Best Equestrian Camping near Aguilar, CO

Horse Corrals Group Area in Sugarite Canyon State Park offers dedicated equestrian facilities near the Colorado-New Mexico border, approximately 30 miles from Aguilar. The campground features purpose-built corrals for horses with nearby camping accommodations. Electric hookups, water access, and fire rings are available at the sites. The campground provides adequate space for horse trailers with easy access to the camping area. Restroom facilities with showers are located within the park. The campground remains open year-round, though seasonal conditions may affect accessibility during winter months. Bear boxes are provided at each site for secure food storage.

Trail access from the Horse Corrals Group Area connects riders to multiple hiking and riding paths throughout Sugarite Canyon State Park. The park maintains several miles of trails suitable for horseback riding, with routes varying in difficulty from beginner to experienced riders. Water sources for horses are available near the campground. The gravel road leading to the horse camping area is passable for vehicles pulling horse trailers, though some sections may be steep. Riders frequently note the beautiful canyon views and diverse terrain available for exploration. Reservations are recommended, especially during peak summer months when the campground fills quickly. The park's location provides a convenient base for exploring both Colorado and New Mexico trail systems in the surrounding region.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Aguilar, Colorado (5)

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Aguilar, CO

35 Reviews of 5 Aguilar Campgrounds


  • M
    Jul. 7, 2023

    Soda Pocket Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Perfect for a Weekend

    This State Park is beautiful, with hiking/fishing/historic walks galore. We arrived late on Friday, June 23 after a 10 hour drive from Arkansas. We were in Site #23 in the Soda Pocket Campground.  Every site had a covered picnic table and was relatively level.

    Sites 20-23 have spectacular views of the canyon, but you trade that for some serious wind and neighbors as there is no natural shade.  Sites 1, 3, 14 and 16 have shade and a little more distance.  Bathrooms were in great shape, and there is a free shower near the park entrance which had good water pressure and was very clean.

    The visitor center is small but with a lot of good exhibits, and adjacent to the hiking trails of the abandoned coal camp and mine.  The coal camp trails have lots of informative stands explaining what everything was, how the people lived, etc.  The two lakes (Lake Alice is more like a pond) have nice walking paths. There is another lake just across the Colorado border and you can drive to the parking area just a mile or so away.

    There are numerous nature hikes, and I did the short (.5) miles Vista Grande Nature Trail which has a beautiful bench for a sunrise view.  Uphill some but not too strenuous and with lots of information.

    A really beautiful hike is the Little Horse Mesa Trail which takes you to the top of the mesa you can see to the north of Soda Pocket Campground.  It meanders a bit but at some point the trail builder said "I've given you all the switchbacks I can, you'll just have to go straight up" and the last 50 yards are pretty much straight uphill.  When you get to the top though it's like another world.  It's a pasture like setting with trees, and beautiful views from a trail that follows the cliffs. You'll have to make your own way over to the Lake Maloya overlook but it's well worth it.  Highly recommend this.

    The camp hosts and visitor center people were great, and the ranger came by one night and showed a group of kids a mountain lion pelt and a bear pelt. There was a report of bears on the road up to Soda Pocket Campground but we did not see any.  The road was a typical dirt road, and not in bad shape at all.

    I'm not a fisherman, but could easily spend two full days here hiking alone, much less fishing or kayaking Lake Maloya.

  • Callie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 30, 2023

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Worth the price, kind of remote

    Small campground near CO border. Perks would be lake at top of mountain, 5-7 min drive from CG and showers, at entrance to park. Downfall is you need to drive to everything unless you want to walk along trails on the other side of road. Trails in park were nice - t-mobile service did not work at all, zero bars. Bear boxes provided, deer walked through campground often. I did see bear tracks while hiking but host said they’ve never been a human issue.

  • Shannon H.
    Jul. 9, 2019

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Great Location, easy camping

    We reserved a spot at Lake Alice for three nights.  Some reviews of the campground talk about the road being close.  Sites 15 and 16 are great.  Site 13 and 14 are ON THE ROAD and the accessible site near the bathroom is literally a couple of feet away so beware!  We were in site 16 and tucked away from everything.  Pit toilets were well kept and there is firewood available on the site.  We parked our tiny trailer in the driveway and set up a tent two stairs up on the main part of the site.  The free showers were great down by the ranger station.  The lake itself is gorgeous, there are plenty of hiking trails.  We brought kayaks and had a great time.  Being from Denver, it was so great to be away from crowds (almost no one at the lake on 4th of July weekend) and to not have to deal with I70 traffic.  We would definitely go back.

