8 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
The Beaver Creek State Park Campground near Portersville features a dedicated equestrian camping area on Sprucevale Road with 59 primitive sites for horse owners. Most sites are first-come, first-served, with 12 sites available by reservation. The equestrian camp includes basic tie-up areas for horses but lacks electric hookups or modern facilities. The campground offers vault toilets rather than flush facilities, and pets are permitted throughout the campground areas. Parking for horse trailers is available directly at the campsites. While the park accommodates organized groups in separate group camping areas that can host up to 30 people, these are not specifically designated for equestrians.
Located adjacent to the North Country National Scenic Trail, Beaver Creek provides riders with immediate trail access for day rides. The wooded setting offers peaceful surroundings with small creeks nearby, though water access for horses may be limited during dry periods. The park's natural terrain includes forest trails suitable for moderate rides, and the overall atmosphere remains quiet and uncrowded during weekdays. Trail conditions vary seasonally, with some sections becoming overgrown during peak summer months. Riders should plan to bring their own water for horses as facilities are limited, and the campground operates on well water with restrictions on filling large tanks. The park does not offer modern amenities but provides a rustic experience for those seeking primitive equestrian camping opportunities.
"It is right next to the bike trail and has access to the lake. I have enjoyed my time at Moraine and will enjoy it every time I visit."
"In fact my family used to own property near by. This park has an awesome trail system for walking or biking"
"Portals/parks/PDFs/parks/Maps/Beaver_Creek/beavercreekcampmap.pdf)
- 6 electric sites
- 44 non-electric sites
- Dump station
- No showers; no flush toilets
- Pets are permitted on all sites
Equestrian"
"I live near by to this state park and have spent much time exploring the entirety of it."
from $23 - $50 / night
Check Availability"The group next to us seemed a little rowdy when we first pulled in, but by 10:00 there was no noise anywhere near us. "
"Wood is dry and cheap right outside the park entrance. Bass fishing is top notch on the lake. I would definitely come back here again and again."
from $27 - $80 / night
Check Availability"The shortest distance is about 2 miles from the trailhead at the Kennerdell bridge, but there are other trailheads throughout the tract also."
"This campsite was close to an archery tournament for me. It is a huge campsite that is remote and peaceful. I will try to get this place again next year."
from $50 / night
Check Availability"Couple beautiful walk in tent sites right on the water. Plenty of nice hiking trails. Great beach for kids."
"Located deep in a county park in the forested rolling hills of PA. Every site is huge and mostly private. Combination of paved main roads and gravel dirt camp loops."
"This smaller campground has a mix of equestrian sites and tent/RV sites. There are no showers, but the vault toilets were cleaned thoroughly ever morning."
"Tucked away in southeastern Ohio is a gem of a park for camping, hiking and horse camping. Clean water, restrooms, playground, sand volleyball and basketball court."
from $23 - $33 / night
Check Availability"They have a large pool; a few llamas that the kids can feed and pet; a 27-hole disc golf course (recently expanded from 18 hole) primarily in the woods near and around the campground property; a small"
"Its become our goto campground that's only an hour away from Erie."
GuideThis smaller campground has a mix of equestrian sites and tent/RV sites. There are no showers, but the vault toilets were cleaned thoroughly ever morning. You need to be careful when booking, especially if you are trying to pitch a tent, as some sites are quite sloped. Our site was huge and right next to the water spigot.
TravelerTucked away in southeastern Ohio is a gem of a park for camping, hiking and horse camping. Clean water, restrooms, playground, sand volleyball and basketball court. Dump station and 18 miles of multi use trails! Small lake for wading with the kiddos, fishing near the dam or skip rocks in the creek. But be sure to pack a picnic and relax and enjoy! Only a few electric sites available. Mostly flat shaded sites most perfect for tents or trailers.
TravelerFamily Campground on Leslie Road [map]
Equestrian Camp on Sprucevale Road
Group Camp on Sprucevale Road
GuideWe just got back from our first trip to Mosquito Lake State Park Campground. All in all, it was a great experience.
