Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Loyalton. If you're an equestrian lover who prefers nature-based adventure, yet still wants comfort, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Finding a place to stay in California while traveling with your horse is easy. These scenic and easy-to-reach California campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Logger Campground sits on beautiful Stampede Reservoir on the Tahoe National Forest, 30 minutes from Truckee, Calif. Visitors enjoy the area for its boating, fishing and abundant hiking and off-road trails. This facility is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.
Boating, water skiing, swimming and fishing are popular activities on the reservoir. Anglers will find rainbow and brown trout and kokanee salmon. A boat ramp is located on-site. Many miles of hiking and off-road vehicle trails crisscross the surrounding area. The nearby Commemorative Emigrant Trail is open to hiking and mountain biking.
The campground is situated on the south side of Stampede Reservoir, which is located on the Little Truckee River, approximately eight miles above the confluence of the Little Truckee and Truckee Rivers. A forest of ponderosa pine, Jeffrey pine and fir trees covers the area. Sagebrush dots the forest floor.
Boca Reservoir is 10 minutes south of the campground, offering additional boating, water skiing, swimming and fishing opportunities. Truckee, 30 minutes south, offers all the amenities of a year round recreational mountain town including Interstate highway connectivitiy, top notch restaraunts, resorts and hotels, grocery stores, gas stations, shopping, and historic sites. Lake Tahoe is located about an hour south and offers excellent boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking and scenic driving opportunities, as well as dining, shopping and lodging options. Other recreational opportunities include Boca Townsite Interpretive Trail, Donner Camp Interpretive Trail, Overland Emigrant Commemorative Trail, Prosser Reservoir Recreation Area, Prosser Pits OHV area, and numerous hiking, mountain biking, and OHV trails.
$75 / night
Lookout Campground is located on the California/Nevada border just west of Reno, Nevada. It sits at an elevation of 6,770 feet in a large aspen grove. It is not a highly developed campground, but it is considered a secret hideaway by those lucky enough to know about this remote gem.
Adjacent to the campground is 'Crystal Peak', which can be accessed by vehicle or a short hike. This area is also popular for off-highway vehicles, wildlife viewing, and hunting opportunities.
Visitors to this campground will be surrounded by a lush aspen, pine, and fir forest. Sites are well spaced to afford visitors plenty of privacy.
Crystal Peak is known for its impressive crystal formations. Dog Valley and Peavine Mountain are popular off-highway vehicle and mountain biking areas. The American Discovery Trail also runs through this area.
$6 / night
East Meadow Campground is located alongside the scenic Jackson Meadow Reservoir, in the Tahoe National Forest. Its location provides for a great base camp, allowing visitors to enjoy a wide range of recreational activities, including boating, fishing, hiking and hunting. East Meadow Campground is operated and maintained by the Tahoe National Forest.
The adjacent 1,000-acre lake offers excellent opportunities for boating, canoeing, water skiing, swimming and fishing. Anglers will find rainbow and brown trout. A boat ramp is located at Pass Creek Campground. A designated swim beach is nearby. The lake is an irrigation source, meaning its level will drop as the season progresses. A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail meanders along the east side of the lake. It is open to hiking and horseback riding and provides opportunities for viewing wildlife. Hunting and biking are popular activities in the surrounding area.
Jackson Meadow Reservoir is situated in a rolling forested valley, where visitors are awarded beautiful views of the Sierra Crest and English Mountain. The campground lies on the northeastern shore of the lake, in a forest of pine and fir trees. Some sites have a view of the lake, and boats can be moored nearby.
For facility specific information, please call (530) 994-3401.
$24 / night
Camping: The park has 49 sites, each with a table, grill and fire ring. The campground is open year round and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Some sites are equipped with shade structures. Two comfort stations, one with a shower, are available. Several sites can hold RVs up to 45 feet in length. Campground Loop A offers water and utility hook-ups at all 24 sites, and a dump station is available. The camping limit is seven days in a 30-day period.
