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GuideAzalea Campground — Kings Canyon National Park
Great quiet Campground. The only first com first serve in Sequoia NP in winter. To find a level spot might be tricky but possible. Your RV shouldn’t be longer than 25 feet.
Equestrian Camping near Hanford, CA
1 campground with availability this weekend
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Horse Creek Campground offers primitive camping for equestrians near Sequoia National Park, though it lacks dedicated horse corrals or stalls. The campground provides picnic tables, fire rings, potable water, and vault toilets for campers bringing their own horses. Sites are generally not level, so securing horses requires bringing portable containment systems. Water availability for horses is seasonal, with some campers noting the campground experiences flooding during certain times of year. Nearby Sequoia RV Park accommodates larger rigs and provides hookups but similarly has no specialized equestrian facilities.
Trails in the surrounding foothills provide moderate riding opportunities with access to Lake Kaweah when water levels permit. Horse Creek's location serves as a convenient basecamp for riders exploring the Sequoia National Forest trail system. Riders should be prepared for potential wildlife encounters including coyotes and rattlesnakes in the area. The campground experiences temperature extremes during summer months, often exceeding 100°F, making spring and fall the preferred seasons for equestrian camping. Campers must bring all necessary horse equipment as the nearest supply stores are a considerable distance away. Security is generally good with rangers patrolling the area frequently.
Best Equestrian Campgrounds near Hanford (5)
1. Riverland RV Resort
2. Azalea Campground — Kings Canyon National Park
"Easy walk to campstore, post office, restaurant, and visitor center. Many trails close by. Very busy in summer. No reservations. Tent only loops available."
"Very quiet but some sledding and hiking activity close by. Sites are a little close to each other, but being so quiet it's not a big deal."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $32 / night
3. Sequoia RV Park
"Typical California foothills hardpan and dead grass sites - large and able to accommodate very long combo rigs and have enough width to disconnect and park adjacent to the towable."
"There are many ways to arrive here, but the most direct and easiest is on California State Highway 180. The park is open, but the office is not, so it’s find a spot and check yourself in."
Check Availabilityfrom $40 - $55 / night
4. Horse Creek Campground
"We are working out way north through CA and Horse Creek was in a convenient spot. Site very clean and well managed and overall its a pretty spot. Only 2-3 large and dispersed bath rooms."
"The tap outside the building didn't work and neither did the water fountain. The host was not there for check-in."
Check Availabilityfrom $20 / night
5. Horse Creek
"Some of the sites (75, 76 etc..) look out on Lake Kaweah. It’s clean and well organized. Some highway noise."
57 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $20 - $40 / night
Drive Time
- 13 min from Visalia, CA
- 37 min from Fresno, CA
- 1 hr 15 min from Bakersfield, CA
- 1 hr 20 min from Merced, CA
Equestrian Camping Reviews near Hanford, CA
69 Reviews of 5 Hanford Campgrounds
Jen F.
TravelerAzalea Campground — Kings Canyon National Park
Bring your levelers
CONS: Most sites need some (or a lot) of level help. No RV dump. Pretty popular (so don’t expect privacy). PROS: sequoia is beautiful. You can find some amazing trails.
- ttom S.Guide
Horse Creek
Nice, but
Great location, awesome scenery and the sites are pretty nice. The reason for 3 stars is that the toilets are replaced with porta potties ( the machines n ones are locked) and the garbage is over flowing in the dumpster. There was no toilet paper in the women’s “restroom”. That was after the maintenance guy was here.
Hans V.
RangerAzalea Campground — Kings Canyon National Park
Restrooms too far
We had a spot on the farthest loop, which was beautiful on a ridge but set us about 600 yards/steps from the nearest restroom, which means going to the loo, brushing your teeth or doing the dishes (there are signs not to do these things at the water taps that are closer) all set you back at least 10 minutes if you're not self-contained. Also note the campground has no showers.
- RRebecca D.Traveler
Azalea Campground — Kings Canyon National Park
Mostly peaceful stay
We stayed at site 67. When bookibg, we were worried it was too close to neighboring sites but it turned out ok. The flattest spot for our giant tent was down the hill and it felt very private. All the sites in our section (66, 67, 68) had sloped parking spots. If you have an RV or sleep in your car, be sure to bring levelers.
The only water was a large sink outside of the bathroom. You could screw a hose to the faucet if needed.
The bathroom was close but not too close. The women’s has 2 stalls and a sink. Bring your own hand soap and hand towel.
We weren’t at the site much during the day so I can’t say for certain if it stays shady during the day but there are many trees. We never needed our canopy.
Azalea allows dogs and the barking echos quite loudly through the campground.
- Chisiya R.
ScoutRiverland RV Resort
Ok for one night
We stayed a week here, at first it was good, nice enough place. Our spot was a lot of sand. The bathrooms were full of cobwebs and spiders. The website looks promising, offering a pool, jacuzzi and restaurant. There is no restaurant, the pool doesnt get covered so its filthy, and the "jacuzzi" was filled with algae.
We came on a friday night, the quiet time is not enforced. The river was nice, however the entire length of it was taken up by boats. We hardly found a spot to swim in. We were located in site 10, at the very end in a cul de sac type lay out. Its a gated park so you need a code to enter. We locked our bikes up every single night and the one and only night we forgot, 2 out of our 4 bikes got stolen (mine and my partners, the kids were left) We asked for the surveillance as our site was in direct view of the camera and the office had told us their cameras all of a sudden stopped working around midnight but were working again that morning. Such a strange coincidence! They didnt seem apologetic. We had permanent residence come to talk to us and said they've never had theft issues, if you looked around most people had their personal belongings out every night. The place was very suspicious, I'd check out other options but also if staying a quick night it would be ok. Its right off the highway and really easy to get back on the road. We found a little lizard, and little frogs. However there is cockroaches running everywhere.