We stayed in site 67, which is a waterfront site, with electric. The water is about 25 yards from the pad, but is visible from the entire site. The site was spacious, but not as private as some of the others. There is some woods between this site and the sites on either side, but other sites are visible. The fire pits and picnic tables were staggered, so it created some distance to make it feel more private.
The campground as a whole, was very quiet. We stayed from Wednesday to Friday. The group next to us seemed a little rowdy when we first pulled in, but by 10:00 there was no noise anywhere near us.
Most sites seemed pretty level from side to side, but where we were, several had a slope from front to back. Away from the waterfront, most sites looked pretty level. The amount of space between sites varied from site to site. Some sites had woods on both sides, while others were pretty open. Some had nice large grassy areas, others were much smaller. Sites from 214-224 are in a cul de sac and are water front, but they were pretty close together with very little privacy between sites, if any. They are very close to the water though.
There are bathrooms and water scatter about, but from what I saw there was only 1 shower house.
Wal-mart and other shopping and restaurants were about 3 miles away. Park was easy to get to, only one turn for us off the highway. Lake was great for kayaking and paddleboarding. Very nice dog park in a different part of the park. There is a boat launch accessible from inside the campground.
Dump station has 2 lanes which was nice when checking out. Fresh water fill up was also located near the dump station.
LegendCampground Review
I can honestly say that Oil Creek Family Campground is the best private campground that we have ever camped at. Especially if you’re camping with kids, it offers everything that you would want for a ‘great American summer’ style camping experience, without being a cookie-cutter big-name private campground chain. They have a large pool; a few llamas that the kids can feed and pet; a 27-hole disc golf course (recently expanded from 18 hole) primarily in the woods near and around the campground property; a small pond for sunfish / bass fishing; a dog ‘playground’ (enclosed area with some obstacles); a well-maintained hedge maze; a pavilion with ping pong, a pool table, and foosball; a DVD rental program at the main office with about 300 movies; and a small camp store with a small selection of books that you can borrow. They also provide weekly entertainment for the kids, e.g. rock painting or special guests. This weekend, for instance was ‘Jungle Terry and his amazing exotic animal family.’ We don’t typically spend a ton of time actually AT the campgrounds when we’re camping, but we did this weekend - and we had a blast on the disc golf course, fishing in the pond, and playing ping pong. The kids had an awesome time in the pool for hours and running around with the other kids in the maze. And everyone agreed that it was a perfect way to wrap up the summer before the school year starts.
We have a pop-up and my parents (whom we were camping with for the weekend) use a tent, so we had two water+electric sites in the tent camping area away from the RVs: sites A7 and A8. The sites in this area are well-maintained and LARGE, with plenty of room for a pop-up or multiple tents plus one or two vehicles, plus lots of room around the fire ring. There are smaller bathrooms placed around the campground as well as a center bathhouse located adjacent to the pavilion with 2 shower stalls and an additional toilet per gender.
We chose this campground due to its proximity to Oil Creek State Park. The state park itself does not have a campground, and OCFC is right next door - in fact, the campground hiking trail loop has a very short connecting piece to the 36-mile Gerard hiking trail that runs through the park. The park is beautiful with a lot of history (it is the site of the world’s first commercial oil well, and where the oil industry began in the United States around 1860) and Oil Creek - which is really a river - runs right down the middle of the park. It is a stocked creek and it’s great for both trout and bass fishing. Some parts of the creek also have a lot of northern water snakes (we saw 4 near the Blood Farm day use area) which was cool to see.
