Lower Lake Campground Hemlock Hill Equestrian Area offers specialized facilities for travelers with horses at Promised Land State Park in Greentown, Pennsylvania. The equestrian camping area features electric hookups with 30/50-amp service, water connections, and sewer hookups for RVs. Horse-friendly amenities include reservable campsites with picnic tables and fire rings where pets are permitted. The campground maintains clean shower facilities and modern restrooms with flush toilets. The park's equestrian sites accommodate both tent and RV camping with sufficient space for horse trailer parking.
Located approximately 30 miles from Henryville, the Hemlock Hill Equestrian Area connects directly to the park's trail system with multiple routes suitable for horseback riding. The surrounding Promised Land State Park encompasses over 3,000 acres with forested terrain and two lakes ideal for exploring on horseback. Trail access begins right from the campground with no need to trailer horses to separate trailheads. The campground receives perfect 5-star ratings from visitors, particularly noting the spacious sites and well-maintained facilities. Reservations are required and can be made through the Pennsylvania state park reservation system. Campers should check seasonal availability as some trails may have limited access during winter months.
"We stayed at the campsite at Lake Ocquittunk Area. Campsite was very spacious and had a platform where we were able to fit two tents. There was plenty of space on the site for more tents."
"* Water and dumpsters are within walking distance, or if you are not up to walking you can just take a short drive to fill up and dispose of your trash
- There are outhouses scattered around, or if"
from $7 - $55 / night
"3 hour drive from NYC, and a wonderful campsite with good weather in the summer - not too hot during the day and nice and cool overnight."
"We stayed in lower lake beechwood site 323. Was decent site only downside was fire pit area was very un-level for camping chairs, otherwise it’s a nice wooded site with privacy."
from $31 - $33 / night
"If you're there in the summer, I'd recommend taking a kayak around the lake and filling it with wild blueberries. Lots of hiking options as well."
"The Appalachian Trail crosses through here also."
from $5 - $75 / night
from $29 / night
"I stayed on a lakeside electric/water site for 5 nights in August 2020. It was SO BEAUTIFUL. We had SUPs and kayaks to take on the lake and our sites were right next to the boat launch. "
"We didn’t have a view of the lake, instead we were in someone’s back yard lol. It wasn’t a big deal. The site was well maintained and flat which were the most important."
"This location was about an hour and a half away from our home so it was far enough to feel like we were getting away but close enough that we could be home quickly in case of an emergency since we decided"
from $125 / night
"We stayed at site #T007 is was a short walk from the car to the site, but so worth it for many reasons."
"The caping set up was nice and I enjoyed the proximity to available hikes in the area. The ‘lake’ however, was kind of a disappointment."
"Park employees and park police drive around through the day. Some big groups of campers got a little rowdy at night. The bathrooms were absolutely disgusting."
"The actual site was nice and was close to the bathrooms. There was plenty of shade as the sun moved throughout the day."
"We were kindly escorted to our site (a nice refreshing change from having to wander around to find the sites ourselves), which was the one farthest away from the entrance."
"Close by to a couple of nice state parks. Cute sheep and goats that wander about during the day! Sweet little spot, we'll definitely be back!"
"There is an environmental education center with programs, there is fishing and boating, and an amazing network if hiking and horse riding trails."
"The sites were a little close to each other and where we were in the park was a mixed use area. So we had an RV next to us with the Genny running all day."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $24 - $90 / night
GuideStayed October 14 without reservations because website showed lots of availability. Office was closed (M-F 8-4) so submitted honor system envelope with cash and stayed at Site 041 on Carpenter loop. Shower building was a short walk and was spacious enough. Water temp didn’t quite reach hot but was warm enough.
Electric kept on tripping breaker.
TravelerThe state park is beautiful. The site was very nice. The park itself is very big with many activities available such as boat rentals and a swimming pool. There's also an amphitheatre which hosts specials. During our stay the only activity we made it to was the pool. The main reason we didn't do more was the distance. We have a motorhome so we didn't have additional vehicles to get to and from places. We walked to the park which according to my Fitbit was 1.5 miles away. That doesn't seem too bad until you realize it's mostly hills in both directions! We are a fairly active young family who has no problem with a bit of a walk but after that experience we decided to just spend the remainder of our trip hanging out at our site. It's a good thing we only stayed 2 nights because our 10 year old might've lost his mind with boredom if we stayed longer. Overall, the site we had was great and I'd recommend it. My husband and I may come back for a couples date weekend.
