Best Equestrian Camping near Estelline, TX

Caprock Canyons is as good as it gets for equestrian sites in Texas. Stay away from summer temps, but go in late fall or early spring and plan to stay awhile. Lots of trails to explore in the area and plenty of pen space at Wild Horse. Take the Wild Horse Trail from there for the scenic windmill tour.

Wild Horse Campground Spot 74 

I showed up at the welcome center with a reservation for primitive camping, not realizing the only spot to set up my RTT would be the parking lot. A nice lady working the desk, slide me into a spot that had cancelled earlier that day at the Wild Horse Campground. 

Wild Horse is the equestrian camp and each spot has horse pens, picnic table, fire ring(though burn ban was in effect while we stayed) and water. No restrooms. The campground is behind a drive through gate that you have to close to keep the buffalo out. 

Only one slot had horses while we were there. Several had mountain bikers staying in them. Everyone besides us and the horse folks were in ground tents. Plenty of room for us and the horse trailer setup didn’t look too cramped either. Slots are well spaced out, but not much privacy– see tree comment below. 

Not much shade to be had except what little you get from scrubby mesquites, but if you are looking for lots of shade, this probably isn’t the park for you. The park itself is great. Easy to get around. Lots of well-marked trails. Bring water and what for snakes. Gorgeous canyon views and features. 

Very quiet after sundown.

Quitaque(kitty-quay) is a couple of miles from the main entrance and has a convenience store, a grocery store and a couple of cafes. We drove ten miles further to Turkey, Texas for dinner– very cool setup at Hotel Turkey. Good food, good music and fun casual outdoor atmosphere. Be sure to check their website for hours. Speaking of website, we had no service on Verizon cellular except very slow spotty connections from 10 pm to 7 am. Service in Quitaque and Turkey was very spotty and very slow. 

Definitely glad we stopped here. Wouldn’t hesitate to do so again.

Created by the Red River, Caprock Canyon State Park, lies about 125 miles to the southeast of Palo Duro Canyon. While many similarities exist between the two state parks, the differences are striking. For starters, this park features the remaining heard of Southern Plains Bison (related to the Bison heard managed in Yellowstone N.P.) who wander the park roads and graze upon the local vegetation. So, keep your speed down and pay attention around every corner, especially at night!

We stayed in the Equestrian Camp (water only, no toilets, no electricity so come prepared with your solar panel).   Spacious sites, corrals for horses at each site, and one very squeaky windmill that will keep you awake at night if it's windy, which it always is.  Try to get a spot that is NOT right next to it!  The campground has a gate to keep wildlife out and horses in.  You'll have to open and close it each time you leave/return.

Hiking might just be the best way to see this park, but miles and miles of horse trails offer an unique experience from the saddle. Many trails crisscross the dry washes so pay attention to your trail markers so you don’t get turned around. Opportunities to hike up to the highest point in the park are strenuous but well worth the effort. So too is the hike back to the year-round springs that keep the wildlife running.

The nearby town of Quitaque also has an ice/water kiosk and a convenience store which is less than 5 miles away.  The closest town with a real grocery store and restaurants is Plainview, about 55 miles away.

This is my favorite place to camp in Texas, second only to BiBe (though I haven’t been to Palo Duro yet). A truly beautiful site. We hiked out at 11pm and the moon was so bright we almost didn’t need headlamps. Lots of bison poop, and lots of coyote howling. The sites were pretty spread out, and the central area had a decent pit toilet. Completely surrounded by red rocks - loved it. Close access to some of the park’s major trails, and an easy hike out to the site.

Let me preface this by saying that our woes during our stay here didn't really have anything to do with the campground or the hosts. Our stay here was, however, eventful. 

We stayed here because this is the only area that the state rangers said was open... more on that later. We did find it interesting that there were only out of state license plates here... but again more on that later (and maybe a coincidence?) 

It was toasty hot- we stayed in a roof top tent, so if you're not in a trailer, think about how you're going to stay cool. 

Late at night our roof top tent became overrun with small cockroaches. Yes I said it. It sucked. We fought them off for probably an hour before we finally plugged all the holes in our tent. Then we still found a few and got them out. Next the coyotes came in our site. Yes. You read that right. They were within 10 feet of us. We pick up our sites meticulously before we go to bed and store our food properly. Howling next to your tent is very... ominous. Yes, let's go with that. Then the wind came. This is an equestrian park, so there are horse corrals all around you. Just something... eerie about horse corrals (that we closed by the way because of the creaking) opening and closing in the middle of the night. THEN came the birds at 4AM who were singing the song of their kind... yep.. you guessed it, right next to our tent. 