Overall: fantastic campground in a beautiful part of Pennsylvania - and we will absolutely be back.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get occasionally receive products to test or gift cards for new companies to check out. Over the past weekend, we tried out one of the Mountain House favorites, freeze-dried Lasagna with Meat Sauce in the #10 can. Lasagna is not exactly a typical camping food, so the fact that we could easily make enough lasagna to feed a group of six people (4 adults and 2 kids) just by heating up some water was wonderful! We made the entire can (boil 8 cups of water, pour it into the can itself, stir a lot to mix up all of the freeze-dried ingredients, and let it sit for ten minutes - EASY) along with some crescent-roll wrapped hot dogs over the fire and it was like a gourmet camping meal. Everyone loved the lasagna - even the two picky kids!
GuideI live near by to this state park and have spent much time exploring the entirety of it.
The trails are all nice, nothing too strenuous, and each have something unique compared to the others in the park. During the spring the Salamander trail is filled with thousands of Trilliums, a truly majestic experience. Lots of flowing water to enjoy throughout the park, some are off the trails but never hard to reach. A good park to enjoy with family and friends because you can fish, kayak, bike, skate, hike, horseback, and picnic. In addition, there are numerous historical cabins, locks, shelters, and a water run mill to sight-see. Then for those in search of a bit of spookiness, Gretchen’s Lock is notoriously a haunted location with certainly eerie vibes.
The family campground is small, but the park as a whole is not far from civilization so if any supplies are needed it is not a far endeavor.
I do not horseback, so I cannot comment on that campground, but many of the trails are friendly for horses to travel.
OH! And if you are there on the weekends the Wildlife Center is a must! The staff are so nice, it is by donation to visit so is in everyone’s price range. An astounding display of animals and nature information! You can even hold the snakes and see a bee hive in action.
ScoutI have been camping at Moraine State Park since I was 5 years old (so about 14 years). While I was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts we used the 5 Points Group Camping Area a lot. It is right next to the bike trail and has access to the lake. I have enjoyed my time at Moraine and will enjoy it every time I visit.
RangerI have not yet camped here but passed it on my hike the other day and knew I hadn’t seen it in the Dyrt yet, so I wanted to add it for others. This is a hike in or paddle in only campground. The shortest distance is about 2 miles from the trailhead at the Kennerdell bridge, but there are other trailheads throughout the tract also. This is meant more to be a stop along a paddling or hiking trip than a destination camping trip - you must get a permit to stay more than one night. They are first come first serve. There are 8 sites spread out along the edge of the river, some being closer together than others. They are level and clear, each with a new picnic table and nice fire rings with adjustable grates. A few of the sites had stairs to the water for paddler access. The first 2 sites had wheelchair friendly picnic tables, so I'm not sure if you can arrange to be able to drive back for that situation or what other reason they would put them there. That's nice if the case, I'm just not sure as there is a gate locked at the trailhead that's only opened during hunting season. Plus there's no pavement or gravel down at the sites so I imagine it could be difficult to access. But something to investigate. There are vault toilets that were clean and well maintained, with hand sanitizer. There is a spring for water which says to boil before drinking. There is also a big display board with state forest info and maps. Another thing to note, while the travel in makes it feel very remote, there are cabins all along the opposite site of the river, including directly across from the campsites. This could be a positive or negative depending on your thoughts, I personally would like it because it would make me feel a little safer. All in all, it’s a nice little campground, in better shape than some of the regular bigger campgrounds I’ve seen.
RangerThis is a great place just of interstate 79. Been going there since I was a kid. In fact my family used to own property near by. This park has an awesome trail system for walking or biking
Portersville sits in western Pennsylvania's rolling hills at around 1,400 feet elevation, characterized by wooded terrain and small waterways. The region experiences four distinct seasons with warm, humid summers and cold winters that can bring significant snowfall. Horse owners looking for camping options can find several designated areas within a 40-mile radius offering trail access and primitive to modern facilities.
Trail riding: Access the North Country National Scenic Trail directly from Beaver Creek State Park Campground, where one reviewer noted it has "direct access to the North Country National Scenic Trail and trails through main park." Another camper mentioned the park's "very big sites on the one side" provide comfortable staging areas for day trips.
