Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Mendocino National Forest is the way to go. Finding a place to stay in California while traveling with your horse has never been easier. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
Open year round
$5 / night
OHV Staging Area, Equestrian Staging Area (no camping).
This campground is located on Forest Road M10, just above the Fouts Springs OHV area. There are 7 sites with tables and grills. Corrals and hitching post are available for packstock animals. A short trail__ (.8 mile) connects to the Deafy Glade Trail providing access to the Snow Mountain Wilderness.
Dispersed camp site not as developed as the regular campgrounds. No traffic control such as paved loop road and parking spurs that you find in "developed" campgrounds, and no water system. Pack out garbage.
Campground (sites 1-30)
$40 - $140 / night
You’ll feel right at home with full electrical, water, and sewage hookups in a park-like setting at our 72-space RV park conveniently located just off Interstate 5 (I-5). All spaces are pull-throughs. WiFi access is available over most of the park. The RV Park at Rolling Hills is within an easy walk of the Casino and golf course. Private showers, laundry facilities, and pet day care are also nearby at the Traveler’s Center. The site is safe and secure with 24-hour patrol. Fee is $40 per night with a ten night maximum stay. Stop by the Traveler’s Center to register. Check out time is at 11:00am. You can reserve by calling (530) 528-3500.
Camp One is accessed at mile marker 5.85 via JDSF Road 350, and also has a day use area that includes the popular “Egg Station” day use area. Camp One has a total of 19 campgrounds associated with this area.
Campgrounds associated with Camp One include Redtail (10 sites; 6-10 campsites are open to equestrian campers only), Wagon (5 sites), Roundhouse (3 sites), Tin Can (2 sites) and numerous one campsite campgrounds. Iron ranger is located at the Camp One Host site location.
Guide
Quiet stop, but I wouldn't call it the most beautiful stop I've ever stayed. Camping spots are to the left and the right I'd the day use. Pit toilets. No garbage.
Traveler
Serene, Beautiful, clean bathrooms, spacious Tucked away off the hwy we were surprised by the sound of babbling creek and the little bridges that meanders through this campground
ScoutThe camp area is closed, as of 2/9/2024. No indication of that on the BLM website.
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.
Guide
It felt a bit too amusement park for me. The spot was nice even though I was surrounded by people on all sides. Surprisingly, I had a visitor in the morning. It was enjoying the tall grass around the food locker.
GuideNo trees just dry open land inhabited by an unusual amount of flies. It was crazy how thick they were. An almost dry creek runs alongside the open field of camping pads. To close to the road and way to exposed to feel comfortable to stay. If I needed a place to get some shut eye before heading onward, then maybe. I had a car full of flies that went to the coast with us. It was crazy.
GuideThis is my family's favorite place to camp! Peaceful, beautiful... We have come in October for the past 4 years.
ScoutWe will be back as soon as possible! What a beautiful place with perfect weather. Bathrooms, coin showers, 5 minute walk to the beach. Quiet, close to town and super cool camp host. You have to pay for firewood, $10 a bunch. Bring cash! Our site had some visitors when the sun would go down, fearless raccoons and skunks.
TravelerLocation is great but $45 for no hookups is a bit much. Not sure why Dyrt is saying there are any hookups, only one I saw was at the camp host. I agree with other reviews that state some sites are super close together with little privacy. Lucky I got #22, it was perfect for an 18’ van. There is NO cell service, bathrooms are clean but you have to pay for showers. Hiking trails along the coast are really nice.
Guide
Only $55 for a full hookup that’s a pull through. $50 for Good Sam Members. We came in too late to enjoy the comedy shows they have every first Saturday. If you happen to make it on time, “Carlinos” or the place the host it is in the North Tower. Go right at the main entrance. We missed it by wandering around the casino trying to find it. There are also amazing views at sunset and sunrise if you get to the lots closer to the end- which we didn’t. Great front desk staff! They also have routine patrol security.
Laundry: $2.00 for washing machines and $1.00 for dryers. Must be done by 10 pm with the last load starting at 8 pm.
