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Best Equestrian Camping near Thousand Oaks, CA

90 Reviews

Musch Trail Camp in Topanga State Park accommodates tent campers with horses through a hike-in accessible trail system. The camp provides water for horses and basic toilets for riders, though equestrians should note there are no designated horse corrals or permanent equine facilities on-site. Located approximately 15 miles from Thousand Oaks, the campground features picnic tables and trash collection but prohibits fires, alcohol, and pets other than horses. Sites remain quiet after sunset with limited amenities for human campers, making this location best suited for experienced equestrians comfortable with minimalist trail camping.

The surrounding trail network connects riders to extensive bridle paths throughout the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Horse owners access multiple connecting trails directly from camp, with routes varying in difficulty from beginner-friendly to challenging terrain with significant elevation changes. Trailer parking is available at designated equestrian parking areas near trailheads, but not at the camp itself. Riders must pack in all feed and equipment, as no storage facilities exist on-site. Water sources for horses can be unreliable during dry seasons, requiring campers to confirm availability before arrival. The campground's non-reservable status means equestrians should arrive early in peak seasons to secure space, especially when traveling with multiple horses.

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Thousand Oaks, California (9)

    1. Malibu Creek State Park Campground

    39 Reviews
    El Nido, CA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (818) 880-0367

    $45 - $225 / night

    "It is prime location for some great hiking and at night it is super quiet. There are restrooms and showers as well."

    "The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, the camp host super friendly and helpful, the bathrooms well positioned and clean, and the sites had shade and everything we needed."

    2. Tapo Canyon Park

    12 Reviews
    Simi Valley, CA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 654-3951

    "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."

    "This campground happens to be very close to home so we went here to try out our brand new pull behind camper trailer for the very first time.
    The campground is small, quiet and very well-kept."

    3. Musch Trail Camp — Topanga State Park

    6 Reviews
    Topanga, CA
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (310) 455-2465

    $7 / night

    "If you want a longer hike you can hike up the East Topanga Fire Road and then drop down into Musch Camp on the Backbone Trail from Eagle Junction."

    "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."

    4. Valencia Travel Village

    8 Reviews
    Valencia, CA
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (661) 257-3333

    "A little remote and you have to drive to the nearest town(s), but clean grounds and nice site. Very easy to book online.  The RV park is pretty large so it's a nice daily walk."

    "I didn’t actually stay here as I was looking for a tent camping spot, but I did drive around the facility and it was super clean and looked like a great spot if you’ve got an RV."

    5. Malibu Mountaintop Ocean View

    Be the first to review!
    Topanga, CA
    16 miles

    $100 / night

    6. Reyes Creek Campground

    15 Reviews
    Pine Mountain Club, CA
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 434-1996

    $30 - $154 / night

    "It's about a 40 minute drive from the nearest town (and therefore the nearest gas station or market - plan ahead). There is no power, or water."

    "There is a bar at the campground entrance if that is your speed, but we took advantage of the winding creek side path behind site 18."

    7. Halfmoon Campground

    2 Reviews
    Frazier Park, CA
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (661) 245-3731

    "Coming from Frazier, CA I was able to access the camp site with a 2012 Chevy Equinox LS FWD (By no means an off-roading vehicle) and return back home with no issues."

    "Beautiful drive down grade valley to get to this awesome site. We were looking for a more remote place to camp and this site satisfied all our needs."

    8. Holiday Group Campground

    1 Review
    Ojai, CA
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 434-1996

    $150 - $154 / night

    "They got a nice nature trail , this time there was decent size water flowing , got tables and bathrooms. There was a trail was had to much poison oak in the entrance we couldn’t enter."

    9. Bear Canyon Campground

    3 Reviews
    Altadena, CA
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (818) 899-1900

    "But otherwise a great spot to spend a few summer days away from anyone not hale enough to trek in a few miles."

    "Crossing the tiny bridge at the west end of Switzer Picinic area(park up top during the weekdays, adds half a mile), you’ll see Switzer Trail Camp."