RangerI've visited the MOC a bunch of times, and have taken training classes here also. There are campsites for tent camping, cabin stays where you can rent a whole cabin or rent a bunk in a cabin with others. There is a store as well as food options. It's a great place to visit whether you grab a meal, a bunk, or just take a hike. The Appalachian Trail crosses through here also.
TravelerWe’re here for the Rock, Ribs, and Ridges festival and what a great experience! Make sure to bring a 50’ power cord as the hook ups are grouped together on telephone poles rather than at each individual site. As far as I know camping is only available during select events.
GuideWe stayed at a tent platform site in Shotwell camping area. The platforms could use a little maintenance as there were a few tie down hooks that were missing or corroded. The campsites are close around this loop that includes lean-tos, but not so close that you are bothered by your neighbors normal sounds. The bathroom is close and clean. There is a bear box at each campsite which gave peace of mind. Firewood is available for sale at the park office. The staff there is very welcoming. Great Jersey getaway with gorgeous hiking trails.
GuideStayed in the fairly new ledges loop that are all full hookup sites. Nice large sites, beautiful area, friendly rangers. Nice play area for kids, water craft rentals, nice lake. Plenty of picnic areas for day trips.
GuideThere are four campgrounds that are all pretty different, we stayed at Shotwell across from the pond. For the most part, each campsite has its own porta potty or it shared with a couple other sites. At the entrance of the campground, there is a bathhouse with running water, bathrooms, and potable water. We stayed in one of the RV areas across the pond. It was peaceful to hear the frogs chirping at night, but definitely didn’t think about how many more bugs the pond would bring, probably wouldn’t stay at that specific spot again even though it’s really pretty. Most of the campsites were very rocky, but you can find some that have a little bit of grass. We came on a Friday night. Everyone was up pretty late, but was not crazy loud. The rest of the weekend it seemed like everyone’s simmered down. The campground was full of mostly families. If you wanted to shower, you would have to head to the group campsite not too far but you need to drive. We don’t typically expect to have a campgrounds with a ton of amenities. Potable water and a toilet is really all we need. Overall, it was a great time gorgeous park. Also took a few pictures of the cabins in Shotwell. I wouldn’t personally rent one, but I guess if your winter camping it has a little fireplace and will keep you dry and somewhat warm.
TravelerStokes is my go-to state park for unplugging and enjoying time with my family. We brought our son (23 months at time of visit) on his first camping trip this past September. He loved every minute of it.
Site T07 in Lake Ocquittunk is gorgeous and one of the few relatively secluded sites in the campground. You need to carry your gear down a narrow, rocky path that's a little steep near the road, but it's manageable. There's also a graded path into the site adjacent to a neighboring site, but you should check with those campers if they are ok with you cutting through to use it. (We opted not to disturb our neighbors and take the slope.)
I thought I would be able to launch my kayak from site 7 since it's waterfront, but there are a lot of huge rocks in the water that prevent you from getting out into the lake. We had to find a different launch spot. That was probably the biggest disappointment for us.
Still, I love site 7 and it's absolutely worth the privacy and the views every morning.
GuideStokes State Forest is a beautiful park with a lot of different trails to check out, though some of them are difficult to access due to parking. The camping areas are split between two different entrances. If you’re in Lake Ocquitunk, like I was, you don’t enter at the main entrance, you have to go past the main entrance about another mile on rt. 15 N. and enter by the YMCA. All the other camping areas are near the main entrance by the forest office. The campsites themselves are a little too close together in some spots with little coverage or privacy. There is a day parking area which is only accessible going through the main entrance by the forest office— if you visit during the week park entrance is free, but on the weekend fees can be a bit steep. I wasn’t super happy with my campsite as I wasn’t able to physically have my car on the site like I thought. I had to park in a small lot above my campsite and carry my belongings down a short slope to the site. I like to car-camp so this was a bit of a let down having my car separate from my actual campsite.