Showers: $15/person- not included in RV fee
Dump station: $10- only from 9am- 5 pm, although each site has sewer hookups.
No wifi, but I’m not upset because the price was great and I had good cell coverage.
TravelerReally nice campground with great facilities and friendly staff. Right beside a casino, so you can pay for your camping and then lose all your money next door. No wifi or cable, but networks are strong.
GuideThis campground is only a couple miles north from fort Bragg and then just a bit further south is the cute coastal town of Mendocino. It’s almost surprising how close to the water this campground is. There are several small Foot trials leaving the campground and after passing through a small Thick of forest ( where we saw a huge group of deer) and then instantly you are transported to large dunes and sea cliffs. Typical SP with decent bathroom house and coin showers. There is a small visitor center that never opened during our stay. The park had very few people camping in March 2023, as it was still Raining after an incredible season of storms. If full- it could feel like it lacked privacy between sites.
ScoutI work there in the summer hosting Beautiful with few amenities.
RangerLarge pull-thru sites with vegetation in between. Casino nearby has multiple restaurants and entertainment, including golf. Cheap gas for California. Little bit of a hike to clean restrooms. Quiet. Convenient location for traveling down I-5.
Scout
My dog loves clearlake state park. In Kelseyvile, CA. And I have to agree with her.
LegendWe used Rolling Hills as a stop over on our voyage from Oregon to Arizona. We stayed one night. The park is CLEAN, Quiet, the sites level, The Park staff are helpful. The park is on the campus of a casino with multiple eating establishments. A Fuel station/truck stop in also on the ground.. I should be more generous in my ratings, but to get five stars the park needs mature trees. Guess I spent too much of my life in Oregon
GuideThis camp ground exceeds expectations with its natural beauty! Tent camping gets closed for the winter season but plenty of RV spaces($40 honor system) with lots of options to choose from. There are not many people in the off season so we were able to get a spot with direct access to the beach! Each spot has a picnic table and firepit. This place has lots of wildlife (raccoons) so be careful what you leave out! **dog friendly
LegendUse of dump station not included in already expensive site fee ($40 with no hookups). Some sites are large some are small. We fit our 33 foot overall tt plus truck in site 81 by parking truck to the side. Probably could have done so in 80 as well. Some very shady sites some in open. 79-81 in shade. Trails behind these sites to beach. In my opinion park is not managing dunes well. Need to have designated paths to conserve vegetation. Beautiful rugged beach with harbor seals.
Traveler
We had a great time when we stayed a night here in October. The campground is nice and has a lot of availability- even on weekends!
The camp facilities are fine. The sites are spacious and there are a mix of shady and sunny sites. The flush bathrooms are fine, and there are free showers. Our young kids had a great time playing on the playground which was an unexpected bonus.
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. The town of Ukiah is pretty close as well, so you can get food or supplies easily.
We had OK cell coverage with Verizon- we could usually browse the internet but streaming videos were difficult (you could download and watch them pretty quickly, but just streaming was hit and miss).
Guide
I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and my dad was a hang glider pilot. The campground has vaulted toilets non-flushable of course. There is water at the campground except during the winter as they shut it off to keep the pipes from bursting. The campground is open up all year round. Fires are allowed depending on regulations from Cal fire. 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). Target shooting is available at the end of the airstrip which you will pass over on the way to the campground. For a boat launch there are two about a 10 minute drive from the campground
LegendGeneral: Two campgrounds at this state park: Pinewood (closer to Route 1 and I did not explore) and Surfwood (closer to the ocean). No hookups (at least in Surfwood, I did not check in Pinewood). You can see beautiful sunsets from the road leading to the Surfwood campground.
Site Quality: A few had concrete pads, but most had sand driveways. Most sites were very spacious; sites 122-124 are located on a roundabout and were very large and more private than some of the others. Most sites had a utility box, and all had a picnic table and a fire ring. Some had trees separating them from other sites.
