Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Mount Wilson. 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 has never been easier. With our help, you'll find the best California equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Due to winter road damage, low clearance vehicles are not recommended. At a Glance: 5,000' elevation 26 campsites There is currently no piped water available at Horse Flat Campground. Please bring enough water for cooking, cleaning, drinking, and extinguishing campfires. Equestrian facilities include 4 corrals, hitching rails $12 per night per site. Campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis. No reserving or holding of campsites allowed. Checkout/Change of day is at 11 am. Maximum RV length 20 feet - No Hookups What to Expect Horse Flats Campground offers 26 campsites with plentiful shade options at a lofty 5000-foot elevation. It also has accessible hiking opportunities such as the Silver Moccasin National Recreation Trail, some excellent areas for mountain bikers, and, as the name implies, equestrian resources that include with four corrals and several more hitching posts. It is an easy 90-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles up Angeles Crest Highway (HWY 2) to inhale crisp mountain air scented with Jeffrey Pines and Mountain Mahogany. Mt Hillyer's silhouette and various wildlife make for an excellent backdrop for a day hike. With it being only 18 miles as the crow flies from downtown, it makes for a quick easy getaway from the summer heat.
$12 / night
The Arroyo campground offers 79 campsites varying in size to accommodate RVs or tent camping for up to eight people per site. Reservations for individual sites can be made online, by phone or in person. The park offers eight large group campsites for parties of 17 or more and five equestrian campsites, each equipped with horse corrals, barbeques and fire pits. Reservations for groups of 17 or more can be made by calling the park office at (949) 923-2260.
$20 / night
Located near the western boundary of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, both road 3N17 and the access road to Mt. Pacifico Campground are open to street legal and off-highway vehicles, while road 3N90 (aka “Roundtop Road”) is only open to street-legal vehicles. Campsites are first-come-first-served. Interagency Pass or Adventure Pass required for vehicles parked at this campground. The Pacific Crest Trail passes 1/2 mile north downslope of the campground. Not RV accessible. 7100' elevation. 10 tent-only sites.
Tapo Canyon Regional Park is located in the midst of the rolling hills and canyons of the Santa Susana Mountains, north of Simi Valley. Hikers, equestrian riders, and mountain bikers enjoy this rugged and rural park, which features picnic areas, A group use area, playground, an equestrian arena, restroom and shower facility, and an RV campground with 16 full hook ups. Cell service is spotty depending on carrier.
Now Open
Located in the cliffs and canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga State Park features 36 miles of trails through open grassland, live oaks and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.
The park is located entirely within the Los Angeles city limits and is considered the world’s largest wildland within the boundaries of a major city. Excellent recreational opportunities for hikers as well as mountain bikers (restricted to fire roads) and equestrians.
The park is bound on the south by Pacific Palisades and Brentwood, on the west by Topanga Canyon, and on the east by Rustic Canyon. Numerous geologic formations can be found in the park, including earthquake faults, marine fossils, volcanic intrusions, and a wide variety of sedimentary formations.
$7 / night
The Spring Camp Campground is temporarily CLOSED due to the Bobcat Fire. (Updated Nov 2022)
Please call the Glendora District Office at (747) 322-6643 or LA Gateway District Office at (818) 482-8937 for current conditions and additional information.
Elevation: 4700-Foot Elevation Amenities: 3 OHV/Hike-in campsites- picnic tables, vault toilets, no fire appliances, no trash receptacles, no piped water available. Seasonal stream water (treat before using). However, water flow may be low or non-existent due to reduced rainfall. Please bring enough water for cooking, cleaning, drinking, and extinguishing campfires. Pack In-Pack Out. OHV: Located along Rincon-Shortcut OHV Route. Permit needed for use of this route.
Due to the Line Fire, Lake Gregory will remain closed until further notice to keep the roads open for first responders and those under evacuation.
Located alongside an old riverbed in the high desert south of Victorville, Mojave Narrows offers lush plant growth, acres of waterways, impressive strands of cottonwood and willows and broad meadows all naturally landscaped by nature. The park is home to more than 1,500 species of watchable wildlife.