Group Area: The Group Area near the main day use area and boat launch can be reserved for both day and overnight use. Facilities include a covered pavilion, restrooms, 20 picnic tables, barbecue grills, power, lighting, sink, counters, a sandy volleyball court and horseshoe pits.
Equestrian Facilities: Equestrian areas are found at the Main Entrance Area and North Ramp. The main area facility includes an arena, corrals, horse washing station and a covered barbecue area with tables, grill, sink, counter space, power, water and lighting. Camping is permitted for both tents and RVs with large parking areas for easy horse trailer access. This area can be reserved for groups of up to 200. The North Ramp facility is day use only and provides restrooms, parking and picnic tables.
$15 - $30 / night
This six unit campground is located five miles north of Frenchman Lake. This a family and equestrian campground. This is the only equestrian campground on the Beckwourth District. There is a horse corral across the road from the campground with a table and fire ring. Each campsite has a table, fire ring and food locker. A vault toilet is provided. There is a hand pump with potable water. No garbage service is provided.
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
Peter Grubb Hut is located below Castle Peak in Round Valley, 3 miles north of the Castle Peak trailhead near I-80. Expect approximately 800′ of elevation gain. The route is poorly marked by orange triangles mounted obscurely in trees at 100-200 yard intervals. Overnight parking is available at the California Sno-Park at the Boreal-Castle Peak exit on I-80. Park on the frontage road east of the Boreal Inn and walk back under the freeway to the trailhead. Topo map: Norden 7-1/2′ quad. There are day trip possibilities to Paradise Valley, Basin Peak, Castle Peak, and Sand Ridge Lake. Round Valley is a good instructional and practice area for skiers. The hut is just off the Pacific Crest Trail and is a popular destination for day trippers; daytime privacy and security are minimal.
Benson Hut is located just below the north face of Anderson Peak, 5.5 miles beyond the PCT trailhead on Donner Pass Road. Expect approximately 1,800′ of elevation gain. Prior experience in the backcountry is required for this trip as the route is long and treacherous, especially in bad weather. Expect bare ground and/or ice where wind has stripped snow from the ridge; beware of cornices on the east side. The hut is very difficult to reach but once in the vicinity, relatively easy to spot. Overnight parking may be arranged with Clair Tappaan Lodge or Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. Topo map: Norden 7-1/2′ quad. The hut is nestled under the north face of Anderson Peak at 8,350′ and has extraordinary views to the east, north, and west. Use extra caution as surrounding slopes are steep, avalanches are frequent, and weather (when it worsens) can be very dangerous.
Antelope Lake is one of the more remote, quiet lakes on the forest. At 5000 feet in elevation, Antelope Lake is located in the north eastern part of the Mt. Hough Ranger District. It is a small remote lake with 15 miles of shoreline. Surrounding the lake are mountains blanketed with pine and fir trees. Protected coves around the lake attract several species of migrtory birds. The campgrounds are usually open by Memorial Day weekend and closed by the middle of October. These dates are subject to change depending on the snow level in the area. DIRECTIONS Antelope Lake is located 30 miles NE of Taylorsville on the Genesee/Antelope Lake Rd. From Janesville, on Hwy 395, take County Rd. 208 for four miles, then FS Rd. 28N01 for nine miles, turn right on FS Rd. 28N03 for two miles. Closest towns to purchase gasoline are Greenville and Janesville.
Traveler
Nice peaceful spot. Few cars go by, but it’s tucked away enough.
Guide
Love our stay at Logger Campground, very clean vault toilets, and facility. Most of the spots are very tight, narrow spaces. Make some when you book, you get the right size spot. Pay dump just offsite.
Scout
We had a great time up at Antelope Lake. It is a very pretty lake and would definitely recommend going. However, the camp host there was very rude and very unaccommodating. I booked 6 campsites for two nights, when I showed up on Friday, the campground was not full so I moved to my trailer to a different site because it was close to friends and family. The site I moved to was first come first serve. The camp host was hounding me - saying I must pay for the site I moved to even though the campground wasn't full. Originally, I paid close to $500 for all 6 sites and the camp host made me pay for the extra site that wasn't even taken/reserved. Be careful of this guy! I think this guy might be pocketing the money.
