Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Bear Valley? Camping with horses is a beautiful way to experience nature. With our help, you'll find the best California equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Fallen Leaf Campground is situated on the north shore of Fallen Leaf Lake and adjacent to Taylor Creek. The south shore of Lake Tahoe is less than a mile away. The campground features 206 sites that include six yurts and standard tent and RV sites. The campground is typically open from mid-May through mid-October. Fallen Leaf Lake is less crowded and not as well-known as Lake Tahoe, making this a great base camp for exploring the many sights and recreational activities in the area. It's a popular campground and tends to fill quickly.
Both Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe offer opportunities for non-motorized and motorized boating, tubing, waterskiing and windsurfing. Fishing is available at both lakes, but anglers generally have better luck at Lake Tahoe. Guests can swim in Fallen Leaf Lake, even though there are no designated swimming areas. The south shore of Lake Tahoe offers the Pope and Baldwin swim beaches. Hikers can access the 1-mile Moraine Trail from the campground. The Taylor Creek Visitor Center is directly across Highway 89 and has interpretive programs, guided walks on the Rainbow Trail and to the Stream Profile Chamber. The Glen Alpine and Mt. Tallac trailheads are nearby for excellent day hiking and backpacking in the Desolation Wilderness. The Pope-Baldwin bike path parallels Highway 89.
The campsites do not offer views of either the lake or Taylor Creek, but they are nestled among towering native pine, cedar, fir and aspen. Some are adjacent to wildflower meadows. Guests only need to walk a short distance to Fallen Leaf Lake, where the forested shoreline and surrounding mountains are reflected in its crystal-clear waters. Prominent peaks include Cathedral Peak (8,200 feet) and Mount Tallac (9,735 feet). The surrounding woods provide habitat for squirrels, racoons, chipmunks and a variety of birds. The campground has some resident black bears that are often seen by guests; please be safe around bears.
This location has limited staffing. Please call (530) 541-1537 for general information.
A century ago, what is now the Tallac Historic Site held the ''Grandest Resort in the World'' and the summer retreats for three of San Francisco Bay Area's socially elite families. Today, the remains of the resort and the restored estates attract thousands of visitors annually to recapture this bygone and significant era in Tahoe's history.
Rules & Reservation Policies As you make travel plans that include reservations on Recreation.gov, there are standard policies that apply to most locations of which you should be aware. Do keep in mind, however, that there are many exceptions, so it is best to review reservation information listed on individual facility pages for those policies and procedures that pertain to your specific locations. Any location or activity requiring a permit or lottery will have unique requirements and policies. Please check individual facility pages for pertinent information for those sites. Booking Window For most locations, you can reserve six months in advance of your stay for individual sites and 12 months in advance for group sites. There are some exceptions, so it is best to check with each facility. Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Tours & Tickets: You may request changes to tour dates at no cost before the arrival date. If you cancel before your tour date, you may be eligible for a refund. Cancellation fees apply. Please check the tour facility description details page for cancellation policies. Permits: Varies by location. Please check the permit details for the permit location. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees. Tours: A tour or ticket no-show is one who does not cancel a ticket before arrival and does not arrive for the tour. Tour no-shows are not entitled to a refund. Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777." Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July
$118 - $120 / night
__Clark Fork Campground is situated along the banks of the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus River, five miles from the junction of Clark Fork Road and Highway 108. It is about 25 miles east of the Summit Ranger Station.There are two loops in the campground: A-Loop and B-Loop. Both loops have paved roads and parking pads. A-Loop has 28 sites with a table and a campfire ring at each site. Three of the sites are double sites. The restrooms are vault toilets. Water is available at hydrants serving several sites. __A-loop is the first to open and last to close during the camping season. __B-Loop has 60 sites,__six are double sites. There are flush toilets in__B-Loop. Three sites near the first restroom are fully accessible. There is no__fee for parking extra cars in the campground.An RV dump station is located near the entrance road to Clark Fork Campground;__the fee for the dump station is__$6.
The lakes are set in a spectacular high alpine valley, close to the top of Ebbetts Pass at an elevation of 8,600 feet. These two lakes are unique in that they are headwaters for two different watersheds: the eastern lake flows into the Mokelumne River drainage, while the western lake flows into the Stanislaus River drainage. Maximum boat speed on both lakes is 5 mph, and gas powered motors are discouraged. Highland Lakes visitors enjoy camping, hiking and horseback riding.
Sly Park Recreation Area is a wonderful place to bring the whole family for an unforgettable camping experience. Sly Park camping features 10 campgrounds that contain a total of 191 individual sites, each with a picnic table, fire ring, and barbecue. Vault toilets and water faucets are conveniently located throughout the campgrounds.
