Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Salem? Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. Find our top-rated horse campsites from other campers like you. Plan the perfect trip in minutes.
The main campground has tent sites, RV spots and cabins. Bring your horse and stay in the horse campground.
Campground Book sites at oregonstateparks.reserveamerica.com. Reservations can be made 6 months in advance. Reservations are required for cabin stays.
48 electrical sites with water (18+ sites open year-round) 43 tent sites with water nearby (seasonal May–Oct.) 14 cabins (7 pet friendly, open year-round) Flush toilets and showers Universal Access: Campsites B2 and B4, four cabins, and campground restrooms/showers are accessible. Howard Creek Horse Camp (seasonal May–Oct) 5 primitive sites with horse stalls Group site for 24 people and 12 horses
People call it the “crown jewel” of the Oregon State Parks system, and once you visit, you know why. Silver Falls State Park is the kind of standout scenic treasure that puts Oregon firmly onto the national—and international—stage.
Camping: The main Silver Falls campground has tent sites, RV spots and cabins. Bring your horse and stay in the horse campground. If you need an area for many people, the park also has group tent and RV camps, and the historic Youth Camp for up to 250 campers.
Waterfalls: Where else can you walk behind a waterfall? Check out the famous South Falls and see what a 177-foot curtain of water looks like from behind. It’s part of the Trail of Ten Falls, a spectacular, nationally recognized hiking trail that weaves through a dense forested landscape. The trail passes a series of breathtaking waterfalls along a rocky canyon, and descends to a winding creek at the forest floor. This 7.2 mile loop is considered to be a moderate hike, with an overall elevation change of 800 feet. Several connecting trails with separate access points make shorter routes. For everyone’s safety— absolutely no pets allowed on the Canyon Trail. Pets on leash are allowed on all other trails.
Boots, bikes, paws, hooves: The park offers more than 35 miles of backcountry trails for mountain biking, hiking or horseback riding (see guided ride info below). Bears and cougars live in the more remote park areas.
Daytime activities: The South Falls Day-use area has spacious lawns, barbecue stands, picnic shelters, tables, a playground, horseshoe pits, an off lead area for dogs, and a charming creek. Ever since the opening day in 1933, visitors have been using these grounds for potlucks, family reunions and weddings.
The Silver Falls Lodge and Conference Center offers a variety of amenities. Relax and enjoy comfortable lodging within the wooded setting, or feast at the many catered specialty events. Enjoy a preordered meal at the historic dining hall or order a box lunch to take on a hike or to your campsite. They also specialize in hosting special events! Visit silverfallslodge.com or call 866-575-8875.
Guided horseback rides: Silver Falls Riding Stables at Howard Creek offers five horseback rides daily through Sept. 29. Advanced reservation recommended. Visit silverfallslodge.com for times and rates.
$28 / night
Situated along the scenic Clackamas River, Milo McIver State Park is only 45 minutes from Portland. This beautiful park provides a variety of outstanding recreational opportunities. You can spend a day or a week exploring the river, forest and fields.
Seasonal Camping (Mid-March – Oct. 31)
44 electrical sites with water (one accessible). Nine tent sites with water nearby Hot showers and flush toilets Three reservable group tent camping areas with water, flush toilets and fire rings Three hiker/biker campsites with water, lockers, solar charging station and fire pit RV dump station Click here to see a campground map. Water Play
River lovers can challenge the sometimes wild (but always picturesque) Clackamas River with rafts, canoes or kayaks. For fishing enthusiasts, Estacada Lake offers a boat ramp and an ADA fishing dock, and the Clackamas River has steelhead and Chinook runs.
The Clackamas Fish Hatchery is located at McIver Park, and self-guided tours of the hatchery guide visitors through the life-cycle of Chinook salmon and steelhead.
SUP and Kayak Rentals Rentals and guided tours are offered by Clackamas River Outfitters at Estacada Lake through contract with Oregon State Parks. Information: 503-586-3241 or clackamasriveroutfitters.com
Land Play Prefer to stay dry? You can hike or ride your horse over miles of trails. (Bicycles are allowed only on paved trails and roads, for the safety of all.)
Milo also sports a world-class, 27-hole disc golf course at the Riverbend Day-use Area. Discs are available at the park office to rent or buy.
$18 - $75 / night
Note: Coordinates listed on The Dyrt are to the State Park. Please call the reservations desk for direct directions to campground. There are 6 campsites at Howard Creek Horse Camp, including one group site. All campsites are quite nice and feature plenty of shade and a fair amount of privacy. Sites include picnic tables and fire rings, corrals and hitching rails, manure bins, spigots with potable water and porta potties. Up to 4 horses/pack animals and 8 people are allowed per site. The group site however can accommodate up to 12 horses and 24 people.
