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Knebal Springs is the only horse-friendly campground near Cascade Locks specifically designed with equestrian needs in mind. The campground features dedicated horse corrals, distinguishing it from other camping areas in the region. Located within Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest, this primitive campground provides access to several nearby trails suitable for horseback riding. The sites accommodate both tent and RV camping, though no hookups are available. Basic amenities include pit toilets and picnic tables, but campers should note the absence of drinking water, requiring visitors to bring their own supply. The secluded, wooded environment creates privacy between sites with plenty of space for horse trailers.
The campground connects riders to a network of trails through forested terrain, allowing for day trips on horseback from the base camp. Seasonal operation typically runs during summer months when the higher elevation areas become accessible. While Knebal Springs lacks some amenities of larger equestrian facilities, the combination of established corrals and direct trail access makes it appealing to horse owners seeking a more rustic camping experience. Campers should prepare for primitive conditions, including managing horse waste appropriately and bringing sufficient water for both people and animals. Sites are distanced from one another, providing a quiet woodsy atmosphere with generous flat areas for setting up camp. The campground's location offers a good base for exploring the broader trail system that winds through the Mount Hood wilderness.
"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"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."
"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"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."
"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"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 Availabilityfrom $15 - $39 / 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"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."
"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
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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.
LegendThis horse campground is near Takhlakh Lake. Its a small campground with about 6 sites and is first come first serve. All the other campgrounds in the area were full, but this one was pretty empty especially since it was visible from the road. I stayed twice over the summer and both times there were sites with horses in them. It is right next to the road, but there was a large pot hole in the road so people had to slow down or risk damage to their cars. The road all the way to the campground was very bad with holes, washouts, downed trees, huge dips, I recommend paying close attention when you are driving cause stuff will sneak up on you out of no where and low clearance cars could do damage. The campground was next to the creek and had multiple horse trails leaving from the campground. There were also a ton of wildflowers each time I went, since they are so high in elevation the wildflowers are still around into August.
The drive to Takhlakh Lake is only about 8 miles and takes about 20-30 minutes. Very easy day trip to enjoy the lake but then you can leave the crowds at the lake behind.
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.
Knebal Springs Campground provides equestrian accommodations with corrals and trail access at 3,400 feet elevation in Mount Hood National Forest. Horse owners can access several wilderness trails directly from the primitive campsites. The campground's higher elevation location typically opens in late spring after snow melts, offering a secluded forest camping experience approximately 25 miles from Cascade Locks.
Horseback riding on Pacific Crest Trail: From Panther Creek Campground, riders can access the PCT for day trips. "This campground is where I love to camp for a day of gravel biking or hiking, as there are many forest roads to meander off from here. So close to Panther Creek for swimming on a hot day, taking off to the PCT for a hike," notes Candace.
Disc golf in state parks: Milo McIver State Park offers disc golf courses for all skill levels. "Milo McIver may be best known for its twin 18 hole disc golf courses, or single 27 hole layout when tournaments aren't in progress. Home of the annual Beaver State Fling, a PDGA sanctioned National Tour event," explains Steve C.
Fishing in alpine lakes: Several campgrounds offer fishing opportunities, with varying regulations. At Merrill Lake, fishing is restricted to fly-fishing only, as one camper mentions: "View is gorgeous of the lake and fishing is great. Fly fish only."
Spacious horse sites: Horse campers appreciate the ample room at equestrian-designated sites. At Riley Horse Campground, "the spots are large, far apart from the other sites, and very quiet... The spot I had (Spot 4) was huge, plenty of room for a larger party, felt like a quarter of an acre," writes Ashley B.
Forest seclusion close to town: Battle Ground Lake State Park offers a forest retreat that feels remote while remaining accessible. "Love that it is close to town and you feel like you are out in the woods," reports Lauri R. Another camper adds, "Like most campgrounds, it has its peak season and its off-season, but you can go there year-round if you choose to."
Waterfront access: Many campers value sites with river or lake access. "Panther Creek running alongside the camp... frequented mainly by families, and some PCT hikers, as it is located just off the PCT trail," notes one reviewer about Panther Creek Campground.
Variable water availability: Many horse campgrounds in the area lack drinking water. At Gifford Pinchot National Forest Cultus Creek Campground, campers must bring their own water supply, and at Knebal Springs, no potable water is available.
Primitive facilities: Most equestrian sites offer basic amenities only. "This is a tents only campground... All sites are walk in. They are leveled out in a crushed rock space so be sure to bring a tarp for under your tent," shares Shannon B. about Merrill Lake.
Seasonal access limitations: Higher elevation campgrounds have shorter seasons. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest Cultus Creek Campground operates from "July 15 to October 15," and Riley Horse Campground runs from "May 22 to September 13," requiring planning for off-season trips.
Accessible hiking options: Beacon Rock State Park offers family-friendly hiking for all ages. "The climb up the rock is through a well-built trail. It can get narrow at spots and not for those who fear heights. The view at the top, however, is amazing," shares Brian C.
Swimming holes for hot days: Several campgrounds feature swimming areas for cooling off. "So close to Panther Creek for swimming on a hot day," mentions one camper about Panther Creek Campground.
Playground facilities: Some campgrounds provide play areas for children. At Battle Ground Lake State Park, "They have a camp store open for snacks and they have flushable bathrooms!" notes Tiffany M., making it convenient for families needing facilities.
Limited hookup options: Most horse campgrounds near Cascade Locks lack full hookups. At Oxbow Regional Park, "The campground area is a standard State Park area, mostly private sites tucked into the trees," but RVers should note facilities are limited.
Site accessibility considerations: Many horse-friendly campgrounds have limitations for larger rigs. "This campsite was well appointed with well water, pit toilets, a short walk to the creek, firewood for sale, great hosts," notes Bill M. about Panther Creek, which can accommodate smaller RVs but presents challenges for larger vehicles.
Level parking areas: Some equestrian campgrounds have improved parking pads. "We stayed on site 15. The site was a little hard to get into because of all the cars, trucks parked on the roadway," reports one camper about navigating tight spaces with a "5er, 34ft" at Panther Creek.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Cascade Locks, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Cascade Locks, OR is Panther Creek Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 20 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Cascade Locks, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 equestrian camping locations near Cascade Locks, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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