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Wawona Horse Campsites in Yosemite National Park offers primitive camping specifically designed for equestrians traveling with their horses. Located near Fish Camp, California, these sites provide designated areas for both riders and their horses within the Wawona section of the park. The campground maintains primitive accommodations with fire rings permitted but lacks water hookups, toilets, and trash service. Horses require adequate containment systems brought by campers as no permanent corrals exist at the site. Reservations are required for these horse campsites, and pets are allowed according to park regulations.
Bridalveil Creek Campground provides an alternative horse-friendly option within Yosemite National Park, approximately 7 miles from the Wawona area. This established campground features drinking water, toilets, and trash service while still accommodating equestrians. The campground connects to several bridle paths and horse trails throughout the park's south region. Access roads may be challenging for larger horse trailers, so smaller rigs are recommended when visiting these facilities. The campground opens seasonally, with availability typically running from late spring through early fall depending on weather conditions and park management decisions. Trail conditions vary throughout the season, with some areas showing signs of heavy use during peak periods.
"Fish Camp is only a couple miles away with its General store. Plenty of relatively level sites, fire rings, easy in and easy out."
"After accidentally driving to this location following the directions of another reviewer for the “Yosemite Boondocks” campground across 41 (which we never found) we were very happy with this location."
"Great location right in the middle of Yosemite Valley. Great access to beautiful hikes and scenery. The camp sites are spacious."
"There is a shuttle stop right outside the campground. You are also in easy walking distance to the path to Mirror Lake and the ever popular Mist Trail."
from $48 / night
Check Availability"Off-road on the way to the camp site. We stayed at #4, with a good shade and it’s by the creek. Everything is good only it’s too dusty when other cars pass by without slowing down."
"Has a creek through the middle next to pretty much all sites. The stars at night are incredible. It’s about a 40 minute drive from Yosemite."
"Decent access to drinking water and each site has tables and fire rings, no RV hookups (another reason you have more "campers" and it's less noisy at night)."
"Your best bet is to visit the valley and camp outside the Park or in locations outside the valley. The granite cliffs and waterfalls are something to treasure."
from $36 - $75 / night
Check Availability"The site is pet friendly and has horse stables. Our neighbors were friendly and quiet. The site had a picnic table, fire pit, water spout and full electricity hook ups."
"Driving from the West toward Yosemite this location is one which will allow you to find a camping option before getting into the big crowds. "
from $41 - $43 / night
Check Availability"For people with mobility issues, this site is a good walk away from the inner valley trails, fine for anyone else who is up for walking distances, because that is why you came to Yosemite!"
"Beautiful campground, unfortunately right next to the trail, but very spacious and also has bathrooms and picnic tables right there!"
"It would make the perfect group site as they were a bit tucked back from the other sites. Site #12 could easily be connected to site #11 as the brush is well-cleared between the two."
"Located a short 20 miles east of 99, just north of Fresno, this Army Corps of Engineers campground is stunning."
from $20 - $100 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $50 / night
Check Availability"If you wanna get away and camp next to a river and down a trail and shoot your gun or go fishing you can freedom you can horseback ride if you have horses he can fish there are fish there trout it's beautiful"
"There are pit toilets, but they are located only on the upper loop, so the sites in the lower loop are quite far away, so be prepared to dig a hole."
GuideGreat location right in the middle of Yosemite Valley. Great access to beautiful hikes and scenery. The camp sites are spacious. Because it's an equestrian campground, you will smell the horses and stables....be prepared. The river is close to the campgrounds and are refreshing on a hot day.
RangerBeautiful forested Sugar Pine Forest. The sigh of the breeze in the trees is enough to make this a paradise. Two to three bars verizon, no other services, though there is a trash can in the parking lot. Fish Camp is only a couple miles away with its General store. Plenty of relatively level sites, fire rings, easy in and easy out. The road is paved up to the parking lot and the Boondock sites on the dirt access road are to the right of the parking lot and meadow. There's nothing negative to say about these sites.
GuideI agree the road out is pretty scary I don't advise trailers but I have seen them while driving in. It is one lane and you must pull out for opposing traffic. But definitely one of my most favorite places in the Sierras. The views are amazing, I recommend giving yourself extra time to stop and get out for the views a few times on the way in.
Once in the campground/resort area there are two separate loops to camp in as well as cabins to rent and a small dispersed camping area there is also a general store, bath house, and small Cafe that are all seasonal since the road is closed most of the year. So open and close dates vary depending on snow. You can get firewood, drinking water at the store but it can be a little pricey, so I recommend bringing your own. The baths/showers are usually included for anyone paying for a campsite, but this may have changed. It is very cheap for day use persons to use the showers though. The sites are all very nice and surprisingly private though some are pretty close together. All provide a firepit, table, bear box, and parking space. I love that there are bear boxes at such a remote place! There are vault tiolets and dumpsters for trash. The river runs along one side of the campsites so about half of the sites are on the river. Bring extra bugspray for these sites as you are close to the water.