  • Greebly M.
    Jun. 21, 2025

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Meh...

    We stayed in the first entrance sent to the left as you enter the smallish tent area, I'd guess site #1. The tent pad is standard size but we sleep in 2 single tents and we're tight. The campground is right off the road, and while there wasn't a lot of traffic, we heard everything go by. The vault toilet is nearby, I am unsure if there is potable water at the site. We stayed one night in June, temps were in the upper 40s and there had been a pretty big rain just prior to our arrival. Nonetheless, the campsite itself is decent, I took points for it's proximity to the road, lack of privacy, and small sites. Surrounding scenery is non-existent from the site, but a short drive and there are some beautiful sights to behold.

  • J
    May. 28, 2022

    Soda Pocket Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Soda Pocket - worth the drive up the mountain!

    We stayed at Soda Pocket in mid-May 2022.  Actually we had reserved site 06 in the Lake Alice campground, because it was full hookups, but upon arriving at Lake Alice we confirmed what another reviewer had said - it's a tightly packed campground, very close to a busy road and not close to the lake itself.  On top of that, there was a boil water notice for the water hookups, and to top it off, the utility hookups for Site 06 are on the *Wrong* (i.e. the passenger) side of the rig, given the orientation of the driveway for backing in.  Put all that together and we decided to forego our reserved site and see if we could do better up at Soda Pocket on top of the mountain.  The campground host at Lake Alice warned us that the road up to Soda Pocket was treacherous and without guardrails, but we disregarded this warning and took our chances...

    Man are we glad that we did that!  The view from Site 23 was incredible of the canyon below.  And we arrived just as a thunderstorm was passing to our east, and witnessed an incredible double rainbow over the canyon.  The pics don't even do it justice.  There's great hiking and viewpoints from Soda Pocket, and the so-called "treacherous" road up to the campground is gravelly and a bit steep in a few places, but very passable (there was a Class A rig up there, and a number of 30+ ft 5th Wheelers as well).  The sites were well spaced, and Site 23 was fairly level and wide, easy to back in.  It looked like Site 18 is a nearby pull-through site that still offered nice views even though it's situated more in the middle of the campground circle.  

    Overall this state park was extremely cool, kind of off the beaten path, and well worth the visit!  Check out Soda Pocket, it's worth the drive up the mountain!

  • Marissa B.
    Jun. 25, 2019

    Purgatoire Campground

    Secluded, but rough terrain

    The area surrounding Purgatory is GORGEOUS. It’s straight out of a movie or picture book. The roads to get to the campsite were pretty rough and many of the lower campsites had standing water on or near them. Our site was steep to get to, but level and felt separated from the other sites.

    The nearby towns are VERY small and don’t have much to offer for activities, restaurants or supplies if you forget something. Several beautiful small lakes nearby though!

  • Dare To Everywhere  .The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 27, 2024

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Nice campground with clean showers!

    Stayed: May 22, 2024 Cost: $18 Site: Lake Alice Loop - 01 Cell Service: None (AT&T and T-Mobile) Equipment: Tent

    We stayed in the Lake Alice loop in Site 1. We tented, but it looks like they have it split between tents and RVs, and this was technically an RV site. It had water and electric, so that’s why we chose this site. Sites were nice and clean, with a fire ring and table. Close to neighbors.

    Vault toilet in the loop and running water and showers located 1/2 mile from the Lake Alice loop. Showers were very nice for a campground. They were actual showers, not just concrete or dirty tile, and had plenty of room and hooks for clothing. Two showers per side for Men’s and Women’s.

    No cell service for either of our carriers, and I don’t think for any, until about a mile beyond the shower house, prior to the entrance of the park.

  • Keri F.
    Apr. 30, 2019

    Purgatoire Campground

    Mountain Isolation

    No access to electric or water. Road to camp is rough. Beautiful scenery. Short drive to Chucara and Stonewall.