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Thousand Oaks, CA

90 Reviews of 9 Thousand Oaks Campgrounds

  • Erik M.
    Jan. 9, 2021

    Musch Trail Camp — Topanga State Park

    Easy Backpacking Trip in Los Angeles

    Musch Camp is an easy one mile hike from from the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot in Topanga State Park. If you want a longer hike you can hike up the East Topanga Fire Road and then drop down into Musch Camp on the Backbone Trail from Eagle Junction. This will add a few more miles to your hike and allow you to make a loop by hiking back to Trippet Ranch via the one mile Musch Trail.

    The cost is $7 per person per night. You can pay at the Entrance Station at the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot or the Iron Ranger at the camp. If you are parking your vehicle overnight in the parking lot please leave a note on your dashboard so that the Rangers are aware that you are camping at Musch Camp.

    The campground has around 6 campsites in two sections surrounded by fencing. Each site has a picnic table.  FIRES ARE NOT ALLOWED. There is also a restroom with flush toilets' and sinks as well as a water spigot. There are also horse corrals across the trail from the campground. Some of the sites have shade.

    There are meadows down the trail on either side of the campground. There is limited cell service at the campground.

  • Tony C.
    Jun. 24, 2019

    Henninger Flat - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    Great local campsite

    I recently moved to WA from Los Angeles so this review is legit 😁 This was and still continues to be one of my favorite campsite close to Los Angeles, I have plenty of fond memories with close friends at this site. It’s completely exposed all the way to the top, a well worth 3 mile uphill hike to three different camp sites. My favorite is the middle site where you get a clear view of the city, beautiful views at night. They say there’s no water but there is, there’s a spout located by the restroom close to the museum, you’ll have to treat it before using (but don’t take my word for it, they tend to shut it off so take plenty of water for your time there and check it out if you need more) If you continue past the middle campsite to the upper site, you’ll have plenty of space for tents and hammocks just no view due to the trees on the edge. If you continue on that trail for another 3 miles i believe, you’ll get to idlehour campground. It’s a small site right next to a creek, you can continue on to Mt Lowe campground and inspiration point. Back to Henninger, plenty of trees for hammocks and sometimes they have firewood collected. At the museum you can buy soda cans so take some change. Hauling a 24 pack of cold Modelos in my pack was not fun at all, but boy did they taste good at the top hahaha. Bugs can get annoying so carry some bug spray, hang your food and PACK IT OUT!!! Leave no trace behind.

  • J
    Dec. 6, 2021

    Halfmoon Campground

    Beautiful Remote Campsite

    Spare of the moment trip idea lead me to finding this campsite. Coming from Frazier, CA I was able to access the camp site with a 2012 Chevy Equinox LS FWD (By no means an off-roading vehicle) and return back home with no issues. The drive down into the little valley is spectacular. There are few cool rock faces on the drive into camp which I had a great time doing some bouldering. The campground was shared by one other vehicle and it was fantastic. The site was pretty clean! Only found and picked up the usual (glass, caps, twist ties, styrofoam, toilet paper, etc.) There are a lot of trails near by and the scenery is pretty incredible.

  • John Y.
    Aug. 16, 2019

    Reyes Creek Campground

    Off The Grid

    I prefer primitive or dispersed camping because I usually like as much privacy as I can get when I'm camping, but with current fire restrictions I was limited to developed campsites if I wanted a campfire (and what's the point of camping without a campfire?). I was also planning the trip on short notice, so developed, reserveable campsites were in short supply. Then I found Reyes Creek.

    The campground is very isolated. It's about a 40 minute drive from the nearest town (and therefore the nearest gas station or market - plan ahead). There is no power, or water. There's no cell service in the camp, but a 5 minute drive up the mountain there's a dirt lot they call the 'phone booth' that gets decent reception. The camp hosts were super friendly and helpful. There are 2 loops for campsites - the center of the main loop seemed pretty flat, but all the sites were visible to your neighbors. Sites on the outside of the main loop offered more privacy, but most appeared to not be very level, and not necessarily well laid out. I stayed in site 11 on the outside of the loop which was large and fairly quiet, but my 6 person tent just barely fit in between some trees which offered some shade and was only on a slight angle. The one downside was the bathrooms - vault toilets that varied in condition, but none that I used were particularly good. If bathroom condition is a major sticking point with you, you may want to look elsewhere.

