Do you love the outdoors and horses? If you're looking for a rustic but comfortable experience, horse camping in Norwood is the way to go. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. These scenic and easy-to-reach Colorado campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Silver Jack Campground has 60 campsites around three loops - Chipeta, Ouray and Sapinero. Each loop is heavily wooded with Aspen and a few spruce trees and an understory of tall grass and wildflowers. The campground is convenient to the Silver Jack Reservoir and a network of trails around the Cimarron Ridge. One of the three loops is often used for groups while the other two are for individual campers. Drinking water is available. There are no close communities to get provisions so visitors need to bring everything they need. This is bear country; practice safe food storage techniques.
There are OHV trails nearby
$20 - $275 / night
McPhee Recreation Complex is located on the south shore of McPhee Reservoir near the town of Dolores in southwestern Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its boating, water skiing and fishing opportunities.
McPhee Reservoir, the largest within the San Juan National Forest and second-largest in Colorado, has 50 miles of shoreline. Boating, water skiing and fishing are popular activities. A boat ramp and fish cleaning station are located within the complex. The half-mile Can Do Trail climbs to a scenic overlook with panoramic views of the reservoir and the beautiful peaks surrounding Mesa Verde to the south.
The campground is situated on a mesa 500 feet above the reservoir, at an elevation of 7,400 feet. Pinyon and juniper trees offer shade throughout the campground.
For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.
Southwestern Colorado, part of the Four Corners region, contains more than 4,000 archaeological sites and more than 600 cliff dwellings. Many sites offer glimpses of the ancient Anasazi culture for which the area is known. Anasazi Heritage Center is 10 minutes away in Dolores. Mesa Verde National Park is one hour south of the campground. The Canyon of the Ancients is an hour southwest and Hovenweep National Monument is an hour west.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$26 - $110 / night
Transfer Campground, located approximately 11 miles north of Mancos, Colorado in the San Juan National Forest, is known for its access to many area recreation trails.
Recreational opportunities abound at and near this facility for horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking and ATV riding. Many campers bring their ATVs and motorbikes to ride on the Aspen Loop Trail (just 1/2 mile north of the campground). There are a number of trailheads nearby the campground, including Big Al Interpretive Trail, Rim Trail and Box Canyon Trail. More trails are available in the surrounding area including: Chicken Creek Trail, Morrison Trail, Gold Run Trail and West Mancos Trail.
The campground is situated at an elevation of 8,500 feet. Surrounded by whispering aspen and making for a great camping atmosphere, visitors will enjoy the sounds of birds and the occasional horse neighing in the corrals across the road.
Visit the Jackson Gulch Reservoir, just six miles south of the campground for a relaxing day of fishing or hike one of the many trails nearby the campground. Visit the historic town of Mancos and learn about the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited this area from approximately AD 1 to AD 1300.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$24 - $75 / night
Guide
We stumbled upon this campsite through Dyrt. We left on a 10 day honeymoon to the mountains with no real plans. This was our first time to the Silverton area and this spot was perfect for us to spend two nights. The spot we camped at was the first one when you pull in. This spot would be great for large campers or campers with horses/trailers. It had several large pines for us to put our tent between to help with the rain coverage as it rained both nights we were there. This spot is closer to the highway but we weren't there during the day and at night there was not a lot of road noise. We did have to drive to the bathrooms from this site due to the rain and distance. Would stay here again.
Scout
13.50. - 36.00 per site. 21 first come spacious, wooded sites with or W/O electric. Peaceful and quiet. Easy access. Clean restrooms. 5 water stations. Friendly hosts. Mountain biking trails galore! Hiking, fishing, swimming nearby. Great base camp allows 30 day stay limit! Don’t miss this hidden gem of a campground!!
Traveler
Amazing hosts, fantastic meals available. Old western town vibe. Dark skies. Hikes, dirt biking, mountain biking, ATV / 4wd trails everywhere. 45 miles to Moab, but a world away.
ScoutAbsolutely stunning! We had the whole lake to ourselves!
GuideBeautiful campsite with easy access to lots of fun trails, including the CO trail. Only a short drive from Silverton and an hour or so outside Durango
RangerAmazing views at this free, dispersed campground. Stayed here in a tent in July 2015.
Guide
Great campsite in the aspens. Access point for good hikes. One harder hike down to the river and an easier wheelchair accessible hike to an overlook and a view of the peaks.
Guide6/28/22 - 7/12/22: This was a nice retreat for us. It is a very popular place on the weekend, but during the week it is much quieter. Most of the weekend traffic is heading to the trailhead for hiking or biking. There are 8 sites here, several large enough for my 34’ fifth-wheel trailer, one is a pull-through with two sites. Vault toilet, no water or dump station. There was 1-bar 5G Verizon, and 2-bars AT&T 4G that were both spotty; cloud cover between the lake and Silverton caused occational intermittent connectivity. Elevation is about 10,300 and posed a problem for our generator that caused severe spark-plug fouling. But, re-jetting the carburetor from a #61 to #58 solved the problem.