Accommodates all sizes of RV's but road may be rough
Loon Lake Campground is situated on the south shores of Loon Lake, and attracts many visitors with its variety of campsites and beautiful waterfront setting. Popular activities include boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and exploring off-road vehicle trails.
Anglers delight in fishing for rainbow and brown trout, while boaters head out for water skiing. Five picnic areas in the campground and a day-use area provide visitors with nice lake views.
The campground sits just west of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains at an elevation of 6,500 feet. The climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters.
For facility specific information, please call (831) 245-6891.
The 18-mile Rubicon Jeep Trail begins nearby. An exciting stretch of scenic, un-maintained, rocky road awaits off-road thrill seekers.
.Change Fee: A service fee may be charged at the time a modification is made depending on the changes. Cancellation Fee: A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refunds for a cancelled reservation. Customers who cancel a GROUP overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.. Cut-Off Window: The latest date and/or time that you can make an advanced reservation or a change to an existing reservation. Cut-off windows can vary by location, but are typically 4 days before your arrival date. A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (see Late Cancellation below). Late Cancellation: If you cancel your reservation too close to the start date, additional service fees may be withheld. Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).
$28 / night
Spicer Reservoir has a surface area of 2,000 acres when full. Maximum speed on the lower portion of the lake is 10 mph; the upper portion, surrounded by the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, is managed for non-motorized uses only.Spicer Reservoir visitors enjoy camping, fishing, hiking and horseback riding.
Eagle Meadow Horse Camp
Scout
Came on a Saturday around 4pm, there were 2 other campers other than me so it wasn’t busy at all. No service for at&t. Overall had a good stay here with my 2 dogs
Traveler
We stayed one night on our way through the area. Spot was nice level and clean. We loved the bike paths all though out the area. Rode In to south Tahoe and had a great experience.
Traveler
Nice peaceful spot. Few cars go by, but it’s tucked away enough.
Guide
Drive to the back area for tree shade and level grounds. Side of road camping. Camping on Ridgeline
Scout
So disappointing this app has failed us like 5 times now on camping spots. Not the right location.
ScoutI’m motorcycle camping and the ground level was about half full, mostly RVs, so I attempted to head up Scott Lake Road.
The dirt was manageable but there are sections of large rocks difficult to pass on two wheels. I crossed several but I dropped my bike before the second circle. Defeated and exhausted from a long day’s ride, I headed back down to set up my camp among the RV set.
No shade to the lifestyle but this is an awfully long drive to watch TV at top volume.
GuideWooded campground, cool weather, good phone reception, many spots taken with no activity probably by locals. Lake, hiking, close shopping.
TravelerLots of people ! come early for a spot. nice views around. lots and lots of bugs. i sleep in my car and crack the windows a little bit and i woke up to a shit ton of bugs that got in my car. even more surrounding the cars. very quiet at night, maybe i just got lucky lol.
Guide
This area is beautiful. At almost 9000 feet elevation, it is a great place to escape a heat wave on either side of the Sierra. Reno was having 104 degree highs, so we were looking for elevation that was not too far away. 20 degrees cooler here. Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass is an interesting drive. About 1-1/2 lanes wide, winding, no guard rails. The 7 mile dirt road from Highway 4 to Highland Lakes takes awhile. We go slow. We put our van with a great unobstructed view over the lake out the slider and from under our awning looking towards Hiram Peak. The hiking in the area was spectacular. Lots of trails, snow fields, wild flowers, and wonderful views.
ScoutLarge campground. Some sites very spacious. Fallen Leaf Lake is accessible within campground. Bike trail from campground to Lake Tahoe bike trail. Ten min drive to Emerald Bay and 20 min to Stateline of South Lake Tahoe. Many excursions and hiking trails. Breathtakingly beautiful.
TravelerWe went just up the road into the wildlife reserve and drove all the way up to burnside lake. Beautiful. Definitely need 4x4 and the road is super bumpy. We had a great spot that looked over the mountains. Would definitely come back. Lots of places to choose from along the way to the lake.
ScoutWe are new to dispersed camping and have a 40 ft 5th wheel as well as a GMC Denali 350 dually. We need a large space to fit into. We arrived on a Monday at noon and found that the large area about 1/4 mile in was not at all crowded. We had our choice of several places to set up. It is very quiet here, not hearing any road noise. A forest ranger told us there were more spaces up near the lake, but we didn’t venture up there.
Guide
Been here many times with my son and my horses over the years. Still quiet and not over ran. Close to fishing streams, high mountain lakes, hiking trails, off roading and don't forget that trip into Bridgeport and Bodie.
Obsidian took a beating two cleaned up and they are still fixing some things. I would vonsider Obsidian more of a primitive campground, not dispersed but minimal.
Outhouse is clean, bring your own water, can get 5G/LTE here.