    As an added bonus, as isolated as the place is, right outside the entrance to the campground is a bar & grill called the Camp Scheideck Lodge. They have a full bar and great food (and the customer-only bathroom is a great step up from the campground). It just changed owners last month (second time in a couple years) and the new owner, Devin, is friendly and welcoming.

    The temperature varies greatly from day to night (90's to 50's when I was there) and there are bugs a plenty, so bring repellant. Firewood is available at the camp, and ice is available at the lodge.

    So if you want a little isolation with privacy, a campfire, and a friendly bar within walking distance, this place is for you. I'll definitely be coming back.

  • Adriela A.
    May. 7, 2019

    Reyes Creek Campground

    Relaxation readily available

    This site is highly accessible but still felt local and gives a great mixture of relaxation and creature comforts. There is a bar at the campground entrance if that is your speed, but we took advantage of the winding creek side path behind site 18. Our fellow campers were very respectful and the grounds were tidy.

  • Mike N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 27, 2020

    Malibu Creek State Park Campground

    Pricey but worth it

    At $45/night this campground is the most I have paid thus far. I also believe it is worth it as well. It is prime location for some great hiking and at night it is super quiet. There are restrooms and showers as well. For hot showers you will need to purchase tokens at .50 cents each for 2 minutes of hot water. 8 minute hot shower will set you back $2 or take a cold shower for free. The gate to the park closes at 10pm. The campground is tucked away behind all the day use parking area so you won’t be bothered by that if you’re staying multiple days. Not much all spots have shade but the majority of spots do.

  • Andre V.
    Jul. 16, 2019

    Malibu Creek State Park Campground

    Just OK but close to LA

    I have camped here many times over the years. It’s an absurdly expensive campground. It’s close to LA so I assume that is why they feel they can charge so much for a mediocre campground. The sites are close together and I camped here once when it was almost empty but they blocked off half the campground so you couldn’t get away from even just a few neighboring campers. There is a lot of cool stuff in the park like the old MASH set and a rock pool to swim in. But the campground itself is just OK.

  • Antonio C.
    Oct. 2, 2019

    Halfmoon Campground

    Nice and lonesome

    Beautiful drive down grade valley to get to this awesome site. We were looking for a more remote place to camp and this site satisfied all our needs. We were the only ones there and the scenery was pleasing. There is access to some nice hiking trails of Los Padres National Forest. There was some water still available in the nearby creek.

  • Stacy C.
    Nov. 15, 2020

    Henninger Flat - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    Weekend backpacking

    Close by campsite and pitstop on the way to Mt. Wilson. Great overlook of the Los Angeles. Lots of bugs around good thing we had a head net. Not many people around when we were camping so it was pretty quiet.

Guide to Thousand Oaks

Horse camping in California offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the companionship of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to saddle up and hit the trails.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • At Musch Trail Camp — Topanga State Park, you can enjoy scenic hiking trails that are perfect for both riders and hikers alike.
  • Reyes Creek Campground features nearby trails that allow for peaceful rides along a picturesque creek, making it a great spot for a relaxing day out.
  • The Halfmoon Campground offers access to various trails in the Los Padres National Forest, ideal for exploring with your horse.

Tips for equestrian camping near Thousand Oaks, California

  • When visiting Tapo Canyon Park, ensure you have your reservations completed online, as the rangers frequently check the sites.
  • At Bear Canyon Campground, be prepared for a hike-in experience, which adds an adventurous element to your camping trip with your horse.
  • Always bring enough water and supplies when heading to Valencia Travel Village, as it’s essential for both you and your horse during your stay.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like corrals and trails

  • Musch Trail Camp — Topanga State Park provides horse corrals, making it convenient for equestrian campers to secure their horses while enjoying the area.
  • At Reyes Creek Campground, you’ll find facilities that cater to horse camping, including access to trails and a beautiful creek for cooling off.
  • Halfmoon Campground allows for both tent and horse camping, ensuring a versatile experience for all types of campers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Thousand Oaks, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Thousand Oaks, CA is Malibu Creek State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 39 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Thousand Oaks, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Thousand Oaks, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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