Most important if you made it this far reading 😅😂 there are multiple NATURAL HOT SPRINGS!! There are several different pools located across the river from the campgrounds. They are all over the hillside and range in temperature from lukewarm to bath water to Hot. They also pump the natural mineral water to the bathhouse for the showers! The springs are the main reason to come out and camp. There are also tons of hiking trails and other lakes in the area including 2 thermal lakes and tons of breathtaking views. I highly recommend this place. 🏞🏕
Also: I have not personally stayed in the cabins or dispersed camping area only the paid sites along the river, but I have been here several times and have seen them. There is also a corral area for horses so I'm not sure if that qualifies it as an equestrian camp but there is a spot for the horses.
TravelerIf you wanna get away and camp next to a river and down a trail and shoot your gun or go fishing you can freedom you can horseback ride if you have horses he can fish there are fish there trout it's beautiful peaceful.
TravelerThis campground is in the heart of Yosemite Valley. It is great to camp on the valley floor, especially during peak season as traffic from all main gates to the valley floor is very congested. There is a shuttle stop right outside the campground. You are also in easy walking distance to the path to Mirror Lake and the ever popular Mist Trail. Shuttle stops at all valley attractions and you can easily get to the Pizza Deck in Half Dome Village, the deli in Yosemite Village, and many different hiking trails. Some spots are right along the Merced River. No showers here, but hot showers are close by at Half Dome Village. We will be back!
LegendIt is hard to get a Camping spot in Yosemite but well worth it if you do. I got up early many a morning to try and get a day here or there for our summer trips out west. You can always try the daily lottery in the village office which we did one day. So Any campground in the valley is good and in close proximity to everything going on. This campground is located on the Merced river and is primitive. The horse stables are in this loop as well.There is a water station by entrance to fill up. No electric, sewer or shower. There are bathrooms with an outlet (Yea- can charge your Phone but get in line) You can bathe in river like I do or go to curry village and pay for a shower at housekeeping. You get a fire ring and a bear box at each site. Generator hours are limited so plan accordingly.
ScoutAlthough this campground is located in the midst of so much dramatic beauty, few campgrounds capture that beauty like this one. While sitting in your campsite, you can see majestic mountains and a very quiet. It is located across from horse stables if you like that and near a little store. Fishing appears to be the popular activity here although we are not fisher persons. It is a great base camp to all of the June Lake and Mammoth region
GuideWe were lucky to get 5 days in a row during 4th of July weekend in 2021 at one of the best sites within North Pines campground. We set up camp at site #515, we had a fire pit, bear locker, picnic table and two tents! Within walking distance is the edge of the Merced river, from there you have views of Yosemite Falls. One of my favorite activities was take a short walk with a floating tube from the campsite to the entrance of the campground and hop into the river float back down and get off near our campsite! Our site also offered a good amount of shade and was a short walk from the restrooms. We were surround amongst the giant granite cliffs. One of the best camping trips with great company. 10/10 would recommend.
RangerThousand Island Lake is a trek to get to but once you get there, well you don’t really want to leave. This view is absolutely beautiful, and it changes rapidly with the rising and setting sun so make you have your camera ready for it. This is completely back country so you gotta pack it all in. There are some rules you have to follow while camping at this lake, 30 feet off of the trail and then another 100 feet away from the water. This can be hard to do as your camp may be on a slant or in the wide open, however you have plenty of space to choose from at this location. There is another rule about camping past a certain peninsula but from everyone we talked to they had no idea which peninsula the map was actually referring to, so you just walk past a couple of them and hope you’re in the right spot. The water is very cold but still feels great after a long hike all day.
There are multiple routes to getting to this lake, you can come. The John Muir trail and the PCT lead to this location, also Mammoth California has a trail that leads here as well. We even encountered mule train options on our way in if you prefer that type of transportation. But this is definitely somewhere you want to visit.
Equestrian camping near Fish Camp, California offers backcountry access at elevations ranging from 5,000-7,000 feet within Sierra National Forest and Yosemite's southern region. The area receives significant snowfall between November and April, with summer daytime temperatures typically ranging 70-85°F. Most horse-friendly camping options require advance planning due to limited availability during peak season.