Bathhouse: An upgrade from other California state parks we've stayed in with hot water and tile floors. No dryer or towels so make sure you bring your own. Pay showers (beginning with$1.00 for five minutes; accepts up to 15 quarters). I did not use the shower so cannot comment on how well it worked.
Activities: Horseback riding, hiking, and biking. There is a multi-use trail that leads south from the campground. The reason I chose this campground is I wanted to see Glass Beach, however, it was fenced off with “no trespassing” signs which was disappointing.
TravelerWe love this campground and have been coming for years. We have tent camped and trailer camped and love both. The tent spots are nicely divided by coastal trees and shrubs which provide ample privacy. You can walk to the beach, bathrooms with quarter showers, clean.
GuideAll the camp sites seem to be fairly large to give everyone a bit of privacy
ScoutMade a reservation 44 minutes before arriving. Quick check in. Great for overnight. Or casino patronage. No frills, but full hookups. No fire rings, picnic tables, etc.
Ranger[Internet. Verizon via iPhone 12: 5 mbps down and 0.16 mbps up with 56 ms ping. T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR-1100 - 3 mbps down and 0.05 up with 106 ms ping. Our booster marginally improved the speeds.]
PROS
→ Campground is adjacent to the beach. You can hear the ocean and sometimes catch peeks of the ocean from the campground.
→ Campsites have bear lockers. → Campground is pretty in the glow of sunlight. → There’s a trail to the beach and Laguna Point isn’t far.
→ The camp hosts are easy to approach in that they have an alert button you can press outside their rig and they will come outside. No wondering how to get their attention! We bought our shower tokens from the camp host.
→ This campground is protected by a buffer of coastal trees. It’s not nearly as windy at the campground as it is on the beach.
CONS
→ Showers require tokens. This seems pretty standard in California State Parks but it’s successful at deterring us from showering every night. One token gives 4 minutes of showering. Each token is $1. It’s not a lot for one-off trips but we are on a 6-week camping trip.
→ The dump station has a mandatory fee of $10. You pay with a credit card. When payment is approved, the cap to the dump hole unlocks. We didn’t use it. Again, it was successful at deterring us from using it. With pay showers we’d normal shower in the van and just run to the dump station daily to empty the tank but we didn’t. We paid for the showers. I know they are cost mitigating but it’s a factor when deciding on this campground especially if you camp a lot like us. (We are on a 6-week camping trip up the coast).
→ The shower water temperature is finicky in the women’s bathroom. When it’s just one person showering, it’s nice and hot. When two showers are going, the water temperature drops a bit. To me the temperature is important because it’s still 50° to 60° right now and I only get 8 minutes with the water. I need those 8 minutes to be comfortable not make me move faster than Speedy Gonzalez. For me this isn’t a huge concern but it is for my partner so that’s why I’m detailing it out.
→ Firewood is $10.
—————————— 4-stars - The campground is clean, enjoyable and has the camping vibe. Docking a star due to the extra fees and the water temperature. For weekend warriors I’d wager this is a 5-star campground!
[Rig. Mercedes Sprinter. 22 feet]
Dump station? - Yes, mandatory $10 Water fill? - Yes, free Clean site? - Yes Clean bathroom? - Yes Flush toilet? - Yes Showers? - Yes, token operated Laundry? - No Dish washing sink? - No
ScoutGreat campsite to relax in. Quiet, maybe a little windy, but nothing they can control. Friendly rangers, and other campers. Clean bathrooms and well-maintained sites. Will return.
LegendCampsites are level and have enough space between them for adequate privacy. Our site along the beach side allowed for an easy walk to to the ocean. Sunset was fantastic and at sunrise, sea lions were out playing and sunning on rocks which were fun to watch. Bathrooms were completely adequate with flushing toilets and showers. My shower in the womens bathroom was cold but my husband said his was scalding hot. Showers take quarters. The wood sold at the ranger station was damp but still burned great (bonus, it was pine and smells fantastic). Another plus is how close it is to "downtown". Lots of fresh seafood places so it was nice to go out for a hot meal and good food.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Mendocino National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Mendocino National Forest is Oak Flat Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Mendocino National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Mendocino National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