Again- nothing to do with how the park is run, just our one night there. UNTIL- the next morning when we went and saw the RV portion of the campground. All. Texas. Plates. Full. Hookups. I bet they slept nicely. Could be a coincidence, but could not be- who knows! At the absolute very least- this gave us the most memorable story of our entire 6-week trip. So we are thankful for that. Also, cool fact- the Texas State Buffalo Herd lives here!

Beautiful park. Clean heated bathrooms. Tons of Bison and the views cant be beat. We stopped here on a whim and the campground was full. They were able to accommodate us for the night dry camping in the equestrian section. Was nice, not many people camping there. Staff were all super helpful and nice

Stayed at campsite 37 at the equestrian camping area. All other sites in this campground were empty so it was very quiet. My campsite offered great views of the canyon and an amazing array of stars at night. Flush toilets, showers close by and water pumps at the site. Great site and worth the $15.

We really enjoyed our stay at Copper Breaks State Park! The campsite was level and had 30/50 amp service with water hookups. The also had dump stations. The is a small lake in the park with boating and swimming areas. The had numerous trails. In the height of summer it is very hot so be prepared if you hike any of the trails. They also had an equestrian area. This park is in a dark sky designated area so the view if the night sky is spectacular! The restrooms/showers are very basic and about average for the Texas state parks that I have stayed at.

I really liked the shelters that they built at each of the sites in the Comanche camping area. They are built for maximum shade but with plenty of airflow for cooling. They also look kind of cool. We saw a lot of wildlife (birds and small mammals) in the area.

Located in Briscoe County, TX, this park is over 15,000 acres and the third largest state park in Texas. There is hiking, biking, and an equestrian rail trail extending through three counties. The canyons and ridges, carved out by erosion, are beautiful. The area is home to sheep, deer, coyotes, opossums, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, porcupines, prairie dogs, over 175 various birds, golden eagles, numerous snakes and lizards. The animal that stands out is the plains bison herd. There is also Lake Theo here, which has bass, catfish and rainbow trout. Temperatures average from 19F to 91F. There are cabins for rent and camping sites. Great staff and clean bathrooms. It was very windy and hot in May. Advisories were to have plenty of water on hand at all times. We stopped here on our way back from a trip and wished we could have camped there after seeing the area. They were all booked, so we just napped in hammocks by the water. We awoke to the awesome sight of bison coming down to the lake to drink. It does not get any better than this park.

This is a really great campground. I would have given it 5 stars but the dump station is out of order and has been for a long time. The sites are very spacious. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. The trails are well kept and plentiful for walking, bikes, horses. The lake is nice as well. And don’t forget the bison freely wandering through the campground. And the canyon views are so beautiful

A nice park with lots of camp sites. RV hook ups, and lots of dispersed camps around the pack. Some are hike or horse in sites. 

Nestled in a beautiful canyon with tons of trials for hiking or horseback. 

Park also has a small lake, Lake Theo, which holds some really nice fish. 

The herd of Buffalo roam the park, and will visit your camp in the early mornings!

The scenery is beautiful, with the canyon and the wildlife, but of all the state parks I've visited so far, this ranks the lowest based on facilities, and staff. 

Showers were closed when we arrived, and we only found out by being met with locked door on our first morning. No notice when booking our reservations. 

Bathroom doors were open, and there was a ton of insects all over the place. The bathroom was in need of some minor repairs, and could have used a good cleaning.

The camp was maintained tho, and overall we had a good trip. I had higher expectations from a Texas State Park, but oh well. The park itself is beautiful, so Ill still visit based on that alone.