Disc golf: Try the course at Oil Creek Family Campground where a visitor reported "My favorite was the disc golf. Their course is really nice!" The 27-hole course runs primarily through wooded areas, offering a challenging activity during non-riding days.
Fishing: Many area waters support good fishing opportunities. At Mosquito Lake State Park Campground, one camper noted "We love to bring our bows and use the archery range. Shower house available, but bathrooms throughout the site are primitive." The large lake supports various fish species accessible from shore or by boat.
Spacious sites: Many equestrian-friendly campgrounds feature larger sites to accommodate trailers and gear. At Jefferson Lake State Park Campground, a visitor shared that it's "Tucked away in southeastern Ohio is a gem of a park for camping, hiking and horse camping. Clean water, restrooms, playground, sand volleyball and basketball court. Dump station and 18 miles of multi use trails!"
Natural surroundings: The region's woodlands create peaceful camping environments. A camper at Beaver Creek State Park Campground described it as having "Small quiet state park. Nice trails and very big sites on the one side." The natural setting complements the equestrian experience.
Pet-friendly policies: Most horse campgrounds welcome other pets too. A Mosquito Lake visitor mentioned "The dog park is amazing. Theres so much to do here. Swimming, boating, fishing. We love it. Only bad are no real bathrooms except at the front of the park." This allows families to bring both horses and dogs on their camping trips.
Water limitations: Unlike the dedicated equestrian area at Beaver Creek with limited water facilities, Two Mile Run County Park presents different challenges. A visitor noted "Couple beautiful walk in tent sites right on the water. Plenty of nice hiking trails. Great beach for kids." Always confirm water availability for horses before arrival.
Terrain considerations: Many campgrounds have variable terrain that affects site selection. At Jefferson Lake, one camper warned "Some sites are small and very sloped. Others have lots of room to spread out." Request specific information about equestrian sites when making reservations.
Seasonal variations: Weather significantly impacts trail conditions throughout the year. A Two Mile Run County Park visitor mentioned "Affordable, lots of things to do like fishing, hiking trails, canoeing kayaking, clean shower house, good signal for Verizon," but trail quality varies by season, with some becoming overgrown during summer months.
Choose campgrounds with activities: Moraine State Park offers diverse options for families with children. A reviewer mentioned "It offers many camping styles including Group Tenting, Adirondack shelters for backpacking, and Cabins." Another noted it includes "Kayaking/Canoeing, Motor boating 15hp or less, Sailboats, Bike Trail, Great Fishing Spots, Swimming Area."
Check site layout: Request sites close to amenities when traveling with children. At Mosquito Lake, one camper shared "Sites are huge. The dog park is amazing. Theres so much to do here. Swimming, boating, fishing. We love it." Look for sites with enough space for both horses and family activities.
Pack accordingly: Facilities vary widely across campgrounds. A Jefferson Lake camper warned "No working showers or potable water" while another noted "Enjoyed fairly level pads, very clean vault toilets, beautiful grounds and walking trails." Bring sufficient supplies based on what each location offers.
Site selection: Many equestrian campgrounds have limited RV-friendly sites. At Oil Creek Family Campground, a visitor mentioned "Hubby and I rented an RV and stayed one night at oil creek campground. We really liked it and wish we could've stayed longer." Request information about site dimensions and leveling before booking.
Hookup availability: Electric and water access varies significantly. A Jefferson Lake visitor reported "Only 5 electric sites. Very clean pit toilets. Well maintained campground. A few equine sites. Only 2 electric eq sites. Electric is a little far behind pad. We almost needed extension cord." Bring extension cords and adapters when using equestrian sites with RVs.
Access challenges: Some campgrounds have difficult entry roads. A Two Mile Run visitor warned "Couple beautiful walk in tent sites right on the water." Check road conditions and any restrictions before attempting to navigate with larger rigs and trailers to horse-friendly areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Portersville, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Portersville, PA is Group Camping and Cabins — Moraine State Park with a 4.2-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Portersville, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 equestrian camping locations near Portersville, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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