Howard Creek Horse Camp is open seasonally, May through September.
$15 - $20 / night
Aquila Vista is closed until further notice to remove wildfire burned danger trees. Aquila Vista is available for overnight group camping for groups up to 30 people and 20 vehicles. The season, when it reopens, will be mid-May through mid-October. The site is located in the heart of the forest next to a large beaver pond. There is plenty of hiking and natural beauty to see at Aquila Vista including a small waterfall. Amenities include vault toilet, two group picnic shelters with multiple picnic tables and a metal fire ring. There is no running water at Aquila Vista; ensure that you bring plenty of drinking, cooking and sanitation water. There is no firewood at the site or firewood collection allowed, please bring your own firewood if you wish to have a fire. The campsite can have mosquitoes in the summer; bring bug repellent.
The Molalla River Trail System is an extensive network of more than 20 miles of trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. The trail system can be accessed from Aquila Vista. The system combines both single track trails and old forest roads. The trails wind through the forested foothills and slopes of the Molalla River Valley, occasionally offering scenic glimpses of the forests and mountains of the Cascade Range. The system offers a variety of difficulty levels for a wide range of mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding enthusiasts. Trails are generally marked with directional signs and levels of difficulty. Additional equestrian access to the trail system is from Hardy Creek or Annie___s Cabin Trailheads where there is ample parking for horse trailers. Mountain bikers and hikers can also access the trail system via Amanda___s, Americorp, and Sandquist ___s Trailheads.
The Molalla River Trail System is an extensive network of more than 20 miles of trails for hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. The trail system can be accessed from Aquila Vista. The system combines both single track trails and old forest roads. The trails wind through the forested foothills and slopes of the Molalla River Valley, occasionally offering scenic glimpses of the forests and mountains of the Cascade Range. The system offers a variety of difficulty levels for a wide range of mountain biking, hiking and horseback riding enthusiasts. Trails are generally marked with directional signs and levels of difficulty. Additional equestrian access to the trail system is from Hardy Creek or Annie___s Cabin Trailheads where there is ample parking for horse trailers. Mountain bikers and hikers can also access the trail system via Amanda___s, Americorp, and Sandquist ___s Trailheads.
The site is located in the heart of the forest next to a large beaver pond. There is plenty of hiking and natural beauty to be seen at Aquila Vista including a small waterfall.
Enjoy a scenic drive along the Molalla Wild and Scenic River which offers easy river access and opportunities for picnicking, swimming, camping, whitewater boating and fishing. The Molalla is one of the few undammed tributaries of the Willamette River and cuts a picturesque gorge on its way to the valley floor.
Standard fees apply and are non-refundable. Visit https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies for more information.
Legend
What can I say? Silver Falls is a magical place and everyone should experience it. You can just get lost in the beauty of it all. The cabins are small but comfortable with heat, lights, and beds. Covered porch is nice to sit and listen to the rain.
GuideCoordinates 45.230277,-123.777780. Across street from Horse Trailhead about half way up Mt Hebo. A good flat spot with nice trails around. Too much trash and glass left at the site though.
GuideThis was one of my favorite established campgrounds I stayed at on my roadtrip through Oregon. The big trees are perfect shade and beautiful. The roads are perfect for biking and there’s a bike trail in the campground that leads you straight to the park. Bathrooms and showers are clean and well taken care of. There is an incredible trash and recycling center at the front of the camper ground. Campsites can be decently close to one another, so not secluded but that wasn’t an issue for me. Obviously with family’s there’s going to be noise early in the morning and late at night so just be aware of that. But I didn’t mind, and wish I could have stayed here one more night. Something I was also pleasantly surprised by was how the trees blocked excessive heat. There was a heat wave going on during the time I was there but I didn’t have a problem at all here. It was such a relief.
Scout
Campsites are spaced well apart with lots of room in each site. Bathrooms are nothing special. Make sure to bring water shoes down to the river -(It’s super rocky). Phone Service is super bad so be prepared to go off grid!
LegendGeneral: Two loops with a mix of electric and non-electric sites plus cabins.
Site Quality: All sites have paved, level camper pads, a picnic table, and a fire ring. Reasonable separation/privacy between sites, although you will see and hear your neighbors.
