14 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Kennedy Meadows Campground offers horse-friendly accommodations in the mountains near Sunland, California. The campground features rustic cabins and tent sites with access to horse packing services that run cattle during summer months. Horse riding trips are available for tourists and fishermen, with trails connecting to the Pacific Crest Trail for extended backcountry access. The campground provides weekly fish stocking in the river, making it popular with anglers who bring their horses. Visitors note that while the horse facilities are functional, trail areas contain significant amounts of horse manure, particularly on shared hiking and riding paths.
Located approximately 3 hours from Sunland, Horse Meadow Campground provides another equestrian option at 7,600 feet elevation. The campground connects to several hiking and riding trails directly accessible from the sites. Spring-fed potable water is available seasonally, though supplies are located an hour away with no cell service in the area. The campsites vary considerably in quality and terrain - some are spacious, shady and flat along a creek while others require more rugged camping skills on uneven surfaces. Temperatures drop into the forties at night, providing relief from Southern California heat. Keysville South Recreation Site offers additional horse-friendly camping with excellent single-track trails for mountain biking and trail riding, considered some of the best free riding in California.
"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."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"Some of the sites (75, 76 etc..) look out on Lake Kaweah. It’s clean and well organized. Some highway noise."
from $20 - $40 / night
Check Availability"There are trails to hike. FYI, there is no cell reception and no provided wifi. Personally I think that’s a good thing 😬."
from $25 - $45 / night
Check Availability"Nice long drive to a beautiful destination"
"Easy walk to campstore, post office, restaurant, and visitor center. Many trails close by. Very busy in summer. No reservations. Tent only loops available."
"Very quiet but some sledding and hiking activity close by. Sites are a little close to each other, but being so quiet it's not a big deal."
from $32 / night
Check Availability"We did a backpacking trip from Johnsondale Bridge down to Fairview Campground following the Rincon trail in May. It was hot but the views and the quietness was beautiful!"
"We like to camp next to the creek. Fishing is plentiful and the air is great as long as there’s no fires near."
"went on day picnic back in the 90s, very peaceful, salmon creek near by,"
"The hubs, kids and myself have spent a lot of time in Keysville if you're looking for a weekend getaway for mountain biking or trail riding this is the place!"
"Beautiful spot conveniently located only a couple miles outside of town. Dumpsters and put toilets provided on both sides of the Kern River."
"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!"
"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."
TravelerCONS: Most sites need some (or a lot) of level help. No RV dump. Pretty popular (so don’t expect privacy). PROS: sequoia is beautiful. You can find some amazing trails.
GuideGreat location, awesome scenery and the sites are pretty nice. The reason for 3 stars is that the toilets are replaced with porta potties ( the machines n ones are locked) and the garbage is over flowing in the dumpster. There was no toilet paper in the women’s “restroom”. That was after the maintenance guy was here.
RangerWe had a spot on the farthest loop, which was beautiful on a ridge but set us about 600 yards/steps from the nearest restroom, which means going to the loo, brushing your teeth or doing the dishes (there are signs not to do these things at the water taps that are closer) all set you back at least 10 minutes if you're not self-contained. Also note the campground has no showers.
TravelerWe stayed at site 67. When bookibg, we were worried it was too close to neighboring sites but it turned out ok. The flattest spot for our giant tent was down the hill and it felt very private. All the sites in our section (66, 67, 68) had sloped parking spots. If you have an RV or sleep in your car, be sure to bring levelers.
The only water was a large sink outside of the bathroom. You could screw a hose to the faucet if needed.
The bathroom was close but not too close. The women’s has 2 stalls and a sink. Bring your own hand soap and hand towel.
We weren’t at the site much during the day so I can’t say for certain if it stays shady during the day but there are many trees. We never needed our canopy.
Azalea allows dogs and the barking echos quite loudly through the campground.
GuideWe came late afternoon on a Saturday and there was heaps of space left. Some spaces any car can drive, some require higher clearance and some are 100% 4x4 access only. But there was plenty.
The pit toilet is off to the right of the site, although, it can be messy inside, we cleaned it twice in our 1 day stay.
The river is clean, flowing and not freezing cold which was great. Plenty of places to have a dip or a swim. Plenty of places to get chairs under trees for a break from the sun. Absolutely no flies or mosquitoes, it's hands down the best camping spot we've found in the USA so far. Huge bins on the way in to accommodate rubbish.
2 bars 4G Verizon signal, tarmac road until entry and then abit lumpy down to main site.
ScoutWe stayed a week here, at first it was good, nice enough place. Our spot was a lot of sand. The bathrooms were full of cobwebs and spiders. The website looks promising, offering a pool, jacuzzi and restaurant. There is no restaurant, the pool doesnt get covered so its filthy, and the "jacuzzi" was filled with algae.
We came on a friday night, the quiet time is not enforced. The river was nice, however the entire length of it was taken up by boats. We hardly found a spot to swim in. We were located in site 10, at the very end in a cul de sac type lay out. Its a gated park so you need a code to enter. We locked our bikes up every single night and the one and only night we forgot, 2 out of our 4 bikes got stolen (mine and my partners, the kids were left) We asked for the surveillance as our site was in direct view of the camera and the office had told us their cameras all of a sudden stopped working around midnight but were working again that morning. Such a strange coincidence! They didnt seem apologetic. We had permanent residence come to talk to us and said they've never had theft issues, if you looked around most people had their personal belongings out every night. The place was very suspicious, I'd check out other options but also if staying a quick night it would be ok. Its right off the highway and really easy to get back on the road. We found a little lizard, and little frogs. However there is cockroaches running everywhere.
