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Best Equestrian Camping near Lone Pine, CA

133 Reviews

Horseshoe Meadow Campground in Lone Pine accommodates equestrian camping with accessible sites for those traveling with horses. The campground provides picnic tables, trash collection, toilets, and drinking water for both campers and their animals. Though specific horse corrals are not indicated, the equestrian camp is designed to accommodate horse trailers with ample parking space. Campfires are permitted within designated fire rings, making it suitable for overnight stays before hitting the nearby trails. Sites fill up quickly during peak season, so arriving early is recommended for securing a spot.

Located near the Sierra Nevada mountains, Horseshoe Meadow offers direct access to numerous bridle trails that connect to wilderness areas with stunning mountain views. The campground sits at approximately 10,000 feet elevation, making it an ideal base for high-country trail rides. Water crossing opportunities exist along nearby trails where horses can drink and cool down. The campground's position provides strategic access to multiple trail systems without requiring additional transportation once settled. During summer months, cool mountain temperatures offer comfortable riding conditions, though riders should be prepared for afternoon thunderstorms that frequently occur at high elevations. Trail conditions generally remain favorable from late spring through early fall, depending on snowpack levels.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Lone Pine, California (15)

    1. Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills

    42 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    3 miles
    Website

    $10 / night

    "Right in the middle of many trails and sites to see, not to mention a quick skip away from Lone Pine."

    "No service here, no store or place to buy firewood at the campground but you’re a stones throw away from Lone Pine a Western town nearby for fishing, food and any other camping needs."

    2. Whitney Portal

    30 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 937-6070

    $34 - $95 / night

    "We parked our rig and looked around and were speechless. Whitney Creek runs through the campground, and the Sierra Nevada mountains rise up all around it."

    "I'd camp here to hike Meysan Lakes and the start of the Whitney trail to Lone Pine Lake, neither of which require permits for day hikes.  It's a great camp for acclimatization. "

    3. Lone Pine

    14 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 937-6070

    $34 - $81 / night

    "While visiting Alabama Hills Recreation Area (AHRA) we made Lone Pine on our next stop for our second campsite and to relax for my 44th birthday 🎂

    Since the terrain is a little different it was a nice"

    "I took a chance and drove to the Lone Pine Campground just below Mt. Whitney on Memorial Day weekend of 2017."

    4. Alabama Hills Dispersed Site

    5 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 872-5000

    "First site is large and was to turn around a larger trailer or rv. The SuperDrive get to spots is getting a large rut go slow and even my Subaru Forester had no issue."

    5. Horseshoe Meadow Campground

    5 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 876-6200

    $6 / night

    "I slept in the equestrian campground since those were back-in sites, but if there are horses you're not allowed to do that. The hike to the base of Langley was great though!"

    "Many campgrounds close to each other but not on top. Cast meadow to the west is wonderful for morning walk with coffee. Hikes nearby from beginner to expert take you to alpine lakes."

    6. Inyo National Forest Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead Campground

    2 Reviews
    Alabama Hills, CA
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 876-6200

    "It was a convenient place to park, because you drive right up to the trailhead, and there are trash cans, bear boxes, and vault toilets."

    "We have a trip planned to come back next year for a week and backpack this whole trail. It’s so beautiful!!"

    7. Kennedy Meadows Campground

    9 Reviews
    Little Lake, CA
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 379-5646

    "This was (still kind of is) a working horse packing station where they ran cattle out for the summer. Most trips out now are aimed at tourists/fishermen but the vibe is still the same."

    "Adventure Awaits folks get outside!"

    8. Monarch Lakes Backcountry Sites

    2 Reviews
    Three Rivers, CA
    30 miles
    Website

    "This is one of my favorite here in sequoia national park south entrance by gen hi way. Park rangers were so helpful at the entrance and they are well organized."

    "The lake isn't too cold if you want to rinse or just cool off. Plenty of tree coverage for both some shade and to hang your food."

    9. Fossil Falls dry lake bed

    11 Reviews
    Little Lake, CA
    42 miles
    Website

    "Overnight stay driving through. Easy access. Level parking areas. I stopped close to 395 & had no noise from road. Slept well with strong night winds."

