require the same free online permit but are open year-round

3. Primitive backpacking sites, open year-round (no permit required, should be at least 1 mi from a trailhead, and only 1 night per site allowed)

4. Primitive Cabins, which are on State Forest land but are managed by and booked through the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.

None of the sites available in Michaux have:

-electric or water hookups. If you used/saw one, you were in a State Park, not Forest.

-drinking water available at sites (some have a creek or springhouse, which must be treated first)

-restrooms (a very small number of sites have outhouses within 1/4 mi or so, but don't count on it)

All designated sites have some sort of fire ring, whether stones or metal.

Some, but not all, designated sites have picnic tables.

Cell service varies greatly. Some sites will have none without a decent drive or hike, while others have 4 bars.

Fires are not permitted at all from March 1 to May 25, and are also banned when fire danger is deemed too high.

Alcohol is permitted, except in picnic areas.

Designated motorized parking lot sites also serve as equestrian sites, and horse camping is allowed here. Teaberry has a few hitching posts and a two step mounting block available.

Pets are allowed as long as they are under control at all times and are not disturbing others. If your dog's recall is anything but perfect, they haven't earned the privilege. Use a leash or long line; remember that if your out-of-control dog gets into a fight with an aggressive but leashed dog, the fault is yours. It's not worth two sets of vet bills.

This is my go-to local place for camping and hiking alike. Michaux sits on the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and though they are scarcely more than foothills here compared to their majesty in more well-known areas like TN, NC, and VA, it is a place of peace and beauty all the same. Like much of the state, it's a young mixed deciduous and coniferous forest, with some open and sparsely wooded prairie/meadow sections.

This is a wonderful little campsite primarily catering the seasonal RVer. With that said they do have primitive camping spots next to the putt putt course and water only tent sits at the upper feild. There are also water/electric sites in a loop behind the honeymooner cabins, and they have teh best shade and set up for hammock camping.

The ferry here is real, and has been in operation for the last 100+ years

There is a small goat petting zoo, with very friendly pigmy goats and the camp is extremely pet friendly as long as they are on a leash.

There is the typical camp store, and in addition there is the icecream store next to the river. Across the street is a local winery with the best views of the river around.

The campsite fills quickly on the weekends, kayakers and fishers, and motorboats use this as the weekend home and mini family vacation spots.

The showers are located in the RV section of the campground, so you will have to walk a bit if you are tent camping.

There are horse stable available as well on site.

General: 73-site campground; most have electric hookups, and some are FHU. Pets are only permitted at selected sites. There are also 20 (13 rustic and 6 modern) cabins. Cell service is extremely limited to non-existent (Verizon). 

Site Quality: Pads are gravel and most appeared to be level. Site 70 was at the end of the loop which is why we picked it. A picnic table, fire ring, and lantern hook complete each site. 

Bathhouse: As has been our experience in all PA state parks, the bathhouse was pristine, and the shower (for no additional cost) was clean with plentiful hot water and was very much appreciated. 

Activities/Amenities: Coin-operated laundry. A playground is in the campground and there is an additional one at the swimming beach. The swimming beach is open from mid-May to mid-September, from 8 am– sunset. Electric motorboats are permitted on Moshannon Lake. Boat rentals are available in season. Permits are required. 24 miles of hiking trails, including two trails directly from the campground to the lake. In the summer, there is a camper store/concession stand. Hunting is allowed in season. There are 4.3 miles of mountain biking trails. 

I used to think Oregon State Parks were the best, but Pennsylvania State Parks have them beat by a mile. We have yet to be disappointed by the amenities(especially the clean bathrooms) offered at the half-dozen state parks we have visited so far.

i love camping here. the camping area is closed summer 2018. but should be open next year after they finish their project on fixing the park to make it better. great swimming area and beach. pavilion's for picnics and parties. good fishing too you can also hike up to flat rock, beautiful overlook

We love it at Colonel Denning! Very quiet and small campground. We love the dog friendly sites near the water, the kids and pups play all day! We love how large site 15 is and that it is near the trail head. Bathhouse is very nice and clean.