The people we met there, and the residents were so awesome, which is why it got 2 stars. The staff however, not so much.
Do not leave belongings unattended!!
GuideHad a nice site under a tree that was dripping sap everywhere! We could only use one end of the site table & things were still sticky! Enjoyed walking about the area and could see the nice stream below. There were so many 🦟 & biting flys that our one dog didn’t want to come out of our van, he also had sap on the bottom of his paws. This area is free, but there is a volunteer camp host that occasionally comes around to check you are not parked on the dirt areas. It is beautiful country and there is a very narrow road pass going towards Troy Meadows/Bakersfield/Lake Isabella that we enjoyed. Need to stop in at General Store for a beer!
ScoutSite 81 does not have a drive up spot to unload your things. There is a short 25 meter walk to your tent sight which is cleared and had a nice view of the sky. No giant pinecones overhead to worry about bonking your head.
GuideThere is camping, which is always fun, and then there is camping in a national park, which takes it to another level. This experience was super fun because this campsite is so close to the General Grant trail, only a few minutes of driving. We visited during the off-season in April, so the sites were FCFS and the directions are pretty straightforward. You put in all the details into the recreation.gov app and then you fill out a white paper which serves as a check in paper with your confirmation so that rangers know you paid. It also allows you to see which sites are available because the ones that are won't have a paper. The bathrooms were decent, and just outside of them as a sink, which is great for dishes. It was a nice and quiet experience and we will definitely be revisiting.
Horse campgrounds near Sunland, California typically operate at elevations between 7,000-8,000 feet in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. Nighttime temperatures drop into the forties even during summer months, providing relief from urban heat. Several equestrian-focused sites connect directly to both local riding trails and major wilderness routes with seasonal water availability.
Trail riding from camp: Kennedy Meadows Campground lets riders access trails without trailering horses. "Great family vacation to get away from everything. Fun horse riding trips. Great starting point for many backcountry backpack trips as it is near the PCT," notes Christy S.
Fishing with horses: Bring fishing gear to Horse Creek Campground where horses can help transport tackle to remote spots. "A good campground from late fall to mid spring. In the summer this campground gets flooded from the rising lake waters of lake kaweah, which is fine because it is blazing hot in the summer," explains Matt B.
Mountain biking alongside horses: Access single-track trails at Keysville South Recreation Site, which offers routes for both horses and bikes. "The keyesville classic mountain bike race is held every year in the area! With miles of trails and perfect single track for all age groups and abilities!" reports Erin M.
Seasonal temperature variations: Horse Meadow Campground provides escape from heat at 7,600 feet. "At 7,600 ft., the nights dropped into the forties. A welcome break from the southern CA heat," writes Allison A.
Fishing opportunities: Many equestrian sites stock fish regularly. "Awesome location. If you like to be off the grid amidst the trees this is the place for you. We like to camp next to the creek. Fishing is plentiful and the air is great as long as there's no fires near," reports Joseph Z. about Horse Meadow.
Trail connectivity: Azalea Campground offers extensive interconnected trail networks. "There were TONS of trails immediately accessible from most camp sites, and a short walk from the rest. Campground has potable water, flush toilets, sinks for doing dishes, dumpsters/recycling," writes Connor N.
Limited amenities: Many horse camps have restricted facilities. At Kennedy Meadows, "no fees, busted up roads, no water, no trash, no bathrooms, no cell/wifi. Basically dispersed camping in an awesome location on concrete spurs/pads. Each site still had picnic table and fire pit," reports Chester R.
Seasonal closures: Check before traveling as many sites close seasonally. "Closed as of 6/30/23 (most likely temporarily)" notes Martin T. about Horse Creek Campground.
Water availability: Frog Meadow Campground and similar sites have limited water access. "Not the easiest to get to. But, great for altitude get away. Not winter accessible," warns Tommy B.
Check trail difficulty: Some horse trails near Sunland require skill. "Nice long drive to a beautiful destination," reports Michelle L. about Frog Meadow Campground, indicating the remote nature of many horse sites.
Pack extra supplies: Stores are often far from equestrian sites. "The nearest supplies are an hour one-way and there is no cell or wifi anywhere nearby," notes Allison A. about Horse Meadow Campground.
Insect protection: Mosquitoes can be severe at Kennedy Meadows. "The mosquitos here are biblical at night so bring your nets and deet," warns Chester R.
Site leveling challenges: Horse Creek Campground has terrain issues for RVs. "Sites were generally not level as it is situated on the hill down to the lake. Bathrooms were messy and half were out of order due to a maintenance project. The RV Dump station was also unavailable," reports Connor N.
Limited hookups: Most horse campgrounds offer minimal RV services. "We spent four nights at the end of July in this beautiful campground in Sequoia National Forest. The campsites are a truly mixed bag. Some are spacious, shady, flat, and along a creek while others seem a bit more attractive to those who are part mountain goat," explains Allison A. about Horse Meadow Campground.
Road conditions: Access roads to equestrian sites often require careful driving. "It's an old logging road which we had to take quite slowly in our Hyundai Sonata," reports Allison A. about the route to Horse Meadow Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Sunland, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Sunland, CA is Horse Creek Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Sunland, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 equestrian camping locations near Sunland, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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