Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Chester Springs? Equestrian camping is the best way to experience nature. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
In Pennsylvania, the once industrious geography of North Coventry and Warwick now serves as home to 7,730 acres of protected wilderness known as French Creek State Park. Right in the heart of the Schuylkill Highlands, the park’s boundaries make up the largest mass of forested space between anywhere in Washington D.C. and New York City. The diverse land consisting of forests, wetlands, marshes, and sleepy bluffs throughout have become a top destination for the people of southeast Pennsylvania to hike, fish, camp, and bike. At a point long ago, before the industrial revolution, the land was once dominated by ancient forests of American chestnut. Sadly, in 1771 foresters started to clear these trees, in order to create charcoal for the furnace at nearby Hopewell Furnace. However, the forests were still allowed to regrow, with routine clearing scheduled every 25 years thereafter. The furnace was in operation for 112 years until 1883, and its impact on the regional environment was undeniable. The once wooded hillsides, towering trees, and babbling brooks that once existed now appeared as a barren wasteland in many areas. The ecological outlook was looking dim, that is until President Roosevelt started the CCC in 1993 as a response to economic turmoil created by the Great Depression. During the same time, Governor Gifford Pinchot invited the CCC to assist in reclaiming this special land, and they subsequently worked to clear the forests and streams of brush. To commemorate the work, they began the restoration of the historic Hopewell Furnace as well as the creation of many of the facilities still in use today at the park. Among these facilities are several tent camping areas, two group camps, picnic shelters, two small dams and lakes, and even the extensive network of roads and trails that snake throughout the park. Today, the second growth has brought with it a rebirth of life and wonder to the region. This massive expansion of protected land is now home to a multitude of rare animals and plants, not commonly found in the region. For example, French Creek State Park is an Important Bird Area as designated by the National Audubon Society, and an Important Mammal Area as designated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Pine Swamp is a State Park Natural Area. The park is now known for its diverse fishing, large abundance of wild game for hunt, and it’s plethora of outdoor recreation activities available within. Visitors to the park have a few options for overnight accommodations. The campground itself is well suited for both large and small groups, as well as individuals. In total, 201 modern sites accommodate thousands of visitors annually. The campground also boast a range of amenities, including a centrally located shower and toilet facility. Additionally, there are ten cozy cabins with heat and electricity. Finally, there are two historic group camping CCC Cabins available. The facilities include dining halls, central washhouses, and cabins for campers and staff.
$23 / night
The newly-renovated campground offers sites with three-point hookups (water, electric and sewer), as well as four horse campsites without hookups. If you prefer a bed to a bedroll, stay in one of our yurts! These round stationary structures with canvas walls feature a single and double bed bunked together, a double bed-sized futon, an outdoor seating area, and outdoor deck. Campgrounds at Cape Henlopen, Killens Pond, Lums Pond and Trap Pond State Park are open year-round. The Cottages at Indian River Marina are also open year-round, and the campground at Delaware Seashore State Park is open year-round, although during the winter months, it is open for self-contained units only. The Division of Parks and Recreation has a Central Reservation Service. Although reservations are not required, we strongly recommend that you make one to ensure that accommodations are available. There is no additional expense to make a reservation. Reservations can be placed for campgrounds, cabins, yurts, the Cottages at Indian River Marina, and Fort Delaware tours, and Killen's Pond Waterpark..
$6 - $42 / night
The campground is open Friday and Saturday nights only. Two camping units are permitted at each site, one unit must be a tent. Sleeping in personal vehicles is not permitted.
$15 - $50 / night
Open for camping 365 days a year at a cost of $25 per night per site. Online reservations only and credit card is required. Blackbird State Forest, located on the border of New Castle and Kent Counties, is Delaware's northernmost state forest. It is only a 30-minute commute from Wilmington and Newark. The ten tracts of Blackbird State Forest are open year-round at no cost to the public for nature walks, hiking, jogging, and horseback riding. The forest features a 1/2-mile, wheelchair-accessible wildlife and nature interpretation trail on the Tybout Tract as well as the Blackbird Education Center on the Meadows Tract.
$25 / night
Scout
super pretty. shower up in the dark but was super easy to navigate with a map. people super friendly.