• Burn Ban in Effect - No firewood or charcoal - Only Propane
• Night sky is awesome
• If you are expecting shade…forget it
• Bison roam free and they are bigger than you
• Horse flies are everywhere and according to my wife they do like gray leggings
• Watch out for critters, large and small
• Watch where you step..land mines (Bison poop is everywhere)
• Fishing at Lake Theo - No license needed
• Really nice park store
• Ranger led Bat Tours in the summer

We went with some friends who also pulled their camper. We picked Sites #22 and #24 because they were connected and the kids could roam between the two sites. The park has a lot of wildlife…in addition to the Bison and the Prairie Dogs we saw Road Runners, Jack Rabbits, Horned Lizards. If you are a first time visitor going hiking in the summer, plan and heed the warnings of the park rangers. The park has very limited cell service (AT&T works better than Verizon) and canyon floor is much warmer than up top. We hiked early in the mornings and the kids were awed by the red rock and the quartz. After sunset it is very comfortable outside and the night sky will leave you breathless. Quitaque is the closest town 3 miles away and has a gas station. Amarillo is a hour away and we went for a day trip taking TX 207 N through Mackenzie Lake. It is a scenic drive. We stopped at the Cadillac Ranch, had lunch at Tyler's BBQ and made a trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park to watch "TEXAS". Next time we pull a camper, I will definitely carry a tent and go primitive for a couple of nights. Also, take a telescope if you own one. You won't regret it.

The Rolling Plains has been home to my family for a long long time and it’s always wonderful to be back. Copper Breaks is a beautiful, wild place perfectly managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. A light touch all around with simple, compact campgrounds to keep a small footprint on the terrain. This is a place where campsites are best used to live out of... not in.

TPW has done a great job keeping light to a minimum. If you don’t like the dark or need a bunch of exterior lights on your camper, please choose another site. There are no street lamps, no canopy lights and thankfully most campers respect the dark here and keep the blinds pulled and exterior lights off. Still... bring your red flashlights and take a hike to see the best views.

The trails are great day or night. Winter or summer. Use your feet, horse or your MTB to explore the backcountry and there is even primitive camping on some of the trials. Beware of snakes and although they are very rare, I would keep your little ones in sight as cats are very very occasionally seen in the Rolling Plains.

The little museum is great and I don’t just say that because my great grandfather’s photo hangs there.

The tent sites are decently spaced and occupy the low areas to serve as wind blocks. The Comanche RV site sits up on a ridge with a greater than 180 degree view of the night sky.

This brings us to why you should really be here. Though the trails are beautiful and the terrain rough and untamed... it’s the skies that draw people here. With the Comanche Springs observatory just around the corner and the dark sky designation... the views here in the after hours are simply astounding. Stars, planets, satellites and shooting stars galore. Set your calendar for the next new moon and head out west for a show you won’t forget.

The park has a free roaming bison herd (ancestral to the original bison that once roamed Texas in the 1800's) and a large prairie dog colony. They have hiking trails for all levels. Campsites are not stacked on top of one another, so there's a bit of privacy. Lots of different camping areas depending if you want to tent, backpack or RV. The scenery is different than we'd experienced prior, but it's a breathtaking beauty. Our girls, 5 and 7, begged to have a few extra days at the park. We cannot wait to get back in the fall to do more hiking! Also, we took a day trip on the Texas Plains Trail up to Amarillo, to Cadillac Ranch and ended up at Palo Duro State Park for their TEXAS! show. It was a big day, but a great way to see more of the region.

We loved this place! Great sites, nice bathrooms, gorgeous park! A real gem in West Texas.

Really enjoyed seeing this picturesque place in Texas. It was an absolute joy watching the momma Bison repeatedly corral her playful young as we were leaving.

Will definitely come back here with the family!!

Had a 2 night stay on our cross country trip and it was perfect.  The campsites were well spaced, level, clean, and easy hook ups (no septic though). We took advantage of the trails and did a 7 mile hike on the moderate level.  Low level military jets occasional during the day was the only faint noise, but it's ok … they are always welcomed!  The night was lite by the full moon so we could not see the stars well, but still … beautifully quite. The museum gave a great history of the area and we learned a lot. This was our first time with a Texas park and it was great! Thanks Texas!

This camp ground was one of the most quiet Texas State Parks I've been to so far. There are so many open spaces to see the stars at night.