Guide
We stayed here the first day it opened in June of 2022. Only the middle loop of the campground was open at that time. Big sites, lots of pull through options. Very clean bathrooms. The hosts were friendly and informative. The short hike out to the overlook is worth the stroll. The views are amazing. Closest store is 45 min away so come prepared with everything you’ll need.
TravelerQuiet site 12000 feet or so in the San Juan national forest. Stayed for 2 nights without a reservation seems to be a first come first serve style campground
ScoutCame here just to sit and have lunch and do some writing. It was super clean and the host was on point. There were tons of places to sit and be quiet. Loved it.
GuideSilver Lake July 4th holiday What a great campground! There are three loops with one dedicated to group camping. Lots of great views and decent site separation. The elevation is 9,100 feet. There are trails to an overlook of the reservoir and down around the reservoir. The entire campground (except groups) is all first come first served. It’s posted to select your site and the host will find you... eventually. It’s not like you are leaving anytime soon. The hosts Kathy and Jeneen are awesome. Very laidback and easygoing, creating a relaxed and stress free environment while staying on top of their campground tasks as needed. If they don’t catch up to you by dinner time, they will the next morning... relax! Interesting not to see a single chipmunk the entire week. Saw deer and a fox, lots of Monarch butterflies, but no chipmunks. No one has seen a bear this
GuideGreat campground
GuideHost was incredibly friendly and helpful. Lake was really low so swimming was hard to find. Bathrooms were nice but really would be awesome if there were showers. Campsites big and roomy and full of views.
TravelerAccording to the campground host our site (16E) is one of the most desired sites. The site has 30 amp electric service. It is adjacent to flush toilets. A few steps from the back of the site is a nice view of the reservoir. The site offers ample space for a tent in addition to the back-in paved pad that accommodated our 32 ft truck/trailer combination. A picnic table and fire ring is provided. Numerous trees offer shade and privacy.
The roads and pads could use some maintenance. At one time a nice dump station was provided but has since been abandoned. We dumped at the Maverick's in Cortez.
ScoutBeautiful area around Silver Jack Reservoir with scrub brush low turning to pine forest and huge aspen glades as you climb. Highly suggest taking 858/Cimarron road over the pass to highway 50/Cimarron Colorado in the fall due to the extensive Aspen population. This is where I grew up so camped in the area dozens of times at least.
LegendSilver Jack Campground and reservoir are located in a beautiful setting. The reservoir isn't visible from the campground but there's a trail in the campground that leads to a scenic overlook with a great vista of the area. There are no RV hookups but plenty of sites are big enough for an RV. Motorized boats are not allowed on the reservoir.
ScoutA lot of great spots and a lot of mooing cows
LegendNice little campground on the Million Dollar Highway heading between Durango and Silverton, with the Colorado Trail passing right through the campground. There is a main road with sites spread out over a few close ridges, and a small loop that ends in at the day use parking and vault toilet. It seemed that the “group” sites were closest to the vault toilets next to the day use parking, which could present an issue as it was very busy. The “group” sites were very crowded, which could have been just too many people in a small area, or the area could have been just too small. Sites further away from the toilets were more spacious, but no site was huge. All sites seemed to have good hammocking trees. It seemed the best sites were the ones closest to the entrance: the parking pads were up next to the road and the tent pads and fire rings were set back from the road down a steepish grade. This was a great spot to camp as a home base for hiking the Colorado Trail. There are great trails heading out of the campground in both directions. The usual picnic tables and fire pits could be found at all sites we looked at.
GuideThe campgrounds and the lake are absolutely beautiful. We even saw a lynx on the bank one morning! Ten minutes from town, right off the road--we thought we hit it good. But as soon as it got dark, the semis started trucking through, and that's all that was heard throughout the night.
Per all campsites, you'll need to buy your own wood. The office here may or may not be open, but you can get wood in town. We picked up our car decal in the on the bulletin board outside the office upon arrival. The grounds and restrooms are clean.
Great for some leisurely fishing, and there is a hiking trail, which connects to the Continental Divide Trail.
We stayed during the week, so there were not a lot of other visitors. It was quiet and peaceful--except for the road noise, of course. I probably wouldn't stay there again because of the noise throughout the night. If it weren't for that, I'd give it a 5. What a shame.
ScoutBeautiful views, great campsites and amenities, nice lake.
Only downside - the number of other people who also like this spot. I'm picky when it comes to noise and had a hard time with all the other (tourists) campers. But, get up early to hike in the surrounding area and enjoy the peace while it lasts!
ScoutFamily camping with teenagers.
LegendYou literally cannot beat the views of the San Juan mountains. This area is beautiful. I have only backpacked into these areas, you can find established sites along the trails. Please remember to take your trash.
ScoutTHE VIEW!! Getting married here in a few years! Love, love, love the location and surrounding mountains! Most beautiful places to camp!!!
Horse camping in Colorado offers a unique opportunity to explore the stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and hit the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Norwood, CO?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Norwood, CO is Little Molas Lake Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 13 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Norwood, CO?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Norwood, CO, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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