19 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Riley Horse Campground accommodates equestrians at the base of Mt. Hood with drinking water and toilets available in a rustic setting. The campground connects directly to horse-friendly trails throughout the area, with sites designed to accommodate both riders and their horses. Trailer parking is available at each site, though the campground lacks electric hookups and showers. Sites are reservable during the operating season from May 22 to September 13. The campground maintains a 4.3-star rating among visitors who appreciate the combination of basic amenities and excellent trail access. While the campground does not feature dedicated horse corrals, the sites provide adequate space for portable corrals or highline setups.
Kalama Horse Camp Campground offers another option for equestrians in the region, located near Cougar, Washington with access to the surrounding trail system. Open from May through November, this campground provides picnic tables, toilets, and sanitary dump facilities for riders camping with their horses. The camp connects to numerous bridle trails through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, allowing for extensive day rides directly from the campsite. Trailer access is accommodated with drive-in sites designed for horse owners. Neither campground offers electricity or water hookups, so equestrians should plan to bring ample water for their horses or use natural water sources along trails where available. Both campgrounds typically fill quickly during summer weekends as they serve as popular basecamps for trail riding enthusiasts exploring the Pacific Northwest forests.
"Close proximity to Multonomah Falls. Pros - bathrooms with electric outlets, free showers, deer come close and are fun to watch, quiet & fairly private stay."
"There is distance between you and other guests but if you want to meet your neighbors you can. They have ADA sites, a lake, play grounds and a welcome center."
from $25 / night
Check Availability"Not only is the campground itself a woodland wonderland with winding paths through tall old growth forest areas, but the surrounding area of the park itself is impressive with exciting things to do around"
"We didn’t have any issues at the site, but noticed that spots RV4 and RV5 were relatively distanced from each other, while spots RV1-RV3 were pretty close to each other."
"It has wonderful hiking trails. There is swimming available in the warmer months in the Clackamas River. Horse trails for equestrians and fishing!"
"A short hike will take you right to the river and there’s plenty of nice trail to explore. If stepping around occasional horse poop isn’t your thing, maybe skip the hike though."
from $8 - $126 / night
Check Availability"Driving up there the way we drive (from Vancouver) you go up through ranching/farming territory and it’s nice and green and pretty, so it’s nice getting there."
"Hiking around the lake is a great way to start and/or end you day while staying at Battle Ground Lake SP. Horses are welcome. There are cabins available also. Several sites overlook the lake."
"Across the road is a horse camp that the PCT goes through. There is a spur from the PCT directly into the campground for easy access. There is a beautiful view of Mt."
"Some camp sots are better situated then others, so do research before making reservation."
from $25 - $45 / night
Check Availability"Arrived here late for a single night stay on the way to the Oregon Coast. This is a very convenient stopover for those needing a place to stay near Portland."
"Jantzen Beach RV Park feels like a real-world stop straight out of a Subway Surfers World Tour—a lively, convenient, and colorful place where travelers pause, recharge, and enjoy the surroundings before"
from $40 / night
Check Availability"It is not too far from the Portland area, I would recommend getting last minute supplies before getting off the highway."
"Secluded, open prime real estate: horse facilities abound here, but it works for everyone."
from $26 / night
Check Availability"Clackamas Lake is a great campsite. Fairly easy to find and navigate. Great for when you don't want to deal with the more crowded campgrounds."
"Great campground when nearby Timothy Lake campgrounds are full. The spot I had was large and not too close to other spots."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"There are 8 walk in sites and one drive up site, all first come first serve discovery pass required. Some sites are larger than others, but in ours we were able to fit two 6ptents and one 2p tent."
"Discover pass required Merrill Lake, just outside of Cougar, WA feels very remote, despite its relatively close proximity to the Portland/Vancouver area."
ScoutGreat place to camp. It has wonderful hiking trails. There is swimming available in the warmer months in the Clackamas River. Horse trails for equestrians and fishing!
TravelerClackamas Lake is a great campsite. Fairly easy to find and navigate. Great for when you don't want to deal with the more crowded campgrounds.
While the camping sites are fairly close together, the site is usually lightly occupied. While we where there we only had one neighbor but the rest of the loop was empty.
For horse riders they have some equestrian only campsites.
There was plenty of trails in which to hike or ride, and a dock to go see the lake. You can also go swimming if your into Oregon lake or pond swimming.
