Cowboy Camp in Lake County provides a primitive horse camping experience with a staging area designed for equestrian access. Located along the public lands of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, the campground features vault toilets but lacks amenities like drinking water or garbage service. Riders benefit from the open, grassy terrain that makes for easy trailer parking and horse management. The entire area serves as a hub for horse owners heading into the Cache Creek wilderness area. While flies can be problematic during warmer months due to the presence of horses, the adjacent stream and surrounding hills create a natural backdrop for camping. The campground layout accommodates horses with ample space for portable corrals or highlines.
The Cache Creek Ridge Trail connects directly to Cowboy Camp, offering miles of riding opportunities through oak woodlands and chaparral. Horse owners should bring all necessary supplies including water for their animals, as no potable water sources exist on site. The campground occasionally closes seasonally, with gates locked during winter months or high fire danger periods, though the BLM website doesn't always reflect current closure status. When open, the dispersed camping area provides a convenient overnight base for day rides on the extensive trail network. The mostly level terrain allows for easy setup of temporary horse containment systems. Riders particularly appreciate the spacious layout that prevents crowding, even during busier periods. Road noise from nearby Highway 16 remains minimal and doesn't typically disturb horses or camping experience.
$8 / night
"Beautiful location, campground was easily accessible going up Elk Mountain Road. Camped in Site 11, pull through, no hook ups, nice picnic table, grill and fire pit. Vault toilets, no showers."
"If it's in a beautiful location and if you're into four-wheeling or dirt bikes, you're going to have a blast."
$25 - $100 / night
"If you talk to the the ranger at the gate, most of the time they will let you drive around the grounds and pick any open site."
"The walk down to swim in the lake was a significant downhill but the dip was worth it! Funny dead trees sticking out of the lake were fun to climb on."
$43 / night
"We just stayed here for 2 nights, great location very close to Calistoga and not to far from Saint Helena! Next time i would love to try out a cabin or yurt."
"Good access to wineries close by. Only real downside was that because of the dry conditions we could not have a campfire."
$45 / night
"This campsite is centrally located on the peninsula. Access to several roadside dog friendly beaches within minutes. The bay and the beach are within walking distance to campground."
"There are also equestrian trails, so you can book a horseback ride from a local ranch as well!!"
$5 / night
"Was 0.75 miles away from water (we have been in a drought?) but beautiful spacious campsite. Even with annoying neighbors, you can have peace and quiet."
"The local store is about a 10 minute drive away and during the summer has ice beer and provides firewood for sale (during winter no ice but plenty of snow)."
"Next to a stream and surrounded by hills. The only tough part is getting across the stream to some of the hikes."
$35 / night
"It’s close to the entrance but the driveway only had a slight grade. Mostly folks with trailers. The sites are not too close together but it is easy to see into the surrounding neighbors."
"Spring Lake has been that for us. We have been here for 2 weekends in the last few months."
"The lake is amazing for swimming!"
"There was a small creek behind the campground which was nice. It was about a 30 minute drive to fort Bragg made for an easy day trip. The campground is maintained by cal fire $20 a night."
"Jackson State Demonstration forest is about 6 miles from fort Bragg on hwy.20 Campground is about 3 miles down a dirt road down into the forest from the highway. Beautiful, clean and peaceful."
RangerThis campsite is centrally located on the peninsula. Access to several roadside dog friendly beaches within minutes. The bay and the beach are within walking distance to campground. The bathrooms are clean and the showers are coin operated. Sites are flat and semi private. The staff is friendly and campground is large.
TravelerGreat free campground! We've stayed here many times. It's open, grassy level and quiet. Next to a stream and surrounded by hills. The only tough part is getting across the stream to some of the hikes. It's a hot spot for horses which of course have no stream problems, so the only negative is fly's sometimes. But just keep your screen door closed (& fly swatter handy). We always manage to level out in our 23" Winnebago View. There is lots of open space so no crowding. There is a rural road near by but traffic noise isn't a problem. Perhaps I should say it's awful so fewer people come and it's not discovered.
GuideIt is always windy and therefore cold on the beach. That is why there are such big sand dunes.
Regardless, a beautiful place to visit and camp. There are also equestrian trails, so you can book a horseback ride from a local ranch as well!!
RangerThis campground is nice with newer bathrooms and shower facilities, but it's also very open and exposed. Great access to Spring Lake's water-based activities and hiking trails, plus easy access to Trione-Annadel State Park for hiking and mountain biking. Howarth Park, a city park, also borders Spring Lake Regional Park and provides access to boating and fishing on Lake Ralphine, plus they have a small train, carousel, tennis courts, and a softball field. Overall a good campsite for families in need of lots of recreation options, but not the best for those wishing to "get away from it all."
GuideThis was a great campground to come on a winter weekend. Only 90 minutes from home to site. We stayed on site 3. It’s close to the entrance but the driveway only had a slight grade. Mostly folks with trailers. The sites are not too close together but it is easy to see into the surrounding neighbors. The bathrooms were clean but older... 2 of the stalls were incredibly narrow. There were showers but I didn’t look at them. The campground is next to a very popular lake. Lots of trails. A great place to bring a bike too.
It is close to town. We picked up a pizza at Urban Pizza on our way. Excellent Pi! There were tons of restaurants though if you need to pick something up.
GuideDry camped here with my 20ft R-Pod. Had a fun time. Walked to the water park on spring lake that featured an inflatable, floating obstacle course/ bouncy house thing. The kids LOVED that. As far as local and regional parks go, this is top notch. But compared to some of California’s more beautiful state and national parks, it doesn’t quite measure up. Would give it 3 1/2 stars if I could!
