Garvin County Park in Minnesota is a place of natural beauty that provides the perfect setting for horse camping. The park boasts a scenic landscape of green fields providing horses and riders alike with an idyllic environment that's perfect for horseback riding. It also offers many recreational activities, such as golfing, wildlife watching, hunting, biking, and hiking, making it an excellent destination for those seeking some outdoor adventure. The serene ambiance of the park, combined with its stunning natural surroundings, creates an unforgettable horse camping experience that everyone will cherish. Whether you're a seasoned equestrian or a novice rider, Garvin County Park in Minnesota is a must-visit destination for horse camping enthusiasts.
In Garvin County Park, there are 52 electrical sites and 8 non-electrical sites. The sites are only available for overnight camping. Currently, they do not offer seasonal sites. A 14-day maximum site occupancy rule applies before you must change sites. The site is considered occupied only if a registered motor vehicle is parked in the camping pad or when a tent is erected on it.
Garvin County Park is 13 miles south of Marshall from Highway 23. Garvin Park is located just off US Highway 59 only 1.5 miles north of the intersection of US 59 and US Highway 14.
The following is a brief overview of the park:
Lower Campground: Sites 1-16 (site#11 is the host site). Sites 1-5 are reservable. All sites have electrical only. There is a dump station, shower facility, vault toilets, playground, and wood shed located in the lower campground.
Upper Campground: 14 Sites. Sites 26-30 are reservable. All sites have electrical only. There is a shower facility, flush toilets, picnic shelter, and playground located in the Upper Campground.
Horse Campground: 22 Sites. Sites 1-5 are reservable. All sites have electrical only. There are 11 paddocks on a first-come first-serve basis along with numerous tie-outs. The shower facility and flush toilets are located next to the Horse Campground. There are vault toilets located within the campground.
Park Lodge (Warming House): Atop the old tubing hill the Park Lodge can be rented for Day Use in all seasons. Great for family gatherings, Corporate Retreats / Workshops, and of course, winter sledding.
Picnic Shelters: Five (5) shelters are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Most can accommodate a gathering of 12-15 comfortably with the Main Shelter allowing groups of 20+.
Garvin County Park offers the following facilities and amenities:
- Hookups
- Dump station
- Shower facility
- Vault and flush toilets
- Playground
- Woodshed
- Picnic shelter
RECREATION
Disc Golf - This 9-hole course includes the unique characteristics of Garvin Park as it passes through a mix of oak woods, elevation changes, open spaces, and the ever-present SW MN winds. The Main entrance of Garvin Park is located about 2 miles North of the intersection of US Highway 14 and US Highway 59.
Here are the distances and par settings for three levels of play. Please note that elevation changes are included for fairways from the box to the target. Play distance is approximately 3,100 feet while walking distance is approximately 5,100 feet.
- Trails - Garvin Park offers Hiking and horse riding trails. In the winter trails are open to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.
- Playgrounds are located in each campground. An additional much larger playground is offered in the Main Picnic area.
- Volleyball net - A volleyball net is located in the lower campground.
- Basketball hoops - basketball hoops are located in both the Main Picnic area and ballpark parking lot.
- Wildlife Watching- Garvin Park is nearly 800 acres with 15 miles of trails traversing the oak woodlands along the Cottonwood River in Lyon County - 13 miles South of Marshall. Garvin Park is an important site during spring and fall bird migration and serves as suitable nesting habitat for birds such as Scarlet Tanager, American Redstart, and Wood Duck. Deer are common in the park and you may even see a fawn in early summer.
- Hunting - Garvin Park allows hunting during the appropriate season for both wild turkeys and deer. Permits are required.
Cost Details:
- $20
If you want to discover and explore other campsites and horse trails, here are some of them that you may visit:
Garvin County Park does require reservations for overnight accommodations. Please visit their page here on Top Horse Trails - Garvin County Park for more information.