Bath/Shower House: Bathrooms have been updated since our last visit six years ago. Automatic flush toilets and sinks. Soap dispensers and air dryers. They were clean. Showers are individual stalls with a bench and hooks for toiletries. The only thing missing was a garbage receptacle and there were signs indicating you needed to take your garbage out. I can only guess that previous campers abused the bathroom garbage, thus taking away the convenience for everyone else!
Activities: Highlight for us is the Trail of Ten Falls which, as the name suggests, takes you past ten waterfalls. The entire trail is just over seven miles but there are shorter loop options. The best access is from the day-use area but you can get there from the campground to add mileage. Pets are not allowed on this trail. There are paved bike trails and other backcountry trails that allow dogs and horses.
Our first visit to this state park was in 1990, and we returned in 1997 and 2017. We have loved it every time, even when it rains, as it does almost every time we visit!
Traveler
Really nice and peaceful until it got late. Some group behind us blared heavy metal, yelled etc and decided 1am would be a great time to start. Ranger was really good at telling them to stfu. Water was accessible, nice fire pit. Look forward to doing some winter camping.
ScoutThe hosts for the month of September (Freddy & Kim) are obsessed with leaf blowers and driving around in loud, diesel off-road buggies when an electric golf cart is an option. The leaf blower stuff is just extreme though. I’ve had to ask them to stop (after literal hours of it mostly on and some off) both of the weeks I’ve camped here. You can’t think, read/write, nap, etc.
While I appreciate the fastidiousness of keeping a clean area, it completely ruins being in nature. Especially when you spend the money and time to be in it. There should be rules around noise for park hosts, as well…they were substantially more disruptive than all of the other campers, combined. Just zero consideration around people that spend time/money/gas to enjoy getting away from all of the city noises. Wish I could get my money back.
With that said, the actual park/forest/river are amazing. Just be prepared for it to be noisy while you try to enjoy it. Oh yeah, great restrooms and showers.
ScoutThis is a well-maintained, "polished" campground, perfect for first-time campers or if you're still needing some higher ammenities. They have the nicest camp bathrooms I have seen, and include showers with hot water. They have a self-service area for firewood, ice, and firestarters that you can pay for with card or cash (only up to $5 bills) and then grab what you need. The trash area has a large compactor with recycling and glass bins.
Overall, it's enjoyable and provides a very comfortable camping experience. This is also a very family-friendly campsite, but that meant hearing screaming children well into 10 at night and early in the morning with little time to enjoy to sounds of being out in nature. Children would be riding their bikes up and down the campsite loop yelling and playing, again fine for family-friendly camping but not ideal if you're not there for that.
We stayed at campsite 85 which had little privacy with the neighboring spot of 83. Would be a good spot for a family or group of friends to book out both spots for shared space. Not many trees in ideal spots if you're here during rainy season and need to tie up some shelter. There were ants all over the campsite but they didn't seem to be too much of an issue. A group of deer wandering down the camp road eating plants, seems undisturbed by the presence of humans. Also had a small skunk wander up to our trash bag and try to get in.
This campground is an easy walking distance down a trail to access the trailheads, park, and lodge area (less than a mile). Your camp parking pass also doubles as a day pass to part at any of the surrounding spots in the park if you prefer to drive there.
Scout
Talked to the owner/operator who said he sold this property a year ago and that this campsite is no longer available.
ScoutCame to Silver Creek Falls fir 3 day family union, from Montana. Never seen such a beautiful area. Planning on coming back for a visit to relation and would love to camp fir a few days would like fees, length of time for tent area, shower, bathroom?
ScoutI was planning to potentially camp here but it seems that facilities were damaged in the 2020 fires and they will not be re-established
https://www.reddit.com/r/oregon/comments/151kto5/shellburg\_falls\_santiam\_state\_forest\_oregon/
GuideThis campsite was spacious and a short 5-minute drive to the Trail of Ten Waterfalls hike. The park rangers are quite attentive and friendly. The bathrooms have outlets and are clean. They also have 3 showers, the shower head was interesting but gets the job done. Drivers must keep their cars on the driveways that are at each campsite but it was not an issue for us at all. Just a PSA. The only issue we encountered was raccoons. They didn't get into any of our stuff and were easily scared away, but even while talking by the fire at night, a couple of raccoons would join us. Harmless really. When we visited, there were a ton of families with children so it felt safe. We hiked the Trail of Ten Waterfalls but were told to do a loop for a bit of a shorter hike. (The full hike is about 8 miles, but the loop is about 6 miles where you get to see 7/10 waterfalls -- which are all so beautiful. We were told to do the hike in a clockwise direction. This allows hikers to go downstairs at the beginning of the trail instead of having to go up all of them towards the end of their long hike. I recommend stopping for a map of the trail to know which falls you are at. We enjoyed coffee, Italian soda, and huckleberry ice cream at the cafe next to the trailhead after our hike.