We chose this campground based on the reviews from another Dyrt member and decided to give it a try. It did not disappoint. This is a smaller SP campground, just one loop and a few sites along a creek. The camp host was knowledgeable and friendly. We stayed in site 42, which was not the greatest layout (electric was on the wrong side of the site for our door and canopy to open to the fire ring), but our time there more than made up for it. The campground was very quiet in the loop (the creek sites tended to be a bit noisier) and the bathrooms were the absolute cleanest bathrooms we’ve seen in a state park. There were some great trails in the area. Our family of six made the trek up the Flat Rock Trail to the overlook. A six mile round trip with a 1200 ft climb. Spectacular views. The park rangers had an owl program on Friday night and ended up calling in several screech owls. Very cool to hear their eerie cries in the woods. There was also a chaplain who came around offering a Sunday morning church service at the amphitheater. All in all, we loved this campground and after making notes of some better laid out sites, we cant wait to return!

We had a great time visiting the park! We stayed in site 28 which was a walk-in site, this was perfect for us since we wanted to be further away from people and the light from the bathroom/shower facility. The site was not far from our parking spot, maybe a hundred yards but there was a slight hill. There are even more isolated campsites further up the hill.

The park itself is definitely on the smaller side but packs in a lot. Lots of great trails and the beach would be great( close due to bacteria overgrowth) the michaux forest is 30 minutes away and has a lot more outdoor activities.

Will stay here again in the future.

While the area is beautiful, we were not impressed with the campground. We have a small 19” travel trailer which was almost impossible to park due to very tight sites. Sites are almost on top of each other - we had a group of people with tents next to us that were basically on top of us. Not their fault...it was the size of the sites. Staff was not very helpful at checkin. It was relaxing being away but won’t be back. We did hear that they are remodeling campground so hopefully they provide more room for the sites

Amazing!!! Cleanest facilities of the year so far, amazing large flat sites, dog friendly and great stream right behind the sites. If you stay in lower sites you are near the water and will have to walk up a large hill to get to bathrooms. Trail head close to site and was a very difficult hike with amazing views!! Wide open area to swim that was very clean and well kept. Hope to revisit soon!

Walk in sites have picnic table and fire ring. Tent pads are level and smooth. Showers and restrooms are close to sites. Strongly recommend...

Nice campground with quiet 250 acre lake for kayaking. Good birding.

Despite the cold wet weather this trip, we had a wonderful weekend!

Nice campground, wooded sites and most were okay for tent camping however some required your tent to be set up a small distance from the fire ring. Clean showerhouses and bathrooms. Big Lake and a few miles of hiking and biking trails right from the campground.

The Iron Ore mines from the past have left the creek water stained red which is why its called the Red Mo with the locals.

Beautiful facility- typical Pa mountains, abundant green trees, water...nice Campground AND cabin rentals are really nicely situated. Water was thick with weeds & lilies but ok nonetheless. Great day trip spot.

Very pretty campground with a nice clean wash house.. The sites are situated nicely, your neighbors are not “right there”. Our only trouble was our GPS brought us in the most difficult way. We suggest avoiding heading south from I80 on Casanova road. Overall, a great trip!

This campground is so beautiful with plenty to do for everyone,tons of hiking along the whole park.

Spaces are clean and spacious,bath house is very well kept.

Very peaceful and well maintained,plan to go back again for sure!!

The park also runs a ton of classes for different things like fly fishing,hiking,etc

Pulled in on friday of Labor Day weekend without a reservation but there were a couple open sites. Stayed one night before moving on in our travels. Lovely campground and would stay again for longer.

Make a reservation way ahead of your date as this campground is very popular and sites book early. It has sites to accommodate any R.V. and lot of tent sites. The lake has lots to offer. Swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife watching and a big sky view for star gazing.

My family and I stayed here one night during a motorcycle trip. We rented 1 of the cabins they have on the property and it was great all of us fit comfortably we were able to have a campfire out front and sit at a picnic table. They have a nice little store there's trails you can hike to beautiful area and a great place to camp.

This entire park is beautiful! There are plenty of well-maintained, well-marked trails for all experience levels. The lake is lovely with a very nice swimming beach (although I imagine that the water is cold even in the summer). The campground is wonderful! The sites are large and relatively private. The showers in the bath house are clean and nice. There wasn't much in the camp store when we were there, but it was the end of the season. Note: there is NO Internet or cell service there, but the locations where you can get cell service are posted. There is also no firewood available in the camp, but nearby locations where you can buy it are posted.

