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Meadow View Equestrian Campground near Portola accommodates both horses and riders with six campsites specifically designed for trailer parking. Corrals for horses are located adjacent to the campground area, providing secure containment while camping. The sites feature picnic tables, fire pits, and bear boxes for food storage. Hand-pumped water is available at the entrance of the campground, though campers should note it requires boiling before consumption. Sites are well-spaced but not perfectly level, with blocks recommended for leveling RVs and trailers. The compact campground loop requires some maneuvering skill to back larger horse trailers into sites. Vault toilets serve the area, and the campground operates on a pack-it-in, pack-out basis for trash.
Trails accessible directly from Meadow View provide extensive riding opportunities on both main dirt roads and multiple side paths. The large meadow visible from the campground offers scenic views during rides. Doyle Grade Road provides easier access with less dirt road travel and better conditions for horse trailers than alternative routes. The campground remains peaceful even during summer weekends, with many visitors reporting having the entire area to themselves, particularly in spring and fall. Despite being designated as an equestrian campground, non-horse campers are welcome. The campground typically opens mid-April and closes mid-September, with no reservation system in place—all sites are first-come, first-served. Zero cell service exists in the area from major carriers, allowing for a truly disconnected equestrian camping experience.
"I think there's good privacy even though you can see that there are other campers around. There are tables, fire pits, flush toilets, and bear boxes."
"camp spots (fairly level), beautiful area with lots of trees, a lovely creek running through the back of of the campground, clean bathrooms, just 25 minutes from Reno and three miles from Frenchman's Lake"
from $34 / night
Check Availability"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."
"So remote and private but everything you need at the campground with water access within walking distance. Sites are great with picnic tables and bathrooms near by."
from $24 - $48 / night
Check Availability"This campground is labeled as equestrian however anyone can stay. Great place close to Frenchman lake. Has pasture area for horses."
"Officially this is listed as an equestrian campground. We were there during the off season so no one else was around. The campground was quiet and peaceful."
"But most stay in other "dispersed" camping, and there aren't nearly as many vehicles as you might see, for example, in a Nevada dunes off-road park."
"First, it's quite an adventurous (read: bumpy) drive to get to it from the nearest paved road. Once you arrive, you'll be amazed at how much space there is between the sites."
from $20 - $60 / night
Check Availability"Right next to the water, and close to town. Cell phone reception. is spotty ."
"It was late and we couldn't find the owner so we ended up staying outside the park on the road. The manager got things worked out in the morning and refunded our money for the night before."
from $23 - $75 / night
Check Availability"Mind you this lake isn’t far from Reno, NV and surrounding valleys so it can get quite rowdy at night during peak season. Would not recommend for families looking for a quiet, serene getaway."
"The lake is perfect for fishing, kayaking, and splashing around."
"There is also a water access to go easing and a few deep spots for swimming. There are also 3 Poké stops and a gym for Pokémon Go players."
"Very 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."
from $15 / night
Check Availability"Walking trails connect to the campground! What a delight and right near Bucks Lake!
It is bear country, and the campsite was visited by a bear at night.""Clean campground, great fishing, and nice trail around lake. Kids love camping here. Bathrooms are kept clean and stocked 2-3x a day."
from $31 / night
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GuideThis campground is labeled as equestrian however anyone can stay. Great place close to Frenchman lake. Has pasture area for horses. Spots are well spaced out and never filled up while we stayed for 4 days. Tons of horseflies late morning and early afternoon. Pit toilets, and drinking water available. Easy to stay with trailers and rvs. Road is dirt/gravel on way in but easy to navigate.
GuideThis is quintessential California no frills forest camping under trees that are so tall they muffle all sound, where the dirt is so infused with pine needles that it smells like incense. Although this is a horse camp, anyone can camp here. It is primitive, but if you have your own toilet you'll be ok. Otherwise, you can use the old pit toilets provided. Because this is a horse camp, the sites are spacious. Kick back and enjoy.
LegendOfficially this is listed as an equestrian campground. We were there during the off season so no one else was around. The campground was quiet and peaceful. Website stated that fees are not collected at this time. There are only 6 sites here and it is a compact little campground. The sites are a good size but the loop is tight and it took some creative maneuvering to back into our site.
The road in was fairly smooth with some areas of washboard, managed fine in our 26’ Class C. Water is available from an hand pumped spigot at the entrance of the campground, website states non potable but we drank it and it was fine and in fact tasted really fresh. There is no garbage so pack in and pack out.
The bathrooms were open. Each space has a bear box, fire pit and picnic table all in good condition. Sites were relatively flat and a mix of sun and shade.
There is hiking and biking on the main dirt road and on the multiple side roads. There was a few vehicles coming and going but not so busy as to be annoying.
The view of the huge meadow was nice and just before you reach the campground there are a few buildings that are open and some horse corrals.