Clackamas Lake itself is fairly small and in many ways feels more like a large and deep marsh then a lake.
Phone and internet reception (AT&T) is spotty at best.
LegendGreat campground when nearby Timothy Lake campgrounds are full. The spot I had was large and not too close to other spots. The campground was full, so there was the early morning sounds of children playing. I was in spot 8 which looked onto Clackamas Lake. Which side note is not a "lake" but more of a marshy pond with reeds and grass around the edge. Still I was able to situate my tent to look onto the lake. This spot is in the horse section so there were corrals in each spot. Looked like a horse had camped in the spot a few days earlier cause there were large piles of fresh horse poop I had to keep my dog away from. The table/tent area was about 75 feet from my car so I had to make many trips to get all my stuff into the site. If you are extra adventurous and in shape you can walk from the campground, around Timothy Lake and back, be warned this is just over 18 miles. The trail around Timothy Lake is not strenuous, and offers amazing views of Mt Hood, and there is water about half way through, but again be ready for a long hike.
LegendThis is hands down one of my favorite campgrounds, because the spots are large, far apart from the other sites, and very quiet. It is not too far from the Portland area, I would recommend getting last minute supplies before getting off the highway. The campground is a horse campground, but I reserved on the Monday before arrival and it was still very empty so no fear about taking a spot from equestrians. The spot I had (Spot 4) was huge, plenty of room for a larger party, felt like a quarter of an acre. There were no neighbors on one side of the spot and only the water spigot on the other. All the spots in the campground had plenty of space between spots. There was lots of dead, dried out wood laying all around the site that after a couple hours of collecting I had plenty to keep a fire all weekend, and still left a pile of wood when I left. The campground is close to many trails in the area, mainly Romano Falls Trail. There are views of Mt. Hood, peeking out through the trees here and there.
Additional Stay, Different Year
-A few more trees have been knocked down due to winter storms, but this is still a great campground.
TravelerSite was nice and private, staff was very friendly, and the grounds were pretty clean! A short hike will take you right to the river and there’s plenty of nice trail to explore. If stepping around occasional horse poop isn’t your thing, maybe skip the hike though. Plenty of horses and dogs around.
LegendA large state park located near Estacada on the banks of the Clackamas River, Milo McIver is a well-loved Oregon state park. Because it's close to Portland, it is very busy. The main campsite area is set for tents as well as RVs with electric and water hookups available. Campsites are kind of close together but well appointed with bathrooms/showers available. There is a small tent-only area also available but the sites are kind of cramped and they all spin off a common parking area with little privacy.
The park overall has lots of different open spaces for hiking, interpretive programs, disc golf, fishing, areas for horse riding, and a great overlook on the Clackamas River.
LegendSmaller, but we were able to switch sites away from an area with two families/lots of little kids (so the area is easy for people who don't camp a lot). Beautiful river, lots of horses and fisherpeople, great trails, tall trees, lots of shade, close to Portland. Plus you can reserve sites ahead of time.
GuideWe love it! For a lot of reasons. Part of the reason is it’s close, so that’s part good. Driving up there the way we drive (from Vancouver) you go up through ranching/farming territory and it’s nice and green and pretty, so it’s nice getting there. You do have a lot of options, in that the first time we went up there was with our hiking club, and we went up there for a hike around the calderas so it’s easy to do a day trip in a car. Part of our discovery was while we were there is that the food place is really good and very nice. The kids playground was great for the grandkids.
As far as the camping, while it’s open, for the most part you do have a limited amount of privacy in the campground. The campsite we picked was a mix of things: just far enough away from the restrooms where we don’t get all the traffic there, but close enough so it’s not too far either. We were within easy walking distance to two restrooms/showers.
One thing that always looked intriguing is they do have the cabins, so maybe one of these times we’ll rent one. Another thing that some people might like is that they do have horses and some of the trails around the lake you can have horses on, plus a separate area/campground where you can have your horses, which are fun to see.
It’s a small lake but big lake, meaning they do not allow motors on the lake, even electric motors, so it’s all floats, kayakers, etc. A lot of people grab the big inter-tubes and go with that. And of course fishing up there is generally pretty good, especially when they stock it. The trails around the lake are kind of fun also because you have a high trail (very forested) and you also have a certain amount of low trails right on the water where you could have your own spots to fish and swim.