    "We landed here and drove thru the FF campground, which we knew was closed but wanted to check it out, and pulled out onto the dry lake bed area to spend the night. "

    10. Horse Creek Campground

    10 Reviews
    Three Rivers, CA
    49 miles
    Website

    $20 / night

    "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."

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Recent Equestrian Camping Photos near Lone Pine, CA

1 Photos of 15 Lone Pine Campgrounds

Equestrian Camping Reviews near Lone Pine, CA

133 Reviews of 15 Lone Pine Campgrounds

  • K
    Oct. 28, 2020

    Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills

    Amazing

    Breathtaking views! Spacious first come first serve sites. Arrived shortly after noon and was able to snatch the last two sites available. Will definitely be back(earlier in the day) restrooms are vault toilets, very clean with disinfectant foam available. Beautiful Mount Whitney in the background. Right in the middle of many trails and sites to see, not to mention a quick skip away from Lone Pine.

  • J
    Jun. 2, 2018

    Whitney Portal

    Gobsmacked

    We parked our rig and looked around and were speechless. Whitney Creek runs through the campground, and the Sierra Nevada mountains rise up all around it. For those hardy souls who want to hike up Mount Whitney, the highest point in the Sierra Nevada range, this is the place to start. For the rest of us, it was just an amazingly beautiful place to spend a couple of nights, do a little fishing and a little hiking. One caveat is that it is at 8,600 feet and the road up from Lone Pine is pretty scary.

  • C N.
    Oct. 1, 2019

    Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills

    A Favorite

    For just $8 a night you can enjoy the Eastern Sierras with plenty of room to spare between you and your camping neighbors. This place is a favorite for us, with fishing, snow capped mountains, and the cutest little kangaroo mice I have ever seen! It’s a fun get away and recommended for friends and family. No service here, no store or place to buy firewood at the campground but you’re a stones throw away from Lone Pine a Western town nearby for fishing, food and any other camping needs. Restrooms are available here and are kept clean, just bring a flashlight at night as it is pitch black. In the Summer this place can get pretty toasty and the sun is incredibly strong, I’d recommend taking a canopy with your camping supplies, with little to no trees for shade in this area.

  • James N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 11, 2024

    Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills

    At the approach to Mt. Whitney

    Nice, out of the way campsite. 81 sites on Tuttle Creek. Clean restrooms. No showers or drinking water. Near Lone Pine, just off Whitney Portal Road, adjacent to Alabama Hills, so lots of exploring opportunities! Great dark skies for stargazing and photography.

  • Jeff V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 20, 2025

    Whitney Portal

    Cool, popular, gorgeous, has lots of bears

    Bears will break into vehicles with food, scraps, wrappers, etc.  Even a cardboard box can invite the critters' attentions.  So keep a clean car if parking there and use the bear boxes provided by the forest service. 

    The Whitney Portal store is a stroll away with famously good food, run by the same family since before I was a ranger there back in the 1990s.  They have some last minute supplies too, if you discover you forgot anything from rain gear to a stove canister. 

    I'd camp here to hike Meysan Lakes and the start of the Whitney trail to Lone Pine Lake, neither of which require permits for day hikes.  It's a great camp for acclimatization.  The National Rec Trail gets overlooked, but showcases the transition from forest at the Portal to desert scrub at the bottom, following the stream, albeit from a neighboring ridge. 

    I'd also consider other campgrounds in the area, as there's a fair bit to do around Lone Pine for such a small town, and the Whitney Portal's position at the end of the road means you'll need to ascend/descend a mile in elevation over 13 steep and twisting curves every time you leave or return. 

    The bears and popularity of the Portal limit my enthusiasm for it a bit, but the positives of a store and restaurant, showers, and great hikes make camping here worth the effort for a few days.  It's certainly a great way to get used to the thinner air if you're then headed for the back country. 

    If one had the luxury of time and the luck/good planning of getting reservations for Cottonwood as well as Whitney Portal, I'd check out both for additional hiking and fishing, as well as the Alabama Hills, which offer free boon docking.  

    The whole Owen's Valley is one great opportunity after another for all sorts of outdoor sports and enjoyment, but Lone Pine has more than its share of nearby attractions and the Whitney Portal is high on that list.