LegendThis is such an incredible area to camp! The California coast is hard to beat. This campground is in the sand dunes, with a short walk to the beach. This is absolutely one of the best places to see the sunset. The campground had showers and full bathrooms! 10/10 would recommend.
RangerI like this campground. There are some cool hikes to the dunes and to the beach. Go to the wharf near by to pick up some live crab to boil over the fire. Overall a great campground for adults and kids. Go with a group or a romantic getaway. Experience northern California Coast and see where they filmed Hitchcock's "The Birds."
GuideI’ve been camping cross country for the last month with my husband. We’re from New York, and like to think we’re not easily rattled or intimidated. This was the first time on our trip that we were both scared.
The forest service website says this campground is not open for camping, just dirt bike and horse riding, so I had found a campground further into the National Forest to camp at. When we drove by Middle Creek, we could see the sites from the road and a few of them had tents and we could see some folks, the campground was pretty clearly operating to some extent. We just wanted somewhere to stay overnight on our way into SF so we doubled back and found a site, paid the $8 and had a snack. We explored our corner of the campground a little- pretty clean, a fine campground. No visible host.
Lots of wasps and flies, like standing right next to a dumpster. There was a woman who seemed to be experiencing homelessness and/or mental illness occupying multiple sites. She pretty clearly was stealing from sites people weren’t present at, right in front of us. She also had a dog that didn’t seem to be hers.
The man at the campsite next to us didn’t have a tent or anything, just paid then sat in his truck screaming and cackling and breaking stuff loudly and pounding beers.
We left without spending the night. The police need to go take a look out there.
Cowboy Camp provides equestrian camping near Lakeport, California with designated areas for horse trailers and staging. Located on the eastern border of Lake County at 1,325 feet elevation, the area features volcanic soil and seasonal grasslands typical of the inner Coast Range. The camp serves as an access point to several trail systems within Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, with camping spots situated on level terrain away from Highway 16.
Trail riding opportunities: The Oak Flat Campground area offers excellent riding terrain with access to the Mendocino National Forest. "I've been coming here since I was a kid and my dad was a hang glider pilot. Target shooting is available at the end of the airstrip which you will pass over on the way to the campground," notes Keith B., highlighting additional recreation options.
Water recreation: When water levels permit at Lake Pillsbury, fishing becomes a prime activity. As Jeanette C. mentions, "When the water level is high great fishing from this camp ground." The lake provides boat access from two launches about 10 minutes from the campground.
Wildlife viewing: The open grasslands around Cowboy Camp support diverse wildlife. "It's open, grassy level and quiet. Next to a stream and surrounded by hills," shares Jorg F., describing the natural setting that attracts various animal species.
Natural setting: The Middle Creek Campground receives high marks for its peaceful environment. Donna M. writes, "you can hear the creek running along the camp, as well as the wild turkeys. There must be over 15 different species of birds as well." The campground maintains a quieter atmosphere since many OHV trails were closed.
Spacious layouts: Campers appreciate room to spread out at Jackson Demonstration Forest. Danielle F. notes, "There was a massive group site that would be gorgeous for a family gathering too!" Most horse camping areas feature open designs that prevent crowding and allow for adequate distancing between campers.
Seasonal differences: Weekday visits often provide the most peaceful experience. At Oak Flat, Angela advises, "Quiet and peaceful, watch elk, birds, lizards, toads/frogs on weekdays. All but the hardiest of wildlife and people should avoid the weekends."
Seasonal closures: Cowboy Camp experiences periodic closures without clear notification. Natalie T. reports, "Visit was for 11/19/2024 found the gates locked, no entry. Seasonal? No signage to tell." Similarly, Derek D. confirms, "The camp area is closed, as of 2/9/2024. No indication of that on the BLM website."
Insects: Flies can be problematic at horse camps during warmer months. Patricia Y. warns about Cowboy Camp: "No trees just dry open land inhabited by an unusual amount of flies. It was crazy how thick they were." Jorg F. advises, "just keep your screen door closed (& fly swatter handy)."
Water sources: Many campgrounds have limited or no drinking water. At Stony Gorge Reservoir, Cat C. notes, "This campground is free!!! It has lots of vault toilets and trash cans, but there is no running water." Always bring sufficient water for both people and horses.
Look for amenities: Some campgrounds offer unexpected features for children. At COE Mendocino Lake Bu-Shay Campground, Joshua H. shares, "Our young kids had a great time playing on the playground which was an unexpected bonus."
Consider noise levels: Family-friendly campgrounds typically maintain quieter environments. Joshua adds, "We stayed on a Saturday night and there weren't that many other people in the campground. I'm not sure why it's not busier, as it's just as nice as the state park campgrounds we've stayed in."
Plan for supplies: Most horse camps lack stores or services. For Middle Creek, Justin W. advises, "There's a small town not far, 15 minutes or so, that has gas, a market, pizza places, and a few other stores. So there's plenty of access to food and gas when necessary."
Leveling considerations: RV campers should prepare for uneven terrain. About Cowboy Camp, Jorg F. notes, "We always manage to level out in our 23" Winnebago View. There is lots of open space so no crowding."
Limited hookups: Most equestrian camping areas near Lakeport operate as dry camping with few amenities. Michi P. describes Middle Creek: "Beautiful location, campground was easily accessible going up Elk Mountain Road. Camped in Site 11, pull through, no hook ups, nice picnic table, grill and fire pit."
Road conditions: Access roads to horse camps may present challenges. Justin W. cautions about Middle Creek, "Just keep in mind that Elk mountain road, especially the part leading up to the top of the mountain right as you leave the campground is an absolutely terrible road, it needs a lot of maintenance."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lakeport, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lakeport, CA is Middle Creek Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lakeport, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Lakeport, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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