Guide
Had a nice time camping for two nights. If you like small breweries, about 20 minutes away is Stewarts Brewpub. They have been around since the 1990s!
ScoutGreat secluded campground, peaceful. Great bath houses, always super clean.
Some engineering genious put the bath houses furthest from the people that need them most. Tent campers….keep your shoes handy, its a hike. Meanwhile Mr and Mrs 12 slideout supernova with 5 bathrooms and a washer/dryer get the closest spot to a quick potty/shower break.
LegendNice smaller campground with large spacious sites. Very level and spaced apart from neighbor is you pick the right spots. We were in 17 which looked out to open space and woods. If it rains, some sites are flooded. Not much going on for activities in March. Near an Ape Adventure park, hike around lake, and any shopping or restaurants you might want are close by. It rained heavy so we didn’t get out much but walk around camp loop is nice and flat.
TravelerSpent a weekend in BO1, spacious campsite, grill, picnic table, firepit, parking for 2-3 cars plus overflow parking. Firewood was easy to get and was plenty of it. I was only one in the forest ATM but saw some hikers occasionally throughout the day walking by.
ScoutWe've been here a couple of times. Sites are paved and mostly level. Full hookups on all sites.
Campground is separate from everything else I. The park - good and bad. Clean bathrooms
Scout
The park itself is beautiful.
First, there is absolutely no privacy. The campsites are right next to each other with hardly any trees. The more dense woods is on the other side of the trail. You can see everything other campers do any they can see everything you’re doing.
Second, The campground is ON the hiking trail so everyone doing the loop walks along the sites. Including people with dogs off leash.
TravelerPeaceful state park. Clean facilities and lots of room to spread out.
Traveler
Here on business but didn’t pull the camper up, (from Texas) Tent camped for a couple of weeks. The place is beautiful, and the sites are very nice. They have put a lot of effort in over many years out here. Each site RV or Tent is well thought out. Bathrooms/showers are always very clean as well as the grounds. Would Absolutely recommend !!
GuideThe only thing about this site specifically is the trail was close by so you’d occasionally see people walking by but not enough that it didn’t still feel secluded. Nice hikes in the area, great weekend!
RangerInexpensive $15 a night, but you only get picnic table and fire ring. No hook ups. Great children's pond for 12 and under. Brandywine creek and Chambers Lake are there too. Great playground.
GuideLums Pond State Park is a medium sized campground 18 miles south of Wilmington, DE. As we were visiting family in Wilmington, it was important to us to find a park that was a reasonable driving distance from the city and Lums Pond is the closest state park and public campground.
We enjoyed Lums Pond for what it was- a safe and reasonably quiet place to park. The showers were decent and the cell service was good (we have Verizon). The park itself can feel a little crowded depending on what site you have- we actually enjoyed site #46, which was out in a field, over site #33, which was more on the forested side but felt a lot more crowded.
While this isn’t a place we would necessarily choose to spend our time outside of visiting family, it was very convenient and clean. The park is staffed for most of the day at the general store so questions were answered quickly.
They had an odd rule about us not being able to dump our cassette toilet in the bathroom, which we hadn’t run into before, but we were able to use the dump station- we don’t have chemicals in our toilet so this wasn’t a problem we had come across before. Site #33 also had a lot of garbage in the forest behind it, which added to the reasons why we didn’t like that site as much as #46- considering the rules that were intended to keep the park clean, it did feel like parts of the park were a little neglected despite the overall appearance of being well cared for.
All in all, we found this stay to be perfectly average and would stay again if we had to, but would also not necessarily recommend this park to friends or family unless they were visiting somebody in the area.
Traveler
Starlite offers a wide variety of amenities such as a community pool, general store, snack bar, playground area, toilets, indoor shower stalls, daily activities, pets permitted, water/electric utilities and laundry units. Staff was very friendly! Loved the cleanliness and atmosphere as well!
TravelerCounty park so no booze but camp sites are under trees
GuideQuiet campground in a beautiful area of NJ. Sites were spacious. Electric and water hookups were a little far apart at site 27 so it was good we had long cables/hoses. Bathrooms were small but super clean. Camp wood that was sold was dry and did not smoke (which is rare to find)! Price was very reasonable. Would come back again.