  • Elise F.
    Sep. 14, 2025

    Whitney Portal

    Favorite campground of all time

    Whitney Portal is a magical place. The second you pull into the campground, it feels like unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. Whitney portal is exactly what a campground should be. There is a creek that runs throughout the campground that provides perfect background noise. Even though the sites are pretty close to each other, we could not hear a neighbor once because of the sound of the creek. This area is allegedly infested with black bears, but we didn’t see any this time. Bear boxes are provided at each campsite. There are spigots for water, clean, vault toilets, and bear-proof, garbages and recycle bins. It did get chilly at night, but as long as you bundle up in your tent, you’ll be completely fine. There are tons of mountain squirrels running around the campground frequently, and they are so cute and entertaining to watch. If you aren’t planning to summit Mount Whitney. I highly recommend the lone Pine Trail, which leads up to an alpine lake, which is absolutely gorgeous. Meysan Lake was also beautiful. I didn’t have cell service at this campsite, but other areas up near the portal do have limited service, but also the city of lone Pine is about a 15 minute drive down the mountain. Overall, this is my favorite campsite I’ve ever been to. 10/10.

  • Alejandro L.
    Jan. 26, 2021

    Lone Pine

    Below the Majestic Mt Whitney

    While visiting Alabama Hills Recreation Area (AHRA) we made Lone Pine on our next stop for our second campsite and to relax for my 44th birthday 🎂

    Since the terrain is a little different it was a nice change up from the desert, sandy, rock that was AHRA. There were more trees, a little snow on the ground, and more wooded areas that brought a new look to our campsite. Mostly car camping still, we had beautiful views of Mt Whitney and the surrounding mountains. It did feel a bit colder then say AHRA esp at night but it was a great campsite that brought some cool vistas. Bc of the snow on the ground we could gather a bit of potable water to use and def enjoyed the clear skies at night and crisp clear mountain air coming from nearby Whitney Portal. We were close to the road but felt at ease given how close we were to the small town of Lone Pine where you could find supplies, food, drink 🍷, and firewood 🪵. Look forward to coming back and exploring more of the area including Mt Whitney when they open the roads and other campsites after the Covid lockdown.

  • Jeanie P.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 2, 2021

    Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills

    Close to Mt Whitney and Alabama Hills

    Great campground first come first serve and cheep. Awesome views of Mt. Whitney. Close to Alabama Hills and Mt. Whitney, Lone Pine is a cute little town as well. Pit toilets available and water available seasonally, RV dump station for extra $, and there are dumpster. Easy access with any kind of vehicle.

  • Esther Y.
    Jul. 26, 2021

    Whitney Portal

    Great access

    Camped here in spring when it first opened for the season. COLD and snow flurries, but still such a memorable and great experience. Most sites seem to be well spaced out and good amount of privacy. Lots of sites are along the stream. Great access to Mt Whitney trailhead. Hiked to Lone Pine Lake with my pup (no permits needed and dogs allowed up to here). Lots of snow, spikes were handy.

Guide to Lone Pine

Horse camping in California offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and hit the trails.

Campers appreciate these amenities for horses

  • The Horseshoe Meadow Campground provides ample space for equestrian camping, with well-spaced sites nestled among Jeffrey pines.
  • At Kennedy Meadows Campground, horse riders can enjoy direct access to trails leading to scenic views and fishing spots along the Kern River.
  • The Horse Camp Campground is designed specifically for equestrian use, offering essential amenities like toilets and trash disposal.

Tips for equestrian camping near Lone Pine, California

  • When visiting Whitney Portal, be prepared for close quarters, as sites can be a bit tight, but the access to hiking trails is worth it.
  • The Lone Pine Campground features sites with picnic tables and fire pits, making it a comfortable base for horse camping while enjoying the sounds of a nearby creek.
  • For a more secluded experience, consider the Alabama Hills Dispersed Site, where you can find legal spots for camping with your horse while taking in stunning views of the surrounding hills.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like trails and water access

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Lone Pine, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Lone Pine, CA is Tuttle Creek Campground — Alabama Hills with a 4.6-star rating from 42 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Lone Pine, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 equestrian camping locations near Lone Pine, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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