USDA Forest Service · Michigan
Hungerford Equestrian Group Campsite
USDA Forest Service · Michigan, United States
- Sites
- 1
- Hookups
- 1 no hookups
- Season
- May 1 to October 31
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,168 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 2
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- HUNGERFORD GROUP CAMPING LOOP (NFSR 9806) · crushed aggregate or gravel · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Huron-Manistee National Forests
- Nearest town
- Big Rapids
- Address
- Forest Road 5134, Big Rapids, MI, 49307
- Phone
- 231-745-4631
- Activities
- Camping, Hiking, Mountain Biking
1 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
The Hungerford Recreation Area offers access to over 50 miles of trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking.
The horse trails connect to the group campsite. There are a few small lakes located nearby, including, Hungerford Lake, Toogood Lake and Mud Lake.
Recreation
Forty-seven plus miles of horseback riding trails and 10 miles of mountain biking trails make the campground an ideal place for both equestrian campers and outdoors enthusiasts.
Hungerford Lake is located a half mile south of the Hungerford Family Campground and one and a quarter miles south of the Hungerford Equestrian Group Campsite. The area offers fishing and boating opportunities. Horses are not allowed in or around the lake area, but visitors interested in fishing are welcome to cast for bass, pike and pan fish. There is a boat ramp located at the lake.
Facilities
There are eight individual sites within the group camp area. Each site can accommodate one large horse trailer, two vehicles and eight people.
Picnic tables, lantern posts, fire rings, and picket poles to highline horses are provided at each of the eight sites. A vault toilet, manure disposal area, trash disposal, and large group campfire ring are provided for the campground. Drinking water is available at the Hungerford Campground, located 1.25 miles south of the site.
The group site's check in and check out time is 12 noon.
Natural Features
The campground is perched along lightly rolling hills in the Manistee National Forest. It is about a mile north of Hungerford Lake and the 48 site Hungerford Campground.
The lake spans 30 acres and is a favorite spot to see fall colors. The Manistee National Forest comprises 540,000 acres and meets the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
Nearby Attractions
Visit the city of Big Rapids, Michigan, or the Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary. Benton, Indian, Brush, and Shelley lakes are also nearby.
Charges & Cancellations
Cancellations will not be accepted within 7 days of scheduled date of arrival.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | -14° | 51° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 29° | 13° | -12° | 56° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 41° | 26° | 9° | 70° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 54° | 35° | 16° | 79° | 8 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 47° | 29° | 81° | 2 of 11 |
| June | 76° | 55° | 44° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 80° | 63° | 53° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 78° | 62° | 53° | 87° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 74° | 56° | 46° | 85° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 56° | 42° | 30° | 72° | 1 of 10 |
| November | 40° | 30° | 6° | 62° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 33° | 23° | 2° | 59° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Hungerford Trail Camp · USDA Forest Service · 1 mi
- Brush Lake Recreation Area Campground · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi
- Paris Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 8 mi · 68 sites
- Shelley Lake Campground · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi
- Brower Park Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 11 mi · 230 sites
All public campgrounds in Michigan · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.