  • Dennis P.
    Oct. 9, 2021

    Lake Alice Campground — Sugarite Canyon State Park

    Beautiful Fall colors

    Spent two nights here and loved it. One hound dog in the adjacent site made her presence known, but otherwise a quiet place. Fall colors crept down the mountainside. Crisp in the morning (40 degrees).


Guide to Aguilar

Equestrian campers will find several options for horse-friendly camping near Aguilar, Colorado. This region at the Colorado-New Mexico border sits at elevations between 6,500-8,000 feet with a semi-arid climate. Summers bring warm days with cool nights, while spring and fall can see temperature swings of 40+ degrees between day and night.

What to do

Fishing at mountain lakes: Lake Maloya in Sugarite Canyon State Park offers 120 acres of water for anglers. "The lake is really nice, specially if you get out on it in a canoe," notes Ricky B., who recommends arriving early to secure a good spot.

Hiking historical trails: Explore the remnants of coal mining history on self-guided trails. "Hiking trails from the Ranger Headquarters offer a history lesson with the remnants of the 1920's coal mining town that prospered in this canyon," writes Dave V., who suggests spending time at the headquarters to see dioramas depicting life in the early 1900s.

Mountain wildlife viewing: The region hosts diverse wildlife including turkeys and mountain bluebirds. "Gobblers cackled on and off 24 hours, and the beautiful Towhee mountain bluebird flitted around our campsite providing a photo op," reports one camper at Sugarite Canyon.

What campers like

Secluded sites with canyon views: Soda Pocket Campground offers stunning vistas from higher elevation sites. "The view from Site 23 was incredible of the canyon below. And we arrived just as a thunderstorm was passing to our east, and witnessed an incredible double rainbow over the canyon," writes Jeff T.

Clean facilities despite remote location: Despite being in less developed areas, campground maintenance receives high marks. "Vault toilets were super clean and not smelly. Very dark at night so great for star viewing," notes Mary C. about Soda Pocket Campground.

Unique trail experiences: The Little Horse Mesa Trail provides rewarding challenges. "When you get to the top though it's like another world. It's a pasture like setting with trees, and beautiful views from a trail that follows the cliffs," describes Matt B., who highly recommends the short but steep climb.

What you should know

Road conditions vary significantly: Access roads to some campgrounds require careful navigation. "Road to camp is rough," notes Keri F. about Purgatoire Campground, while another camper mentions the "4 mile dirt road was a bit rough bringing my camper."

Water availability limitations: Many sites have seasonal or limited water. "No access to electric or water," warns one Purgatoire Campground reviewer, while at Soda Pocket Campground, "Potable water across from Lake Alice Campground" requires planning ahead.

Cell service gaps: Connectivity is limited throughout the region. "Verizon coverage had 1 bar at the south end," reports Greg K., while another camper notes "t-mobile service did not work at all, zero bars" at Lake Alice Campground.

Tips for camping with families

Bear safety protocols: Lake Alice Campground provides bear boxes for food storage. "They have bear boxes to keep all your food and odorants in over night," writes Madeline B., noting this as an important safety feature for family camping.

Educational opportunities: Ranger programs offer wildlife education for children. "The ranger came by one night and showed a group of kids a mountain lion pelt and a bear pelt," reports a camper who visited with family.

Tent platform advantages: Some sites feature raised tent platforms for easier setup. "The tent sites had raised platforms to put your tent on and the ground underneath was softer, so it wasn't that uncomfortable to sleep on," explains Madeline B., who rated her experience 10/10.

Tips from RVers

Site selection for larger rigs: Huerfano State Wildlife Area offers sites that can accommodate bigger vehicles. "This is a wonderfully isolated, dispersed camping area. There are group sites and individual ones," notes Kyle T., though he mentions there's "not much to do nearby."

Hookup availability: When planning horse camping trips, note that electric and water access varies by campground. "We reserved site 06 in the Lake Alice campground, because it was full hookups," explains Jeff T., though he ultimately chose to forego hookups for better views at Soda Pocket.

Leveling challenges: Be prepared for uneven terrain at some sites. "It made leveling our rig a little tricky as the levelling blocks kept sinking in the soft Dyrt under the weight of our wheels," describes one RVer who eventually figured it out despite the challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Aguilar, CO?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Aguilar, CO is Purgatoire Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 8 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Aguilar, CO?

TheDyrt.com has all 5 equestrian camping locations near Aguilar, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.