Zero cell service from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
ScoutForest Service campground in Plumas NF I’ve stayed at several times when exploring the area. About 9 miles from Quincy and 2-3 off highway. Free. Fire rings (need annual campfire permit, free at park offices) and bear boxes. Outhouses. No water apart from lake (generally overgrown). Large clear sites with plenty of space between them. Forested area, dirt roads. Equestrian sites available.
RangerThis place is a great place to camp with or without horses.
Ride out from your site on your ATV or SBS for miles of trails to explore.
There is a water but must be hand pumped from the well and boiled.
Only 6 sites here, not very level but easy to fix with blocks. This campground is in an area that burned but no damage to the campground. Plenty of tall pine trees, hang a hammock and chill.
There are corals for horses near the campground.
We were the only people there on a Friday afternoon.
Came in from Frenchman Lake and out on Doyle Grade Rd. Of the two we will go back on Doyle Grade Road, not as much dirt road and in better condition.
GuideTHE CAMPGROUND
The campground is great. Many sites have lots of space between them, while a few are side-by-side with just a vehicle parking space separating them. Each has a level, wood-bordered dirt/gravel pad set up for a tent - usually placed in as quiet/remote corner of the site as possible. Each has a picnic table, some type of fire pit (some have a metal ring with nice flipping grate, some are just a circle of large stones), and some type of cooking setup (some have a standard campsite charcoal "grill" while others have a metal table to set your cooktop on.
Very quite. Only noise is campground noise and one infrequently trafficked dirt road nearby (see below).
Campfires are allowed. If you drive in from the south (via Verdi), there is currently a designated area to collect firewood - it is scheduled for a prescription burn and you can pick up any wood from the forest floor - bring an axe and saw.
I visited mid-week during peak July season - there were two other campsites occupied (out of 20 total).
The campsite is in the middle of Dog Valley. The area is used for off-road recreation, so you may run into a few off-road buggies or trucks, and some may stay at the campground. But most stay in other "dispersed" camping, and there aren't nearly as many vehicles as you might see, for example, in a Nevada dunes off-road park.
The Crystal Mine is nearby… quick drive, bit longer walk. I didn't find many walking trails in the area, but may have missed them.
Verizon cell service picked up one bar, intermittently. Enough to get out occasional status update texts and check the weather, but not enough to be able to read stuff off the internet unless… you…. are…. really…. really… really… patient. If you hike up the hill at the nearby Crystal Mine, Verizon gave 2 bars and 5G… you are line of sight to Cold Springs.
There is basically no radio reception at the campground, but one AM station came in during the drive.
There are two 'vault' toilets, both of which were clean and well maintained… no real odor, no spiders, etc. I saw one water spigot but it required a keyed handle to open so it was inaccessible … no other sources of water (potable or otherwise) at the site.
Trash cans are provide. No food/bear lockers provided (bear-safe food storage not required … but always a good precautionary measure).
I give it four stars because it is a good campground, and may be a good base for off-roading or mountain biking, but doesn't have many major sites nearby (hiking trails, rivers, lookout points, etc.) and I didn't find a variety of hiking trails nearby (a major one does run through the general area). Would be tough to keep kids busy, but great for a 2 day getaway for a couple.
Ok… let's talk THE ROAD….
The road is one of the reasons this site generally isn't too packed. There are two main ways in…
From The South (Verdi)
This is the roughest path. It has a fairly good incline and then decline into the valley, so I can only speak to my summer experience, but I suspect this may present a challenge for winter/wet driving.
For this route, you will spend 8.5 miles on a dirt road. I'd estimate this road is 10% "standard country dirt road, flat, fairly level, no major ruts, drivable by any vehicle at 25-30MPH." About 75% of the road is "unmaintained hill road, where you have to hug one side or another to avoid 6-inch+ ruts, loose rocks up to 5" in diameter, passable by a 2-wheel drive vehicle with reasonable ground clearance and not concerned about rocks on the paint, driving 10-15 MPH." The remaining 15% still probably doesn't require 4-wheel drive, but could benefit from it, involves going 5MPH to navigate deeper ruts or 'potholes'. The entire route is totally 100% passable by any truck/Jeep, even 2-wheel drive, driven slowly and carefully at times. Subarus would be fine. I *think* a standard sedan could make it, but you run a very good chance of bashing in the underside of your car… it is doable and I saw a little hatchback do it, but I personally wouldn't recommend.
From the North (Cold Springs)
For this route, you will spend 10 miles on a dirt road.
The first 3.3 miles (about 33%) is "standard country dirt road, flat, fairly level, no major ruts, drivable by any vehicle at 25-30MPH." Very easy driving. About 65% is "unmaintained hill road, where you have to hug one side or another to avoid 6-inch+ ruts, loose rocks up to 5" in diameter, passable by a 2-wheel drive vehicle with reasonable ground clearance and not concerned about rocks on the paint, driving 15 MPH." The remaining 2% is the harder road, as described above… just a few specific spots/turns, not long sections.