In addition there is year-round fishing, disc golf course, equestrian trails, a playground, climbing rocks, splash pad and hiking trails.
For campers, there are tent campsites along the shores of both Horseshoe Lake and Pelican Lake. RV sites with full hook-ups are also located near Horseshoe Lake.
Mojave Narrows Regional Park offers many options for camping and is dog-friendly and is accessible for people with disabilities.
Camping Amenities
38 RV or trailer full hookup sites (no tents allowed) 31 tent camping sites along Horseshoe or Pelican Lakes 6 group camping sites 3 group equestrian sites Hot showers and restrooms Grills and fire rings Dump stations
$3 - $40 / night
Traveler
Clean, quiet campground located in one of the OC Parks, with plenty of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. I stayed here on a weekday, and there were a few couple of vacant campsites in my area, so it was an extremely quiet visit. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked for my stay. I didn’t use the showers since I was only staying one night, but I heard they were free!
Rangers were very friendly and firewood was only $5 for a decent bundle that lasted me over 2 hours.
The city of Rancho Santa Margarita is right up the hill, so you can grab food and any necessities if needed.
My site backed to the creek, so I never had people walking through my campsite.
My dog & I slept in my van, but there was room for multiple tents, and a decent amount of shade in my spot.
My spot didn’t have its own water spigot, but there was one at a site across from me.
I was fortunate that all of the campers around me were quiet and considerate. I know that it doesn’t always work out that way, and having obnoxious neighbors can really ruin your experience.
GuideSITE:
This site is great if you like hiking, biking, MTB, and running. It is very clean, and the showers are free and clean as well. It's tucked back in the canyon, but you will still hear all the traffic from the road. Since it is a canyon, many loud cars and motorcycles zoom past at high speeds.
Free dump station.
SURROUNDING AREA:
There aren't too many shops in close proximity, but there are shops down the road a few minutes away if you need supplies.
ACTIVITIES
The campground is located next to Oneil Park, which is huge and great for bike and running. There are many hiking trails nearby in all directions. I usually ride to Caspers from the campsite or Trabruco creak up to Holy Jim.
TravelerMy 3 dogs and I stay here often, as it's the lowest cost in Orange County and allows dogs. It has several restrooms, showers, equestrian areas, nature trails and picnicking for day use too.
Scout
The Dyrt shows "Tent" sites, but it's only for RVs
Legend
General: A mix of FHU RV sites tent sites, group sites around Horseshoe Lake and some additional dry camping and equestrian sites around Pelican Lake. There are also four RVs you can “rent” in the Horseshoe Lake area. The sites around Horseshoe Lake are close to an active rail line. And by active, I mean really active – I stopped counting after I counted 24 trains lumbering by during our short overnight stay.
Site Quality: IMO the waterfront tent sites are the nicest. They are farthest away from the trains (but not far enough!) The other dry sites have paved camper pads; some are “doubles” which would kind of suck if both sites were occupied by people who did not know each other! (Ours was one but fortunately, this was not the case for us on a Sunday in November).
Bath/Shower House: There were two restrooms about equidistant from our campsite, but both were very basic– no soap, hooks or shelves and no mirrors (it looked like they had been ripped off the wall). The floors were concrete, and the entire appearance was very drab. I did not use the shower.
This was an overnight stop for us, so we did not take advantage of any of the activities (horseback riding, hiking, disc golf, fishing). There was a very nice playground in the day-use area, a reasonable walking distance from the Horseshoe Lake sites. I had called about a week ahead of time to make a reservation (the online reservation system has been down for quite some time) and was assured would not need a reservation. However, there is a gate that is locked at 4 pm and we knew we would not arrive in time, so we called and were able to make a phone reservation when our site was assigned. We were a little concerned when we saw a security guard making rounds around 10 pm (and this combined with the locked gate), we wondered if we were in a safe environment, although we did not encounter any problems. Make sure you know that the park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (which seems a bit bizarre) so you will need to know the gate code after 4 pm and on those days (the code seems to change daily). Also, I read that seniors (62 and older), active duty military, and veterans receive a $5 discount Sundays through Thursdays but you have to go to the office and show proof and then you will receive a “rebate” a few days later (which we did). This was just an overnight for us as we worked our way back home but we would likely not stay here again.
