Best Equestrian Camping near Upper Lake, CA

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Best Equestrian Sites Near Upper Lake, CA (11)

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Showing results 1-10 of 11 campgrounds

Recent Equestrian Reviews in Upper Lake

59 Reviews of 11 Upper Lake Campgrounds


  • Emma R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Sep. 25, 2024

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Close to wine country

    Lovely campsite with very sweet camp hosts. Always waved when they drove by.

    Chose site 17 because of the beautiful tree seen in another review but was felled prior to our arrival, so no big tree. We did however get a beautiful view of the stars.

    Two things to note, some of the sites (didn’t look like all of them had this issue) have an incredibly fine dusty dirt that gets on absolutely everything, it made our feet, legs and sandals completely beige from the dust and we had to wipe them with wet wipes before going into our tent and tracked a fair amount into our car upon leaving.

    The other thing we were disappointed with was that we had to pay for showers on top of already paying over $50 for our site for one night, we felt that was a pretty big con and that it should be included in the fees.

    Overall, you can’t get closer to the wineries and it was an otherwise lovely site.

  • Catherine L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cowboy Camp
    Sep. 15, 2024

    Cowboy Camp

    Quiet

    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.

  • Gina D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Aug. 26, 2024

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Beautiful

    This rv site was awesome.It's quiet beautiful, lush green. Be aware tho. It's full of poison oak!!!! But yiu can get around it.
    There are no hook ups. But the sights are mostly shaded, so it was a great help and I did not go in a hot time of the year. They have good hours for use of generators as well We Brought our electric bikes and rode to the geyser in Calistoga and to multiple wineries It was a great way to travel

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Russian Gulch State Park Campground
    Jun. 23, 2024

    Russian Gulch State Park Campground

    Surprised in Mendocino

    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

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cowboy Camp
    Feb. 10, 2024

    Cowboy Camp

    2/9/2024 —- closed

    The camp area is closed, as of 2/9/2024. No indication of that on the BLM website.

  • RoamingAspen V.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Dec. 29, 2023

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Quiet in Winter

    Nice sites in Oak, Madrone and Manzanita forest. As many have mentioned, it’s also a Poison Oak farm, but if you keep to the trails and roads it’s fine. Many sites are not level. Road is narrow. Bathrooms clean, showers although clean were not inviting. ATT was a bar, occasionally two. Was able to make a call if I stood still. Minutes away from Calistoga and St. Helena. We imagine it’s a very busy place in peak season, but a nice quiet getaway in winter.

  • Jorg F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cowboy Camp
    Nov. 17, 2023

    Cowboy Camp

    Cowboy Camp

    Great 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.

  • Patricia Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Cowboy Camp
    Oct. 14, 2023

    Cowboy Camp

    FLIES!

    No 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.

  • jThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Russian Gulch State Park Campground
    Sep. 14, 2023

    Russian Gulch State Park Campground

    Good location, - a little pricey

    Location 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.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from COE Mendocino Lake Bu-Shay Campground
    Oct. 18, 2022

    COE Mendocino Lake Bu-Shay Campground

    Great spacious campground

    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).

  • keith B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Oak Flat Campground
    Sep. 29, 2022

    Oak Flat Campground

    Oak flats

    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

  • Joe C.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Sep. 1, 2022

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Great campground near wineries.

    WE just stayed two nights camping and had a great time, site was good, bathrooms and showers were clean.   Good access to wineries close by.  Only real downside was that because of the dry conditions we could not have a campfire.

    It was not a problem for us but ATT reception was poor, could not get messages at the site but sometimes could while moving around the campground.

  • A
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Jun. 28, 2022

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Camping in wine country!

    Great spot for cheap and restful accommodation while Visiting wine country. Yurts, and campsites, pull thru and rv sites. Not super cheap cuz you are in California but way more affordable than any hotel and 5 minutes from Calistoga, thru vineyard lined lanes. Lots of hikes for a hike level. Mosquitos started coming out but tolerable. Nice trickling river and peaceful pondering spots. Great bathrooms but bring lots of quarters for showers, helpful staff! Rico you are the best for giving me firewood!