TravelerStayed for two nights passing through. Facilities were very clean. Campground quiet. Bike paths were more for mountain biking. AT&T good service. Stayed on 13. Nice and shady not close to bathroom. Most sites are level.
ScoutWe came in July. We want to come back in October when the leaves will be in full color. Huge campsites! Very quiet and the other campers are friendly. The camp store doesn’t follow its hours posted, so make sure to get there early for firewood. Our 11 & 4 year olds loved it. Very peaceful.
RangerThis place is only for those that wish to relax and have peace which is exactly what we seek. Sites are huge and very private. You didn’t even know that there were people around you. Bathhouse was very very clean. First time here, but we will be back.
ScoutStayed at one of the primitive sites. Very clean and quite. Bath stalls and showers are basic but clean. Great spot for stargazing. Owners are very nice.
LegendNo big complaints. No big praise.
We needed a place to stay for the night and it provided that. If I were going to pick a camp to just hang out or enjoy nature, it wouldn't be this one.
Verizon cell service was fine.
GuideI understand why it is so difficult to get a reservation at Lums Pond. I don't know if it's the host campers or the management, but they're definitely doing something right.
I have to say, Jim, the host camper by us was fantastic. As it was our first trip after a long winter, I managed to forget to put the anode back in our water heater. I went over and sheepishly asked him if I could borrow a 1 1/2" socket. He not only lent us a socket, but asked if I needed help, and if I had teflon tape (which I did) and was willing to lend a hand.
The site was fairly level, side-to-side, so I really only needed to level front to back. That was a bonus.
Our daughter really enjoyed the playground (which was excellent, by my standards). The only complaint I have is that the kiddie swings seem to be modeled after the seasickness machine that they had on Mythbusters (https://archive.org/details/MythBusters..Season.3..480p576P..DVDripHDTV..X265HEVC..O69..FIXED/Mythbusters+-+S03E26+-+Seasickness+-+Kill+or+Cure.mkv). I could only go on the swing with her for a little bit before I started to turn green. Other than that? She fought us about leaving the playground, and really would have been content if that was all we did.
I took her older cousins to the fishing pier, and we didn't even get a nibble, but I think it was too cold for panfish that close to shore.
The trails were well marked, and the day we took a hike, we ended up on the equestrian trail that runs all the way around the pond. It was a long, but easy hike.
The bath house was absolutely immaculate, and the design made even my public-bathroom-phobic sister-in-law comfortable and at ease.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip, and I hope to go back soon.
ScoutLoved this place. Sites very well spaced, facilities clean, laundry room spotless, camp store has everything you might need and the hiking trails can’t be beat. We camped there twice…and did not disappoint either time. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because there is no Wi-Fi…even though description states differently.
ScoutThe sites are large and the whole campground is very open. There is a small camp store with the essentials and very clean bath and shower facilities. The pond is huge; perfect for kayaking or canoeing.
TravelerOnly 8 sites in the campground, very spaced apart. Each site has lots of room, very much enjoyed our stay and will return! No running water- only port a potties but they were clean
ScoutThis campground has friendly helpful staff and quiet spacious sites. We took our mini camper on its first outing here. The staff took us out to the site with our bundles of firewood and helped us back the camper into the perfect place. Our site was wooded and secluded with a fire pit and picnic table. Couldn’t see it here other campers from our site (#95). The cleanest port-a-potty and bath house I have ever used! My only criticism is that there are 2 bath houses for a very large campground so it is a trek from the sites at the far edge. Cute sheep and goats as you come in, playground for children, open fields for kids to run. We’ll be back!
ScoutWhat a great little campground. Shaded well spaced sites with full hookups and yurts to stay in.
ScoutMy family had a great time here. The camp sites are spaced out a good amount so each site has good privacy. There are multiple port a potties here but some sites are a bit far from them. Each site has a fire pit, a grill, and two tables with a decent amount of space for tents. I would highly recommend this campground and will be returning.
Horse camping in Pennsylvania offers a unique opportunity to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to saddle up and enjoy nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Chester Springs, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Chester Springs, PA is French Creek State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 75 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Chester Springs, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Chester Springs, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
