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."