Getting to the park had some sharp turns and windy roads.  Small campground but nicely equipped.  2 bath houses were dated but clean.  Nice playground at the campground and also one at the beach.  Small camp concessions with a few camping items as well as ice cream cones.  Great hiking and a beautiful lake for kayaking.  Site 22 is a full hookup.  Utilities worked nicely.  However, our picnic table had seen better days.  The site sat down off the road but once you were backed in the spot it was pretty level.  This site also had a separate tent pad located down a few stone steps.  Verizon and AT&T cell service were basically non existent.  Every once in a while a text would come in or send but very spotty.  Sorry I failed to get a pic of the site in the daylight.  It was spacious and we had plenty of room for our 30' trailer, truck, and easy up over the table.  6+ chairs around the fire pit, cooking ring could have been better.  Grassy area for cornhole or playing.

In the middle of the woods vibe. The sites had good privacy and it was just a pretty area. Neighbors were respectful and relatively quiet.. There was zero cell service at this campground. Bathrooms were clean.

Wonderful state park. Spacious sites! Beautiful scenery. Nice hikes for various hiking levels. Quiet and relaxing. Clean shower houses.

Great little campground nestled in Penns woods! Camp store for the forgetful, beach, kayaking rentals, hiking trails and between 12 & 15 miles of mountain biking trails all right from the campground. Sites are spacious with enough privacy. Two modern bathhouses trimmed out in tile.

This is a nice cg, don’t get me wrong. Sites are spacious, bathrooms clean and air fresh. Decent beach on the lake and plenty to do within the park for the nature lovers.

The bad? The water in the lake is way frigid - even midsummer and only the very bravest kids were swimming. The overall area has nothing to do. And I mean NOTHING. We drove 45 minutes to Altoona to see the famous Horseshoe Curve but there’s literally nothing else around for miles and miles. Not even an ice cream stand, or not one we could find. And, since there’s no cell service, we couldn’t figure out any options either.

Don’t think we’ll be back. Might be a nice place for kayaking or possibly fishing (but I didn’t see a lot of fishermen).

UPDATED reviews for rustic and modern cabins.

March 2020, Modern Cabins: Before COVID-19 hit PA we stayed in one of the modern cabins. Wow...everything was seemingly quite new and it was extremely comfortable. Nice bathrooms, nice kitchen, etc. One of the best things about Black Mo is how isolated it feels and it's never crowded in the off-months. The Moss Hanne is still a thrilling trail even in the winter months and there's been a lot of beaver activity since we last visited including a very impressive dam. 

October 2019, Rustic Cabins: We stayed in one of the rustic cabins on a cold October weekend. Very charming small cabins with robust woodstoves. Although we probably could have been more careful, there were unfortunately some very bothersome mice who kept us awake each night...and were seemingly not very afraid of us! The construction of the rustic cabins is such that there probably isn't much you can do about mice getting in. If this doesn't bother you, these cabins are really cute and cozy.

July 2019, Tent Camping: As far as camping goes, the loop area is a bit cramped for my taste, but if that doesn't bother you it's fine. Clean bathhouse and convenient outdoor sink for washing up after dinner. Overall one of the best PA parks and well maintained.

I really have to address some of these other reviews, though:

"Water was thick with weeds& lilies but ok nonetheless." Wow! Pitcher plants, sundews and water lilies are not "weeds." They are unique to bog environments and don't grow in other places. The vegetation in the lake is what makes Black Mo black, so picturesque and unlike other PA parks!

"The overall area has nothing to do. And I mean NOTHING. We drove 45 minutes to Altoona to see the famous Horseshoe Curve but there’s literally nothing else around for miles and miles. Not even an ice cream stand, or not one we could find. And, since there’s no cell service, we couldn’t figure out any options either." Like many state parks in this part of the world there is no cell service, so you need to bring a real map (Purple Lizard) and look a few things up on the internet ahead of time. Black Mo is literally ten minutes from Philipsburg where there is surely an ice cream stand, 25 minutes from State College, which has tons of touristy offerings…I could go on but really this is laughable.

Great camping area stop a mountain...nice unique lake that is incredibly dark in color. Lilly pads abound with great flowers