Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Merlin? Camping with your horse in Merlin just got easier. Find our top-rated horse campsites from other campers like you. Plan the perfect trip in minutes.
$20 - $35 / night
Sam Brown Campground is centered around a large meadow that has a colorful history of the earlier miner and homesteader to the area. Trails are located throughout the area, as well, with options for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and motorcylces, including Elkhorn Mine Jeep Road. Nearby trail opportunities include: Briggs Creek Trail #1132 (the trailhead located in campground) Taylor Creek Trail #1142 Onion Way Trail #1157 Secret Way Trail #1282 Dutchy Creek Trail #1154 The size of this campground, and nature of the landscape, lends itself to large group camping, with 2 picnic shelters, and and amphitheater. The meadow is great for group activities, and is also a great place to wildlife watch: deer, elk, and a plethora of bird species frequent the area. Briggs Creek flows through the area before passing on to the Illinois River. Campsites are suitable for tents, small trailers, or campers. This campground is close to Sam Brown Horse Camp. Facilities 19 campsites with picnic tables, and fire pits No water available. Please bring your own water. 3 vault toilets Please pack out what you pack in, as this site does not have trash removal service.
Traveler
Perfect for a weeknight stop when on the road, bathrooms were clean enough. Quiet on a summer weeknight. Beautiful forest.
Legend
No it is not perfect. It is close to Hwy 5 so a lot of road noise. But most in this area are. Sites are tight like most KOAs. We chose an end spot and did alright. Plus it was quiet part of year. Many year around residents but was not cluttered. Also sort of kept the short term rentals separate. Nice country location. Good green space to walk dogs. Did not get harassed for walking dogs off leash. We r responsible pet owners. Great laundry room. A little expensive for laundry. Pool table and Pac-Man was used by families. Very clean facilities and flexible manager on when we chose to leave.
Scout
A small drive out of Wallowa and a gorgeous spot with well maintained facilities. Right next to the rolling wonderful Bear Creek Trail.
Scout
Great spot for families. There are plenty of things to do from fishing, swimming, and even renting a "peddle" boat for a leg workout while taking your trip around the lake.
Legend
Being here in the summer means dead grass and heat. We used it as a base so didn't spend much time there. I've been thru in the winter and it's much prettier. Host is very nice and showers and bathrooms are clean. Highway noise, otherwise quiet. Convenient for exploring the area and visiting friends.
GuideCampground was clean. Bathrooms could be updated. Sites were small.
TravelerStayed for 1 night en route south on I-5. Easy to book. Nice little camp store. Clean showers add bath. Didn’t use other amenities.
ScoutPull thru sites are short my 35 footer and car just fit. Multiple sites car were sticking in to the road making it a little close pulling out in the morning.
TravelerCampground is very crowded (seems like quite a few long term) and our pull thru site barely fit our 25ft trailer and truck. Okay for a place to sleep, and dump.
ScoutLarge RV spaces.Nice staff.
TravelerWe spent a weekend at Lake Selmac camping in our RV with our four kiddos. The hosts were incredibly kind and helpful. The new Owners of the Marina were wonderful as well. The campsites were all so beautiful with all the amenities one may want. You really felt removed from the world while there BUT not to far from a grocery store that has all you need. Boat rentals are cheap and very easy to access. I highly recommend this place!
TravelerThe owners are great. Turns out her parents owned this and she now got it from the people who bought from her parents. They have gone beyond with the tee pees fishing hate to leave.
ScoutThe campground is right off a highly traveled hwy without and natural barrier to prevent road noise. The sites are pretty close to one another. Still a good place for the night.
GuideNice staff, nice bathrooms, clean park. We're in the area for work and this is a nice place to stay.
TravelerSome sites here are very private feeling because you park the car up top and walk down (not far at all) to the tent that sits close to the lake.
Toilets but no showers.
TravelerPeaceful. Love watching the water birds. Lots of trees. Even nice in the winter. Clean bathrooms and good hiking.
GuideWe were down in Southern Oregon for the Caves.
We stayed in the Heron loop which was the smallest and most primitive, It was wonderful and we had the whole south of the lake to ourselves. Firewood here is not bundled and since it was off season we got a huge amount for$5. The hosts were terrific. This was a wonderful quiet stay.
Will always be back.
This year it was pretty spendy for a tent site $24
Guidenothing remarkable, but it was nice and convenient. right off the freeway for easy access. no complaints.
Guidewe love coming to lake selmac to use the yurts for winter camping. theyre heated and cozy. weve probably camped here a half dozen times or so over the past couple years, including standard tent sites. the kids enjoy the fishing and i love the view across the lake. we will probably be back again later in the year when the weather turns back to cold and rainy.
GuideLots of lake like activities to do, it’s a popular place for locals in the summer and popular for birthday parties and events. Lake is large and fishing, canoeing are some fun things to do here.
ScoutNor sure why there was a nasty smell all night when I stayed near the end of May.
ScoutPack it-pack it out. There is no trash service. The trails are amazing. Briggs creek runs all year. The horse camp is getting a little run down, but still nice. We go every year with our horses. Its primitive camping. No drinking water, showers, or cell service. There is a spot about 3 miles up the road where most can get service.
TravelerSites are small and we were in a tent. We were going to be there for an extended period of time and they asked us to move our tent around to spot so we didn't kill the already dead grass... it was the middle of August in Oregon everything is dry and dead. Closed both bathrooms at the same time every day, why not close one and then the other? clean bathrooms though, nice pool. Small play area for kids.
Guidebeautiful park. good layout. liked hi ow rhere was space between campsites. although there were a ton of misquitos
GuideSmall, dry campground. We did get a shady site. Close enough to other attractions. Clean and well maintained.. Typical KOA, tight spots, no privacy.
RangerThe Boundary Campground located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon is a great place to go for a quite getaway. It is located on Bear Creek Road. This campground wasn't busy when my family and I went which was really nice. It almost felt like we had the whole campground to ourselves. There really isn't many campsites- I believe there are only 8. I'm assuming this campground isn't well known by people, which again is really nice because you can escape the craziness. The campground itself is pretty basic- each campsite has its own picnic table and fire ring. It is pretty cheap to stay here as well- only $5 per night. We had a Northwest Forest Pass and were able to use that instead of paying the $5 fee. There is a great hike that is nearby called Bear Creek Trail. This trail does run along the river, which makes it great for fishing. My family and I hiked this, and stopped on our way back to do some fishing. They also have trails that you can ride your horses. We actually saw a few people doing this when we were on our morning hike. Overall, I thought this was a great place to camp. We really enjoyed the peace and quite. I feel like during the summer months most campgrounds are super busy, so it was really nice to experience a camping trip that was not overly crowded.
Guidethere is a bunch of little camping loops with about 10 or so campsites.. its a Beautiful lake.. we will be coming back..
Oregon offers a fantastic experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with a variety of well-equipped sites that cater to both riders and their equine companions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Merlin, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Merlin, OR is Medford-Gold Hill KOA with a 3.6-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Merlin, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Merlin, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