Traveler
Sadly we were delayed and would not have arrived at Pyramid Lake until 2am so we didn’t stay. We did however visit the lake and museum and visitor center and it was well worth it! We will definitely be back to try and camp here again. We spoke with the locals and they confirmed that once you purchase the camping permit ($15) then you just drive to the lake and find a spot - very rustic, very cool! The lake itself is absolutely beautiful. We can’t wait to come back… maybe during a full moon and fishing season! Be sure to visit the museum and definitely stop at the INDIAN TACO spot on the way to the lake… it was delicious!
Guide
This site is really close to Reno, except for the time it takes on the dirt road. We went in one way and out the other. Our way in was from 395 at Bordertown north of Reno on Long Valley Road. Once on the dirt the first couple of miles were bad washboard. Slow going. Then, the rest of the trip had some challenging driving with rocks and ruts. We went really slow and everything was fine. We left via Dog Valley Road and hit the pavement again in Verdi.
We visited for a night mid-week. Only one other campsite was occupied. The trail from the campground to Crystal Peak was great. It's more like Crystal knoll. The history of Cristal Peak is amazing, and the crystals are everywhere. Really nice views from atop the knoll too. Many people visit just for the day to collect crystals.
Guide
Beautiful campground! Flush toilets and showers.
TravelerWe stayed for 3 days on the beach next to the picnic leantos. We were the only ones camping on the beach. Very quiet. We have a 24' Class C motorhome. The beach was very clean and orderly. The Marina has a great store for just about anything you may need. The staff was very helpful.
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.
Guide
Back again for the first time since the Sierra winter. Reservoir is pretty high, and not too busy this weekend with boaters. Bugs were minimal, a far cry from about 3 weeks ago at a nearby site. We were in Site 16, which has the ‘camp’ side opposite of our camper door - only reason we gave 4 stars & not 5. Otherwise outstanding!
Guide
With pristine wilderness surrounding your tent, you can camp alongside the beautiful reservoir.
Wildlife is all around you and you can see some of the most beautiful scenery you'll ever see in your life.
We enjoyed our camping trip immensely and enjoyed getting into our kayaks and on to the water.
We took some video footage as well.
There was a great fishing but we didn't catch anything.
It was very quiet and peaceful.
ScoutBeautiful views Can only stay a week here. Does not matter the loop your staying. But worth the stay. Close to Carson city. Loop A full hook ups Loop B no hookups Bathroom toilets onsite We had a 35ft 5th wheel w/dually.
ScoutGreat place to visit. Great walking trails group sites are great love it
Legend
Despite the beautiful Joshua trees this campground is not a great to stay. The roads are in terrible condition, trash is strewn throughout, and staff is less than friendly or helpful. Roads are terribly narrow and sites are small and very uneven. Not a great place for a trailer nor class A. No direct access to park via road. Is next to neighborhood
GuideSpent the night here on a road trip. 30$ for non Nevada resident but includes full hookups except water was shut off for the season. Flat, wide spaces with mostly pull throughs, clean bathrooms and shower. Convenient credit card pay system. Also a dump station.
GuideCold night's starting in September. I have stayed here in summer and in fall. I prefer fall because there are not many people and you can have the lake to yourself. Summer I would not attempt it as it turns into an RV city. The lake attracts lots of wildlife and it is bear country so lock up your food, or better yet tie it up in a tree especially in fall when the bears are bulking up for winter. In summer you might not see wildlife as the hordes of campers scare them off from the lake. There are also beautiful sunset here, and nice stargazing.
TravelerYou should definitely check out Loon Lake right off on I-50 but the road to get to it is on ice house road which is about an hour drive. Also, is next to the known trail that people 4x4 is call Rubicon Trail.
Loon Lake was beautiful and such scenery to enjoy. Big rainbow trout and camping was amazing if your going in as a group.