  • D
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Jun. 25, 2022

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Wonderful location - mediocre sites

    The location of this campground is amazing, if a trip to Napa Valley's wine country is on your bucket list.  The camp sites are okay, but road and access is narrow for many sites and the gravel pads aren't particularly level.  We stayed at site 049 which is a nice quiet spot away from the restrooms -but has trees, rocks, and bollards obstructing ability to cut the wheel and back in.  The restrooms were fairly clean and stocked with TP, but no soap or papertowels, so plan to bring those.  Also the park is prominently overtaken with poison oak... we knew what to look for and very cautiously avoided it, but it is everywhere, so if you're not familiar with poison oak, be warned.

    Overall, an okay experience but I would not repeat at this location.

  • Marcia M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Russian Gulch State Park Campground
    Oct. 2, 2021

    Russian Gulch State Park Campground

    Gorgeous Location

    This is a lovely, peaceful campsite with so many positives. Great hiking trails, a small protected beach, helpful camp host, and well-maintained showers and flush toilets. Larger beaches and the postcard town of Mendocino are just a couple miles away if you want a change of scenery.

    There are a couple things I wish I’d known in advance. The sites are on the small side, and most don’t have two trees large enough to string a hammock or a run line for a dog. Some of the sites aren’t as private, so it’s worth checking a map before booking. I stayed in 27, which was a beautiful spot, but the sites on that side of the creek get almost no sun during the day, so everything was a little damp all the time.

    Those were all small things I can work around the next time I visit, which I absolutely plan to do again.

  • R
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Aug. 29, 2021

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Quiet Sunday evening

    Water fountains/spigots relatively easy to find near most campsites. Bathhouse is next to site 10, operates with quarters. Site 7 is fairly flat, not terrible wide but plenty of room to put out slide and walk around RV. Further in on sitge has picnic table and more space. No fires right now, obviously, put propane is ok.

  • T
    Camper-submitted photo from Middle Creek Campground
    Aug. 19, 2021

    Middle Creek Campground

    Hope someone sees this

    I’ve been camping cross country for the last month with my husband. We’re from New York, and like to think we’re not easily rattled or intimidated. This was the first time on our trip that we were both scared.

    The forest service website says this campground is not open for camping, just dirt bike and horse riding, so I had found a campground further into the National Forest to camp at. When we drove by Middle Creek, we could see the sites from the road and a few of them had tents and we could see some folks, the campground was pretty clearly operating to some extent. We just wanted somewhere to stay overnight on our way into SF so we doubled back and found a site, paid the $8 and had a snack. We explored our corner of the campground a little- pretty clean, a fine campground. No visible host.

    Lots of wasps and flies, like standing right next to a dumpster. There was a woman who seemed to be experiencing homelessness and/or mental illness occupying multiple sites. She pretty clearly was stealing from sites people weren’t present at, right in front of us. She also had a dog that didn’t seem to be hers.

    The man at the campsite next to us didn’t have a tent or anything, just paid then sat in his truck screaming and cackling and breaking stuff loudly and pounding beers.

    We left without spending the night. The police need to go take a look out there.

  • Cassidy Y.
    Camper-submitted photo from Jackson Demonstration Forest
    Aug. 2, 2021

    Jackson Demonstration Forest

    Pretty good spot

    I’m bad about planning ahead and couldn’t reserve a campground at my usual spots also was trying to avoid the smoke in the valley from all the forest fires. This area was recommended because they are all first come first serve. I drove up on a Friday in July and was able to get a spot at Dunlap campground. The campground filled up by 5:00 Friday night and stayed full the rest of the weekend. Each camp has a picnic table, fire pit and a bbq. Dump lap has 17 spots and a vaulted toilet. There was a small creek behind the campground which was nice. It was about a 30 minute drive to fort Bragg made for an easy day trip. The campground is maintained by cal fire $20 a night. No camp host on site, cal fire crew came in once a day to check the campground. Fellow campers weren’t too loud, the birds were worse in the morning. I’m

  • Nathaniel S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Jul. 24, 2021

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Fun Camping in the Middle of Napa Valley Wine Country

    I've camped here more times than I can count.  I remember camping here during several wine-soaked weekends with large groups of friends, back in my younger days.  We rode our bikes through the Napa valley, stopping at multiple wineries along the way.  Then, after a day of riding and wine tasting, we retired back to our campsites for an evening of grilling and drinking of local wines (of which there are many, many excellent choices). I've only tent camped here; I've not brought my Airstream because I don't think there are spots that are large enough for it.  However, I do recall seeing trailers and RV's here in the past, so it can accomodate rigs of smaller sizes.