This north route is easier, but either way you go, there will be tougher sections.
To be fair - this isn't "off-roading." There are no boulders or 'technical' challenges. It is just an unmaintained (or rarely maintained) dirt road that has ruts, especially in uphill/downhill areas where the water runs across the road. Definitely not just a 'country dirt road', but a more typical mountain backroad.
Pictures below show the most common sections - 75% of the south path and 66% of the north path look like that or a little bit worse. The pictures aren't the worst sections - just more of the 'typical' road you can expect for most of the way.
Final comment: All of the above is about dry, summer driving. After rains, when the ground is wet, or in the winter - could be a very different experience.
GuideBack 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!
GuideWe live about 35 minutes away in Reno. We decided to practice camping with our new travel trailer at this campground. We have never camped even in a tent. The sites are paved. They are all back in sites. There's good room between sites. I think there's good privacy even though you can see that there are other campers around. There are tables, fire pits, flush toilets, and bear boxes. There's a shallow stream and access to it for the campsites along one side of the campground. There's a camp host by the entrance. It's hard to see the entrance to this campground because the sign is not close to the street. If you get to Frenchman Lake about 10 minutes away, you've gone too far. We've never had any cell signal with ATT at this campground. It's a very easy drive from Reno. We go there all spring and summer for quick getaways.
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.
Equestrian campgrounds near Portola, California sit within the Northern Sierra Nevada mountains at elevations averaging 5,000 feet. Camping opportunities span across Plumas National Forest with seasonal accessibility from spring through fall. The area features volcanic formations, high desert terrain, and coniferous forests with significant temperature variations between day and night.
Horseback riding on forest trails: East Meadow Campground provides excellent trail access where riders can explore different terrain. "Beautiful campgrounds with access to sandy beaches from your tenting spots. Access to the Pacific crest trail & many other hiking routes," notes Anthony K. at East Meadow Campground.
Crystal collecting near campgrounds: Explore unique mineral formations just a short drive from camping areas. "The trail from the campground to Crystal Peak was great. It's more like Crystal knoll. The history of Crystal Peak is amazing, and the crystals are everywhere," shares Ray B. about Lookout Campground.
Lake activities year-round: Fish, paddle, or swim at nearby lakes with seasonal water levels. "The lake is perfect for fishing, kayaking, and splashing around," reports Megan R. about Antelope Lake Recreation Area.
Private campsites with spacing: Some campgrounds offer better site separation than others. "This is a small hidden little gem of a campground. They have flush toilets and bear boxes which makes it nice for those of us that tent camp. Close to the water and sites have plenty of space," writes Julie B. about East Meadow Campground.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Many campers report seeing native wildlife near their campsites. "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," advises Davidson L.H. about Logger Campground.
Uncrowded camping experiences: Several equestrian-friendly campgrounds remain peaceful even during peak season. "We were the only people there on a Friday afternoon," reports Patricia N. about Meadow View Equestrian Campground.
Road conditions vary significantly: Access roads to some campgrounds require careful driving. "The drive was nice once you get past the burn scar. There was no one around so it was peaceful and the weather was decent," notes G M. about Meadow View Equestrian Campground.
Limited or no cell service: Prepare for disconnection at most camping areas. "Zero cell service from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile," warns Laura M. about horse campgrounds near Portola.
Bear activity requires precautions: Follow proper food storage practices in all camping areas. "The campsite was visited by a bear at night. Just one night, when the night before the dumpsters were emptied. The bear messed with the campground dumpster but left everything else alone," shares Sarah J. about Whitehorse Campground.
Choose sites with amenities: Some campgrounds offer more family-friendly facilities. "This campground is labeled as equestrian however anyone can stay. Great place close to Frenchman lake. Has pasture area for horses. Spots are well spaced out and never filled up while we stayed for 4 days," explains Samantha T. about Meadow View.
Look for water access: Campgrounds near lakes provide additional recreation. "Right next to the water, and close to town. Cell phone reception is spotty," notes Brenna D. about Antelope Lake Recreation Area.
Consider seasonal timing: Fall offers fewer crowds but cooler temperatures. "Cold 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," advises Davidson L.H. about Logger Campground.
Prepare for unlevel sites: Bring leveling equipment for RV camping. "Very nice and large spots for both Camper and Tent camping. The bathrooms and showers are clean and exactly what you would expect from a county park," reports Karissa R. about Taylorsville County Park.
Plan for limited hookups: Most equestrian campgrounds offer minimal RV services. "Super place, hosts are friendly & helpful! Some spots are tricky to back in, but easy walk to the reservoir for beach/water time," mentions Ron G. about East Meadow.
Consider campground loop layouts: Some campgrounds have tight turning radiuses. "The sites are a good size but the loop is tight and it took some creative maneuvering to back into our site," cautions Laura M. about horse camping areas near Portola.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Portola, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Portola, CA is Chilcoot Family Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Portola, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 equestrian camping locations near Portola, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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