The bathrooms were nice and had flush toilets, but the showers were out of service during my time. Bathrooms are extremely spaced out so you will have to walk a far distance unless you strategically choose a site next to one. I drove through the other campsite and only saw 1 set of bathrooms that had toilets and showers per campground, not including the outhouses I saw for those in the small cabins.
The Promised Land State Park area offers equestrian camping facilities within a 30-mile radius of Henryville. The region sits at approximately 1,800 feet elevation in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, featuring mixed hardwood forests and multiple small lakes. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing with summer highs reaching the 80s, making spring through fall the primary camping season for horseback riders.
Horseback trail riding access: Stokes State Forest provides multiple trail options directly accessible from camping areas. "The park is large with many hiking trails and ice fishing (see picture). The only negative is that I had almost no cell reception with Verizon," notes a winter visitor at Pickerel Point Campground.
Paddling opportunities: Many equestrian campers appreciate the multi-activity options at nearby lakes. "Loved camping on Pickerel Point. Kids had a great time! Bathrooms could be cleaned more often but relatively clean," shares one camper. "The road is paved, it makes it easy for the kids to ride bikes, skate etc."
Stargazing locations: The area offers excellent night sky viewing opportunities away from city lights. At Camp Starry Night, one camper reported: "The stars and moon were absolutely amazing. We got some great night shots and the moon is so bright it actually looks like the sun in the photos."
Year-round availability: Select equestrian facilities remain open during winter months. As one camper at Pickerel Point notes: "This was my second visit in the cold months. Sites have electric but no water. Spigot close by. Heated cozy bathhouse with clean showers."
Private sites: Stokes State Forest campgrounds provide adequate separation between sites. A visitor mentions: "Campsite was very spacious and had a platform where we were able to fit two tents. There was plenty of space on the site for more tents."
Wildlife encounters: The region's natural setting supports diverse wildlife viewing. "Only shortly after we settled into our tent did we hear foxes fighting right outside our tent, the snorts of deer, and there were bats right above us all night making noise!" shares a camper at Mountainview Campground.
Limited cell coverage: Mobile phone service is inconsistent throughout the area's horse camps. Several campgrounds report spotty service, particularly with certain carriers.
Bathroom conditions vary: Facilities range from well-maintained to basic depending on location and season. At Spruce Run Recreation Area, a visitor noted: "The bathrooms were absolutely disgusting. I thought with COVID they were cleaning them more, but for the entire weekend, someone's #2 remained all over the toilet, floor, and corner wall."
Site reservations needed: Equestrian sites fill quickly during peak season. "We knew I was not staying at the Plaza Hotel. I would definitely stay there again if I return to the area," comments a camper about their experience finding accommodations.
Firewood availability: Most parks restrict outside firewood due to invasive species concerns. Plan to purchase firewood on-site or from approved local vendors near your destination.
Lake-focused sites: For families with horses and children, lakefront sites provide multiple activity options. "Great lake camping...Tent-Cabin. Watch the local roads for potholes," advises a visitor at Pickerel Point Campground.
Playground access: Several equestrian-friendly campgrounds include playground facilities. "Plenty of space on the site for more tents. Site came with bear proof bin for garbage and fire ring," notes a camper at Ocquittunk.
Consider cabin options: For families new to horse camping, cabins offer comfort while still allowing equestrian activities. "Rented a cabin in November (#009) and again in December (#008) of 2021. I favored Cabin 8, the kitchen and bathroom were separated from the main room," shares one visitor.
Site selection for RVs with horse trailers: When bringing horses to campgrounds near Henryville, choose pull-through sites when possible. At Lower Lake Campground Beechwood Area, a camper reported: "The RV pads were spaced put perfectly and we all had our own picnic table and fire pit. 10/10 would visit again."
Hookup limitations: Many horse campgrounds offer limited electric options. "This park is large and has many different campgrounds. We stayed in lower lake beechwood site 323. Was decent site only downside was fire pit area was very un-level for camping chairs," notes one RVer.
Weather preparation: The area experiences significant seasonal variations. As one camper advises: "You need that wood stove to heat up the cabin. Turning on the oven is a help, but not a good solution. The wood stove definitely heats the room up nicely."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Henryville, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Henryville, PA is Stokes State Forest with a 4.4-star rating from 28 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Henryville, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 equestrian camping locations near Henryville, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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