Legend
Although it’s not the most scenic campground itself, the state park has plenty of beauty to offer on its hiking trails. Not a single other party at the campsite on a Tuesday in September. The facilities and grounds were well maintained. Pretty short hike from the parking lot.
TravelerThe RV Park is located in a natural reserve. The scenes are beautiful!! We stayed by the river and had a great time. The only downside is that there are railways near the park and trains running by all night long.
ScoutAlways clean and safe. Has showers that are free. Has a crowd in summer but really nice in Spring and Fall. You can camp year round and you cannot beat the price. County operated by Orange County and people here have been great. If you want to eat out, restaurants and stores are just miles away but the campsite makes you feel so far away. Come sample some of Orange County’s best.
Traveler
This is a very nice campground near everything but still away from it all. No issues parking our 42' 5th wheel here. Clean and quiet despite the peacocks. They can be rather loud when startled. I swear they could hear my morning alarm and squawked their disapproval. The camp host Shawn is AMAZING! Bathrooms are very clean. Showers are coin operated. DO NOT expect cell service. I could only work from this spot by placing my mobile HomeFi router on top of the camper. Our Verizon phones were paper weights. Make sure your reservations are complete online before arriving. The Rangers check the spots multiple times a week. The kids enjoyed the playground and fields. It's not uncommon to see and hear movie/TV production crews at the filming locations along the road. Pet friendly but be careful at night. Mountain lions were spotted while there.
RangerSure, here's the review of Sea Breeze at Seal Beach:
I recently stayed at Sea Breeze at Seal Beach and I must say, it's my favorite RV resort on a military installation. The security is tight, as it should be, which made me feel safe and secure during my stay.
The campground itself is very nice, well-kept, and has large spaces for RVs. It was also surprisingly quiet, which allowed for a relaxing stay. I will definitely stay here again and look forward to my next visit.
One of the best things about Sea Breeze is its location. There are plenty of restaurants close by, as well as the beach. It's a great spot to stay if you want to be close to the water and enjoy the ocean breeze.
Overall, I would highly recommend Sea Breeze at Seal Beach to anyone looking for a great RV resort. It has everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable stay, and the location can't be beat. Whether you're traveling alone or with family and friends, this is a great option for a safe and relaxing vacation.
GuideA well kept secret with one drawback; everyone has to have an ID card to get on the base or be pre approved by base security.
LegendCleanliness: 10/10 Privacy: 0/10 Location: 5/10 nice park but super close to the street and other vehicles. Service: in some areas, one bar (att) Area: close to food etc just right down the hill. I used to live in this area, had no idea this was here. If you need something in this area this is a good spot, but I wouldn’t stop by choice if you could keep going somewhere more interesting.
Don’t forget quarters for showers! Wonderful playground if you have kids. Lots of grass for dogs too
LegendCleanliness: 10/10 Privacy: 0/10 Location: 5/10 nice park but super close to the street and other vehicles. Service: in some areas, one bar Area: close to food etc
TravelerPark for $7/night at Trippet Ranch and hike one mile to the campgrounds. It’s an easy hike and very quiet. Nice views during the day. Currently closed for repairs though.
GuideWe absolutely loved coming here for a little get away right outside of town. Sights were really nice a few bugs but what’s new. We really enjoyed our sight as well. Will definitely be coming back!
GuideHad a great stay here, bathrooms are clean as well as the sights were nice and very spacious. Only drawback was the bugs but it wasn’t enough to change my opinion on this place. People were respectful who camp here as well as close to town.
Guide
Bring some bug spray if you’re bugged by bugs. Other than that there was plenty of space for plenty of campers.