We stayed here on the way to Colorado. It’s about a one day drive for us from Austin Texas. The park exceeded our expectations for experience and amenities. We arrived at 7pm and the ranger station and visitors center was still open. They have a small gift shop and your can also rent items including fishing rods for the well stocked fishing lake. The views of the red canyons are worth the visit. The morning sun light on the canyon is incredible. The hidden surprise is the huge herd of bison. They congregate around the main entrance at sundown and you can get very close in your car for some great shots. The site was perfect for our sprinter van with privacy between the sites, water, and electric. We don’t need water or electric but find these larger sites provide some space and privacy. The sites have picnic tables, sun shades, and hooks for hanging clothes lines or drying out tents. We visited in July and the outdoor temp was 94 degrees at 9 pm. So you need to plan your visit if you are tent camping or you can ac is limited. They have great facilities including RV dump station and clean restrooms with showers. Lots of folks travel to Palo Duro which is just up the road but Caprock has a lot to offer. We plan to come back in the Fall to do some hiking and camping. Another good Texas State Park. The town of Turkey Texas is close. This looks like an interesting stop with cafes and a nice theater.

We were able to find an opening for 1 night at the honey flat campground, and enjoyed the solitude, scenery and wild life. Had 30 Amp hookup with water. Dumpstation and bath facilities. The sites were good size with fire rings and shaded picnic tables. Need to be aware of texas wild life. Many hiking trails and staff at the information center were nice and helpful. Need to plan trip far in advance as sites fill up quick if you plan on staying for awhile.

Caprock is a smaller version of palo duro canyon, and very close, without all the “commercial” fanfare. We tent camped here in august, 2018 and had the entire tent campsite lakeside to ourselves. The bathrooms were great, clean, hot water, all good things. The hikes were nice, challenging only due to heat (it was August in Texas so to be expected). There is a nice pier overlooking the lake, we were able to set up our chairs and enjoy a beautiful peaceful evening. The staff was very helpful. This is a Bison ranch, but we didnt see any during our two night stay.

This is a beautiful, undervalued State Park In Texas. I spent only one night here on my way to another TX State Park. It was fantastic!! This park has great facilities, spacious campsites and talk about animals. Bison & Prarie Dogs are the tow most popular animals at the park. Very unique to any park that I have visited in TX. The canyon views are spectacular as is the hiking in the park. I'm a photographer and got some beautiful Sunset and Sunrise photos. The park personnel were great and very helpful in pointing out some of he best photo opportunities in the park.

Caprock Canyons not only looks like it fell out of a John Wayne classic but is also home to the Texas State Bison Herd! The Bison roam free throughout the park so keep an eye out for them when you’re exploring. There are also prairie dogs everywhere! Enjoy them! They’re funny and cool. You can hike around or into the canyon and both are AWESOME! The sites were good sizes and most had shade in the RV loop. One of the cleanest bathrooms I’ve used in a state park was here as well! There is plenty of history within the park as well as ranger programs and wildlife. Seriously worth the drIve!

My original plans were to head to Yosemite during the month of August but couldn't get enough of Texas. This is not the first time I have been to this campground. The last time I was here it was winter and the campgrounds were full of snow. Now during the summer the temperature has sky rocketed and it is almost unbearable here. I would recommend coming here in the cooler months.

The site has bright red dirt and it fells like you are in the movie The Martian. The site are spaced pretty close together and only has tall grass to be the barrier between your neighbors. The best parts were the showers, after a long day of hiking and exploring. The site is really quiet at night and you occasionally see head lights in the middle of the night. There are some sites that do have WiFi.

Honey Flat is located within Caprock Canyon State Park about one hour south of Amarillo Texas. The park has great facilities and it’s own heard of bison. The canyon is at the end of the Honey Flat Campground. Although smaller than Palo Duro Canyon it’s a beautiful red canyon photo op. The park also has popular well stocked fishing lake. Honey Flat Campground can host guests from tent camper to large 5th wheels and RVs. Depending on the location each site has some degree of privacy along with electrical and water hookups. They also have picnic tables with shelter, fire rings, and poles to hang shower bags and camp gear. They have a nearby dump station as well. The restrooms are located just north of the campgrounds along with a great playground for the kids. Homely flats is usually crowded on weekends especially during the fall and spring. I would recommend making a reservation a few months in advance. The park staff are very friendly and efficient. We like to stop over at Caprock during our trips up to Colorado and the Utah.

The park is full of wild bison, creating an experience as unique as I have seen. Be warned that they are in the roads and come in and near the campsites. When I left for a hike, I came back and found bison poop on my campsite!

Caprock Canyons part 2