    There's nothing dramatically beautiful about this park, but if you like California country living - oaks, madrone, rolling hills, and lots of sunshine - than you'll enjoy it here.  It's a short drive from the San Francisco Bay Area, and is quite literally in the Napa valley, on its northern end, near Calistoga.  You'll easily be able to get to all the restaurants and wineries in the valley. You won't be disappointed with a couple of nights camping at Bothe-Napa.

    One important note: I have not been here since the fires that have ravaged Napa and Sonoma every year since 2017.  There has been at least one fire that burned very near this park, causing it to close temporarily.  I don't know how bad the impact to the park has been, as I've not seen it first hand.  As I write this in summer 2021, the campground is open, so hopefully the fire and smoke damage was minimal.   As I've mentioned in many of my other posts, the sad reality of the ongoing drought in California is that summer camping is not the experience it used to be.  It's still fun, but I would argue winter or early spring is now the best time to visit places like Bothe-Napa.  The creeks will be flowing, you'll be allowed to have a campfire, and the vegetation will be greener and lusher.

    Per my rating system, I give this 4 stars as it's not a place you'd plan a trip to from out of state, but it is a place you should consider visiting as part of a larger trip to Napa/Sonoma.  For locals, this is a top tier spot.

  • Susan R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Dixie Glade Campground
    Jul. 8, 2021

    Dixie Glade Campground

    Horse Camp

    We stopped here on our way home to take some pictures to share with our fellow Dyrt members!

    There are hitching post and water troughs, but I didn’t see any corrals. The sites were nice size, and a couple backed up to each other, making a good group site.

  • Jeanna J.
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    May. 17, 2021

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Excellent No-Frills Experience

    This was Part 2 of a "Test My Gear Close to Home" camping experience.  It's close enough to the wine country aspects of Napa to be an easy overnight without the excruciating Napa Valley hotel prices.  Google doesn't like finding the entrance, but I got the street address off the website and eventually made it.  The gentleman at the gate was lovely; the camp hosts kept to themselves.  My only drawback was that the showers were foul (cobwebs and spiders everywhere).  It's very quiet and woodsy.  I couldn't see my neighbors.  I was awoken (as is the norm in NorCal) to gobbling turkeys at dawn.  Easy access to hiking trails.  A shuttle stops at the park to take people into town for dinner if they don't want to drive after drinking.  The ground is volcanic rock and super hard in the dry weather.  I broke a couple tent poles and couldn't pull the rest out of the ground, so they're now donations.

  • P
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Mar. 23, 2021

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Great hidden campground!

    This is our second time here. It's so nice to be right in the Napa Valley. We found a great trail close by at Lake Hennessey. If you're a wine drinker, during non-COVID times you can catch a wine bus from here! There's a pool for warm summer days and some awesome trails.

  • r
    Camper-submitted photo from Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park
    Dec. 27, 2020

    Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

    Ritchey Campground in Bothe-Napa Valley park

    Great place to stay at when visiting the Napa wine valley that is halfway between St Helena and Calistoga, two nice tourist towns. There are nice hiking trails in the park though they are closed currently (Dec 2020) due to the fire in the area. There was no damage to the campground even though the fire burned into the grounds. The weekends usually are full, it clears out Sunday evening so during the weekdays it is really nice. Staff are really nice. Be careful of the poison oak, it is prevalent there as it is so anywhere in Northern California.



Guide to Upper Lake

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

Equestrian campgrounds include essential amenities

  • Oak Flat Campground provides a rustic experience with picnic tables and vault toilets, making it a great choice for horse campers looking for a simple getaway.
  • Dixie Glade Campground features hitching posts and water troughs, ensuring your horses are well taken care of during your stay.
  • Jackson Demonstration Forest offers a peaceful setting with picnic tables and fire pits, perfect for relaxing after a day of riding.

Equestrian campers like these nearby activities

  • At Middle Creek Campground, you can enjoy horseback riding along scenic trails while taking in the beauty of Mendocino National Forest.
  • Cowboy Camp is a great spot for horse enthusiasts, with access to trails that lead to stunning views and open spaces for riding.
  • Surveyor Campground is ideal for those looking to explore off-road vehicle areas, making it a fun destination for adventurous horse campers.

Most campgrounds have horse-focused amenities like trails and facilities

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Upper Lake, CA?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Upper Lake, CA is Middle Creek Campground with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Upper Lake, CA?

    TheDyrt.com has all 11 equestrian camping locations near Upper Lake, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.