Like most campgrounds, it has its peak season and its off-season, but you can go there year-round if you choose to. The beach area isn’t big, but that’s okay. Wherever you’re heading (from the campsites down to the water, to the playground, to the food shack) you always have different trails and options for how to get from one place to another if you want to explore. If there’s anything you forgot (groceries, fishing gear etc.) you can be in the small town of Battle Ground within 5 miles.
ScoutStayed the night in one of thier small cabins, very nice sat outside by the fire and just watched the stars, this is a primary horse camp and is surrounded by trails, seen a heard of elk on one of my hikes
Horse enthusiasts seeking trail opportunities near the Columbia River Gorge have several dedicated camping options within 30 miles of Bridal Veil. These equestrian-friendly sites typically operate from late spring through early fall, with most facilities positioned at trailheads connecting to extensive forest path networks. Summer weekends see temperatures averaging 75-85°F, making early reservations essential during peak season.
Trail riding to mountain viewpoints: At Panther Creek Campground, riders can access the Pacific Crest Trail directly from camp. "The PCT is just outside the campground" and offers "a beautiful view of Mt. Hood just a couple of miles up the trail," according to Lawrence F.
Fishing from horseback: Merrill Lake near Cougar allows fly-fishing only but provides ample shoreline access. "Great for paddle boarding or kayaking. There's a boat launch," notes Kathy B., making it possible to bring small watercraft along with horses for a multi-activity day.
Mushroom foraging: Fall brings exceptional mushroom hunting opportunities. Bjorn S. reports finding an "O M to the G" abundance of mushrooms at Kalama Horse Camp, making this a worthwhile off-season equestrian destination when summer crowds diminish.
Corral options: Kelcie T. appreciates that at Kalama Horse Camp, "Most all of the campsite have horse corrals," eliminating the need to bring portable containment systems. The campground also provides "stock water and wheelbarrows for mucking."
Spacious camping areas: Riley Horse Campground features generously sized sites. Ashley B. describes her spot as "huge, plenty of room for a larger party, felt like a quarter of an acre" with "plenty of space between spots."
Trail accessibility: Experienced riders value direct trail access from campsites. Mari R. notes that at Kalama Horse Camp, "Trails are in abundance and usually maintained by volunteers and USFS," allowing riders to start their adventures immediately without trailering.
Reservation requirements: Most equestrian campgrounds near Bridal Veil require advance booking, especially during summer months. For last-minute trips, Ashley B. recommends checking availability at Riley Horse Campground: "I reserved on the Monday before arrival and it was still very empty."
Seasonal limitations: According to Clackamas Lake Campground reviews, sites are generally open from "May 22 to October 4," limiting use to the warmer months when trails remain passable and free of snow.
Water availability: While most equestrian sites provide drinking water, quality and accessibility vary. At Panther Creek, Jeff K. notes "Water, pit toilets (clean) and firewood are available," but many sites require riders to bring additional water for horses.
Multi-use recreation options: Oxbow Regional Park offers family-friendly activities beyond riding. Finn M. mentions that "The recent upgrades to playgrounds are awesome for the kids," providing entertainment for younger family members who might not ride.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Children often enjoy watching wildlife around equestrian camps. At Oxbow, Stephanie Z. observed "some deer" during weekday stays when the campground was quieter, creating natural learning experiences.
Shared facilities consideration: Family groups should note that some equestrian sites have communal amenities. Brooke S. explains that at Merrill Lake, "All campsites have a fire ring and picnic table. You'll still see and hear your fellow campers," requiring families to plan for shared spaces.
Trailer parking logistics: Jessica C. found Kalama Horse Camp accommodating for equestrian vehicles: "Each spot is large and quite private. We camped in our van," suggesting that medium-sized rigs work well.
Hook-up limitations: Most dedicated horse camps lack electric and water connections. At Battle Ground Lake State Park, Chris J. found "About 5 sites with power and water," noting these are exceptions in the region.
Site access challenges: RV owners should research access roads before arrival. Malinda C. notes even at established campgrounds, getting in can be difficult: "The sites was a little hard to get into because of all the cars, trucks parked on the roadway," though fellow campers were willing to move vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Bridal Veil, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Bridal Veil, OR is Oxbow Regional Park with a 4.4-star rating from 31 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Bridal Veil, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 equestrian camping locations near Bridal Veil, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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