TravelerWe stayed at sites 15 and 17 during the week. It wasn’t too crowded since school had just started and burning man was happening. These two sites are right on the road next to the toilets and trash bins. Some smells and lots of noises and foot traffic, some 4x4 traffic as well. Otherwise we had a short path to lake front and could keep our floats and boats tied up close by. The site was incredibly rooty/rocky - just be careful moving around at night! I pulled my van into the spot, while others tent camped. Lots of space and convenient. The water was chilly, the weather was pleasant (personally could have enjoyed a few degrees hotter), and there was a massive bug hatch blanketing the water with flying ants. Lots of bats flying around us at night. Dogs loved the site - we had a couple little ones and some hounds. I used an electric trolling motor inflatable boat to cruise around the beautiful lake. There is some road traffic/noise across the way and planes fly right over. The elevation made exercising surprisingly difficult here, including swimming! Overall wonderful camp trip.
GuideSuper place, hosts are friendly & helpful! Some spots are tricky to back in, but easy walk to the reservoir for beach/water time. Some campers moored their boats/jet skis just off the campground. Gravelly shore and bottom, excellent paddleboarding & kayaking, but be aware this is a water sports lake - so expect powerboats & jet skis.
ScoutThis is a great small campground with walking access to the Mumford Bar Trail hike down to the American River.
One vault toilet. No water spigot. Pack it in, PACK IT OUT.
Excellent spot if ya wanna get away from crowds and don’t mind less amenities. If the local backcountry is posted no fires, usually can still burn in designated pits at this camp.
OHV and backcountry camping options abound in this area.
The hike down to the American via Mumford Trail is NOT a leisurely stroll. Pack plenty of water and be prepared to spend the night down at the river if you head out late. There is a camp space down there once you reach the river and pass through the thickets.
GuideI love Loon Lake. It is beautiful. The campground wasn't so great. I was in site 31. My picnic table was half height because it had been sinking into the ground. Good thing I didn't have to use it. The vault toilets were almost full (kind of disgusting). To make things worse, one of my neighbors thought everyone in the campground should listed to their music all day! No peace and quiet here. This part of the campground (sites 1-34) seem to be old and in a need of some improvements. Sites 35-53, which was further away from the lake, was much nicer, long paved parking areas, spaced further apart, newer picnic tables. The boat ramp area was very nice and not too crowded.
ScoutGreat place
ScoutThis campsite is wonderful! Gorgeous scenery
Scout
GuideVery pretty views of the valley from the campground, and having hiking trails start from the campground was really nice. Only complaints are very close neighbors and little shade.
Ranger[Internet. Verizon via iPhone 12: 22.2 mbps down and 3.38 mbps up with 38 ms ping.]
We stopped here on our way through to Reno. What a great campground. The whole campground is just so clean.
The campground was first-come-first-served. We stayed in the accessible site which is allowed to be chosen by people without the accessibility placard if it is the last site available and you only stay for one night. You can pay for your campsite with a credit card. The machine is all the way at the park entrance. Water at the campsites was still shut off for winter but the water at the dump station was turned on. Only one loop was open for winter. We paid $25 instead of the full $30 required for an out-of-state vehicle at a hookup site. I think $5 was taken off since the water at the sites was still shut off.
I give this campground 5 stars. It’s just impeccable.
[Rig. Mercedes Sprinter. 22 feet]
Dump station? - yes Water fill? - yes Clean site? - yes, impeccable and level Clean bathroom? - yes Flush toilet? - yes Showers? - yes Laundry? - no Dish washing sink? - no
TravelerGreat spot for a quick camp. The hook-up surcharge makes it expensive in the winter when you HAVE to camp in loop A. It’s not remote but it’s decently quiet and perfect for just catching a night outside
TravelerWinter camping is available on Loop A with full power hookups on a first come, first serve basis. Bathrooms are open all winter. Hiking is nice right from the campground and wild horses graze not far away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Loyalton, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Loyalton, CA is Logger Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Loyalton, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 equestrian camping locations near Loyalton, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