TravelerRv sites were quite private for a state park. Loved that the campground was within walking distance of the Falls. Clean bathrooms, easy to use firewood and ice purchase and super friendly camp hosts
GuideThis is a beautiful campground with nice, shaded campsites. I was planning to stay a few days and hike to the waterfalls, but with an AQI in the unhealthy range, I will be leaving tomorrow. I hope I can get back here some day.
GuideI was finally able to make it out to this spot. The sites were clean with plenty of restrooms and showers. There are a couple of loops with many sites. Reservations are recommended as the sites fill up fast. Keep an eye out for cancelations; that's how we managed to book our site. There is a nature loop in the campground and Ten Falls is down the street.
LegendAmazing spot— gorgeous, full of wildlife, and lots of wonderful trails close by. There’s a wildlife viewing area are close by. We saw so many elk, water birds, and at least 5 bald eagles (with a nest close by.)
Took a day to hang out in the surrounding woods in a hammock.
Amenities are pretty good—but no laundry and there’s a sump station.
No laundry. No WiFi and minimal cell service for both Verizon and ATT.
The surrounding area is beautiful, close to Portland and has many trails.
The spots are tiny and not easy to fit in we had a 25’ trailer and our truck struggled to not be on the road.
RangerGreat ranger super clean calm beautiful very well situated campgrounds and plenty of beautiful walks by the river, woods and lake…. very peaceful…
LegendOregon State Parks are the best in the west. This is yet another with full hookups and great amenities and activities– all at a great price. This is a seasonal park that closes on 10/31. If you are looking for a nearby alternative during the fall and winter months, check out Champoeg State Park which is south of Portland. Good site spacing and privacy. Clean bathrooms with decent locations A rated. The dog run is fantastic.....almost two acres.
ScoutGreat camping, lots of shade for tent campers. Flushing toilets, showers clean. Multiple camp host. Reserve a spot !
ScoutVery nice state park.
TravelerCame in to the campground and was able to find our campsite quickly. 5 minutes after we had parked, a very nice ranger stopped by and greeted us; asked us a couple of questions about our reservation, checked us in, and shared information about the campground. We purchased firewood using the automated pay machine. We visited the trail of ten falls starting at the South Falls Lodge, which is less than a 5 minute drive from the campus ground. Great visit, super quiet campground; lots of trees; make sure to reserve your site well in advance; this site is usually full. Water and power on our site. Clean bathrooms and showers.
TravelerAgain in the pouring rain we were received very nicely, although we had to fear that we would not be able to get a space due to an event. But 4 pitches with electricity and water for $35 were still available. If it hadn't rained, we would have walked through the beautiful, huge park.
GuideWent in Winter and it was cold, wet and had surprise snow! Nice open spots, cute playground - showers and flush toilets. Dumps ration is a couple miles away. Great access to water falls.
GuideGreat park! Waterfalls were raging after all the storms!! Downside is that dogs are not allowed on the majority of the infamous Ten Falls loop.
Campsite had TONS of spots available when we were there (midweek during a storm) with no reservation needed.
Sites were good (only downside is very little privacy). Paid $19 for rent only site. Had electric/ water hook up sites too. Hot showers, clean bathrooms. Had picnic table & decent space. Had good cell service here but not in other parts of the park so download maps before you leave the campsite!
RangerStayed one night in my tent camper. Nice big sites. No privacy though. Lots of trees, but no bushes between neighbors. Despite a park ranger on site, one camper had a loud, pounding stereo system on for hours when I got in. Street noise went on all night. Racing cars, loud engines. Had hoped to do some hiking, but deluging rain and then super muddy trails made me just pack up and leave early. When I pulled in Sunday night signs out front said “campground full”, but out of 43 sites maybe 10 were occupied?
ScoutWe stayed in the B loop since A loop is closed for winter. Campsites are well spaced and large. Campsite is an easy walk or short 2 minute drive to the south falls.
GuideRight on the Clackamas River, and this is just absolutely gorgeous country. Top it off this is definitely one of the top ten best disc golf courses in America to visit. A must see stop for sure.
Horse camping in Oregon offers a unique opportunity to explore the state's stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine companions. 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 Salem, OR?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Salem, OR is Silver Falls State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 72 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Salem, OR?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Salem, OR, with real photos and reviews from campers.