Tables, campfire rings, park at your site, tent, small camp trailer. At the end of the campground there is a bigger spot for groups.
Horsetrailer parking/camping across from campground in a turn around spot.
$12/Night for single unit $6/Night for extra vehicle
Traveler
Amador is a laid back camping spot that never disappoints. Great for families. Not a party destination but you can still have a great time! They have a water hole with a fun slide, which is all kept nice and clean with tables you can sit at. I would recommend a pop up tent for shade if you go to the water hole. There is also a old school playground for the kids. The staff is super friendly and always there to help. I take my kids at least 3-4 times a year and enjoy any of the seasons. There is Frisbee golf as well.
TravelerYou follow a dirt road and have camping spots along the road. When I was here it was jammed packed RV, vans and tents all set up along the road. To me it was good for a an overnight stay. No At&t service what so ever. Little highway noise.
ScoutWe enjoyed our first visit and will definitely come back! The park is a mix of old RV’s that folks have long term stays and open spots for visitors. Some nice spots and some tight spots. We stayed in site 62 with 41 foot MH. There was no room for a tow vehicle and we did not put our awnings out. We enjoyed fishing from the bank and had some good luck with power bait. The resort is very clean and quiet!
Traveler
There is no dispersed camping on this road. Only trailheads leading into the Carson/Iceberg Wilderness. It is great for hiking or backpacking in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. Stay at the campgrounds of either Sand Flat or Clarks Fork and do some day hikes.
Guide
I worked at Sly Park as the Rainbow Camp camphost from early June-mid September and had a fantastic experience. The park itself is gorgeous and well managed while the rangers and hosts are super friendly. Day use areas and day use parking fill up very quickly, especially on weekends, so arrive early if you want a good spot. The hiking trails around the lake are beautiful and easy to traverse. I’m in my mid 40’s and walked the south side waterfall trail from Hazel Creek to the first dam and back in about 3 hours…and I’m by no means a regular hiker. The rangers and camp hosts alike make regular rounds to insure that there is no picnicking/day use or day use parking going on in the numbered camp sites and to make sure the park rules are being followed. Numbered sights are available by reservation only.
Rainbow, Kam Loop, Dogwood and Hazel Creek camping loops are nicely shaded and stay much cooler than the camping loops toward the front of the park but it can be tough to get a larger motorhome or travel trailer into the back of the park. The roads are very narrow with plenty of blind corners. Unsupervised children on bicycles, hikers, and other campers walking dogs on the roads is very common, unfortunately so are speeding cars. Be cautious on the roads and keep a close eye out.
There is plenty of potable water spigots available throughout the park and plenty of pit toilets. There is also a lovely, short hike to a waterfall! It’s just a 1 mile walk along the lakeshore from the Hazel Creek day use parking area. I definitely recommend this campground. It does get very busy on weekends, so if you would rather not deal with the “Weekend Warrior” type of campers, book your stay for mid-week (Mon-Thurs) and probably avoid camping in July altogether.
Traveler
Super fun spot went in September. Dirt road to get to spot is pretty rough but my Taurus wagon did just fine. There are a few people on dirt bikes ripping around trails so not fully secluded but still a good spot.
Guide
Convenient, has a general store as well as a restaurant/bar. Staff is welcoming. Ports pottys, but there are showers.
We had a large spot right on the creek. Its less then a ten minute walk to silver lake. I’d come back again.
ScoutMy wife and I love Loon Lake. It is a beautiful mountain lake located far enough away from the crowds to get some peace and quiet. Not a bad site in the campground.
TravelerThere are no Volt toilets here nor running water but pretty good Verizon signal. Lots of trails to ride your bike and walk.
TravelerThis is a nice little private camp spot for the most part, There's a campground with its own fence around it for private camping With signs posted very near it, "no camping here" in the other spots without the signs good to go.
ScoutToilets are full to the brim and the camp host is a psychopath thief. Beware of this guy, he is not whom he appears and has no problem stealing and deceiving you. NOT RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME!
Guide
Never been up 108 past strawberry, after some research and talking with friends, we decided to camp here. Definitely did not disappoint. Beautiful views, close enough to the river. Camp sites were nice and bathrooms. Host was super nice too. Lots of hiking trails near by. Can't wait to come back up here.
Guide
We were there for 1 night. The view at campsite 57 is gorgeous! However, be prepared for the heat. It can reach up to 110F in summer. It is toasting even with shade. Restroom and showers need maintenance.
ScoutRode my motorcycle to the location. Good compact dirt road to get to camp. It could be muddy during rainy season. During the summer time, lots of bugs and mosquitoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Bear Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Bear Valley, CA is Fallen Leaf Campground - South Lake Tahoe with a 4.5-star rating from 33 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Bear Valley, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 33 equestrian camping locations near Bear Valley, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