TravelerNo individual campsites. They’re set up in groups 2, 3 or 4 But it’s probably never a problem as this place doesn’t seem to get lots of visitors. It is a nice place and campground with lots of trees that provide some shade during the day. Sadly (because of our ongoing drought) trees and vegetation are in great need of water. I’d love to come back here after a rainy day.
Bring lots of mosquito repellent. You will need it.
Scout
The people here are so nice, the pool is clean and rarely busy from what we have seen. The shop has everything we have needed and the views are gorgeous 😍
TravelerI was nervous to stay here after reading some reviews but it’s not bad. Definitely some interesting characters “camping” but no one bothered us. It was a pretty clean camp ground but there were cigarette butts all over our site. There aren’t full hookups, so I don’t know why it says there are. Water is available at the sites along with a bbq and fire pit. There is an area for dumping your tanks by the front of the park. Heard coyotes at night. Didn’t have any noise issues and workers are nice.
GuideFree showers and restrooms available. Tmobile and at&t service both were intermittently fair to good. Campsites are all mostly level. Dogs are not allowed on some of the trails. Each campsite has a table, fire ring and grill. They do allow car camping and there were more than a few car campers there. Seniors camp for $15/night. Generators are allowed and unfortunately the camper nearby ran theirs allllll day. They have equestrian camp sites and group sites as well. Water spigots are at every site or nearly every site. Trash bins are also plenty.
Traveler
Parked at Three Points parking lot and hiked about 3.5 miles on the PCT. I believe it has 5 campsites with tables and fire pits. Beautiful river runs in the middle and an added bonus is that it has 2 outhouses. Truly a beautiful secluded campsite.
LegendNorth of LA. Easy to get to when traveling south. Staff very kind and helpful.
ScoutDon’t be afraid of coming here. Very cheap. Close from the beach and civilizations. Very well maintained. Big lots. Nice trails around.
ScoutWe live in Simi and we’re looking for a close place to test out our new travel trailer and we found this awesome gem of a campground. It’s super clean, has all the hook ups and was only 10 minutes away. I highly recommend this campground!
GuidePlenty of room to be by yourself and shoot some pictures.
GuideI took my family here for a 5 night stay during the week from Sunday to Friday.
Although the park itself is clean and rangers are nice I did not feel safe with the amount of permanent campers and sketchy characters camping here. There were mostly beat up rv’s with beat up cars next to them and very few families tent camping.
The gates never closed so there were cars coming and going at all hours of the night. The first night we had neighbors right next to us show up at 10:30pm to setup camp. They were extremely loud and didn’t care who heard them. We gave them the benefit of the doubt for a good hour or more thinking once they got their tent up they would quiet down. That never happened. This couple continued being loud and even left in their car at midnight playing loud music to then come back and continue being loud once inside their tent. We could not sleep with their constant talking. At one point they left their campsite on foot and went right through ours. When they returned about an hour later they were laughing and doing who knows what in their tent. They continued their own party until 4:30am.
Although there is a host on site rangers seem to disappear and go home well before 10pm which is considered quiet time.
There was absolutely nothing we could do from our tent. There was no answer when calling so we lost a whole nights sleep.
Once the sun came up we decided to see what these neighbors looked like so we could kindly ask them to be quiet the next night as we were staying 3 more nights. They looked like the type of people who wouldn’t care and we did not want them to retaliate against us. We did talk to the ranger station but they didn’t seem to want to address the situation besides offering a different site for us. We had to tear down everything and move camps. After multiple loading trips we were at our new campsite. We were just happy to be away from those sketchy people.
The next nights we tried to make the best of it but I wasn’t fully comfortable and didn’t feel safe in this campground knowing anyone could just drive in whenever they wanted.
If you’re looking for a safe campground to take your family look at a campground that has a strict quiet policy and a closing time so there is no entry after 10pm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Mount Wilson, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Mount Wilson, CA is Horse Flats Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Mount Wilson, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Mount Wilson, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