The people we met there, and the residents were so awesome, which is why it got 2 stars. The staff however, not so much.
Do not leave belongings unattended!!
- NNameScout
Azalea Campground — Kings Canyon National Park
Peaceful beautiful clean spot
Site 81 does not have a drive up spot to unload your things. There is a short 25 meter walk to your tent sight which is cleared and had a nice view of the sky. No giant pinecones overhead to worry about bonking your head.
- CChristian R.Guide
Azalea Campground — Kings Canyon National Park
A Nice Getaway
There is camping, which is always fun, and then there is camping in a national park, which takes it to another level. This experience was super fun because this campsite is so close to the General Grant trail, only a few minutes of driving. We visited during the off-season in April, so the sites were FCFS and the directions are pretty straightforward. You put in all the details into the recreation.gov app and then you fill out a white paper which serves as a check in paper with your confirmation so that rangers know you paid. It also allows you to see which sites are available because the ones that are won't have a paper. The bathrooms were decent, and just outside of them as a sink, which is great for dishes. It was a nice and quiet experience and we will definitely be revisiting.
Ken and Sheryl C.RangerRiverland RV Resort
Right on the river
Park on grass mostly but nice quiet place with room to walk and explore
Guide to Hanford
Horse Creek Campground serves equestrian campers within the foothills of Sequoia National Park at elevations between 600-800 feet. The campground frequently floods during high water seasons when Lake Kaweah rises, creating seasonal availability challenges. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F, making spring and fall the preferred seasons for horse camping near Hanford, California.
What to do
Trail riding at Lake Kaweah: When water levels permit, ride from Horse Creek down to the lakeshore. "Trails in the surrounding foothills provide moderate riding opportunities with access to Lake Kaweah when water levels permit," notes one equestrian camper who visited Horse Creek.
Stargazing sessions: The foothills location creates excellent dark sky conditions. As one visitor at Horse Creek Campground noted, "The stargazing is beautiful. There is some limited light pollution emanating from the other side of the foothills, but because you are surrounded by foothills you get some good, dark surroundings to really appreciate the stars."
Wildlife watching: The area hosts diverse wildlife including bats, birds, and coyotes. A camper mentioned, "There were also bats at night that really helped with the bug problem and created a cool ambience while stargazing. My husband loved listening to them hunt!"
What campers like
Central location: The proximity to both national parks makes these equestrian camping spots convenient. As one camper at Azalea Campground mentioned, "Azalea is great because it is central to both Kings Canyon and Sequioa. Good size spaces, lots of sites, trees and meadows everywhere."
Accessible trails: Several horse-friendly trails connect directly to camping areas. "TONS of trails immediately accessible from most camp sites, and a short walk from the rest," noted one visitor.
Winter options: For off-season equestrian camping, some sites remain open year-round. A winter visitor at Azalea noted, "We decided to come in the off season in February and we got lucky with weather. Low tonight is only supposed to be in the upper 30s. Very quiet but some sledding and hiking activity close by."
What you should know
Site terrain challenges: Most camping areas have significant slopes making level tent placement difficult. According to a recent camper at Sequoia RV Park: "Nearly every campsite has a major hill, so most will not have a good flat area for a tent. Site 61 is flat and a couple of others have flatter grounds, but many will have you sleeping on an angle."
Portable containment needed: Since dedicated horse corrals aren't available at most locations, bring your own portable containment system. Sites have varying amounts of shade - "While most other sites had trees or an aluminum awning to provide some sort of shade, Site 61 had nothing."
Water fluctuations: The lake level significantly impacts campground availability. One camper noted, "A good campground from late fall to mid spring. In the summer this campground gets flooded from the rising lake waters of lake kaweah."
Tips for camping with families
Wildlife preparation: Inform children about potential wildlife encounters including rattlesnakes. A visitor at Horse Creek advised, "Be careful for snakes in this area." Another camper mentioned, "Predators: Coyotes, rattlesnakes, meat bees (bring cheap canned meat to set out during the day and they will leave you alone for the most part)."
Heat management: The extreme summer temperatures require extra planning for families with young children or horses. One camper mentioned temperatures "often exceeding 100°F," making spring and fall the preferred seasons for equestrian camping.
Bathroom facilities: Restrooms are limited and sometimes closed for maintenance. A recent visitor noted: "Bathrooms were messy and half were out of order due to a maintenance project. The RV Dump station was also unavailable (same reason)."
Tips from RVers
Water and hookups: For RVers with horses, Sequoia RV Park provides full hookups if you need electricity for horse-related equipment. One RVer noted, "Grassy large spots with full hook ups. Close to King Canyon and other attractions."
Gate closure timing: Some equestrian campgrounds restrict night access. As one camper observed, "They have signs that say they close the gates after 9 pm, and their exit has tire spike strips! One night I went into the nearest town for dinner, but I was stressed about getting back by 9 pm."
Management inconsistency: Staffing varies between horse camping locations. A recent visitor mentioned, "The host was not there for check-in. Thankfully, we ran into a very kind maintenance worker that gave us the predator rundown for the area and told us how to get to our site."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian
campsite near Hanford, CA?
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Hanford, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Hanford, CA is Riverland RV Resort with a 2.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
What is the best site to find
equestrian camping near
Hanford, CA?
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Hanford, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Hanford, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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