Trail riding through Sierra National Forest: The forest surrounding Fish Camp provides extensive bridle paths with connections to Yosemite's southern trail system. "Quite a large level area, though it was November and not peak season so there were loads of space. We pulled in and there were a couple of trailers with horses and a couple of other vehicles and we parked with loads of space between," notes Kevin T. about Goat Meadow Dispersed Camp Site.
Day trips to Yosemite Valley: From most equestrian campsites, Yosemite Valley destinations are typically 1-1.5 hours by vehicle. "Great spot to camp when you're in Yosemite but want a more peaceful place to stay for the night," says Ala B. about staying at Goat Meadow while accessing park attractions.
Fishing opportunities: Several streams and small lakes offer trout fishing within 30 minutes of Fish Camp. "Beautiful scenery, clean, close to Yosemite, and easy to reach. As others have said, follow Mount Raymond Rd up until you see the sign for the snow play area, and look to the right," explains Derrick H.
Proximity to Yosemite's south entrance: Most equestrian camping areas are within 20 minutes of Yosemite's gates. "Close to Yosemite entrance, which was great. Stayed about a week which also crossed over Memorial Day weekend," mentions Katelin M. about Goat Meadow, though she cautions, "if it's a holiday weekend and you leave camp headed into town be prepared for at least an hour in traffic due to backup from the park entrance."
Secluded camping options: The Big Sandy area provides more remote equestrian camping. "I love going there when I was younger," shares David M. about Big Sandy Campground, which offers more primitive accommodations away from crowds.
Multi-day trail access: From Wawona area campgrounds, riders can access extensive trail networks. "Bridalveil Creek Campground features drinking water, toilets, and trash service while still accommodating equestrians," notes R D., who stayed at North Pines Campground but adds important context: "North Pines is the busiest traditional campground in Yosemite Valley... This campground has amazing views of Half Dome and the Royal Arches Cascades."
Wildlife awareness: The area has active bear and coyote populations requiring proper food storage. "Coyotes and bears are active in the area—coyotes raided a bag I had hanging from a tree and stole my food!" warns Alexander Mark C. about Goat Meadow.
Seasonal challenges: Spring access often involves muddy conditions while summer brings larger crowds. "When I was there recently, some of the 'campsites' had 0-3" [of snow], whereas other spots were about 6-8". Consequently, there were about 6-8 cars/vans that ended up camping in the parking lot of the snowplay area," explains Alexander Mark C.
Limited facilities: Most equestrian sites lack standard amenities. "This campground is primitive. There are pit toilets, but they are located only on the upper loop, so the sites in the lower loop are quite far away, so be prepared to dig a hole," explains Rebecca L. about Granite Creek Campground, adding "There are a few small bear lockers scattered around the campground, but again, they're far apart and aren't very convenient."
Bring adequate water: Most horse-friendly sites lack reliable water sources during summer. "If you wanna get away and camp next to a river and down a trail and shoot your gun or go fishing you can freedom you can horseback ride if you have horses," says Mark G. about Granite Creek Campground, highlighting its versatility but primitive nature.
Consider alternative sites during peak season: When horse camps fill, check nearby options. "This site had loads of space. When we camped 1 car 2 tents on 4/11/25 there were a number of other people and plenty of spots to check out," notes Jonathan about Goat Meadow, mentioning "It's about 1 hour from the valley visitor center. Had great cell service through Verizon."
Pack for temperature swings: Elevation means significant day-to-night temperature changes of 30-40°F. "The elevation at the site is appx 5200, meaning it will get snow in the winter(ish) months," explains Alexander Mark C. about Sweetwater Campground, which is another option in the region where "Absolutely loved it here! No cellphone service, no showers, and one nature toilet. A true tent camping experience. Fell asleep to the raging river nearby," according to Bernadette A.
Size considerations: Most equestrian camps accommodate smaller trailers only. "Plenty of space for all vehicle sizes. Roads are very accessible. Nice and wooded," notes Ty P. about Goat Meadow, though this primarily applies to dispersed camping areas.
Road condition awareness: Forest roads can deteriorate rapidly after weather events. "The road getting there has tons of potholes and the road in the site is super super bumpy," cautions Paige about Goat Meadow.
Generator restrictions: Most sites enforce strict quiet hours and generator usage times. "At this point I had no cell signal and wasn't really sure what to expect ahead of me until I reached the park," writes Crystal C. about Sweetwater, adding "Single sites are $24 with additional vehicles $8 per. This is a bit higher than other forest camps I had stayed at, however in this area in comparison to some of the Yosemite pricing this is a fair pricing."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Fish Camp, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Fish Camp, CA is Goat Meadow - Dispersed Camp Site with a 4.5-star rating from 53 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Fish Camp, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 27 equestrian camping locations near Fish Camp, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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